“Quality Assessments for Schools Since 1927” ERB Educational Records Bureau

Agenda Description of WrAP & WPP Features of the tests Reporting results Interpreting results The scoring rubric as a teaching tool Q & A

“ Writing today is not a frill for the few, but an essential skill for the many.” (National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges, 2003) WrAP

Helps to structure the school’s writing program Identifies relative strengths and deficits in student writing Provides objective validation for local writing instruction WrAP

Overview Provides a direct measure of student writing Done in two class periods Students receive a prompt to write about They may use the scoring rubric, a dictionary, and thesaurus The papers are scored analytically using a 6-point rubric on each of 6 writing elements (overall development, organization, supporting details, sentence structure, word choice, mechanics) WrAP

Writing Assessment Program (WrAP) Writing Assessment Program (WrAP) Six-Point Scale in Six Scoring Categories Six-Point Scale in Six Scoring Categories Overall Development Organization Support Sentence Structure Word Choice Mechanics LevelGradesMode of Discourse Elementary 3-4Narrative Intermediate 5-6Informative/Descriptive Middle 7-8Expository/Persuasive Secondary 9-10Persuasive College Prep 11-12Critical Thinking WrAP

What you Receive Report of Individual Student Results (raw score, scale score, percentile, and stanine for suburban and independent school norms) School/grade/class results Scale score information to enable you to measure growth in writing skills over time Benchmark papers to help you understand scoring ERB Scoring Rubric WrAP Prompts & Reports

ERB Scoring Rubric

Two readers score each student’s writing sample, using a set of anchor papers as a scoring guide Extensive training achieves consistent interrater reliability correlations of.90 or higher WrAP Scoring

Standard for review will be higher grade covered by the level Scores will be normed to specific grade Scale scores establish baseline and can be used to monitor year-to-year growth & achievement Look at students whose scores reveal lack of skill in one or more of 6 elements measured Report of Student Results

Step-By-Step Review of Data Start by reviewing your results to group most similar to yours (suburban or independent) Ask yourself: Do the results bear out your general experience with the students’ writing? Use raw scores by students, class, or school to establish priority for writing emphasis Use the rubric to guide lesson plans and goals Refer to descriptions and questions on back of rubric to further guide work with students Interpreting Results

WrAP Class Summary Report

WrAP Class Roster Report

Use of the WrAP Rubric in a Writing Curriculum Adopt the criteria of the rubric as a common vocabulary for instruction Agree upon a sequential approach for teaching skills under each criterion Design specific lessons and units around the criteria Post the scoring guide in classrooms and distribute copies to students and parents Base grading of local written work on the model

Review results and discuss their relationship to other written work done by students Examine successful results by students and conduct staff development to build on that success Develop a curriculum timeline around priority needs based on the results Following Up on Outcomes

How well does the writer communicate with the reader? (Audience and Purpose) How well is the topic developed? (Support) Is the paper fluent? (Organization, Word Choice, Syntax) Does the writer give voice to the topic? (Creative, Insightful, Original, Compositional Risk) WrAP Rubric – Overall Development

Overall plan (vertical dimension) Sequencing (horizontal dimension) Paragraphing Closing (must be present for a score of 4 or more) WrAP Rubric - Organization

Multiple Strategies? Compare/Contrast, Cause/Effect, Anecdotes Specific Detail/Abstract Ideas How Much? Are details sufficient to make the major ideas clear? Is repetition a factor? How Specific? Precise vs. general language Are the details strong and varied? How Connected? Building of ideas (depth vs. breadth) -- the layering of information Ideas/information that support the chosen focus WrAP Rubric - Support

Sentence Errors Fragments Run-ons Awkward Sentence Variety Are there a variety of structures or single repetitive patterns? Is there variety in terms of length and order? Usage Errors Subject-verb agreement Shift in tense Pronoun-antecedent error Shift in number Shift in person WrAP Rubric – Sentence Structure

Vocabulary  Sophistication of words for the level of writing  Is there specialized vocabulary?  Are big words misused or used correctly? Word Choice  Are words appropriate for meaning (affect vs. effect)?  Is the language varied?  Are words chosen for precision and clarity?  Does the writer use picturesque or expressive language? Correct Formation of Words  Are verb forms correct?  Are pronouns properly constructed?  Are plurals properly formed?  Are adjectives and adverbs formed correctly? WrAP Rubric – Word Choice

Spelling  Correctness – Consider length and complexity Punctuation  Commas, question marks, colons, semicolons, apostrophes, quotation marks, etc. Capitalization  Consider the length and complexity of the response WrAP Rubric - Mechanics

Online Writing Practice Program (WPP) Computer scored with instant results Sample scoring rubric with definition of terms Error recognition & highlighting Online tutorials linked to writing traits and scores Exemplar papers Portfolio of essays Student/teacher text messaging “If students are to learn, they must write.” --Vicki Spandel

Responding to a Prompt Students select the Practice tab Students choose prompt and click, ‘Begin Writing’ Timer begins 60 minutes to brainstorm and complete

Response Box

Instant Scoring Links to tutorials

At their Home Page, students click, “Learn” to access: Tutorials Rubrics/Definition of Terms Example essays Click “Portfolio” to see: Any piece of writing that has already been completed Messages from teacher Scores Home Page

Portfolio list Click on date for scores

Exemplar papers for each level

Post message to a student

Tutorials Students can access any tutorial, and target their personal weakness Tutorials can be practiced individually or in teacher- facilitated settings Students can practice online and receive immediate feedback Teachers can access student tutorials and time spent using them

Tutorial Lessons (Organization, Support, Sentence Structure, Practice) Students choose a category and the level Students select a tutorial Example: OrganizationOrganization

Sentence Structure Exercises

Monitor time on tutorials

View by total score Class Averages

View average by trait score

ERB Writing Programs NEW FEATURES Even more prompt types and genre Exemplar responses for each prompt Enhanced scoring models with error highlighting Teacher tools to place comments directly into each student response Error highlighting on essays Timer on/off Spell/grammar check Finish later option

Q & A ??