Writing COE Basics…A Teacher Support Webinar

October 6, 2011

Steve Pearse, Ed.D.

COE Writing Director

CAA Options / OSPI

Writing COE Basics 2

The 'Big Picture' of the Writing COE…

The Writing COE is a summative assessment that 'frames' each student-writer's selected expository and persuasive final products (Work Samples) per published guidelines and requirements.

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Teacher Support Topics• Eligibility• COE 2011-2012 Calendar• Sufficiency: Guidelines & Requirements• Writing Purposes & Scoring Traits

• Proficiency: Meeting Standard

• Writing COE Prompts (tasks)• Effective Classroom Practices• Continued Support & COE Contacts

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Key COE Guidelines Resource…

2011-2012 Collection of Evidence:

A Comprehensive Guide for District Assessment Coordinators, Principals and

Teachers (CAA Options)

www.coe.k12.wa.us

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Eligibility: Who may submit a Writing COE?

• 12th graders likely possessing the writing skills and knowledge assessed on the HSPE, but who have not demonstrated the proficiency level for meeting standard per the HSPE.

• Transfer students *

• In-state private or home-schooled students *

• Students exempted from the HSPE (non-English proficiency)

* (11th & 12th grade)

Comprehensive Guide

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2011-2012 COE Scoring Events Calendar

• February, 2012 12th grade & transfer students, plus June, '11 event

participants who are eligible to submit an augmented * Collection. Submissions due on or before January 11.

• April, 2012 (Augmentation Collections only)February event participants who are eligible to submit

an augmented Collection. Submissions due on or before April 25.

• June, 201212th grade & transfer students. Submissions due on or

before June 13.

* Please note Augmentation requirements per the Guidelines.

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Sufficiency: Writing COE required components

COMPLETED FORMS:

• Student Information/Signature Form

• Cover Form

• Work Sample Documentation Form (WSDF)

• Work Sample Task Form (WSTF)

Forms can be downloaded at http://coe.k12.wa.us.

per Comprehensive Guide, I-6

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Sufficiency: Required Writing COE student work

A total of 6-8 Work Samples:

• 3-5 expository (to explain) purpose Work Samples*

• 3-5 persuasive purpose Work Samples** to include at least one on-demand WS per purpose

Note: As the two lowest-scoring (not including required on-demand) Work Samples are dropped, the

recommendation is to submit a total of eight Work Samples.

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Additional Sufficiency Requirements…Writing COE Work Samples

• Work Samples are to be free of any/all references to grades, scores, scoring guides, and peer- or teacher-evaluations or other notations.

• Work Samples are to be written in English.

• Work Samples must reflect connected text: no poems, lyrics, narratives, recipes, résumés, directions, bulleted texts, etc., with the exception of brief references or illustrations within blocks of connected text.

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On-Demand Work Samples…

on-demand (2+) Work Samples = touchstones for the Collection

Requirements*:

• At least one on-demand Work Sample per purpose

• No advance notice of on-demand prompts

• No teacher/adult assistance

• Completed during a single, contiguous writing session (class period) under adult supervision

* Requirements for COE on-demand work align with the HSPE.

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Extended-Time Work Samples…

• Constitute all other Work Samples

• Prompt notice in advance is OK

• Teacher/adult assistance limited to general advice &

reminders *

• May be completed over several writing sessions, under teacher supervision

* no direct, explicit assistance that may change the outcome of student work—see Comprehensive Guide

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High School

Checklist for Writing to Explain My essay or letter will explain successfully if I select specific, relevant content and organize my writing well. That means I should • follow the directions given in the writing promp ;t • narrow my topi ;c • sta y focused on the main id ;eas • elaborate by using reaso ,ns well-chosen an d specific detail ,s exampl , /es andor anecdotes

to support my ide ;as • include informati on that is interestin ,g thoughtful, and necessary for my audience to know; q organize my writing with an introduction, supporting paragraphs with main points and

elaboration, and an effective conclusion; q organize my writing in effective paragraphs; • use transitions to connect my ideas. My essay or letter will explain successfully if I demonstrate an effective style. That means I should q show that I care about my topic by writing in a voice appropriate for my audience and

purpose; q use language that is appropriate for my audience and purpose; q use specific words and phrases that help the reader understand my ideas; q use sentences of varied length and structure. My essay or letter will be more effective if I follow conventions in writing. That means I should q follow the rules of grammar and Standard English usage, q spell words correctly, q use correct capitalization, q use correct punctuation, q write complete sentences, • indicate where new paragraphs begin.

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High School Checklist for Writing to Persuade

My essay or letter will be persuasive if I select specific, relevant content and organize my writing well. That means I should q follow the directions given in the writing prompt; q have a clear position and stay focused on that position; q have more than one argument to support my position; q elaborate by using reasons, well-chosen and specific details, examples, anecdotes, facts,

and/or statistics as evidence to support my arguments; q organize my writing to make the best case for my position; q consider the opposing argument(s) and, if important, refute; q begin my writing with an opening, include a statement of position, and end my writing with an

effective persuasive conclusion, such as a call for action; q use transitions to connect my position, arguments, and evidence. My essay or letter will be persuasive if I demonstrate an effective style. That means I should q show that I am committed to my position by writing in a voice appropriate for my audience

and purpose; q use words, phrases, and persuasive techniques that urge or compel the reader to support

my position; q use sentences of varied length and structure. My essay or letter will be more effective if I follow conventions in writing. That means I should q follow the rules of grammar and Standard English usage, q spell words correctly, q use correct capitalization, q use correct punctuation, q write complete sentences, q indicate where new paragraphs begin.

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The Writing COE—a summative assessment— presumes student engagement in 'purposeful

process' in pursuit of best performance …

"Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere …The second draft [revision] is the 'up' draft—you fix it up…And the third draft [editing] is the dental draft, when you check every tooth…"

—Anne Lamott,

Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (1994)

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Proficiency: Meeting Standard on the Writing COE…

• Sufficient (eligible to be scored) Collections are deemed to be proficient if they meet or exceed the standard established for the Writing COE.

• Total Possible Points (raw score) = 72(6 Work Samples; 6 pts. possible each X two scorers)

• Raw score ÷ by 3 = 24 scale points possible.

• Proficient Collections earn 17 or more points = meeting standard (COE + HSPE).

• Students whose collections receive 15 or 16 points are eligible for augmentation.

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High School Content, Organization, & Style Scoring Guide

Points Description 4 • Maintains consisten t focus o n topic and has selected and relevant details

• Has a logical organizational pat tern and conveys a sense of completeness and wholeness

• Provides transitions which clearly serve to connec t ideas • Uses language effect ively by exhibiting word ch oices that are engaging and appropriate fo r

inten ded audience and purpose • Includes sentences, or phrases where appropriate, of varied length and structure • Allo ws th e re ader to sense the person behind the words

3 • Maintains adequat e focus on the t opic and has adequate support ing details • Has a logical organizational pat tern and conveys a sense of wholeness and completeness,

although some lapses occur • Provides adequat e transit ions in an attempt to connec t ideas • Uses adequate language and appropriate wor d choices for intended audience

and purpose • Includes sentences, or phrases where appropriate, that are somewhat varied in length and structure

• Provides the reader with so me sense o f the person beh ind the words

2 • Demonstrates an inconsisten t focus and includes some supporting details, but may inclu de extraneous or loosely relate d material • Shows an attempt a t an organizational pattern, but exhi bits little sense of wholeness an d

completeness • Provides transitions which are weak or inconsistent • Has a limit ed and predictable vocabulary whic h may not be appropria te for the inten ded

audience and purpose • Shows limited variety in sentence length and structure • Attempts somewha t to give the reader a sense o f the person beh ind the words

1 • Demonstrates little or n o focus a nd few supporting details whic h may be inconsistent or interfer ewith th e meaning of t he text

• Has little evidence of an organizational pattern or any sense of wholeness and completeness

• Provides transitions which are poorly utilized, or fa ils to provide transitions • Has a limit ed or inappropriate vocabulary f or the intended audience and purpose • Has little or no variety in sentence length and structure • Provides the reade r with little sense of the person behind the words

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High School

Conventions Scoring Guide

Points Description 2 • Consistently follows the rul es of Standard English for grammar and usage

• Consistently follows the rul es of Standard English for spelli ng of commonl y usedwords

• Consistently follows the rul es of Standard English for capitalization • Consistently follows the rul es of Standard English for punctuation • Exhibits the use of complete sentenc es except where purposeful fragmen ts

are used for effect • Indicates paragraphs consistently

1 • Generally follows the rules of Standard English for grammar and usage • Generally follows the rules of Standard English for spelling of commonly

usedwords • Generally follows the rules of Standard English for capitalization • Generally follows the rules of Standard English for punctuation • Generally exhibits the use of complete sentences except where purposefu l

fragments are used for effect • Indicates paragraphs for the most part

0 • Mostly does not follow the rules of Standard English for grammar and usage • Mostly does not follow the rules of Standard English for spelling of

commonly used words • Mostly does not follow the rules of Standard English for capitalization • Mostly does not follow the rules of Standard English for punctuation • Exhibits errors in sentence structure that impede communication • Mostly does not indicate paragraphs

Z • R esponseis “I ’don t know”; response is a question mark (?); response i s oneword; response is onl y the titl e of the prom ;pt or the prompt is simpl y

recopied

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Characteristics of Many Successful COE Writing Collections

• Prompt selection includes published as well as teacher-written or modified prompts, with student-writers' interests & backgrounds in mind and indicating an appropriate audience.

• Prompts are more often invitational than directive, and clearly indicate either an explanatory or a persuasive purpose.

• Prompts invite authentic, specific responses to manageable, engaging topics and issues.

• A clear sense of the writer's individual voice correlates with evident topic confidence, knowledge, understanding.

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COE Prompts: Selection, Modification or Creation on behalf of student-writers…

• Provide prompts that focus on a single purpose, engage student-writer interest & knowledge (topic), address an identifiable, fitting audience, and use an appropriate writing form (letter or essay):

In your community, many businesses have decided that students must have at least a 'B' grade point average in order to be hired. Take a position on this issue. Write a multiple-paragraph letter to the editor of your local paper persuading readers to agree with your position.

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COE Website-Listed Writing PromptsExpository

After-School Job

Challenging Task

Collection of Evidence

Elders' Stories (revised)

Inspirational Adult

Job Shadow (revised)

Most Meaningful Event

New Employee

New to the United States

Post-Secondary

Senior Class Trip (revised)

Social Networking Sites (revised)

What I Like About Myself

Persuasive

Class Motto (revised)

Dream Vacation Location

Drug Screening (revised)

Extracurricular Activities & Sports (rev.)

Healthy Eating

Health and Fitness (revised)

iPods

Keep This Class

Recycling

Running Start

Student of the Month

Texting

Unrecognized Heroes (revised)

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Effective COE Prompts…Expository purpose: 'New Employee'

In high school, many students hold down part-time jobs. Also, many of the skills and responsibilities that help you to be successful in school also apply to jobs.

Suppose your employer has hired a new employee. You, because of your experience in the business, are to give an orientation to this new hire. Explain what he or she needs to know in order to be successful in your job. In your letter, be sure to explain what he/she needs to know or do as well as why it's important to know or do.

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Effective COE Prompts…Persuasive purpose: 'Keep This Class'

Due to the need to make budget cuts, your district’s school board has asked students which classes are the most important to them. The board will consider student input as they identify classes to be eliminated—and saved—next year.

Write a multiple-paragraph letter to school board members, persuading them to keep a class (course) that is very important to you. Be sure to provide strong arguments and evidence in support of your favorite class.

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Example Prompt Modifications…

• Original: As an athlete, you have spent long hours in training for competition. You have recognized the personal growth you have made in addition to doing well as an athletic competitor.

In a multiple-paragraph letter to your coach, explain what that personal growth was and how it has helped you in a situation outside of sports.

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Example Prompt 'Tweaking'…Purposeful Editing

• Individualized Version: You have spent long hours in training for competition as a football player. You have recognized the personal improvements you have made in addition to becoming a better athlete.

In a multiple-paragraph letter to a favorite teacher, explain the specific ways you have grown or improved, and how that improvement has helped you in one or more non-sports-related situations.

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The DOs and DON'Ts of the Writing COE

DO…before beginning COE Collections—• provide students with frequent, purposeful practice that builds upon the

key skills and concepts described within the GLEs for Writing.

• be specific about and provide models of effective student writing.

• give students multiple opportunities to practice on-demand responses to writing prompts/tasks, engaging them in self-assessment.

upon initiating COE work—• select, write, & encourage students to propose (when permitted) prompts

that incorporate clear, appropriate topics, audiences, purposes, and forms.

• provide ample time & opportunity to develop effective, polished final drafts through pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing.

• offer appropriate teacher assistance (Extended-Time pieces only) that supports and clarifies a given task. Teacher assistance, when allowed, must be limited to general advice and reminders.

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The DOs and DON'Ts of the Writing COE

DON'T…• select or approve prompts/tasks that are missing a fitting topic, audience,

purpose, and/or form, per COE requirements and recommendations.

• provide—orally or in writing—directive, explicit teacher assistance that would compromise the authenticity of student work. Do not allow other adults or the student-writer's peers to do so, either.

• include research reports or other tasks that do not feature the student-writer's own work, interests/knowledge, and voice.

• place work into a student's COE binder without reading the work samples. Teachers are responsible for knowing, to the best of their knowledge, that all work in the COE is the student's own.

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COE-provided support:Writing Resourceshttp://www.coe.k12.wa.us

• Instructional Guides for Writing

• Rubrics (scoring guides) for Writing

• Writing Essential Academic Learning Requirements

• The Dos and Don'ts of the Writing COE

• High School Writing Checklists (expository/persuasive)

• Instructional Modules (OSPI-developed)

• Writing COE Forms

• 2010-2011 Writing Prompts / Writing CTE Prompts

• Various Webinars

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Thank you for all that you do! For additional information…

2011-2012 Collection of Evidence: A Comprehensive Guide. It can be downloaded at http://coe.k12.wa.us

If you have additional questions, please contact us:

Steve Pearse, Ed.D., Writing Specialistcaaoptions@k12.wa.us, (360) 725-6037

Amanda Mount, M.A., Operations Specialistcaaoptions@k12.wa.us, (360) 725-6037

Cindy Jouper, Program Director, COEcjouper@esd113.k12.wa.us (360) 464-6708

Lesley Klenk, Ph.D., CAA Options Administratorcaaoptions@k12.wa.us, (360) 725-6330