STATEWIDE WRITING SCORES ANNOUNCED
Students in Grades 4, 8, and 11 Are 100% Proficient in Writing
by Patty Novicki
June 11, 2009
Statewide Writing Scores
Every year the state of Nebraska requires public schools to
administer statewide writing tests according to State Statute
79-760. The tests are given to all students in grades 4, 8 and 11.
The State Board of Education has adopted the following policy
guidelines for the Statewide Writing Assessment:
Determining how well students are able to write requires a
combination of a knowledge test (norm-referenced) and an actual
sample (skills assessment) of student writing.
Actual samples of student writing must be produced under controlled
conditions:
*Each student writes on the same topic
*Each student is given a prompt (topic) to establish the context
for his/her writing.
*Each student is given the same amount of time to complete the
task.
*Each student is scored against a uniform set of criteria based on
the common traits found in writing.
At the local level, teachers must be able to evaluate student
writing using the result of both the skills and knowledge
assessments. A statewide determination of how well students in
Grades 4, 8, and 11 are meeting the Nebraska writing standards will
be achieved by collecting a random sample of student writings and
having them scored by an outside agencies.
The Nebraska Statewide Writing Assessment is intended to:
*Gather information to assist teachers in determining the progress
of students in meeting the state standards in writing
*Provide each local district with a report of student progress in
meeting state or local standards for writing.
*Through a random sample, provide a means of determining statewide
progress of students in achieving state standards for writing.
*Lead to improved writing by Nebraska students.
Students are asked to produce writing samples in the following
writing modes:
*Grade 4-Personal Narrative
*Grade 8-Descriptive Essay
*Grade 11-Persuasive Essay
This assessment is administered on two consecutive days within the
administration dates set by the state. On the first day students
are given a writing prompt (topic) from which they are to genereate
preliminary drafts. On the second day, students revise their
preliminiary drafts to produce a final copy. Students must use the
assessment booklets provided by the state department. Only 40
minutes are allotted for each day.
The students of Dodge Public Schools performed very well on these
tests. All students were assessed and all students were 100%
proficient. This is an outstanding accomplishment for the students
and the teachers. Mrs. Conrad is the 4th grade teacher, Ms. Haney
is the 8th grade teacher, and Mrs. VanLengen is responsible for the
11th grade.
Congratulations to all of the students and teachers.
