1. Writing Performance Assessment

2. Writing
Objectives
Understand the ways in which the writing assessment differs from other assessments
Conduct writing testing appropriately

3. Writing
Definition
The writing assessment is a performance assessment where students produce an essay over a 2-3 day period. It is considered an “authentic” assessment in that students follow a writing process, including prewriting, drafting, editing and publishing, much as they would for a typical classroom assignment.

4. Writing
Purpose
The purpose of the writing assessment is to measure student proficiency on adopted state standards in the area of writing. Through analytic trait scoring, strengths and weaknesses may be identified to inform classroom instruction.
Participation, not performance in the writing assessment is included in the Report Card ratings.

5. Writing
Test Schedule
Winter window (Jan. 12 – Feb. 24) for grades 4, 7, and high school
Spring window (April 13 – April 28) for high school only
Online window for participating schools (Jan. 12 – March 17) for grade 7 and high school
Online Spring window (March 28 – April 28) for high school only

6. Scoring High School Level
Writing
Scoring
High School Level
Paper assessments will be scored same as last year
High School paper and online assessments will be double scored

7. Writing
Dos and Don’ts
Do’s
Testing Coordinators may test students in grade 9 or 10 if individual students have produced work that shows they are capable of meeting the HS writing standard.
High School students may test once during one of the two regular windows, regardless of grade.
Students in Grade 11 (or their third year in high school) must test once during one of the two regular windows unless they met in a previous year.

8. Dos and Don’ts (cont) Do’s (cont)
Writing
Dos and Don’ts (cont)
Do’s (cont)
Students in Grade 12 may test once and need to test during the winter window to receive results prior to graduation

9. Writing
Dos and Don’ts (cont)
Don’ts
Students who are not yet ready to successfully complete the high school writing assessment should not participate; it is not intended as a “practice” opportunity in anticipation of the eleventh grade attempt.
Do not provide resources unless they are explicitly described in the test administration manual.

10. Writing
Promising Practices
Local scoring of classroom assessments using the official scoring guide, to provide feedback in some or all of the writing traits to prepare students for the writing assessment.
Districts require that students in grades other than 11th meet the standard on a work sample before taking the state writing assessment.
Districts create a system where teachers trade papers for double scoring, thus ensuring reliability.

11. Writing
In a Nutshell
Writing is essentially the same as last year other than the shift of the “accountability” year from grade 10 to grade 11.
We are continuing efforts to expand the OAKS online writing assessment to more middle and high schools.
Return shipping of completed writing tests will be simplified due to a new vendor.

12. Writing
Acorns for Storage
How can districts use local work samples to ensure that the state writing assessment is used effectively?
How can we use the state assessment to improve student writing?
How can we better prepare students to complete their writing online in order to be successful in their testing and in their future writing experiences?