Matt Copeland Language Arts and Literacy Consultant Standards and Assessment Services Team Kansas State Dept. of Education Scoring with the Updated Rubrics for the Kansas Writing Assessment

KSDE Training Manual for 6-TRAIT Scoring Updated Training Manual (and accompanying PowerPoint) is now available on the KSDE Writing Homepage: Includes pre-scored samples essays written by Kansas students that can be used for training/calibration purposes.

Pre-Scored Sample Essays Section II: Essays with Annotations Two-column format Includes text-boxes with 6- TRAIT scores, commentary, and suggestions for revision from the state writing committee

Pre-Scored Sample Essays Section III: Essays without Annotations Same two-column format Text-boxes are left blank and can be filled-in by raters Raters can then check the chart at the back of the manual to compare their scores to those of the state writing committee

Updated Rubrics

Scoring an Individual Essay

For each criterion, mark the set of descriptors that best “match” the student’s essay. Scoring an Individual Essay

If caught between point levels, mark both boxes and underline or highlight individual descriptors. Scoring an Individual Essay

Repeat this process for the other criteria within each trait. Scoring an Individual Essay

Once finished, raters will have at least four (but perhaps more) checkmarks for each trait. Scoring an Individual Essay

To determine an overall score for each trait, use the checkmarks placed on the rubric as a guide. Allow the previous work you completed in scoring each criterion to inform your scoring of the overall trait. Scoring an Individual Essay

So, if our marked rubric looked as follows, the overall score for this trait would likely be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

Whereas, the overall score for this trait would likely be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

However, when we have more than four checkmarks per trait or when there is greater discrepancy between the scores given to individual criteria, scoring each trait becomes more complex. Scoring an Individual Essay

To facilitate scoring in these situations, the criteria are listed in hierarchical order within each trait. This allows individual raters to weigh the relative importance of each criteria to one another and to the trait as a whole. Scoring an Individual Essay

So, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

Whereas, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

Likewise, because of the hierarchy of the criteria, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

And, because of the hierarchy of the criteria, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

In short, although the marking of the rubric can certainly facilitate more accurate and consistent scoring, each rater must determine in his or her own mind where the student’s essay falls along the continuum of each of the six traits. Scoring an Individual Essay

Raters should discuss student writing and they scores they are awarding it. The goal is not to persuade or convince individuals to change their scores. Keep the discussion firmly grounded in the language of the scoring rubric. Discussion facilitates professional learning and allows readers to better understand, clarify, and apply the criteria and descriptors contained within the scoring rubric. Encouraging Discussion among Raters

Practice Scoring Using pre-scored sample essays from the KSDE Training Manual for 6-TRAIT scoring, let’s practice scoring student writing at the 5 th grade, 8 th grade, and high school levels.

Using the scoring chart from the training manual, let’s check to see how we did! How Did We Do?

Rater Reflection Thinking about today’s presentation…

Contact For more information: Matt Copeland Language Arts and Literacy Consultant Standards and Assessment Services Team Kansas State Dept. of Education