WINNEMUCCA - The October article provided updates in the Nevada State Writing Proficiency exam to be administered to all fifth and eighth graders in our state. Two primary changes are that the exam will be completed on a word processor and instead of all students writing to the same narrative prompt, a variety of prompts will be given in several writing areas: informative/explanatory, opinion/argument and narrative. Believing that every student needs computer skills and the ability to write in an array of formats, the adjustments make perfect sense. In reality, these expectations are enormous. That is why parental assistance and support are critical.
Schools are gearing up with more computer practice time and tools ready for writing final copies. Teachers have recently received samples of writing exemplars to clarify scoring requirements. A practice examination will be offered prior to the actual exam so that students can go through this new process.
Updates from the State Department of Education have helped me better understand more of the intricacies of these changes. Writing sessions will be untimed so students can work as long as necessary to produce their papers. 70 minutes is the estimated time for completion. This includes reading and determining the meaning of the prompt, jotting notes or creating a brainstorm filled with writing ideas, writing a rough draft either with pencil and paper or on the word processor and then completing a final copy. Students may do everything on the word processor including rough draft and final copy (an ideal time saver), however, many are not accustomed to this procedure.
Remind your child to carefully read his/her final copy checking for spelling and grammar so that errors are caught and corrected. Fifth-grade students are permitted 1,500 characters and eighth graders 2,000. Spaces count so if your child is loquacious discuss word count and character count so no confusion exists.
Writing will be done in one session but the test window has been extended for one month so that every school has adequate time to get students into and out of the computer lab. I feel positive about student success since our district is onto the new requirements fairly early; I am nervous about all of the changes for students taking the test in this format for the first time this year. But if we all take this as a learning experience, future achievement is guaranteed.
Stimuli (prompts) guide your child's writing. These may be a chart or graph, a short passage or poem, or other print material. Topics for practicing narratives include a favorite place, a lost item or a proud event. Start by pinpointing a topic and then focus, focus, focus. I tell students to pretend they have a camera and then use the zoom lens to write about only the most important details while avoiding tedious information that does not add to the value of the piece.
Informative/explanatory essays might be a "how to" topic: how to bathe a dog, how to create a centerpiece or how to present a book report. Students might describe a desired change: lower driving age, more hours in a school day or increased homework (just kidding!).
Opinion/argument might be reading a passage or examining a flier and then supporting or refuting the contents. It might also be a reflection on something students have in common. One year high school students wrote an opinion piece on how their high school education had helped or hindered their intellectual and personal growth. Wow! Those were interesting to read. If you feel worried about scorer bias, rest assured that the rubric eliminates a personal score as one focuses on content and writing elements not differences of opinion.
Tests will be scored by trained personnel using specific criteria. A paper that exceeds the standard will be one that is insightful, exemplifies depth of understanding, links ideas in a clear, organized pattern and that uses expressive language and correct grammar, spelling and a variety of sentence structures. A paper that meets the standard is focused and has a clear introduction, middle and conclusion, and links ideas with a sound command of common English language. While both "exceeds" and "meets" sound similar, the "exceeds" paper is a grabber where the piece has been artfully and perceptively crafted. You know books that have mesmerized you with the magnificence of words. That is an "exceeds" paper. More information is available of the DOE website. Check often as updates will arise as the assessment approaches.
Gini Cunningham's education column appears the third Tuesday of each month in the Humboldt Sun. She can be reached via e-mail: gini.cunningham@sbcglobal.net.
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