2.  There will be a four-week testing window from Feb. 2 – Feb. 27, 2015.   Total time will equal a maximum of 2 hours in grades 3-5 and 2.5 hours in grades 6-11. The time on task allowed for this assessment will be 1.5 hours for grades 3-5 and 2 hours for grades 6-11. Teachers will be allowed to institute a 30 minute break at their discretion.  . 

3.  Like last year, written texts will include social studies or science topics in order to demonstrate the possible range of informational reading. Text prompts will not require background information. Scoring will not privilege prior knowledge about the topic. 

4.  During the next two weeks, use a prompt from the tncore.org website to give students a “cold write.”  Each month October-January, assign a writing task in class using one of the prompts provided by tncore.org.  Set up the testing environment as close to the actual assessment as possible.  Score each assessment using the state rubric.  Share results during PLCs and discuss teaching strategies.

5.  Practice, practice, practice.  Write every day. Journal writing. Respond to text-dependent questions. Home projects. Quick-writes in class. Longer in-class writing assignments.

6.  POW POW ◦ Pull apart prompt. ◦ Organize my writing. (TIDE graphic organizer)TIDE graphic organizer ◦ Write and add more. (Revise and edit.)  TIDE ◦ Topic sentence ◦ Supporting information and details. ◦ Ending sentence.

7.  State rubrics  Scoring packets.