Writing Across the Curriculum Mrs. Shirley Delgado M.A. Literacy Coach James J. Ferris High School

PARCC Song

Why PARCC ? Students need to be better prepared; higher standards and better assessments will help Students need to be better prepared; higher standards and better assessments will help A high school diploma isn’t enough 81% of today’s jobs require college or career training K–12 system is not getting enough students ready for college 1/3 of college freshmen need remedial courses

PARCC: A Better Way of Measuring 21 states 21 states 16 million students in tested grades 16 million students in tested grades Aligned to the Common Core State Standards Aligned to the Common Core State Standards 2013–14 field testing 2013–14 field testing 2014–15 implementation 2014–15 implementation

The PARCC Advantages How They Work Next generation: Computer-based, interactive, engaging Next generation: Computer-based, interactive, engaging Computer-delivered supports: Will help English learners and students with disabilities show what they know and can do Computer-delivered supports: Will help English learners and students with disabilities show what they know and can do Timely Info: Results returned quickly, so they can better inform instruction and improve student learning Timely Info: Results returned quickly, so they can better inform instruction and improve student learning

In ELA/Literacy, you will know: In ELA/Literacy, you will know: PARCC How well students can integrate information across texts/multi media to write a persuasive argument Whether students can read and comprehend texts of sufficient complexity The degree to which students can use context to determine the meaning of academic vocabulary

What Are the Shifts at the Heart of PARCC Design (and the Standards)? 1. Complexity: Regular practice with complex text and its academic language. 2. Evidence: Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text, literary and informational. 3. Knowledge: Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction.

Nine Specific Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment Demanded by the Three Core Shifts... 1.PARCC builds a staircase of text complexity to ensure students are on track each year for college and career reading. 2.PARCC rewards careful, close reading rather than racing through passages. 3.PARCC systematically focuses on the words that matter most— not obscure vocabulary, but the academic language that pervades complex texts.

Continue 4.PARCC focuses on students rigorously citing evidence from texts throughout the assessment (including selected-response items). 5.PARCC includes questions with more than one right answer to allow students to generate a range of rich insights that are substantiated by evidence from text(s). 6.PARCC requires writing to sources rather than writing to de- contextualized expository prompts. 7.PARCC also includes rigorous expectations for narrative writing, including accuracy and precision in writing in later grades.

Continue 8.PARCC assesses not just ELA but a full range of reading and writing across the disciplines of science and social studies. 9.PARCC simulates research on the assessment, including the comparison and synthesis of ideas across a range of informational sources.

Writing Prompt Example GRADE 8 WRITING PROMPT No. X Your school is planning to issue laptop computers to ninth graders next year. Do you think this is a good idea? Write to explain why or why not.

LAL 7 th Grade Sample

Different Types of Writing Forms Used in PARCC In grades 3-5, students may be asked to produce: In grades 3-5, students may be asked to produce:  Adventure stories  Autobiography  Biography  Book reviews  Brochures  Character Sketches  Descriptions  Diaries  Encyclopedia or Wiki entries  Endings  Essays  Explanations  Fables  Fantasy stories  Fiction  How-to-do-it articles  Humorous stories  Legends  Letters  Magazine articles  Myths  News articles  Pamphlets  Persuasive letters  Reports  Reviews  Scenes (from a play)  Short stories  Science articles  Science fiction stories  Sequels  Speeches

In addition to those forms listed for grades 3-5, students in grades 6-8 may be asked to produce:  Anecdotes  Apologies  Complaints  Editorials  Interviews

In addition to those forms listed for grades 3-8, students in grades 9-11 may be asked to produce:  Satires - the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.  Spoofs - a humorous imitation of something, typically a film or a particular genre of film, in which its characteristic features are exaggerated for comic effect.  Testimonials- a formal statement testifying to someone's character and qualifications.

Writing Across the Curriculum Each department will develop one writing prompt for each month of the school year. (Total = 10) Each department will develop one writing prompt for each month of the school year. (Total = 10) Some departments have already created prompts last year at the writing workshops and will receive copies. Some departments have already created prompts last year at the writing workshops and will receive copies. Departments who have not created their prompts will create them and get it approved by the Literacy Coach or an administrator. Departments who have not created their prompts will create them and get it approved by the Literacy Coach or an administrator. The prompts will be the same for everyone in the department and must be used and followed by all teachers in that department. The prompts will be the same for everyone in the department and must be used and followed by all teachers in that department.

How will they be evaluated? Teachers must keep 1 student portfolio containing all current writing prompts at hand for evaluation purposes. Teachers must keep 1 student portfolio containing all current writing prompts at hand for evaluation purposes. Each marking period, teachers will select one of the monthly prompts to place in the student folders in the filing cabinets located in JA216 or in the first floor library. Each marking period, teachers will select one of the monthly prompts to place in the student folders in the filing cabinets located in JA216 or in the first floor library.

Portfolio Timeline Portfolio Piece 1- MP1- November 28 th, 2014 Portfolio Piece 1- MP1- November 28 th, 2014 Portfolio Piece 2- MP2- December 19 th,2014 Portfolio Piece 2- MP2- December 19 th,2014 Portfolio Piece 3- MP3- march 27 th, 2014 Portfolio Piece 3- MP3- march 27 th, 2014 Portfolio Piece 4- MP4- May 22 nd, 2014 Portfolio Piece 4- MP4- May 22 nd, 2014