Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing (ADAW)

1. Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing (ADAW)

2. Test- Taking Tips • Be prepared • Be on time • Think success • Relax! • Read directions carefully • Plan • Write legibly • Proofread your work

3. Mastery Criteria • Indicate a thorough understanding of the writing task for the assigned mode of writing. • Display strong author control. • Introduce the topic and develop it thoroughly with examples, facts, statistics, anecdotes, and/or details. • Display a strong organizational plan or strategy.

4. Present clear ideas so that they flow smoothly and logically from one to the next with clarity and coherence, using effective transitions. • Use vivid and precise vocabulary. • Use description to enhance the development of the essay. • Display a limited number of minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. • Use one clear controlling idea and not wander from it.

5. General Description of Test • You will be given one prompt: narrative, expository, or persuasive. • Assignment of prompt is random, and you will not be given a choice of prompts. • Successful responses to the prompts clearly present a sequence of events, precisely presented reasons, explanations, or steps in a process; or precisely state a position and limit it appropriately.

6. You are encouraged to write enough text to permit an evaluation of your writing, but you are not required to write a specific number of words or paragraphs. • The assignment is timed- one hour total

7. Scoring Procedures • Each written response is scored independently by two readers trained on the specific prompt with the appropriate rubric. • The trained scorers will evaluate the four traits using a four- point scale for holistic scoring of your essay. • Holistic scoring means the scorers will look at the essay as a whole and not simply count the number of errors.

8. Four Traits • Content • Organization/ Clarity • Audience/ Purpose • Writing Mechanics/Grammar/Sentence Formation