Year To Year Analysis: (CAPT Writing Scores) The Bridge Academy

What is CAPT? The Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) is administered in March to all tenth grade Connecticut students. The CAPT has been designed to assess critical skills which are needed for success in the work place and advanced studies. The CAPT measures students' abilities to apply what they have learned in school to situations they will face in everyday life

What is the Writing Across the Disciplines exam? The Writing section of CAPT contains two tests which assess students' writing abilities: Interdisciplinary Writing and Editing and Revising. The Interdisciplinary Writing test requires students to use knowledge and skills gained through social studies, science, mathematics, language arts, the arts and other disciplines. Each test focuses on an important contemporary issue. Students are given a set of source materials (e.g. newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, charts and graphs) representing different perspectives on the issue. Students are asked to read the materials and use the information to write a persuasive piece, such as a letter to a congressperson or a letter to the editor of their local newspaper, which supports their own position on the issue. Students are required to take two interdisciplinary writing tests about separate issues. The Editing and Revising test assesses student's understanding of writing conventions by asking them to edit passages to correct common errors in organization, word choice, syntax, capitalization, punctuation, usage, and spelling.

CAPT: Writing SCORING RUBRIC FeaturesScore Point 1Score Point 2Score Point 3Score Point 4Score Point 5Score Point 6 PositionMay take a position and address the problem; little or no awareness of audience is shown. May take a position and address the problem; little, if any, audience awareness is shown. Takes a position, but the position may not be clearly developed; some awareness of audience may be shown. Takes and develops a position; some awareness of audience is shown, but persuasiveness may be lacking. Takes a clear and persuasive position; awareness of audience is evident. Takes a clear, thoughtful and persuasive position; keen awareness of audience is shown. Comprehen- siveness The response offers little or no support from the source materials, OR the support provided is copied verbatim. The response contains only superficial support and/or may use information from only one or two of the source materials. The response contains limited support and may not use information from each of the source materials. The response contains adequate support but may not use information from each of the source materials. The position is well supported, typically using information from each of the source materials. The position is richly supported with information from each of the source materials. SupportThe support may be emotional, inaccurate, irrelevant, or show serious misunderstanding. The supporting ideas may be poorly developed and/or illogical and inconsistent; the information may be inaccurate or irrelevant. The supporting ideas are few and/or only somewhat developed; some information may be inaccurate or irrelevant. The supporting ideas are adequately but not thoroughly developed; some information may be inaccurate or irrelevant. The supporting ideas are generally well developed; information is accurate and relevant. The supporting ideas are very well developed; information is accurate and relevant. OrganizationThe response lacks focus and a controlling idea; little or no organization is present and frequent digressions and/or abrupt shifts in the response interfere with meaning. The response may lack focus and a controlling idea; digressions and/or abrupt shifts in the response may interfere with meaning. The response is somewhat organized, but there may be digressions or abrupt shifts that interfere with meaning. The response is adequately organized with at least one controlling idea; digressions, if present, are not disruptive. The response is well organized and contains one or more controlling ideas; digressions are rare. The response is unified and focused and contains one or more clear controlling ideas; organization and control are sustained throughout the response. Clarity and Fluency Many ideas are difficult to understand; fluency and transitions are lacking. Some ideas may be difficult to understand; fluency and transitions are lacking. Some ideas may not be clearly expressed; fluency and transitions may be lacking. Most ideas are clear and understandable, but fluency and transitions may be lacking. Most ideas are clearly expressed; writing is generally fluent, with some use of transitions. The ideas are clearly and effectively developed; writing is fluent and polished with effective transitions.

Editing and Revising Assesses student's understanding of writing Students edit passages to correct common errors Organization word choice syntax capitalization punctuation usage spelling.

: Writing Scores (At or above proficiency level) Added 7 th and 8 th Grade: Loss of experienced staff: Decrease in proficiency from 90% to 73% First Year of new writing initiative: Increase in proficiency from 75% to 86%

Data Analysis: DRG In 2007,53 students took the CAPT at Common Ground Charter school and in 2008 only 26

10 th Grade: Student Writing Submissions There is an apparent correlation between writing frequency and test scores

Bridge Academy: Strengths and weaknesses in Writing

Pre-Assessment Exam- September 26 th

Post Assessment- Dec 9 th

Improvement Strategies Common Assessment ERB Turnitin.com Peer Review Data Teams Curriculum Alignment “Data Sharing” Staff Development