Preparing for the FCAT WRITES 2.0 Diana Fedderman Department of K-12 Curriculum

The Future of FCAT Writes  Florida is transitioning from FCAT Writes (assessing NGSSS) to PARCC (assessing Common Core State Standards) in 3 years.  To prepare students for the rigorous writing tasks within PARCC, the DOE will institute changes to FCAT Writes each year.  Changes for next year include new purpose- specific rubrics utilizing the language of Common Core.

FCAT Writes 2.0 Changes Responses will continue to be scored holistically as draft writing, but scoring will be more stringent. Responses earning scores of 4 or 5 must generally follow the conventions of sentence structure, mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling. To earn a score of 6, sentence structure must be varied, and few, if any, errors will occur in mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling.

FCAT Writes 2.0 Changes: Conventions  Spelling (of grade level appropriate vocabulary)  Complete sentences (other than purposeful fragments)  Subject-verb agreement  Capitals  End punctuation  Basic comma usage

FCAT Writes 2.0 Changes Scoring will include increased attention to the quality of details, requiring use of relevant, logical, and plausible support, rather than contrived statistical claims or unsubstantiated generalities. The quality of the support depends on word choice, specificity, depth, relevance, and thoroughness. Responses earning high scores must include specific and relevant supporting details that clarify the meaning, i.e., the point of the paragraph or the central theme of the response. Rote memorization or overuse of compositional techniques, such as rhetorical questions, implausible statistics, or pretentious language, is not the expectation for quality writing at any grade level.

FCAT Writes 2.0 Changes: Support Do Not Use:  Contrived hooks  Faulty statistics/expert opinions  Overtly contrived anecdotes  Pretentious language

Avoid Template Writing Template writing is an instructional method that imposes a rehearsed or prescribed format for responding to any prompt, regardless of the topic, mode, or intended purpose. In this case, students are taught to memorize and habitually insert the same words, phrases, sentences, settings, organizational structures, creative writing devices, problems, and/or conclusions into the response.

FCAT Writes 2.0 Changes: FOLDER  Each student will receive two papers: planning sheet and a writing folder.  This year, students will sign a pledge located on the back top of planning sheet.

Administrative Practices  Check EDW to ensure accuracy of data.  Palm Beach Writes Summary-RTSCW0147  Palm Beach Writes – RTSCW0146  Read a sampling of essays to monitor student progress.  Identify students that need additional support.  Structure and align pull-outs and tutorials that support classroom instruction.  Ensure communication occurs between teachers, coaches, and outside support.  Visit classrooms to monitor writing instructional practices.

Palm Beach Writes Summary- EDW Report RTSCW0147

Palm Beach Writes – EDW Report RTSCW0146 This student’s last PB Writes was in October, and he scored a 2.

Instructional Practices for the Last Few Days  Students should write each period.  These should be writing activities meant to remediate weak areas as opposed to daily timed essays.  Teach strategic minilessons based on needs.  Utilize calibration guides to provide students with examples and non-examples.  Pull students together for small groups with one teaching point.  Confer with individual students.

Small Group Pullouts  Create strategic small group list.  Consider the scores that count in each group.  Use English teachers to conduct these groups during the school day.  Concentrate on test taking strategies to maximize potential.  Target students without Palm Beach Writes scores.

Areas of Concentration Students with 0-2  Need pullouts in addition to classroom instruction.  Concentrate on focus and organization.  Then work on ample, elaborated support. Students with 3  Might consider pullouts in addition to classroom instruction.  Concentrate on ample, elaborated support.  This is not the time to work on vocabulary or figurative language.

PREPARING FOR THE TEST

Recalling the Strategies  Complete the FCAT Writes review- available on Learning Village.  Students can complete the study guide and use it to prepare.  Make the process a part of the school’s culture.  Justify answers in all classes (helps students build support).  Make appropriate conventions a requirement in all classrooms.

Timing  Determine the approximate amount of time for each piece of the writing.  Reading the prompt, generating an idea, and planning  Drafting  Final re-reading (revising and editing) Use EVERY second!

Resources Learning Village  Writing Lesson Plans  Tutorial Links  Calibration Guides (Persuasive & Expository) Professional Development  Area-based Training, ELA DIL Meetings, and School-based Training  Topics Covered this Year  FCAT Writing Updates  Scoring and Analyzing Writing  Instructional Practices to Improve Writing  Common Core Literacy Standards for Science and Social Studies  Literacy across the Curriculum

Moving Forward  Ensure that writing instruction continues in all grades throughout the year.  By the end of 7 th grade, students should be writing at a 3.  A scaffolded writing plan can be created to ensure that instruction isn’t repetitious.  Identify trends from FY12 FCAT Writes CD.  Create a school-wide conventions checklist.

Questions or Concerns Diana Fedderman Secondary Literacy Program Planner Office: