1. Matt Copeland Language Arts and Literacy Consultant Standards and Assessment Services Team Kansas State Dept. of Education 785-296-5060 mcopeland@ksde.org Scoring with the Updated Rubrics for the Kansas Writing Assessment

2. KSDE Training Manual for 6-TRAIT Scoring Updated Training Manual (and accompanying PowerPoint) is now available on the KSDE Writing Homepage: Includes pre-scored samples essays written by Kansas students that can be used for training/calibration purposes.

3. Pre-Scored Sample Essays Section II: Essays with Annotations Two-column format Includes text-boxes with 6- TRAIT scores, commentary, and suggestions for revision from the state writing committee

4. Pre-Scored Sample Essays Section III: Essays without Annotations Same two-column format Text-boxes are left blank and can be filled-in by raters Raters can then check the chart at the back of the manual to compare their scores to those of the state writing committee

5. Updated Rubrics

6. Scoring an Individual Essay

7. For each criterion, mark the set of descriptors that best “match” the student’s essay. Scoring an Individual Essay

8. If caught between point levels, mark both boxes and underline or highlight individual descriptors. Scoring an Individual Essay

9. Repeat this process for the other criteria within each trait. Scoring an Individual Essay

10. Once finished, raters will have at least four (but perhaps more) checkmarks for each trait. Scoring an Individual Essay

11. To determine an overall score for each trait, use the checkmarks placed on the rubric as a guide. Allow the previous work you completed in scoring each criterion to inform your scoring of the overall trait. Scoring an Individual Essay

12. So, if our marked rubric looked as follows, the overall score for this trait would likely be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

13. Whereas, the overall score for this trait would likely be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

14. However, when we have more than four checkmarks per trait or when there is greater discrepancy between the scores given to individual criteria, scoring each trait becomes more complex. Scoring an Individual Essay

15. To facilitate scoring in these situations, the criteria are listed in hierarchical order within each trait. This allows individual raters to weigh the relative importance of each criteria to one another and to the trait as a whole. Scoring an Individual Essay

16. So, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

17. Whereas, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

18. Likewise, because of the hierarchy of the criteria, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

19. And, because of the hierarchy of the criteria, the overall score for this trait might be a… Scoring an Individual Essay

20. In short, although the marking of the rubric can certainly facilitate more accurate and consistent scoring, each rater must determine in his or her own mind where the student’s essay falls along the continuum of each of the six traits. Scoring an Individual Essay

21. Raters should discuss student writing and they scores they are awarding it. The goal is not to persuade or convince individuals to change their scores. Keep the discussion firmly grounded in the language of the scoring rubric. Discussion facilitates professional learning and allows readers to better understand, clarify, and apply the criteria and descriptors contained within the scoring rubric. Encouraging Discussion among Raters

22. Practice Scoring Using pre-scored sample essays from the KSDE Training Manual for 6-TRAIT scoring, let’s practice scoring student writing at the 5 th grade, 8 th grade, and high school levels.

23. Using the scoring chart from the training manual, let’s check to see how we did! How Did We Do?

24. Rater Reflection Thinking about today’s presentation…

25. Contact For more information: Matt Copeland Language Arts and Literacy Consultant Standards and Assessment Services Team Kansas State Dept. of Education 785-296-5060 mcopeland@ksde.org