ERIC ED414601: Evaluating and Improving Student Writing and Writing Instruction: A Systematic Approach.

48 Pages·1998·0.49 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 216 121
ED 414 601
Evaluating and Improving Student Writing and Writing
TITLE
Instruction: A Systematic Approach.
North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.
INSTITUTION
Div. of Accountability Services/Research.
1998-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
47p.
Non-Classroom (055)
Guides
PUB TYPE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Coordination; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation
DESCRIPTORS
Methods; Program Effectiveness; State Programs; *Student
Evaluation; *Writing Evaluation; *Writing Instruction
Process Approach (Writing)
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This booklet is designed to assist schools or school systems
in analyzing and evaluating student writing, writing instruction, and the
writing program. The basic assumption is that improving the writing program
needs to be a school-wide effort coordinated across K-12 grade levels, not an
individual or isolated effort. After an overview and advice on getting
started, the booklet discusses the assessment of student writing, with
subsections on state writing assessments; students' writing based on criteria
and benchmarks; teachers' observations, anecdotal records, and insights; and
students' self-evaluation and reflections. The next section addresses
assessment of writing instruction, with subsections on compiling and
analyzing information and the importance of the writing process in writing
instruction. The last section discusses assessment of the writing program. A
list of 12 resources is attached. An appendix contains a list of 15 key
factors associated with effective writing instruction; a list of 10 factors
that helped a high school teacher's students do well on a state writing
assessment; an evaluation guide for essays; a sample student synopsis and
response to "Cyrano de Bergerac"; information regarding the assessment of
writing in North Carolina; and a description of the writing program at
Burlington (North Carolina) City School System (grades 3-12).
(RS)
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Evaluating and
Improving Student
Writing and Writing
Instruction:
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
A Systematic Approach
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
EDU
CENTER (ERIC)
This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
Public Schools of North Carolina 1!"
State Board of Education . Jay Robinson, Chairman thAil
:7=
Superintendent
Department of Public Instruction
. Bob Etheridge, State
Instructional and Accountability Services
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
2
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
The policy of the Public Schools of North Carolina is that all operations will be performed without
regard to race, sex, color, national origin or handicap.
3
Table of Contents
Page
3
Overview
7
Getting Started
11
Assessment of Student Writing
12
State Writing Assessments
16
Students' Writing Based on Criteria and Benchmarks
19
Teachers' Observations, Anecdotal Records, and Insights
21
Students' Self-evaluations and Reflections
23
Assessment of Writing Instruction
24
Compiling and Analyzing Information
30
The Writing Process: Its Importance In Writing Instruction
33
Assessment of the Writing Program
37
Resources
38
Appendix
4
Overview
5
Evaluating and Improving Student Writing and Writing Instruction:
A Systematic Approach
The purpose of this publication is to assist schools or school systems in analyzing and evaluating
student writing, writing instruction, and the writing program. Our basic assumption is that improv-
ing the writing program needs to be a school-wide effort which is coordinated across grade levels,
not an individual or isolated effort. Therefore, we encourage a systemic and systematic approach
and envision the audience of this publication as a team which includes teachers, administrators, and
parents working together to evaluate the writing program, implement change, and assess progress.
This systematic approach can be tailored for all grade levels, kindergarten through 12th. We refer
to the state writing assessments at grades 4, 7, and 10 as providing evidence for how well students
write; this does not imply, however, that a critical self-study is appropriate for only those grade
levels or for only those assessments. We encourage the leadership team which takes responsibility
for the critical self-study to use professional judgment and knowledge of their students to adjust and
individualize this process.
The following model illustrates the different phases of this systematic approach:
Gather
evidence
V
Interpret
evidence
Please note that the phases of this model are recursive and interactive.
6
4
will be helpful in a school's or a school
Likewise, the Critical Questions, which we believe
series of steps. Rather they represent a recursive
system's self-study, do not represent a formula or a
but not necessarily sequential, phases.
process that often involves interrelated,
this publication is to foster critical self-study. We
The purpose of the questions presented in
levels:
envision this self-study operating on several
Assessment of the students' writing
Assessment of writing instruction
Assessment of the writing program
5
Gettin S'tarted
Q
Critical Question:Who should be involved in the process of evaluating and
improving student writing and writing instruction?
The critical study group could be a committee or task force composed of educators and parents,
an entire faculty and all administrators, or representatives from each grade level or department.
There can be a separate leadership team or a team leader such as a lead teacher or an administrator.
In order to insure maximum ownership and fairness, establish and publicize rules for the critical
self-study. For example:
1. Everyone can be involved.
2. No one has to be involved.
3. Once decisions are made, everyone supports the implementation.
(Glickman,1993)
Finally, you need to consider these questions:
Are all teachers in the school or system responsible in some way for writing
instruction? How is this responsibility shared and documented?
How should parents and students be represented on a critical self-study committee?
What is the best way to maximize everyone's involvement and ownership of the process?
( Critical
Question:What are our goals?
Just as the student is the center of instruction and of assessment, the student should also be the
focus of critical self-study. Therefore, "What are we trying to accomplish for students?" should be
the primary inquiry behind this systematic approach.
Begin with a goal that centers on improving student writing, not improving students' writing
scores. Students who write with confidence and control in multiple modes will be successful on the
state writing assessments. Students who are "drilled" in how to perform well on a particular writing
assessment will probably have a limited command of other modes and purposes of writing, and their
enthusiasm for and ownership of their writing may suffer.
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goals?" should focus on the follow-
Thus, a refinement of the critical question "What are our
ing question:
)
(
able to do as writers?
do we want our students to be and to be
What
critical self-study. Spend a sufficient amount of
Response to this question is a crucial phase of the
the targets you wish to set for your students.
time conceptualizing, discussing, and agreeing upon
Sample responses could be:
information and for learning content in
Students use writing as a tool for organizing
all disciplines.
perceptive and careful observers looking
Students view themselves as authors and are
for topics they wish to write about.
various audiences and
Students are comfortable and confident in writing for
multiple purposes.
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