Georgia High School Writing Test

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Georgia High School Writing Test

• 1. A domain is an aspect of writing.
• 2. Each domain itself is scored holistically.
  
• The score assigned indicates the
• writers command of the components.

• Domain
  Weight
• Ideas 2
• Organization 1
• Style 1
• Conventions 1

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Weighting of Domains
Scoring Domain Domain Weight of total score

• Weighting means that the scores in some
  writing domains will be given more weight than
  others in determining the total score that a
  student receives.

Ideas 2 x raters scores 40
Organization 1 x raters scores 20
Style 1 x raters scores 20
Conventions 1 x raters scores 20
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Successful Essays

• are consistently focused on the
  
• assigned topic, persuasive purpose,
• and audience
• have an effective introduction, body, and
  conclusion
• demonstrate a well developed and valid writers
  position
• present supporting ideas that are fully
  elaborated with specific examples and details

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Successful Essays

• fully address readers concerns and/or counter
  arguments.
• have main points of their argument that are
  logically grouped and sequenced within paragraphs
  and across parts of the paper.
• contain varied transitional elements that connect
  ideas
• exhibit word choice that is varied
• and precise throughout the response

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Successful Essays

• present sentences that are varied in length and
  structure.
• show a writers voice that is distinctive.
• maintain sustained attention to the audience in
  the introduction, body, and conclusion.

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Successful Essays

• strive for sentence formation, usage, and
  mechanics that are consistently correct in a
  variety of contexts.
• contain only minor and infrequent errors.
• have a text of sufficient length to demonstrate
  effective writing
• skills in a variety of
• contexts.

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Persuasive Writing

• has as its purpose convincing others to accept
  the writers position as valid, adopt a certain
  point of view, or take some action.
• provides logical appeals, emotional appeals,
  facts, statistics, narrative
• anecdotes, humor and/or
• the writers personal
• experiences and knowledge.

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Persuasive Writing

• clearly establishes a position on the issue and
  fully develops an argument with specific details
  and examples.
• defends the writers position with relevant
  evidence that is appropriate for the audience
  identified in the writing topic.

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Persuasive Writing

• demonstrates that the writer can anticipate and
  counter the audiences position on the issue .
• uses specific facts, personal experience and
  knowledge, and/or statistics to support the
  writers position.

10
Persuasive Writing

• includes appeals to logic and/or emotion. (ethos,
  pathos, logos)
• contains an organizational structure appropriate
  for persuasion.

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The Writing Checklist

• Prepare Yourself to Write
• Read the Writing Situation and Directions for
  Writing carefully.
• Brainstorm for ideas.
• Consider how to address your audience.
• Decide what ideas to include and how to organize
  them.
• Write only in English.
• Make Your Paper Meaningful
• Use your knowledge and/or personal experiences
  that are related to the topic.
• Express a clear point of view.
• Fully support your position with specific
  details, examples, and
• convincing reasons.
• Include an appeal to logic and/or emotions.
• Organize your ideas in a clear and logical
  order.
• Write a persuasive paper and stay on topic.
• Make Your Paper Interesting to Read
• Use examples and details that would be
  convincing to your audience.
• Use appropriate voice that shows your interest
  in the topic.
• Use precise, descriptive, vivid words.
• Vary the type, structure, and length of your
  sentences.

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Scoring the Georgia High School Writing Test

• Five score points in each scoring domain (Ideas X
  2, Organization, Style, and Conventions)
• A score of 5 represents the highest level of
  competence in each domain.

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Content/Organization Domain
Level VII (Scores of 44) The paper contained a
strong, clear controlling idea established
through directly relevant supporting ideas. The
paper contained full, evenly developed supporting
ideas. The support (examples, illustrations,
facts, details, logic, appeals to emotions,
opinions) was presented in a clear and logical
manner, with effective transitions.
Level IV (Scores of 32) The paper contained a
controlling idea that may not have been sustained
throughout the piece of writing. While the
writers intentions were apparent, supporting
ideas may have been underdeveloped or unevenly
developed.
Level III (Scores of 22) The paper contained a
vague or poorly developed controlling idea or
several unrelated controlling ideas. The paper
may have lacked a sense of completeness because
the supporting ideas were too few, general,
irrelevant, or underdeveloped. Although the paper
may have contained a plan, the writers ideas
were repeated rather than developed.
Level VI (Scores of 43) The paper contained a
clear controlling idea established through
relevant supporting ideas. The paper contained
sufficient supporting ideas but may have
demonstrated some uneven development or lacked
the specific details necessary for full
development. Supporting ideas were presented in a
logical order. Transitions, when used, were
generally effective.
Level II (Scores of 21) The paper contained
unrelated controlling ideas or lacked the
development and organization necessary to clarify
and elaborate the writers position on the issue.
The paper was characterized by repetition.
Level V (Scores of 33) The paper contained a
clear controlling idea established and developed
through generally relevant supporting ideas. The
paper may have strayed into an occasional
irrelevant idea. Supporting ideas were generally
presented in a logical order with enough support
for the writers position to be considered
complete. Development of the supporting ideas may
have been uneven.
Level I (Scores 11) The paper lacked the
development and organization necessary to
establish a clear controlling idea. The paper may
have been limited to a repetition of the prompt
or a statement of the writers position.
The paper may have been confusing because it
lacked a plan, had irrelevant ideas, or contained
incomplete information.
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Style Domain
Level VII (Scores of 44) The paper established a
clear sense of the writers individuality. The
word choice was precise, valid, and varied,
revealing an awareness of the different levels of
meaning that words have. The effective use of
varied sentence structures enhanced meaning. The
tone was not only appropriate but consistently
sustained. Overall, the paper conveyed full
awareness of both what needed to be said and
how to say it for the intended audience.
Level IV (Scores of 32) The paper conveyed some
sense of the writers individuality. Word choice
was a combination of ordinary and engaging
language. Sentence structure tended to be
repetitive. The tone of the paper may not have
been appropriate for either the audience or the
purpose. If appropriate, the tone was not
sustained throughout the paper. Overall, it
appeared that the writer lacked a consistent
understanding of the audience.
Level III (Scores of 22) The paper demonstrated
little individuality. Word choice was generally
simple and ordinary and, even if correct, was not
engaging. Sentence structure may have varied
little if at all. The tone of the paper may have
been inappropriate for the audience or persuasive
purpose. If appropriate, the tone was not
sustained throughout. Overall, it appeared that
the writer experienced some confusion about the
audience.
Level VI (Scores of 43) The paper established a
sense of the writers individuality. Word choice
was engaging and precise, conveying an awareness
of the dictionary meaning of words. Sentence
structure was varied. The tone was appropriate
for the topic and purpose and sustained through
most of the paper. The paper demonstrated a clear
awareness of the intended audience.
Level II (Scores of 21) The paper demonstrated
little or no individuality. Word choice was
simple and repetitive and sometimes incorrect.
Sentence structure may have varied little if at
all. The tone of the paper was inconsistent with
the persuasive purpose. Overall, it appeared that
the writer experienced confusion about the
audience.
Level V (Scores of 33) The paper conveyed a
sense of the writers individuality. Word choice
was engaging and sometimes precise. While
effective, however, it may have been limited in
variety. Sentence structure was varied if
repetitive, repetition was done for effect. The
tone was appropriate for the topic and purpose
and was generally sustained. The paper was
written to a clearly recognizable audience.
Level I (Scores of 11) The paper did not
demonstrate the writers individuality. Word
choice was repetitive or lacked variety and may
have been incorrect. Sentence structure was
repetitive. The tone of the paper was flat or
otherwise inappropriate for the audience or
persuasive purpose. The paper conveyed no sense
that it was directed to a particular audience.
The paper may have been too brief for the writer
to demonstrate his or her writing style.
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Conventions of Written Language Domain
Level VII (Scores of 44) The paper demonstrated
a full, consistent command of usage and
mechanics. The paper demonstrated the writers
ability to use a variety of the conventions
appropriate for written Standard American English.
Level III (Scores of 22) The paper demonstrated
a limited grasp of usage and mechanics with
repeated or varied weaknesses in the command of
written Standard American English. The paper may
have contained a combination of simple, correct
forms and incorrect forms.
Level VI (Scores of 43) The paper demonstrated
command of usage and mechanics. The paper
demonstrated the writers ability to use a
variety of conventions in either usage or
mechanics.
Level II (Scores of 21) The paper often
demonstrated an insufficient understanding of the
conventions of usage and mechanics. The paper may
have been too brief to demonstrate appropriate
usage and mechanics. Instances of correct forms
were offset by errors. Errors interfered with
meaning.
Level V (Scores of 33) The paper demonstrated
control in several aspects of usage and
mechanics. The minor or infrequent errors in the
paper did not interfere with meaning. However,
the paper lacked variety in usage and mechanics
the same forms were repeated.
Level I (Scores of 11) The paper demonstrated an
insufficient grasp of written Standard American
English. The paper may have contained repeated or
varied errors in usage and mechanics which
created a barrier to comprehension. The paper may
have been too brief to demonstrate appropriate
usage and mechanics.
Level IV (Scores of 32) The paper demonstrated
inconsistent control of the conventions of usage
and mechanics. The paper may have demonstrated
control in usage or in mechanics, but not both.
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Sentence Formation Domain
Level VII (Scores of 44) The paper contained
consistently clear, complete sentences with
correct end punctuation. The various elements
within the sentences were joined correctly, and
the ideas within sentences were connected
properly. Competence in both subordination and
coordination of ideas was demonstrated through a
variety of strategies.
Level III (Scores of 22) The paper demonstrated
minimal competence in sentence formation and the
use of compound elements within sentences.
Evidence of control demonstrated by correctly
formed sentences was offset by incorrect
sentences. Sentence structure errors required the
reader to reread in order to determine meaning.
Level VI (Scores of 43) The paper contained
clear, complete sentences with correct end
punctuation. The various elements within the
sentences were joined correctly, and the ideas
were connected properly.
Level II (Scores of 21) The paper contained few
clear, complete sentences with appropriate end
punctuation. Sentence structure errors required
the reader to reread in order to determine the
writers meaning. The paper may have been too
brief to demonstrate sufficient control of
sentence formation.
Level V (Scores of 33) The paper contained a
majority of clear and complete sentences, with
generally correct end punctuation. Competence in
either coordination or subordination was
demonstrated. Subordination, when present, was
limited to simple clauses. There may have been
sentence fragments or run-ons, but these errors
were outweighed by clear, correct sentences.
Level I (Scores of 11) The paper did not contain
clear, complete sentences with appropriate end
punctuation. Fragments and/or run-ons occurred
frequently in the paper. Sentence structure
errors interfered with meaning. The paper may
have been too brief to demonstrate correct
sentence formation.
Level IV (Scores of 32) The paper demonstrated
mixed control of sentence formation and the use
of compound elements within sentences. The paper
may have consisted mostly of clear, simple
sentences with few compound sentences. The
occasional run-on or sentence fragment interfered
with meaning.
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Timeline for the Testing

• Part 1 Planning/Prewriting (15 minutes)
• Read your assigned topic on the Writing Topic
  Page and review the Writing Checklist.
• Use the space provided for your notes, jot list,
  or outline.
• Organize your major supporting details before
  writing the first draft.
• Part 2 Drafting (35 minutes)
• Using your prewriting notes, write a first draft
  of your paper on the Drafting Sheet.
• Concentrate on getting your ideas down on paper
  in a logical order.
• Part 3 Revising and Editing (25 minutes)
• Carefully reread what you have written to see if
  your ideas are clear and fully developed.
• Consider any changes that would make your paper
  better.

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Test Timeline (cont.)

• Part 4 Final Draft (20 minutes)
• Rewrite your paper on pages 3 and 4 of the Answer
  Document.
• When you rewrite, make sure that you use a blue
  or black pen and write neatly.
• You may either print or write in cursive.
• Do not use pages 1 and 2 of the Answer Document
  for you writing.
• Only what is written on pages 3 and 4 of the
  Answer Document will be scored.
• Part 5 Proofreading (5 minutes)
• When you finish writing your final draft, make
  any needed corrections on
• your paper.
• You may strike through words, but do so neatly.
• Do not use correction fluid.
• The suggested times given in the directions are
  approximate. You will be reminded
• of the times for each part. What you write on
  the Planning/Prewriting Page and the
• Drafting Page will not be graded. Only your final
  draft will be graded.
• You MUST write your final draft (using a blue or
  black ink PEN) on the
• Answer Document using only pages 3 and 4.