The TAKS Essay What is it like? What can I write about?

10/11 TAKS ELA Breakdown There are 73 “raw points” possible: 48 multiple choice questions (1 pt. ea.) 48 3 open-ended questions (3 pts. ea.) 9 Composition (Score x 4) +16 *must get a ‘2’ to meet standard highest possible raw score 73

How well do I need to do? The raw score is then converted to a scale score to pass 2400 for commended Last year 43 points were required for passing, and 63 were required for commended.

What kind of essay should you write? It needs to be a MULTI-paragraph essay.  You should have an introduction, several body paragraphs (the number of body paragraphs is open), and a conclusion. For the most part, the TAKS essay asks for a personal response/opinion. You can use the following as evidence:  Personal experiences  Movies you have seen  Books you have read  Stories you know are true  Examples from the media, etc.  Remember though you’re not just summarizing the plots of the samples or other literary material.

Writing Prompt: Write an essay explaining what courage means to you. Think: How could I make this a “one time” story?

Tip # 1 Connect Your Thoughts

Show sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph progression If student decides to include more than one example/anecdote, there must be a STATED, linking thread Intro/Conclusion are great places to STATE the connection No Inception papers (Papers that have to be read several times to “get it”) The scorer should never feel lost in the paper (a.k.a. “Where did that come from?”)

Tip # 2 Stay Focused: Pick One Theme and Do It Well

Consider concentrating on one person, narrative, or philosophical discussion rather than several divergent, disconnected veins Consider eliminating extra ideas, and instead, develop your main point further

Tip # 3 Bring it on Home!

Don’t underestimate the power of a great conclusion! What have you learned about yourself or other people?

Tip # 4 Go for the Heart!

Cheers Tears Passion Instructional idea: Reading/analyzing editorials is a good way to see how writers still manage to express their passions in expository writing.

Tip # 5 Statistically, Length of Essay Does Matter!

It takes space to develop an idea! ¾ of the compositions that received lower scores were less than 1 ½ pages long ¾ of the compositions that received higher scores were more than 1 ½ pages long

How are TAKS Essays scored? The essays use a rubric with a score range that is from 1 to 4. To pass the section, a student must earn a 2. However, if you fail the essay (scoring a 1), then you fail the whole ELA test! There are five areas of writing that the graders consider when scoring the essay:  Focus and coherence, organization, development of ideas, voice, and conventions

Are there specific requirements? You are not required to follow the traditional format. However, if it works for you, use it. Be sure the introductory paragraph states your opinion! (THESIS) Be sure that everything else in your essay SUPPORTS that opinion. The “secret” or implied part of the prompt question is: How does this idea/event change/affect you? VOICE is most important. One great personal story, developed in full detail, is better than three examples briefly addressed.

Other pointers… It is okay to use I, me, my, etc. in your personal stories However, watch using “you” too much – try one or oneself instead Do not use: Contractions (can’t, they’re, we’re) or -Abbreviations (b/c, cuz, w/o, &) Do not skip lines between paragraphs when writing the essay. There’s a limited amount of space. Write neatly and clearly; Avoid writing teeny tiny or huge and bubbly writing

Use transitions (To begin with, For example, In addition). Avoid “chunky” paragraph format with presenting different examples in different paragraphs with no connections. Take creative risks. Create your own metaphors, similes, imagery. Avoid clichés. You are allowed to use a dictionary. Please do. If you're even slightly unsure how to spell a word, look it up!

Sample Essay Questions… Write an essay explaining what you think makes a person admirable. Write an essay explaining what can happen when someone has a strong influence in your life. When you first look at a TAKS prompt – you should go through and identify key words in the prompt and define those of importance. What are the key words in each of these prompts? Which words should you look up in the dictionary?

Now let’s go over the rubric and look at some actual 11 th grade samples of essays turned in….