Clover Park Sophomores Succeed at State Exams

Talk about ending the school year on a high note.

Clover Park High School principal John Seaton said that 154 sophomores were rewarded Friday for passing the reading and writing sections of the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) on the first try.

The HSPE, which replaced the controversial Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) in 2010, serves as Washington state’s exit exam. Students must pass it–or a state-approved alternative–in order to be eligible to graduate. The Clover Park School District administered the test in March.

“The kids just stepped up,” Seaton said in describing himself as “very proud” of his students. “Some were taking End of Course exams in algebra and geometry at the same time. They have shown us how dedicated they are.”

Seaton said, “It’s not unusual to (celebrate) with a pizza party,” but his school took it to the next level.  Friday morning, 100 students were treated to a movie at Lowes Theater in Lakewood Towne Center. Donations paid for the tickets.

“They gave us really plush accommodations,” he said.

In addition, Seaton said, members of Clover Park’s Class of 1958 raised enough money to hold a drawing for two Apple iPads. A staff member is married to a member of that class, who got the idea to do something for students. He turned to fellow alums on Facebook, and the donations began pouring in.

Seaton noted with a touch of amusement that both winning sophomores, Chyna Boonlom and Ayeisha Williams, weren’t surprised that they won.

“They were unflappable,” he said.

The odds of being chosen from 154 tickets were not high, but, as Williams said, “I had a deep feeling.”

Williams also had a feeling that the HSPE wouldn’t be too hard–and she was right. She earned advanced scores in both reading and writing.

“All of the questions they asked, I comprehended easily,” she said.

Williams is already thinking about college–she plans to study either photography, culinary arts or massage therapy at the University of Washington–and will be taking her iPad with her.

“I had a feeling I was going to win,” she said. “In my head, I was jumping up and down, but I kept my composure.”

Boonlom said that the HSPE was easy for her–“reading and writing are easy for me”–and that she plans to apply to be an ACT 6 scholar and attend nursing school. Among her choices are the University of Washington, Washington State University and Pacific Lutheran University.

As for winning an iPad, she said she has been wanting one–and that she will no longer have to steal her friends’ iPhones to play “Angry Birds.”

“I had a feeling,” she said. “I knew I was going to win.”