Mississippi Writing Assessment Grades 4, 7, and 10

• Large Print Planning Pages
• Interpretive Guide 05/10/10
• Response to Literature Mini-Lesson 08/06/09
• New Sample Materials Available 02/02/09

In December 2007 Rubric Revision Committees for grades 4, 7, and 10 met to work with draft revisions of the scoring rubrics for the writing assessments for grades 4, 7, and English II. The Mississippi Department of Education collaborated with Pearson (the test vendor for the Grades 4, 7, and 10 Writing Assessments contract) and the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute (the MDE-mandated subcontractor) on the revisions that were shared with the committees. The goal for the revision process was to create rubrics that continued the current standards while incorporating more explicit language to support classroom instruction. The committees worked independently to critique and edit the draft revisions and then collectively to ensure vertical articulation for scoring criteria for the three grade-specific rubrics. After these edits were completed, the committees were involved in a "blind scoring" activity. Some members of each grade-level committee independently scored a response using the old rubric, while other members of that committee independently scored the same response using the revised new rubric. The intended outcome was that the committee members would assign the same score and thus confirm that the standards as newly stated in the revised rubrics were, in fact, the same standards evident in the original rubrics. The activity proved just that, and the committees approved the final revised rubrics.

The English II Writing Assessment for 2008 - 2009 will ask that a student respond with a response to an expository prompt or to a position paper prompt. The MDE is providing a definition for the position paper so that classroom teachers across the state will be working with the same definition. In the near future, the MDE will post a practice position paper prompt and annotated responses that were used for training in June 2008 at the Mississippi Rising Conference.

In the fall Pearson will deliver to all districts a Teacher's Guide that will provide a practice prompt for all grades and modes along with annotated responses at each score point.

Sample Materials for the Mississippi Writing Program February 2, 2009
Grade 4, Grade 7, and English II
The new Mississippi Writing Assessment Program brings some changes for students in grades 4 and 7. To help teachers ensure that students in grades 4 and 7 are comfortable with this new presentation, we are providing sample booklets that teachers may download and use for classroom practice. Click here to download the sample materials.

Rubrics
- Grade 4 Rubric
- Grade 7 Rubric
- Grade 10 Rubric

Position Paper
A position paper takes a position on the issue addressed in the prompt and presents carefully considered support to establish and defend the writer's position. The writing uses specific facts, personal experience, and/or knowledge to support the writer's position. Unlike a persuasive response, the position paper does not attempt to convince the reader to believe in or act upon what the writer is saying; rather, the writer's goal is for the reader to understand completely why the writer has taken the position. Thus, the response supports the position with information the writer has determined will ensure the validity of his or her claim. The writing contains an organizational structure appropriate for the stated position.

Position Papers for the English II Writing Assessment Based Upon the 2006 Mississippi Mississippi Language Arts Framework - Revised

Strategies for Instruction for Mode-Specific Prompts

• Grade 4
  • Grade 4 Informative Writing Prompt Template
  • Grade 4 Narrative Writing Prompt Template
  • Grade 4 Persuasive Writing Prompt Template
• Grade 7
  • Grade 7 Informative Writing Prompt Template
  • Grade 7 Narrative Writing Prompt Template
  • Grade 7 Persuasive Writing Prompt Template
• English II
  • English II Expository Writing Prompt Template
  • English II Position Paper Prompt Template
  • English II Response to Literature Prompt Template

Strategy for Teaching Modes - Side-by-side examples of how the same topic is developed differently according to the mode

PowerPoint Presentation from the Prompt Development Committee

Definitions of Writing Modes
- Grade 4 and Grade 7
- English II

Teacher Guide for the Mississippi Writing Assessment Program (Grade 4, Grade 7, and English II)