Writing and Rubric Design

Carolyn Harvey, Don Keigher

Ginger Meyer, Carley Eighner

Assessment

What it means to you.                             

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted…..

Albert Einstein

How can an authentic assessment system help to establish

accountability?• Provide multiple sources of evidence of

student growth….BUILDING SUCCESS• Measure and provide evidence of student

achievement and instructional effectiveness….TRACKING SUCCESS

• Help to diagnose challenging areas and create a plan for improvement….ENSURING SUCCESS

IW Authentic Assessment

Fall

– Stanford, DIBELS, Think LinkWinter

– DIBELS, Think Link

Spring

– ISAT, PSAE, DIBELS, Think Link

ISAT

• Test Date : March 2-13, 2009

• Grades Tested 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

• All grades test Reading and Math

• Writing given to grades: 3, 5, 6, 8

• Science given to grades: 4 and 7

• 2009 AYP = 70% MEET AND EXCEEDS IN MATH AND READING

PSAE

• Test Date: April 22 and 23, 2009

• Make – up May 6 and 7, 2009

• Grade 11 Tested

• Subjects Tested:Reading, Writing, Math and Science

• 2009 AYP = 70% MEET AND EXCEED IN MATH AND READING

Sources

• Gottlieb, M. and Nguyen, D. Assessment and Accountability in Language Education Programs: A Guide for teachers and Administrators.(2007) Philadelphia, PA:Caslon

• Wikipedia

To Write or Not to Write…

That is the Question….

An Activity…

How Did We Do?

• …-10 words – F

• 11-15 words – D

• 16-20 words – C

• 21-25 words – B

• 26-….words – A

The Power of the

Peppermint

The Power of Peppermint is Put to Test

WashingtonPost.com

• In the 1990s, researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that a whiff of peppermint helped “testers” concentrate and do better on tasks that required sustained concentration.

• "If anything, they'll have sweet breath," one principal said. "And if it provides a little boost . . . “

• Imani Rucker, 11, is a believer. "The peppermints were good for me," she said. "They gave me energy and more brain power."

The Power ofWriting Across the Curriculum

Writing to Learn• Writing improves comprehension and

retention of learned information.

• Writing allows students to apply their knowledge to their lives and to their

interests.

• The more students write, the more opportunities students have to improve

their writing.

Writing in the Disciplines

• Recognizing differences in style, format, structure, grading, and EXPECTATIONS

• RUBRICS-What are you expecting? Let students know.

Opportunities• English/ Language Arts- Essays• Literature- Book Report, Book Review,

Character Study• Social Studies- Mock Journal, Research Report• Mathematics- Extended Response, Narrative

(How I Solved…)• Science- Compare/ Contrast Essay• Physical Education- Persuasive Essay (Why

YOU Should Exercise), Health Brochure

LiteratureExtended Response Rubric

Points(Sentences)

Answer Question

Text, Quote Support

Connect Extend(Balance)

Conclude

5

4

3

2

1

ISAT Writing Rubric

• Focus- Keep the train on the track!

• Support/Elaboration- Depth…

• Organization- Does everything fit?

• Integration- Holistic Scoring= Total Work

• Conventions- Punctuation/Construction

Student Friendly Writing RubricFocus

Ideas/Content

5My message is

clear and strong.

Support/

Elaboration

5I use specific examples and

details.

Organization

5I use

paragraphing and transition words.

Conventions

5I use complete

sentences, capitalization,

punctuation, and spell familiar

words correctly.

Voice/

Word Choice

5My words are vivid- I have

“painted a picture” for my

reader. This work is ME!

Fluency/

Presentation

5I love the

“sound” of my paper read aloud.

3 3 3 3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1

The Owl At Purduehttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/551/01/

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

http://www.nwrel.org/index.php

Illinois State Board of Educationhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/writing.htm

Preparing for the PSAE…

Prairie State Achievement Examination

Why Is Reading Important in the Content Areas?

• One concern teachers express is that students do not have the skills to read and comprehend content-based text. Therefore, content area teachers need to be skilled in content-based reading strategies (Billmeyer, 1996).

Skills needed depend on the content and text. Content teachers are best qualified to help students comprehend the material presented by developing prior knowledge related to the topic.

• If all teachers provide reading opportunities for students, students will be better prepared to meet identified standards in all areas.

Background knowledge and content provide an essential link between what students understand and what they read (Anthony and Raphael, 1989).

What Can All Teachers Do to Help Readers?Teachers may wish to consider utilizing the following techniques

and strategies in teaching reading in their content area:

• Reading Instruction - Design lessons using a before, during, and after format in which reading is a significant component.

• Respond to Reading - Have students respond to stance questions in writing, providing support from the text.

• Develop Vocabulary - Aid understanding of content terms through context clues, word structure, and semantic features.

• Questions-Answers-Relationships (QAR) - Help students to understand how to develop responses to questions and provide textual support.

• Use a Reader's Checklist - Articulate strategies for reading that students can refer to before, during, and after reading.

• Think Aloud - Model mental processes that expert readers use as they read.

• Anticipation Guide - Give students a series of questions to generate interest in the topic.

• SQ3R - Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

• Reciprocal Teaching - Summarize, question, clarify, and predict content and meaning.

• K-W-L - Explore what students know before and what they want to know before and during reading; review what they learned after reading.

• Expository Text Structure - Teach the fundamental differences between expository and narrative materials.

• Develop Prior Knowledge - Develop unfamiliar concepts, experiences, and vocabulary prior to reading.

• Remember - Provide many reading opportunities related to the content!

The 3 Phases of Reading

• Before Reading: • Identify what you know about the topic. List specific ideas. • Write specific questions which you would like answered. • Make specific predictions about what you think you will learn. • Preview the selection with attention to bold print, captions, and graphics. • During Reading:• Generate mental pictures about what you are reading. • Summarize what you have just read. • Try to answer the questions you asked. • Alter your predictions. • Identify items or facts which are confusing. Reread to try and clear up

confusions. • After Reading: • Create a final summary of what you have learned. • State how you can use the information you have learned. • Revisit text for clarification. • Respond to questions

SQ3R1. Survey • Think about the title: “What do I know?”

“What do I want to know?” • Glance over headings and first

sentences in paragraphs. • Look at illustrations and graphic aids. • Read the first paragraph. • Read the last paragraph or summary. 2. Question• Turn the title into a question. • Write down any questions that some to

mind during the survey. • Turn headings into questions. • Turn subheadings, illustrations, and

graphic aids into questions. • Write down unfamiliar vocabulary

words and determine their meaning.

3. Read Actively• Read to search for answers to questions. • Respond to questions and use context clues

for unfamiliar words. • React to unclear passages, confusing terms,

and questionable statements by generating additional questions.

4. Recite • Look away from the answers and the book to

recall what was read. • Recite answers to questions aloud or in

writing. • Reread text for unanswered questions. 5. Review• Answer the major purpose question. • Look over answers and all parts of the

chapter to organize information. • Summarize the information learned by

drawing flow charts, writing a summary, participating in a group discussion, or by studying for a test.

 

Reciprocal Teaching • Summarizing - After students have silently or orally read a short section of a passage, a

single student acting as teacher (i.e., the student leader summarizes what has been read. Other students, with guidance from the teacher, may add to the summary. If students have difficulty summarizing, the teacher might point out clues (e.g., important items or obvious topic sentences) that aid in the construction of good summaries.

• Questioning - The student leader asks some questions to which the class responds. The questions are designed to help students identify important information in the passage.

• Clarifying - Next, the student leader tries to clarify confusing points in the passage. He might point these out or ask other students to point them out. For example, the student leader might say, “The part about why the dog ran into the car was confusing to me. Can anyone explain this?” Or, the student leader might ask other students to ask clarification questions. The group then attempts to clear up the confusing parts. This might involve rereading parts of the passage.

• Predicting - The student leader asks for predictions about what will happen in the next segment of the text. The leader can write the predictions on the blackboard or on an overhead, or all students can write them down in their notebooks. Keeping those predictions in mind, the class then silently or orally reads the text. Then a new student is selected to be the teacher (i.e., the student leader), and the process begins again. During each successive summarizing stage, the student leader addresses the predictions that were made.