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Grade 3 Writing Assessment
Description The writing assessment for grade three consists of teacher evaluation of student writing using an analytic scoring system. The Grade 3 Assessment and Instructional Guide contains the scoring rubric; types of writing required by the GPS (narrative, informational, persuasive and response to literature); good practices for the instruction of writing; sample student papers; and ways to evaluate student writing. Using representative samples of student writing, third-grade teachers are to use the analytic scoring rubrics in the Guide to determine the performance levels in each domain for each child in the classroom. Teachers collect writing samples by providing many opportunities for students to produce the various types of writing throughout the year. Types of Writing The Georgia Grade Three Writing Assessment covers four types of writing: narrative, informational, persuasive, and response to literature.
Analytic and Holistic Scoring The scoring system is analytic. Analytic scoring means that more than one feature or domain of a paper is evaluated. Each domain itself is scored holistically. The score assigned indicates the test raters’ overall impression of the writer’s command of the components, using predetermined scoring criteria contained in the Scoring Rubrics. Accurate scoring requires balancing a writer’s strengths and areas of challenge. Student writing will be assessed analytically in four domains: Ideas, Organization, Style, and Conventions. Analytic scoring will provide detailed information on student writing including performance levels. Time Line Because writing assessment at grade three is an outgrowth of the writing instruction program, each elementary school or system should develop a plan at the beginning of the school year for teaching the four genres of writing and collecting assessment samples.
During the last two weeks of March, teachers review the Student Writing Record and complete the Teacher Summary Report. Writing samples may be included in the student’s permanent record. Scoring Procedures and Types of Scores For each student in the class, teachers should assemble multiple samples of writing that have been collected from a variety of classroom writing activities. At least one representative writing sample for each of the four types of writing should be collected. The scoring rubrics are to be applied with the same latitude and the same rigor to all four types. Teachers should rate the samples individually to determine the performance level which best represents a student’s usual performance across a variety of writing tasks and types of writing. There are three performance levels represented: Does Not Meet, Meets, and Exceeds. Reporting Student Writing Record forms identifying each student's performance level in each genre and domain are completed by the classroom teacher. Individual student reports--one copy to be given to parent(s)/guardian(s) and one copy to be retained in the student's permanent record—are also included in reporting. The teacher also completes a summary report for the class. Beginning in 2011 – 2012, this report will be completed using a web-based application. School and system summary reports will be furnished to systems. The scoring rubrics and writing samples may be retained and forwarded to the grade four teachers. |
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