CAA Options: Writing Collection of Evidence WERA Assessment Conference

1. CAA Options: WritingCollection of EvidenceWERA Assessment Conference Steve Pearse, Ed.D. COE Writing Consultant Winter 2006-2007

2. What is Writing? • Writing is the learned process of shaping experiences into text, allowing the writer to discover, develop, clarify, and communicate thoughts and feelings. • Writing requires students to express their knowledge with purpose and coherence. • To become effective writers, all students must understand the role and interaction of topic, audience, purpose and form. Writing COE Work Samples

3. What constitutes the Collection of Evidence for Writing? • The Writing Collection must include at least: • one expositoryon-demand essay (or letter) • one persuasiveon-demand essay (or letter) • two expository non-timed essays (or letters) • two persuasive non-timed essays (or letters) • Of the 6-8 writing samples, 3—including both on-demand samples—may not include adult assistance beyond setting the prompt and the parameters for an effective paper. Writing COE Work Samples

4. Writing Collection Guidelines, continued… • The entire collection must be comparable in rigor in skill and content to the 10th grade Writing WASL. • The collection must include 6-8 samples that, takentogether, demonstrate proficiency in idea development, organization, style, and the use of conventions. • All samples must include evidence of the student’s use of the writing process by submitting process documents OR by providing explanations of process. Writing COE Work Samples

5. Writing COE connections to the WASL… • The 10th grade Writing section of the WASL features two “prompts,” one eliciting an expository response (to explain), and one eliciting a persuasive response. • Each writing prompt clearly states a designated topic, audience, purpose (mode), and form. • Each WASL Writing response is scored for Content, Organization & Style (COS) and for Conventions (CONV). Writing COE Work Samples

6. Student-produced, connected-text expository or persuasivework samples may take the form of a: • classroom assignment • special extended or amended project • joint assignment/project shared between two content-area classes • response to a teacher- and/or student-selected task or prompt Writing COE Work Samples

7. Expository Writing: To ExplainKey Qualities of Effective Expository Writing: • narrowed topic, focus (idea) • well-chosen details • logical organizational pattern • transitions to connect ideas • topic commitment (Voice) • introduction and conclusion Writing COE Work Samples

8. Sample Student Work:Expository Task and Response[This essay appears exactly as it was written by the student.] Writing COE Work Samples

9. The Thing I Carry Writing COE Work Samples

10. The Thing I Carry, continued Writing COE Work Samples

11. The Thing I Carry, continued Writing COE Work Samples

12. Persuasive Writing: • topic or issue clearly stated • a clear, consistent position • more than one supporting argument • detailed supporting evidence • anticipating & refuting opposing arguments • a clear, logical organizational strategy • transitions to connect position, arguments, and evidence • persuasive language & techniques • conclusion with a call for action Writing COE Work Samples

13. Sample Student Work:Persuasive Task and Response[This essay is taken from the OSPI web site and appears on the Social Studies page under Classroom Based Assessment. This writing sample was written by a Washington State high school student and appears exactly as it was written.] Writing COE Work Samples

14. Constitutional Issues: Civics Writing COE Work Samples

15. Constitutional Issues: Civics, continued Writing COE Work Samples

16. Constitutional Issues: Civics, continued Writing COE Work Samples

17. Constitutional Issues: Civics, continued Writing COE Work Samples

18. What is NOT a work sample for the Writing COE? • Group project writing assignments • An independent piece of work that the teacher has never seen before • Narratives, poetry, scripts • Writing samples with non-connected text (e.g., résumés, directions or recipes, bulleted brochures) • Writing samples with displayed grades or teacher comments that provide specific direction aimed at text improvement • Scoring guides/rubrics from district or classroom assessments • Final drafts written in pencil Writing COE Work Samples

19. Essential characteristics… Writing work samples must: • be limited to demonstrations of expository or persuasive prose • include a copy of the writing task or prompt • include evidence of the student’s use of the writing process • indicate whether the student-writer has received adult assistance, as per Writing COE guidelines • be completed under a teacher’s supervision Writing COE Work Samples

20. What are additional important components of Writing work samples? • They should demonstrate integrity.The teacher selects prompts or helps students develop tasks that pose significant questions or address authentic topics, or raise important issues. • They should be free of bias, providing parameters that allow all students to demonstrate their actual writing skills. • They should be valid, aligned to the expository or persuasive writing Checklists and Essential Learnings. • They should be reliable. If a student were to complete a writing work sample more than once, he or she should be able to demonstrate the same type and quality of performance each time. Writing COE Work Samples

21. How do I adjust my classroom assignments to meet the COE Writing guidelines? • Create work samples using the COE Writing template. The template will guide you in selecting or devising appropriate writing prompts or tasks. • Modify and clarify existing classroom assignments in the language of writing prompts or tasks, the expectations and parameters for student work, and the Writing Guidelines and expository or persuasive text Checklists. Writing COE Work Samples

22. Writing Collection of Evidence Template Writing COE Work Samples

23. What are the steps for building an effective Writing work sample? • Select the writing mode—expository or persuasive— you want to assess; • Make sure that the writing task or prompt specifies an appropriate topic, audience, purpose, and form; • Decide if you want to create a new work sample or modify, clarify, augment, extend, or revisit an existing classroom assignment; Writing COE Work Samples

24. What are the steps for building an effective Writing work sample(continued) • Make sure that the Writing content and skills match grade level skills, knowledge, and complexity; • Use the Writing Checklist language to word the task or prompt; • Clearly state the criteria expected in the student response (task parameters); Writing COE Work Samples

25. What are the steps for building a Writing work sample? (continued) • Provide specific Guidelines- and Checklist-driven language (see Template) to frame tasks or prompts: • Topic • Audience • Purpose • Form (essay or letter) Writing COE Work Samples

26. What are the steps to building a Writing work sample? (continued) Specify “must have” student directions to demonstrate effective writing skills… • Clearly state and elaborate on ideas; • Organize the writing, providing an appropriate introduction, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion; • Use language appropriate for audience and purpose; • Incorporate a variety of sentence lengths and structures; • Establish and maintain a voice suitable for audience and purpose; • Follow the rules of Standard English, the conventions of writing. Writing COE Work Samples

27. Two kinds of Writing work samples: “On-Demand”: • Students complete work completely on their own in a supervised classroom setting • Supervising teacher provides the prompt or task • Student is to have no prior awareness of the prompt or task • No adult assistance is permitted • A single allotted time period (time for student revision included in this time); 90+ minutes recommended • “On-Demand” responses serve as touchstones for the student’s additional Writing work samples Writing COE Work Samples

28. Two kinds of Writing work samples: “Extended Time”: • Supervising teacher and/or student may provide the prompt or task • Work is produced across an extended period of time (i.e., more than one sitting) • No adult assistance is permitted on at least three of the 6-8 work samples, including both “On-demand” pieces • When adult assistance is provided, it should be limited to general comments (e.g., “You need to check for spelling errors”) Writing COE Work Samples

29. How are Writing work samples scored?Sufficiency: each work sample must meet the requirements of the Writing content guidelines:(See p. 17, CAA Options Collection of Evidence booklet.) • 6-8 separate work samples, addressing expository and persuasive writing purposes (modes) as per guidelines • A completed “Student Information Form” for the writing collection • A completed “Work Sample Documentation Form” for the collection • A completed “Work Sample Sign-off Form” for each sample of work Writing COE Work Samples

30. How are Writing work samples scored?Proficiency: Taken as a whole, work samples are scored for proficiency (level of skill with respect to WASL expectations), with scores generated across writing expository and persuasive modes.The Expository and Persuasive Writing Checklists(See p. 20, CAA Options Collection of Evidence booklet)specify assessed knowledge and skills. Writing COE Work Samples

31. Where can I obtain Writing work samples? • Develop them for your specific classroom/content area; • Work on a district or state committee to write work samples; • Go to the CAA Options web page on the OSPI website (www.k12.us.wa) and download the writing template; • Use the writing instructional modules as initial work samples that may need to be modified, clarified, augmented, extended or revisited in order to meet the requirements. Writing COE Work Samples

32. Conclusions about Writing work samples • Make tasks or prompts authentic, relevant, and accurate; • Address issues of integrity, bias and fairness, validity, and reliability as you develop tasks and prompts; • Modify, clarify, augment, extend, and/or revisit classroom assignments to create new tasks or prompts; • Ensure grade-level appropriateness (topic, audience, purpose); • Use the Writing Checklist language to frame tasks or prompts; • State specific criteria necessary for credit; • Address both required modes—expository and persuasive writing—as described in the Content Guidelines. Writing COE Work Samples

33. Contact Information for the Writing COEIf you have questions concerning the Writing COE, please contact the OSPI staff listed below. They are happy to offer assistance. • Steve Pearse, Ed.D. COE Writing Consultant caaoptions@ospi.wednet.edu (360) 725-6037 • Sharon Schilperoort, Language Arts TOSA sschilperoort@ospi.wednet.edu (360) 725-4979 • Lesley Klenk, Ph.D. CAA Options Administrator lklenk@ospi.wednet.edu (360) 725-6330 • Amanda Mount, CAA Options Analyst amount@ospi.wednet.edu (360) 725-6037 • Joe Willhoft, Ph.D. Assistant Superintendent for Assessment & Research jwillhoft@ospi.wednet.com (360) 725-6336 Writing COE Work Samples