Fourth Grade Baseline Writing Assessment. Response to Literature

Transcription

1 Fourth Grade Baseline Writing Assessment Response to Literature Prompt: What meaning of message does the story have for you? Directions: Write a response to literature which shows that you understand the meaning or message of the story. Teacher Information: This is a cold write; no teacher instruction is to be provided. The purpose is to determine students writing abilities as they enter fourth grade. The goal is to obtain information to best drive your writing instruction and prepare students for success on the California Fourth Grade Writing Assessment in March With the reinstatement of the CA Writing Test, there will be NO District Year End Assessment for fourth grade students. Materials Included: 1 teacher direction sheet including prompt 1 story Helping Each Other (Teacher may make copies for individual students.) 1 copy of comprehension questions (Teacher may make copies for individual students.) 1 copy of VESD s Fourth Grade Response to Literature Scoring Guide Clarifications: This is an independent assessment. Teacher facilitation is limited to the following: Teacher may read the story to and/or with the students. Teacher may project the story and comprehension questions for whole class to see and/or make individual copies for each student. Teacher may discuss the comprehension questions and student responses. Discussion is limited to these questions and is not to include suggestions or guidance on the students written responses. Teacher may not provide black line masters of graphic organizers or Thinking Maps. They must be student generated. Assessment is to be completed in one sitting. Students may use dictionaries and thesauruses You do not have to remove materials from classroom walls that are part of your usual learning environment. Directions: 1. Tell students they will be writing a response to literature. 2. Teacher says, A response to literature is a reading and writing connection. First, you must comprehend what you read. Then, you must write a response that shows that you understand why the reading passage is important. In other words, you need to show that you understand the author s message. Your response should be at least 3 paragraphs. 3. Write or project the prompt on the white board. 4. Project and/or distribute the story Helping Each Other to the students.

2 5. Read the story to and/or with the students. 6. Instruct students to answer correlating questions on the comprehension worksheet. 7. Teacher may call on students to share answers whole group or have students pair share their answers. Teacher may not discuss further than the given questions. 8. Redirect students attention to the prompt: What meaning or message does the story have for you? Directions: Write a response to literature which shows that you understand the meaning or message of the story. 9. Tell student to create a graphic organizer to help organize his/her thoughts and structure his/her response to the prompt. *Teachers should not provide black line masters in which students are just filling in blanks for this assessment. Graphic organizers should be student generated. 10. Once graphic organizers are completed, teacher instructs student to use his/her graphic organizer to write his/her response to literature. 11. Student writes response on lined paper (whichever paper you prefer to use in your classroom.) 12. Student may edit his/her response using a dictionary and/or thesaurus. 13. When finished, the graphic organizer, written response, and scoring guide must be stapled together and collected. 14. Individually or in grade level teams, teachers score papers using the defined scoring process shared at Grade Level Council. *If you are not familiar with this process, please contact your Grade Level Council Representative or Educational Services. 15. On October 25 th, an electronic file will be available for each teacher to enter student scores. 16. By November 1 st, the completed electronic file is due to Educational Services. 17. Please do NOT send any student work to Educational Services. 18. Reports to drive your writing instruction will be provided.

3 VESD Writing Prompts What is the scoring process? *Grade level council has defined the scoring process that is to be used at each site among grade level teams to score district writing assessments. What s the procedure? Scorers work in partners Person #1 scores Ideas, Organization, and Fluency. Person #1 circles the score for those three traits on the student scoring guide (using pencil). Person #2 scores Voice, Word Choice, Conventions and Spelling. Person #2 highlights Word Choice in blue as he/she reads Person #2 skims the paper highlighting spelling errors in yellow. Person #2 skims the paper highlighting convention errors in pink. Person #2 initiates a conversation with partner if there appears to be an inconsistency in scores. Person #2 highlights all 7 seven scores on the student scoring guide (in any color). Scorers enter student scores in electronic file to be sent back to Educational Services by the date defined in the directions for your grade level.

4 Victor Elementary School District Fourth Grade: Six Trait Response to Literature Conference Scoring Sheet Ideas and Content The writing is clear and focused with a central theme. Details support the theme. 5 Addresses the prompt in own words with accurate details, personal ideas supported with connections and/or examples from the text, author s message stated10 15 sentences 4 Addresses the prompt in own words with accurate details, personal ideas supported with connections and/or examples from the text, author s message stated 8-9 sentences 3 Addresses the prompt in own words with accurate details, personal ideas supported with connections and/or examples from the text, author s message stated 7-8 sentences 2 Attempts to address the prompt, some information in own words 1 Does not address the prompt, ideas difficult to follow author s meaning may be changed. Organization Information is presented in clear sequence, making connections and transitions among sentences and paragraphs. 5 Introduction states title, author, and theme or plot *Plot summary may be included in intro or body. Body paragraph(s) identifies the theme, backs it up with at least 3 sentences that provide evidence from the text. Writer may include details, examples, and/or connections. Conclusion shows understanding of the author s purpose and importance of the message. *Overall paper is 3 or more paragraphs. 4 Introduction states title, author, and theme or plot *Plot summary may be included in intro or body. Body paragraph(s) identifies the theme, backs it up with at least 2 sentences that provide evidence from the text. Writer may include details, examples, and/or connections. Conclusion shows understanding of the author s purpose. *Overall paper is 3 or more paragraphs. 3 Introduction states title, author, and theme or plot *Plot summary may be included in intro or body. Body paragraph(s) identifies the theme, backs it up with evidence from the text with at least 1 detail/example. Writer may include a connection. Conclusion attempts to refer to author s message or simply restates opening paragraph. *Overall paper is at least 3 paragraphs. 2 Introduction attempts to address theme or plot. Body paragraph(s) is missing details, might not make sense, or might include copied text. Attempt at a conclusion. *Overall paper is not cohesive. 1 May be copied, random sentences, writing unclear, redundant information. Voice The writing is individual, sincere and lively. 5 Involvement of writer is exceptional with an obvious connection to the author s message. Writer shows his/her own thoughts and feelings and provides insight to characters thoughts and feelings. Dialogue and/or monologue might be used. 4 Writer shows his/her own thoughts and feelings and shows understanding of characters thoughts and feelings. Dialogue and/or monologue might be used. 3 Writer tells what he/she thinks or feels about the events, characters, or message in the story. 2 Little sense of writer s thoughts and feelings. Awareness of reader is minimal. 1 Writing lacks involvement with no reference to thoughts or feelings. 4 th Grade Response to Literature Conference Scoring Sheet Page 1 of 2

5 Word Choice The writer uses words that capture the reader s interest and convey meaning (color words and the words good, nice, big and little) do not count. 5 7 or more accurate specific words and/or phrases. Figurative language may be used. 4 5 accurate specific words and/or phrases. 3 Less than 5 descriptive words and phrases (adjectives, verbs, adverbs) that help the reader vividly visualize the events, people, and setting being described. 2 Use of some common descriptive words (such as color and size) that rarely captures the reader s interest. 1 Over use of common words. Sentence Fluency The writer develops smooth flow and rhythm in sentences. Few places where the reader may stumble over word endings, omitted words, or words that don t belong. 5 Text has a natural, fluent sound; with a combination of simple, compound, and complex sentences beginning in a variety of ways throughout the text. 4 Paragraphs with extensive variation in structure, length and beginnings 3 Good control over simple sentences and paragraphs with a variety of sentence beginnings. 2 Good control over simple sentences. Some variety in sentence structure, length, and beginning. 0-2 fragments and run-ons. 1 Writing is difficult to follow or read. Sentences awkward or rambling Conventions (Consider the length of the paper.) The writer uses correct punctuation, capitalization and grammar. They may manipulate conventions for stylistic effect errors show strong control over conventions, handwriting is legible errors in conventions, illegible in some places but does not interfere with readability of text errors in conventions, handwriting illegible and interferes with readability of text Spelling The writer uses correct spelling. A repetitive misspelled word is considered 1 error. 2 Most words are spelled correctly, all high frequency words spelled correctly, all incorrectly spelled are easily decipherable 1 High frequency words spelled correctly, one or more of incorrectly spelled words are easily decipherable 0 High frequency words may be spelled incorrectly, one or more of incorrectly spelled words not easily decipherable 4 th Grade Response to Literature Conference Scoring Sheet Page 2 of 2

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