Georgia Writing Assessment March 6, 2013

Essential Question: What do parents need to know about the

5th grade writing test?

If you have specific questions about how you can help promote writing at home, please email your child’s teacher.

Details of the test

•All 5th grade students must take the test.

•Session Length: 100 minutes

•Main Administration: One day (March 6th)•Make-up Administration: One day

(March 7th)

How is it graded?

One rater will read each paper and give it a score. The score will determine if a paper will pass or fail.

It Looks Like This

Scoring Domain

Domain Weight % of total score

Ideas 2 x rater’s scores 40%

Organization 1 x rater’s scores 20%

Style 1 x rater’s scores 20%

Conventions 1 x rater’s scores 20%

Rubrics 5

Overview of Score Points 1-5Five Levels of Competence

Score: 1

Lack of Control

(of the elements of the domain)

Score: 2

Minimal Control

(of the elements of the domain)

Score: 3

Sufficient Control

(of the elements of the domain)

Score: 4

Consistent Control

(of the elements of the domain)

Score: 5

Full Command

(of the elements of the domain)

GREEN = The degree to which the writer demonstrates control of the components.

Ideas= 40%

• Controlling idea- Thesis

• Supporting Details

• Coherency

• Facts and Examples

• Awareness of Genre

• Completeness

Organization= 20%

• Logical and appropriate sequencing and/or grouping of ideas in the paper

• Introduction/Body/Conclusion

• Expository/Persuasive Strategies used

• Introduction is engaging

• Conclusion provides a sense of closure

I Can Do This!

This test will be a piece of

cake!

Style= 20%

• Word choice

• Figurative language

(similes, metaphors...)

• Varied sentence lengths

• Attention to audience

• Consistent voice

• Humor

Declarative

Exclamatory

Interrogative

Imperative

Conventions= 20%

• Capitalization

• Punctuation

• Spelling

• Indention of paragraphs

• Subject/Verb Agreement

• Formal Register

• Errors do not interfere with meaning

Proofread!

How Can I Help My Child Succeed?

Make it Real Suggest Note-taking Brainstorm

Journal Write Together Play Games

Make Lists Copy from Media Read More

Write Notes Provide Materials Resources

Be a Writer Use the Library Make it Fun

Did You Know?• Blank: The paper contains no student writing.

• Copied: Copied from a published source or another student’s writing.

• Illegible: Not enough words in the paper are recognizable to be used as a basis for

• determining what other words are.

• Incomprehensible: The paper contains few recognizable English words or it may

• contain recognizable English words arranged in such a way that no meaning is

• conveyed.

• Text Too Limited To Score: Lack of enough text to score the student’s writing.

Did You Know?• Non-English: The paper is written in a language other

than English.• Nonparticipation: Student did not attempt to write.• Off-Task: Complete or major portion of the response

consists of poetry, rap, and/or• musical lyrics.• Off-Topic: Student did not follow directives for the

assigned task.• Offensive: Language was inappropriate.• Invalidated: Student’s writing paper was not scored due to

extenuating• circumstances (i.e., cheating, etc.).

Great Writing/Vocabulary Websites

• Fact Monster Writing: http://www.factmonster.com/homework/writingskills1.html

• Room 108 Kid’s Writing: http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/writing/Kids_Writing.html

• Free Rice (Vocabulary Game): http://www.freerice.com/

• Teacher Vision Links:

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading-and-language-arts/games/5831.html

Making it Work for YouIf you have specific questions about the 5th Grade Writing

Test, we have teachers here to answer your questions. Please raise your hand.