Are You Ready for PARCC and SBAC Writing? December 18, 2013

Welcome! Scott has taught students in all grade levels, K-12. He has served as a literacy coach, as an instructional specialist, as a coordinator of writing instruction, and as an author of ELA curriculum. While employed with Clovis Unified School District, Scott helped establish the “Buchanan Area Writing Project.” The Project successfully articulated a process-based, trait-specific model for writing instruction among nearly three hundred teachers in nine area schools. Scott Miller, M.Ed., Curriculum Design, Senior Instructional Consultant and Consulting Author, Strategies for Writers

PARCCPARCC SBACSBAC Partnership (for) Assessment (of) Readiness (for) College (and) Career Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Next-Generation Assessment Consortia:

Poll Question 1: Which of the following statements is false? A.Both PARCC and SBAC include technology- enhanced items in ELA and math. B.Both PARCC and SBAC use a combination of electronic and human scoring. C.Both PARCC and SBAC include computer adaptive technology. D.Both PARCC and SBAC provide optional interim assessments.

Next-Generation Technology-Based Assessments PARCC Summative in Grades :1 student-to-computer ratio for largest tested grade level (1:1 for largest grade in K-8 school) Fixed-form delivery Provides interim assessments and resources Electronic and human scoring Scores available in 2 weeks Online score reporting SBAC Summative in Grades 3-8 and 11 8:1 student-to-computer ratio (total students in all tested grades) Adaptive delivery Provides interim assessments and resources Electronic and human scoring Scores available in 2 weeks Online score reporting

C.A.T. tailors questions for each student based on his or her responses – Correct answers lead to more challenging questions – Incorrect answers lead to less challenging questions C.A.T. yields more specific and detailed data C.A.T. informs instruction better than other tests C.A.T. takes less time than paper-pencil tests Computer Adaptive Testing claims: C A T

Next-Generation Technology-Based Assessments PARCC Summative in Grades :1 student-to-computer ratio for largest tested grade level (1-1 for largest grade in K-8 school) Fixed-form delivery Provides interim assessments and resources Electronic and human scoring Scores available in 2 weeks Online score reporting SBAC Summative in Grades 3-8 and 11 Requires 8:1 student-to- computer ratio (total students in all tested grades) Adaptive delivery Provides interim assessments and resources Electronic and human scoring Scores available in 2 weeks Online score reporting

Students respond to text… …using a computer Grade 6 PARCC & Smarter Balanced Assessments will test your students’ mastery of Common Core writing skills very, very soon.

Grade 7 Students respond to multiple sources… …and cite textual evidence

Writing is assessed in the content areas

The written explanation is worth 29% of the total available points for this item.

Grade 5

Grade 4

Poll Question 2: Which of the following statements is false? A.The Common Core Writing & Language Standards (CCSS) are based on the six traits of writing. B.PARCC and SBAC scoring guides do not include the trait language. C.The traits help define the CCSS text-types. D.The traits help define the CCSS writing process.

Task Steps to Follow Directions for Beginning

Students answer short questions…

A scoring guide is provided …which lead to the writing prompt

Formatting Spelling patterns Domain-specific words Handwriting Tone Style Humor Sentences flow Linking words Temporal words Evidence Concrete words & phrases Figurative Language Ideas logically grouped Sense of closure Perfect verb tenses Pronoun person/number Sentences have rhythm Provide a reaction Reader interest Reasons Opinion Develop experiences Varied sentence patterns All writing standards, all writing lessons, all writing tests, and all writing rubrics are trait-based.

PARCC & SBAC scoring guides are trait-based, So are the writing rubrics used to assess students’ work.

PARCC & SBAC scoring guides are trait-based, and so are the rubrics used to assess students’ work.

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What kinds of writing will students have to produce on PARCC, SBAC, and other next-generation tests?

Poll Question 3: Which of the following statements is false? A.Argument writing is an advanced form of opinion writing. B.Informative and explanatory are different kinds of writing. C.Writing to persuade is not addressed by the Common Core Standards. D.Common Core Standards include the word “expository.”

Persuasion CCSS Appendix A, page 24 Argument

PARCC “Analytic Essays” The Common Core defines, specifies, and emphasizes instructional text-types: “Opinion” “Argument” “Informative/ Explanatory” “Informative/ Explanatory” “Narrative” Part of the other modes “Persuasive” “Expository” “Narrative” “Descriptive”

How Does the Common Core Define Narrative Writing? Includes a wide array of genres Tells a real or imagined story Employs time as its “deep structure”

What’s New In Narrative Writing? More rigorous expectations Increasingly used to respond to text Indicated in content-area classes Used for a greater variety of purposes

Informative/Explanatory Writing Expository writing has traditionally been defined as: “A composition written for the purpose of informing, explaining, describing, or defining. Expository writing seeks to be factually accurate.” “Informative” / “Explanatory”

Informative/Explanatory Writing Informative Types Features Components Size Shape Consistency Little-known facts Other characteristics Explanatory Processes Relationships Causes Effects Function Behavior How things work Why things happen A quick example…

My computer is made out of black plastic. Informative Writing It has a 14-inch screen, 4 USB ports, and a standard Qwerty keyboard. It has a 14-inch screen, 4 USB ports, and a standard Qwerty keyboard. It has two speakers, one on each side of the keyboard. It has two speakers, one on each side of the keyboard. Turning my computer on is easy. Explanatory Writing I just push the power button and wait for the password prompt. I just push the power button and wait for the password prompt. Then, I type my password and left-click the “Enter” key once. Then, I type my password and left-click the “Enter” key once. After a minute or two, my desktop appears, and I’m ready to go! After a minute or two, my desktop appears, and I’m ready to go!

Opinion and Argument Writing Argument Writing (6-12)… makes a claim defends the claim with reasons, examples, and evidence weighs and evaluates evidence from experience and/or sources moves beyond expository structures (like cause/effect) is more deeply analytical is comparatively well developed and sophisticated Opinion Writing (K-5)… states an opinion supports the opinion with reasons and examples often focuses upon personal experience elaborates using expository structures (like cause/effect) is more concrete/observational is still developing and less sophisticated A quick example…

Opinion: I like my computer. Opinion Writing Reason: It’s very durable. Example: I dropped it yesterday, and it didn’t break. Example: I dropped it yesterday, and it didn’t break. Claim: This is the best computer for people who travel. Claim: This is the best computer for people who travel. Argument Writing Reason: It is very durable. Example: Its case is made from high-impact plastic. Example: Its case is made from high-impact plastic. Evidence: Consumer Reports gives this model 4 stars for durability. Evidence: Consumer Reports gives this model 4 stars for durability.

So what do the prototypes and draft rubrics tell us? So are the writing rubrics used to assess students’ work.

To Summarize: Writing questions will require close reading. Prompts will require responses to multiple sources. Prompts will require the citation of textual evidence. Writing will be assessed in each tested grade level. Writing will be assessed in the content areas. Rubrics and scoring guides will be trait-based. Students will respond using newly redefined text-types. For these reasons, writing skills will have a more dramatic impact on test scores than ever before. And some of us don’t feel ready…

45 “I’m pretty good at teaching reading. It’s the writing part of the test that really scares me.” -anonymous teacher “My kids already struggle with writing, and now the bar is being set even higher.” -anonymous teacher “I don’t have time to teach writing in math.” -anonymous teacher “ I still don’t get how argument writing is different than persuasive writing.” -anonymous teacher “I’ve been pretending to teach writing for about the last twenty years, and I was afraid to say anything about it.” -anonymous teacher Houston... We have a problem. “My district is writing its own writing program. That completely terrifies me.” -anonymous teacher “ Our new Common Core reading program has writing lessons in it, so I think we’re good-to-go.” -anonymous teacher

One Example New York Implements CCSS Assessments, statewide reading proficiency: 55.1% 2013 statewide reading proficiency: 31.3% Recent pilot test (grades 3-8): 26% passing (down from 47% on previous assessment) Pilots in other states have seen similar results. Why?

More rigorous standards* Test-format transfer (digital assessment) Increased performance expectations: – Higher order thinking skills – Advanced writing skills – Research skills *Depending upon state and curriculum area Contributing Factors For Decreased Scores on Common Core Assessments

So what can we do about it? So are the writing rubrics used to assess students’ work.

Are You Ready for PARCC and SBAC Writing? December 18, 2013

Please join us on February 12, 2014 for our next webinar on instructional strategies to support PARCC and SBAC writing! December 18, 2013