Iredell Statesville Schools NC Writing Assessment Plan

1. Iredell Statesville SchoolsNC Writing Assessment Plan By: Kelly Cooper and Dr.Mary Ann Karriker

2. The new writing instruction System encourages instruction to focus on the writing process, not just the preparation for a traditional single-day assessment. It is based on writing across the curriculum in each content area and involves all educators.

3. Goals of the NC writing assessment • To use assessment results to inform instruction throughout the year. • To encourage student writing in all content areas throughout the year. • To encourage all teachers to focus on the writing process. • To assess writing throughout the year, rather than a single-day traditional assessment.

4. Why Are We Doing This? • To be competitive in 21st Century academic and/or occupational environments, a student must be able to communicate effectively through writing. • Every student can learn to write effectively • Principles of writing are known and can therefore guide instruction regarding how to write effectively • The SBE must promote instructional practices that will produce students who can write effectively. • The constructive drafting-and-revising writing process is an essential instructional practice.

5. Writing instruction must be integrated into the content-based courses of instruction and be on-going throughout the school year. • All educators in a school building should be involved in crafting and implementing the building’s plan for a coherent, integrated approach to writing instruction. • Assignments and tasks should…. • Be of instructional value. • Be meaningful and interesting to the students. • Be locally evaluated using the state rubric. • Produce immediate feedback that can be used to adjust instructional goals and delivery.

7. Who is required to participate? • All students at grade 4 and 7 • All students repeating grade 4 or 7 • All NCEXTEND 2 Students at grades 4 and 7 • All limited English proficient (LEP) students who meet the eligibility criteria specified in GCS-C021 (16 NCAC 6G.0312). • Students with disabilities should be given every opportunity to be engaged in and participate in the Writing Instruction System. • 3,5,6, 8 should be assessed concurrently with the state assessment.

8. Who owns this process? • Testing coordinators • will be given the user names and passwords for students and adults. • will work with the school principal to schedule the writing test in each school and provide the testing dept. with the date. • will work with the school principal to develop schedule within the school to ensure all students are assessed. • The principal will assign a person to coordinate scoring and ensure scores are entered by dates provided by ISS.

9. Who supplies the content specific prompt? • The choice of the content specific prompt is a school level decision based upon gaps in each individual school. • One prompt for each semester should be chosen from “Write to Learn” – Middle School • Elementary will choose a prompt from those developed during curriculum review week. • These prompts should apply to the current curriculum from the course for which it is chosen. • The subject area chosen for the content prompt is a school based decision.

10. On-Demand Prompt • NCDPI will provide on-demand tasks (These are found in the writing moodle. • Students will complete two on-demand tasks during the school year. • On-demand tasks should be completed in the classroom or the computer lab using technology tools • On demand will be stored on-line in the Moodle. • If using word processing tools, there are no restrictions on help features such as spell check, grammar check, and online thesaurus.

11. Reporting Writing Scores • Results of the Writing Instruction System will not be used for any level of accountability, including ABCs and AYP. • Scores will be assigned to students using only the NCDPI provided Content, Features and Conventions rubrics. • Scores will be used at the school level to address student and school wide gaps.

12. TIPS to assist your writing plan