POULSBO — More than 1,500 students in the North Kitsap School District will begin taking the Washington Assessment of Student Learning next week.

The test, which students will have to pass to graduate beginning with the class of 2008, is taken by grades 4, 7, and 10.

More than 500 students at each grade level will take the test, which requires two weeks to finish.

“We think we’re ready to start,” said North Kitsap High School Vice-Principal Christy Cole, who is in charge of implementing the test to the 570-plus students scheduled to take it.

The school had to import outside clerical help to assemble the boxes of #2 pencils, high-energy snacks, calculators, dictionaries, and test booklets for every class.

Thursday afternoon, the boxes filled one of the school’s conference room, and one volunteer looked at the gaggle of boxes and said, “We need more space.”

The high school had a small schedule wrinkle this year. Since the week of the test fell on a week that includes a half-day (April 26), and the scheduling of the WASL makes it difficult to have students test on a half-day, students will instead take the test in four days as opposed to five.

They have been given more time in each day to take the test.

At the high school, sophomores will go to class at the regular time and take the WASL from 7:40 to 9:55 a.m., then continue on a shortened schedule the rest of the day.

Juniors and seniors will not begin until 10 a.m.

There will be no testing or schedule change on Friday because of the half day, during which students are dismissed at 10:40 a.m.

Cole said educators and students have become more aware and prepared for the WASL each year it has been given.

“I think more teachers are aware of the importance of the test,” Cole said. “It’s more of a concerted effort on everyone’s part, not just English and math (teachers). Every year there’s more focus on getting kids prepared.”

Vinland Elementary principal Charley McCabe said that parents and teachers have been instrumental to preparation for the test; parents by providing snacks for mornings before the test — “Nutrition is one of basic needs that help kids prepare their best,” McCabe said — and teachers by incorporating the state’s Essential Learnings into their classes.

“The key to me is that teachers are teaching all year in ways that are preparing kids for essential learnings,” said McCabe.

The WASL has four sections: math, writing, reading and listening. Students answer questions in each section, just like a standard test. But what makes the WASL far from standard is the requirements on students. Students who take the test are not graded only on the answer they give, but the process they use to arrive at that answer.

For example, students in taking the math portion are given plenty of scratch paper, because they must show their work.

The WASL has been given since 1997 in the North Kitsap School District.