columbus school district

Columbus School District Policy: E-2 Academic Achievement – Writing Ends Monitoring Report Date: December 8, 2008

End Literacy, the ability to read, write, and communicate orally, is fundamental to learning and is therefore, our highest priority. Students will demonstrate continuous improvement toward achieving literacy at or above grade level. Superintendent's Interpretation Two different types of writing skills are needed in order for students to be considered good writers. First, students need to be competent at the writing process, i.e., first draft, edits, revisions, and final copy. This process prepares students for the kind of writing they will be expected to do in college and as working adults. This process enhances student capacity to write spontaneously, the second type of writing skill. This skill is important for assessments such as the WKCE and the ACT. Writing proficiency will be assessed for both types of writing. A clear distinction between the two types of writing will be begin with the 2009 E-2 Writing Report. Proficiency of the writing process is measured by the use of district-developed writing rubrics scored by teachers. Students are considered proficient with a score of three or higher on a five-point scale. Proficiency in spontaneous writing is determined when students in grades 4, 8, and 10 score 4.5 or higher on the 9-point W.K.C.E. writing prompt. District Goal 90% of students will be proficient in writing. Reasonable Progress for 2007-08 Reasonable progress will have been considered to be made for the 2007-08 school year if the percentage of students who are proficient in writing meets or exceeds the state average on the WKCE at 4th, 8th and 10th grades. (Comparison will be made to the 2006-07 WKCE scores.)

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Indicator Data for 2007-08

Percent of Students scoring Proficient on WKCE Writing Prompt.

State Comparison Data 2004-5 2005-6 2006-7 State 2006-07

2007-8 State 2007-08

4th Grade WKCE Writing Prompt

90 68 76 80 63 78


84 89 88 85 85 87


84 89 87 85 85 71

Comparison data for

Reasonable Progress determination

This year’s WKCE results indicate the need to improve writing instruction, most so at the elementary level. Efforts are underway to do so. Columbus Elementary School:

• The determination of the types of writing to occur at each grade level, and a development of a corresponding timeline in grades 1-3.

• A writing assessment occurred in September and will occur again in May. The assessment is consistent from grade two to grade three.

• An ongoing study of the book, Scaffolding Young Writers has been occurring at grades two and three. This will help unify the approaches used to teach writing.

• Development of writing process assessment rubrics to enhance writing instruction.

• K-1 staff were trained in the Writer’s Workshop process and are actively developing this instructional model in their classrooms with support from the Literacy Coach.

Columbus Middle School:

• 4th and 5th grade staff is using in-service training days to develop enhanced instructional processes and curriculum in writing.

• 6th, 7th and 8th grade staff is using in-service training days to develop content area reading and writing instructional practices.

In addition, the District will adopt a uniform spelling program to be implemented at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year in grades one through six. A committee has been assigned to recommend one of two programs: Sitton Spelling or Words Their Way.

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Presentations about both programs have been made to staff. Both programs incorporate a word study approach in their instructional program to build spelling skills, vocabulary and transfer of skills to writing. Either program should contribute positively to vocabulary development, which is measured in the WKCE writing prompt and the District writing assessment. Supporting Data Percent of Students Scoring Proficient or above on District Writing Rubric

Indicator 2006-7 2007-8 Change from last year

2nd Grade District Writing Prompt

67 32 -35

3rd Grade District Writing Prompt

68 43 -25

4th Grade District Writing Prompt

53 51 -02


57 55 -02


73 97 +24


61 80 +19


70 66 -04


79 65 -14


68 75 +07


71 73 +02

District writing prompts are scored using the 6+1 Writing Traits process. This process uses scoring rubrics based on the following six aspects of writing, plus one optional aspect:

• Content/Ideas • Organization • Vocabulary/Word Choice • Voice • Sentence Fluency • Conventions • Presentation (Optional)

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Each of the 6+1 Traits is described in detail in Appendix A. This process has been used in-district for the past two years to assess end-of-year writing samples and products. While the 6+1 Trait system is a widely accepted assessment system for evaluating student writing, it relies heavily on subjective judgment. To illustrate, the following is an example taken from the Sentence Fluency category of the high school rubric:

”Uses simple, compound, and complex sentences.” Score = 4 “Frequent and varied sentence structures.” Score = 5 “Consistent variety of sentence structure throughout.” Score = 6

The 6+1 rating system has a more intuitive, “I know it when I see it” feel rather than rating student writing based on objective criteria. In addition, the system does not provide a progressive, developmental gradation. Consequently, wide variation is found in scores between 2006-07 and 2007-08. Objective criteria and a developmental sequence are important in order to produce reliable assessment results that can be used to make judgments about students’ progress. More importantly, reliable data is critical if it is to be used to guide instruction and to better inform students about writing expectations. The Literacy Committee is already working on developing more comprehensive rubrics that align with state standards. A standardized system of data collection is also necessary to produce reliable results. The Literacy Committee has established a standardized system for the 2008-09 district writing assessment that includes the collection of writing products that are the result of completing the writing process (not spontaneous writing), the use of grade level teams to assess writing products and the use of standard rubrics that align with state standards. While not definitive, an analysis within the 6+1 Traits does indicates a trend toward mildly lower scores in the areas of Word Choice and Sentence Fluency. Overall, though, there is low variability in within-student scores. That is, individual students tend to have fairly consistent scores in each of the 6+1 traits. Examples of proficient and exemplary writing for grades four and eight are attached (Appendix B). High School Writing Course Requirement Students take at least a .5 credit course with primary emphasis on writing as a requirement for graduation, unless exempted through an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Typically, this requirement is completed during either the junior or senior year. A variety of courses are offered to meet the interests, developmental levels and post-secondary needs of students. During the 2007-08 school year, 87% of students met proficiency standards (Grade of C or better) in their elected course. Only 2% of students were exempt from the writing requirement in 2007-08.

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WRITING PRODUCTIONDURATION: 45 Min. – 36 Wks.; CREDITS: 1.0 GRADE LEVEL: 11, 12 This course is open to all juniors and seniors interested in more non-traditional writing. Using reading, writing, listening, speaking, and problem solving skills, the course emphasis is newspaper writing and publication. A formal essay will be required. The editorial staff for the school newspaper will be established in this class, and the first issues of the Clarion are published during this class. CREATIVE WRITINGDURATION: 90 Min. – 9 Wks.; CREDITS: .5 GRADE LEVEL: 10, 11, 12 PREREQUISITE: English 2 Creative Writing utilizes the process approach to writing (prewriting, drafting, writing, and editing). Students write in a wide variety of formats for self-selected real purposes and real audiences. Word processing is used to produce an extensive portfolio. The course goal is for students to become more confident, independent writers. INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITIONDURATION: 90 Min. – 9 Wks.; CREDITS: .5 GRADE LEVEL: 10, 11, 12 PREREQUISITE: English 2 This course is designed for those students who need improvement in using Standard English, structuring sentences and developing paragraphs. This course includes a review of the common errors of English usage and sentence combining. There will be an emphasis on the various forms of paragraph and essay development. WRITE FOR COLLEGE DURATION: 90 Min. – 9 Wks.; CREDITS: .5 GRADE LEVEL: 11, 12 PREREQUISITE: Introduction to Composition or “B” or better in Modern Literature /Major Authors RECOMMENDATION: The course is recommended for students pursuing post-secondary education. Students in Write for College will use the writing process (prewriting, drafting, writing, and editing) to create a variety of essays and compositions that will serve to prepare them for college level courses in all disciplines. Students in this class will use word processing applications to write compositions including, but not limited to, essays of evaluation, cause/effect, and comparison; literary, college entrance, and persuasive essays; and research papers. Building a college-sized vocabulary, developing logical arguments and explanations, and learning the organizational structures of different types of essays will also be stressed. ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH DURATION: 90 Min. – 36 Wks.; CREDITS: 2.0 GRADE LEVEL: 11, 12 PREREQUISITE: Major Authors with at least a “B” or consent of instructor RECOMMENDATION: The course is recommended for students pursuing post-secondary education who want to develop freshman, college-level writing skills. AP English concentrates on writing encountered in college courses, developing skills in reading and analysis of literature. Its emphasis is on critical reading, engaged writing, vocabulary building and active discussion of essays. This class also prepares students for

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both the College Board AP-Language & Composition and AP-Literature & Composition tests. Examples of Major Writing Assignments 2nd Grade Personal Narrative Friendly Letters Story Writing Non-Fiction Research Skills Poetry Writing/Figurative Language 3rd Grade Personal Narrative Narrative Stories Biographies Nonfiction Report Persuasive Writing 4th Grade Animal essay (5 paragraphs) Research project – Stuff Box Personification – Trip through the body in science Yearbook 5th Grade Personal descriptive narrative Persuasive writing – Endangered animals Research paper – Explorers Pen Pal Letters 6th Grade Personal Narratives Creative Writing Poetry 7th Grade Research paper – Countries (MLA Style is introduced) Poetry Descriptive writing 8th Grade Research paper – (Continues introduction of MLA style) Expository Essay Persuasive papers

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High School English Classes English 1- Research Paper

English 2- Character Analysis Major Authors/ Modern Literature- Literary Analysis

Reasonable Progress for 2008-09 Reasonable Progress will be considered made if the following criteria are met:

Columbus Elementary: 68% Proficient on WKCE Writing Prompt Columbus Middle: 87 % Proficient on WKCE Writing Prompt Columbus High: 87% Proficient on WKCE Writing Prompt

Reasonable progress will also include 1) the development of consistent assessment rubrics for grades 2-11 to be used to assess the writing process and 2) the establishment of baseline data for proficiency in the writing process. ____________________________________ _________________ Mark A. Jansen, Superintendent Date

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Appendix A Ideas The Ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece, the main theme, together with all the details that enrich and develop that theme. The ideas are strong when the message is clear, not garbled. The writer chooses details that are interesting, important, and informative–often the kinds of details the reader would not normally anticipate or predict. Successful writers do not tell readers things they already know; e.g., "It was a sunny day, and the sky was blue, the clouds were fluffy white …" They notice what others overlook, seek out the extraordinary, the unusual, the bits and pieces of life that others might not see. Organization Organization is the internal structure of a piece of writing, the thread of central meaning, the pattern, so long as it fits the central idea. Organizational structure can be based on comparison-contrast, deductive logic, point-by-point analysis, development of a central theme, chronological history of an event, or any of a dozen other identifiable patterns. When the organization is strong, the piece begins meaningfully and creates in the writer a sense of anticipation that is, ultimately, systematically fulfilled. Events proceed logically; information is given to the reader in the right doses at the right times so that the reader never loses interest. Connections are strong, which is another way of saying that bridges from one idea to the next hold up. The piece closes with a sense of resolution, tying up loose ends, bringing things to closure, answering important questions while still leaving the reader something to think about. Voice The Voice is the writer coming through the words, the sense that a real person is speaking to us and cares about the message. It is the heart and soul of the writing, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the life and breath. When the writer is engaged personally with the topic, he/she imparts a personal tone and flavor to the piece that is unmistakably his/hers alone. And it is that individual something–different from the mark of all other writers–that we call voice. Word Choice Word Choice is the use of rich, colorful, precise language that communicates not

just in a functional way, but in a way that moves and enlightens the reader. In

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good descriptive writing, strong word choice clarifies and expands ideas. In persuasive writing, careful word choice moves the reader to a new vision of things. Strong word choice is characterized not so much by an exceptional vocabulary that impresses the reader, but more by the skill to use everyday words well. Sentence Fluency Sentence Fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ear, not just to the eye. How does it sound when read aloud? That's the test. Fluent writing has cadence, power, rhythm, and movement. It is free of awkward word patterns that slow the reader's progress. Sentences vary in length and style, and are so well crafted that the writer moves through the piece with ease. Conventions Conventions are the mechanical correctness of the piece–spelling, grammar and usage, paragraphing (indenting at the appropriate spots), use of capitals, and punctuation. Writing that is strong in conventions has been proofread and edited with care. Handwriting and neatness are not part of this trait. Since this trait has so many pieces to it, it's almost a holistic trait within an analytic system. As you assess a piece for convention, ask yourself: "How much work would a copy editor need to do to prepare the piece for publication?" This will keep all of the elements in conventions equally in play. Conventions are the only trait where we make specific grade level accommodations. Presentation Presentation combines both visual and verbal elements. It is the way we "exhibit" our message on paper. Even if our ideas, words, and sentences are vivid, precise, and well constructed, the piece will not be inviting to read unless the guidelines of presentation are present. Think about examples of text and presentation in your environment. Which signs and billboards attract your attention? Why do you reach for one CD over another? All great writers are aware of the necessity of presentation, particularly technical writers who must include graphs, maps, and visual instructions along with their text.

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Appendix B

Grade 4 Proficient Writing

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Grade 4 Exemplary Writing

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8th Grade Proficient Writing

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Grade 8 Exemplary Writing

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