1. Session 1, Whole-class Assessments
Section 3, Assessment 8 sessions
Session 1, Whole-class Assessments
45 minutes
Considerations for This Session
This is the first session in the eight-part Section 3, “Assessment.” While the sessions in this series can be used in any order, according to need, this session gives an overview of all of the assessments, so we recommend completing this session first. Ideally, this session would be offered after most teachers have taught at least the first two units of Being a Writer. During this session, participants will become familiar with the assessments in the Being a Writer program. They will understand the purpose of the Class Assessments and the Social Skills Assessment and how they fit within the suite of assessments.
Facilitator Materials
“Session 1, Whole-class Assessments” slide presentation
Being a Writer classroom set for your reference
Pads of self-stick notes
Participant Materials
Being a Writer Teacher’s Manual
Assessment Resource Book
Notebook or journal
Do Ahead
Download the “Session 1, Whole-class Assessments” presentation from the CCC Learning Hub (ccclearninghub.org) and preview the content, including the commentary in the “Notes” field of each slide.
Set up the necessary equipment (computer/projector, screen, speakers, etc.).
Place pads of self-stick notes on tables for the participants to use during the session.

2. Welcome to Session 1 Session 1, Whole-class Assessments
Session 5, Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide, Part 1
Session 2, Individual Writing Assessment, Part 1
Session 6, Writing Performance Task Preparation Guide, Part 2
Session 3, Individual Writing Assessment, Part 2
Session 7, Conferring
Welcome to Session 1
(1 minute)
Welcome the participants to this Being a Writer professional learning session.
Explain that Section 3, “Assessment,” has eight sessions. Read the slide aloud and indicate that this is Session 1 of the section.
If you are planning to facilitate multiple sessions on the same day, tell the participants that there will be a short break after each session.
Session 4, Grading Practices
Session 8, Skill Practice and Assessment

3. Learning Goals
Become familiar with the assessment components in the Being a Writer program.
Understand the purpose of the Class Assessments and how they fit within the suite of assessments.
Understand the Social Skills Assessment and how it fits within the suite of assessments.
Learning Goals
(1–2 minutes)
Read the slide aloud.
Explain that during this session, the participants will work with partners and in small groups. Have each participant identify a partner to work with during this session. Establish a signal (such as a raised hand) for coming back together at the end of partner or small-group work.

4. Consider This… Assessments in Being a Writer are intended to:
Help you make informed instructional decisions as you teach the program
Track your students’ writing growth and social development over time
Consider This…
(1–2 minutes)
Ask participants to read the slide.
Ask: Which of these goals might we give more weight to? Why?
Tell the participants that while all assessments reflect both of these goals, they might give more weight to one than the other at any given time.
Tell the participants that they will keep these two goals in mind as they explore the whole-class assessments in the program.

5. Assessments in Being a Writer
Class Assessment
Teacher Conference
Social Skills Assessment
Individual Writing Assessment
Part A: Non-published Writing
Part B: Published Writing
Student Self-assessment (optional)
Beginning- and End-of-year Writing Samples (optional)
Assessments in Being a Writer
(1–2 minutes)
Have the participants review the suite of assessments listed on the slide.
Say: We will focus on the Class Assessment and the Social Skills Assessment in this session. In subsequent sessions, we will explore the remaining assessments and consider how they complement each other.

6. Exploring Class Assessments
Class Assessments help you observe and assess the whole class during Writing Time.
Find and read the Assessment Overview section (p. v) in your Assessment Resource Book.
Skim through Units 1 and 2 of the Teacher’s Manual.
Read a few of the Class Assessment Notes. Find and review the corresponding record forms in the Assessment Resource Book.
Exploring Class Assessments
(10–12 minutes)
Read the first sentence aloud: Class Assessments help you observe and assess the whole class during Writing Time.
Ask participants to locate and read the Assessment Overview section in their Assessment Resource Books.
Allow 3–4 minutes for them to read the section.
Ask participants to skim through Units 1 and 2 of their Teacher’s Manuals to locate and read a few of the Class Assessment Notes. Then ask them to find the corresponding record sheets in their Assessment Resource Books.
Allow 5–7 minutes for them to read the notes and record sheets.
Say: Talk with a partner about how you might use this type of assessment.
Scan the room; once most partners have finished talking, signal for their attention and go to the next slide.

7. Exploring Class Assessments (continued)
Skim through the Nonfiction Writing unit at your grade level and read some Class Assessment Notes.
How are the Class Assessments Notes in this unit different from those that you read in Units 1 and 2?
Exploring Class Assessments (continued)
(10–12 minutes)
Allow 5–7 minutes for the participants to read the notes.
Say: Talk with a partner about how the Class Assessment Notes in this unit are different from those in Units 1 and 2.
Scan the room; once most partners have finished talking, signal for their attention and have a few volunteers share what they learned.
Be sure that participants notice that the Class Assessments become more complex over the course of the year.

8. Exploring Class Assessments (continued)
How will the Class Assessments be useful to you?
What will you learn about your students?
How might these assessments support differentiation?
Exploring Class Assessments (continued)
(3–5 minutes)
Read the questions on the slide aloud.
Ask participants to discuss the questions with their partners.
Scan the room; when most partners have finished discussing, signal for their attention.
Ask for volunteers to share what they talked about.
Transition by saying: The next slide provides additional information about the Class Assessments.

9. Exploring Class Assessments (continued)
The assessment icon alerts you when a Class Assessment is suggested.
Assessment occurs about once per week during Writing Time.
Assessments help you assess writing and social skills.
Each assessment has a corresponding record sheet where you can record your observations and reflections.
Both the Class Assessment Note and the corresponding record sheet provide suggestions for how to proceed with the class based on your observations.
Exploring Class Assessments (continued)
(2–3 minutes)
Read the bulleted points on the slide aloud.
Transition to the next slide by explaining that participants will now spend time looking at the Social Skills Assessment.

10. Social Skills Assessment
The Social Skills Assessment (grades 1–6) is a record sheet designed to capture student growth in the social skills taught in Being a Writer.
Review the Social Skills Assessment record in your Assessment Resource Book.
How might you use this assessment with your students?
Social Skills Assessment
(2–3 minutes)
Read the first sentence aloud.
Direct participants to the Social Skills Assessment record in the Assessment Resource Book. Allow them 1–2 minutes to scan the record.
Note: Invite kindergarten teachers to review the table on page xxix in the Introduction of their Teacher’s Manuals and have them think about which social goals they might want to focus on with their students. Have them discuss their thinking with their partners.
Ask partners to discuss the question on the slide. After partners have had a chance to discuss, go to the next slide.

11. Social Skills Assessment (continued)
How might this assessment be useful to you?
In which of these skills would you most like to see student growth?
Social Skills Assessment (continued)
(2–3 minutes)
Have partners discuss each of these questions. Invite kindergarten teachers to reflect on the social goals listed in the table on page xxix and discuss the second question on the slide with their partners.
Ask for volunteers to share.
Transition to the next slide, which provides a summary of the Social Skills Assessment.

12. Social Skills Assessment (continued)
A Social Skills Assessment Note will alert you when an assessment is suggested.
Each of these notes appears three times, typically at the beginning, middle, and end of the year.
The record sheet is intended to capture students’ development over the course of the year.
Social Skills Assessment (continued)
(1–2 minutes)
Quickly review these notes for the participants.

13. Let’s Review… Assessments in Being a Writer are intended to:
Help you make informed instructional decisions as you teach the program
Track your students’ writing growth and social development over time
Let’s Review…
(3–5 minutes)
Remind participants that they discussed these two goals for assessment at the beginning of the session.
Ask: Think about the Class Assessments. Which of these two goals do the Class Assessments support? How do they support that goal?
Have partners discuss. Help participants see that the Class Assessments are designed to support teachers in making informed instructional decisions as they teach the program. While these assessments will give some information about individual students’ progress, their main intent is to support the teacher in making the decisions necessary to support their students as writers.
If appropriate, let participants know that the following session will delve into the Individual Writing Assessment, which supports the teacher in tracking individual students’ progress in writing.
Ask: Think about the Social Skills Assessment. Which of these two goals does the Social Skills Assessment support?
Have partners discuss. Help participants see that the Social Skills Assessment allows the teacher to look across the class as a whole to make instructional decisions about which skills might need more or less support. Additionally, the Social Skills Assessment allows for tracking of students’ growth over the course of the year.

14. Next Steps With your grade-level group, discuss:
How will you use the Class Assessments, and how will you manage them (on paper, or in the CCC ClassView assessment app)?
How might you support each other in your implementation of these assessments?
Next Steps
(3–5 minutes)
Have the participants move into grade-level (or other) groups.
Give them ample time to discuss their next steps using the questions on the slide.
If appropriate, let the participants know that the following sessions will explore the other assessments in depth and will include a focus on grading and preparing for state assessments.

15. What other questions do you have?
For more information, please see the Assessment module in the Being a Writer Online Course at ccclearninghub.org.
End of Session
(2–3 minutes)
Wrap up the session by answering or recording any additional questions that participants might have.
Direct participants to the Assessment module of the Being a Writer Online Course if they would like more detailed information about the assessments discussed in this session.
This is the end of Session 1. Allow the participants to take a short (5–7 minute) break before continuing to Session 2. If you are facilitating these sessions over multiple meetings, announce the date and time of the next scheduled session and let the participants know what they will need to bring with them to the next session.