Fourweek Writing Course: Getting Level 2s to Level 3s

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Four-week Writing Course Getting Level 2s to
Level 3s

• OSPI
• Winter Conference 2009

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Getting Level 2s to Level 3s

• Moving from basic to proficient
• A small nudge
• Not giant steps

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• Each paper scored twice for a combined total of
  24 points
• To meet standard 17 points out of 24
• Some possible combinations to get 17
• A B
• COS 3 3 3 3
• CON 2 1 1 1
• COS 2 3 3 3
• CON 2 2 1 1
• COS 2 2 3 3
• CON 2 2 2 1
• COS 2 2 2 3
• CON 2 2 2 2

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History Connection to GLEs

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The High School Course

• Directly supports the Writing WASL and GLEs
• During the course students learn to
• use a process (EALR 1)
• look at two purposes (explain, persuade) (EALR 2)
• address several audiences (EALR 2)
• adapt to various forms (EALR 2)
• The students work to evaluate their own and
  others writing (EALR 4).

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The High School Course

• The focus is on EALR 3 writing clearly and
  effectively.
• Level 2 papers were analyzed for shortcomings
• choosing and narrowing a topic
• organizing ideas
• elaborating ideas
• writing introductions and conclusions
• applying specific conventions

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GLE 3.1.1

• Analyzes ideas, selects a manageable topic, and
  elaborates using specific, relevant details
  and/or examples.
• Presents a manageable thesis while maintaining a
  consistent focus in an individualized and
  purposeful manner (e.g., Obtaining a drivers
  license should not be tied to grades in
  school.).
• Selects specific details relevant to the topic to
  extend ideas or develop elaboration (e.g.,
  quotations, data, reasons, multiple examples that
  build upon each other).
• Uses personal experiences, observations, and/or
  research from a variety of sources to support
  opinions and ideas (e.g., relevant data to
  support conclusions in math, science, social
  studies appropriate researched information to
  explain or persuade contrasting points of view
  to support a hypothesis or argument).

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Overview of the High School Course
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Purpose

• To share teaching strategies that will help
  students improve their expository and persuasive
  writing, including conventions, in order to meet
  standard on the writing portion of the WASL

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Overview

• Summer school class
• Four weeks
• Two hours a day
• Additional instruction for students just missing
  standard
• Yet . . . .

• Not just for high school students
• Not just for summer school
• Expand and adapt
• Level Ones will take more time, different
  strategies

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Delivery system

• PowerPoint and files on website (www.k12.wa.us)
• Use of PowerPoint
• Shown with projector, or
• Copied to transparencies
• Notes Page
• Document Folder
• Keyed to each weeks work
• Includes necessary handouts

• Instructional Support Modules (On OSPI website)
• Based on the GLEs and the WASL targets.
• They are designed for both summer school and
  extended learning opportunities.
• Reading
• Writing
• Mathematics

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Delivery system

• Within the class
• Working folders
• Writing notebooks or journals
• Goal setting
• Active learning
• Whole group, partners, individual work
• Daily writing and reflection

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Teacher Obligations

• An understanding of writing
• Papers to score overnight (Use Expository and
  Persuasive Checklists)
• Feedback on writing during class
• Working with struggling students
• Helping students feel capable
• Working to get them unstuck
• Comfortable with different approaches
• Groups, pairs, conferences
• Activities, hands-on projects, discussion
• Goal setting based on feedback

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Course structure

• Week 1 Choosing, narrowing, and organizing
  topics for expository writing
• Week 2 Elaboration in expository writing
• Week 3 Persuasive writing, including
  elaboration
• Week 4 Introductions and conclusions,
  application to independent work, evaluation of
  progress

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Week 1 Focus for each day

• Day 1
• Baseline prompt
• Day 2
• Narrowing a topic
• Practice
• Goal setting

• Day 3
• Organizational strategies
• List, group, label
• Order of Importance
• Day 4
• Put it together, practice
• Day 5
• On demand

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Sample of Week One
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Week 2 Focus for each day

• Day 1
• Elaboration strategies
• Day 2
• Concrete specific language
• Show dont tell
• Day 3
• Precise sentences
• Practice

• Day 4
• Layering vs. listing
• Day 5
• On demand

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Sample of Week Two
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Week 3 Focus for each day

• Day 1
• Baseline persuasive paper
• Day 2
• Persuasive strategies
• Day 3
• Concession and rebuttal

• Day 4
• Organization in persuasive writing
• Order of importance
• Causal Chain (e.g., House that Jack Built)
• Day 5
• On demand

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Sample of Week Three
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Week 4 Focus for each day

• Day 1
• Introduction strategies
• Day 2
• Conclusion strategies
• Day 3
• Practice both revise from earlier writings

• Day 4
• Final on demand
• Day 5
• Score compare
• Celebrate!

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Sample of Week Four
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Read for conventions

• Basic spelling (including homonyms)
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Periods (run-togethers), apostrophes
  (possessives), commas, question marks especially
  in rhetorical questions
• Subject-verb agreement, particularly number
  agreement with their (pronoun referents and
  verb agreement)
• Complete sentences
• Paragraphing
• Conventions on your own personal list in your
  folder

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Efficacy Writing Class 2007

• External Review funded by Legislature
• Compared pre-class scores with post-class scores
  N 640
• 60 who took the class went from failing to
  passing
• 49 with far miss in spring passed in August
• 76 with near miss in spring passed in August

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Questions?