Transcript Creating Successful Writers with Mentor Texts

Update on the
Kansas Writing Assessment
Fall 2008
Matt Copeland
Language Arts and Literacy Consultant
Standards and Assessment Services Team
Kansas State Dept. of Education
785-296-5060
[email protected]
Writing Fact Sheet
 An annually updated, one-
page summary of the Kansas
Writing Assessment, including
information regarding:

state testing window

QPA writing targets

cut points and performance levels
 Available on the KSDE Writing
Homepage:
www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726
The Kansas Writing Assessment

Required biennially at grades 5, 8, and HS

Can be given on “off years” as a local option

Requires four approximately 45-minute sessions

Scored locally and at the state level using a 6-TRAIT
analytic rubric

NOT a part of AYP but IS a part of QPA
Writing and QPA

For the 2006-2007 school year, writing performance was
added to the QPA process as a requirement for all
schools.

Writing scores for 2007 were for informational purposes
to help schools guide writing instruction for 2009 when
writing scores will “count” toward accreditation.
QPA Writing Targets
QPA writing goals have been established to tie student
writing achievement to school accreditation.
5th Grade
67% of students meeting or exceeding standard
8th Grade
73% of students meeting or exceeding standard
High School
76% of students meeting or exceeding standard
* Unlike AYP targets, these numbers are static and will
remain constant over time.
“Meeting or Exceeding Standard?”
 In Summer 2009, the Kansas Writing Assessment will
follow a similar standard setting procedure as the other
content-area assessments to set new cut points for the five
performance levels.
 In previous years, the following cut points* have been used
based upon a student’s composite score*…
* Note: These cut points and the composite score formula
may change for 2009 and beyond.
Composite Score Formula*
Ideas and Content score x 3
= ____
Organization score x 3
= ____
Voice score x 2
= ____
Word Choice score x 2
= ____
Sentence Fluency score x 1
= ____
Conventions score x 1
= ____
Sum / 12
* Note: The composite score formula may change for 2009 and beyond.
Student Performance Levels
Determined by a student’s composite score:
Cut Points*
Exemplary
4.40
Exceeds Standard
3.75
Meets Standard
3.00
Approaches Standard
2.30
Academic Warning
< 2.30
* Note: These cut points may change for 2009 and beyond.
Changes to the 2008-2009
Kansas Writing Assessment
“We always overestimate the change that
will occur in the next two years and
underestimate the change that will occur
in the next ten.”
– Bill Gates
What HAS NOT Changed for
2008-2009 Kansas Writing Assessment
• process-based writing over four 45-minute testing
sessions
• grade levels assessed: 5th, 8th, and high school
• grade-level mode assignments:
• 5th grade—narrative
• 8th grade—expository
• high school—persuasive
• 6-TRAIT analytic scoring
Changes for 2008-2009
Kansas Writing Assessment
• all new student prompt format
• new subject matter for students to write about
• updated scoring rubrics with descriptors for the “2” and
“4” ratings
• a return to both local and state scoring
• a suggested procedure for local scoring
Assigned Writing Forms
• Fifth grade students – personal narrative in nature.
• Eighth grade students – expository essays that explain an
idea or concept.
• High school students – persuasive essays (as opposed to
persuasive letters).
Prompt Choice
• Fifth grade students – choice of 3 prompts.
• Eighth grade students – choice of 4 prompts.
• High school students – choice of 5 prompts.
Prompt Format
Writing Situation
• The first sentence provides the background for the writing assignment
and the general topic.
• The remaining sentences help writers consider different aspects of the
topic, realize that they know enough about the topic to write, and
focus their individual responses.
Directions for Writing
• The first sentence identifies the nature/form of the writing (an essay) and
also identifies an audience.
• The remaining sentences remind students to help their audience
understand their ideas by giving many details and examples to
support their ideas and, at the high school level, also direct
students to address opposing viewpoints.
Instructional Example Prompts
 For each assessed grade level,
8-12 example prompts are
provided, each with a “teaching
tip” to spark ideas on how
these prompts might be used in
classroom instruction and/or
for formative purposes.
 KSDE Writing Homepage:
www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726
Updated Rubrics
Changes to format:
Changes to content:
 descriptors organized under
 descriptors added for the ‘2’
four criteria within each trait
 landscape orientation
 “checkbox” bullets
and ‘4’ levels
 point level labels were
changed to better reflect the
stages of a writing process
Rubrics are available for download on the KSDE Writing Homepage:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726
Updated Rubrics
Suggested Scoring Procedures
Includes:

General suggested procedures for
local scoring

Suggested procedures for scoring
each individual essay
Suggested Scoring Procedures are available on
the KSDE Writing Homepage:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726
Suggested Scoring Procedures
General suggested procedures for local scoring:

Calibrating scorers to the rubric before each session

Two readers are preferable to only one

Scorers should be encouraged to discuss their ratings with
other scorers

Periodically, scorers should physically mark a copy of the
rubric as they score to personally verify their ratings
Suggested Scoring Procedures
Suggested procedures for scoring each essay:

Determine which set of descriptors best describe the essay
for each of four criteria within a given trait

Then, scorers should use the four criteria levels they
identified to inform the rating of the overall trait
Scoring an Individual Essay
KSDE Training Manual for 6-TRAIT Scoring
 Updated Training Manual (and
accompanying PowerPoint) is
now available on the KSDE
Writing Homepage:
<www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726>
 Includes pre-scored samples
essays written by Kansas
students that can be used for
training/calibration purposes.
Practice Scoring
Using pre-scored sample essays from the
KSDE Training Manual for 6-TRAIT scoring,
let’s practice scoring student writing at the
5th grade, 8th grade, and high school levels.
Other Available Resources
Glossary of Writing Terminology
 provides clarification on commonly
confused and/or misunderstood terms in
reference to their use on the Kansas Writing
Assessment
 might be appropriate for both students and
educators
 available on the KSDE Writing Homepage:
<www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726>
Other Available Resources
Rubrics for Incorporating Research and Citing Sources
• Grades 3-7
• Grades 8-12

Although not a part of the Kansas Writing Assessment, these
rubrics are formatted like those for the assessment and help
educators communicate our expectations for academic writing
and avoiding plagiarism.

Available on the KSDE Writing Homepage:
<www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726>
Other Available Resources
Illustration of Writing Modes Chart
 illustrative lists of the various types
and genres of writing that might fit
into each mode (narrative, technical,
expository, persuasive)
 helps communicate that most writing
often blends several modes or moves
back and forth among modes
 available on the KSDE Writing Homepage:
<www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726>
Other Available Resources
Kansas Modified Writing Assessment
 simplified language in instructions and prompts
 reduced number of prompts
 writing scored using modified 6-trait rubrics (available at
<www.kansped.org>)
 only 3% of a district’s students may be classified as “Meets
Standard” or above using the modified or the alternate assessment
 questions?... contact: Joan Houghton – [email protected]
No changes have been made to the 2009 Modified Writing
Assessement from recent years’ administrations.
Other Available Resources
Kansas Alternate Assessment
 portfolio of student’s performance of skills and content on
five selected indicators
 administered to identified students (IEP) in grades 5, 8, and
once in high school
 only 1% of a district’s students may be classified as “Meets
Standard” or above using an alternate assessment
 questions?… contact:
Deb Matthews – [email protected]
KSDE Assessment Contacts
Scott Smith, Assistant Director for Assessments
(785) 296-4358 [email protected]
Cherie Randall, Assessment Coordinator
(785) 296-3996 [email protected]
David Bowman, Assessment Consultant
(785) 296-4349 [email protected]
Communication from KSDE about Writing
• KSDE Writing Homepage—Standards, Assessment, and
Resources <www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1726>
• KSDE Writing ListServ
(email me to be added to this list)
• Contact me directly
• Phone (785) 296-5060
• Email [email protected]