The Freshmen

Seattle's public schools invent a way to raise the average score on the sophomore level Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Wave a magic wand over the sophomores and transform them into freshmen:

One in four sophomores in Seattle Public Schools has failed so many classes that the district has "reclassified" them as freshmen.

....The 827 students districtwide can remain with their peers in classes, sports and other activities but must make up the credits in night or summer school in order to graduate on time.

The reclassification — of which parents and students were notified in recent weeks — is intended to delay the Washington Assessment of Student Learning for 10th-graders who are struggling academically. The class of 2008 is the first that must pass the WASL to graduate.

By removing hundreds of potentially low-scoring students from this spring's WASL, Seattle's WASL scores will likely increase.

But district officials say it's about making sure students are prepared for the high-stakes exam.