"The road from a novice to a

competent writer is paved by changes in student's writing knowledge, motivation for writing, strategic writing

behaviors and basic writing skills"

(Steven Graham, 2007)

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/5821/preview/5821/preview/

Dr. Steven GrahamVanderbilt University

Author of Writing Next

Reflect on our writing journey—Past

Writing for 2012/2013: Presentation

by the writing team of the Pacing Guide

and its new components

Vision for our current journey

Today’s Agenda

Reflections of our first year

Sometimes At Cross PurposesSometimes Confusion

But a LOT more students were writing!

Writing Time Line

Assessment Expectations

On-Demand and

Samples

Portfolio/End of year

Recording assessments—

plans for the future

Scoring Center

Writing Time Line2012 ̶ 2013

September 4-14th: Writing SampleBeginning of the year writing sample (prompts to be chosen from a list of suggested prompts—teacher's choice but he/she is to give students 2-3 choices of prompts) to be kept in a folder as a comparison for end of the yearKindergarten and 1st grade teachers select one promptKindergarten teachers will give prompt between September 10-21st

Use this time to get an understanding of what skills students possessSet the tone for your writing program

September 17th-November 30th (Narrative):Teach Key Elements of Narrative Mode (Writing that tells a story, truth or fiction, to entertain a reader)Main Trait Focus: Idea Development & Sentence Fluency (See trait posters in the Curriculum Support section of the Writing Pacing Guide for details)Support Trait Focus: Voice & ConventionsDecember 3-7th: On demand writing—the first secured prompt in the narrative modePrompt scored by the scoring center and teacher, then put a copy in the (buff) Writing Evidence folder

December 10th-March 1st (Explanatory): Teach Key Elements of Explanatory Mode (Writing that explains or reports information that has been learned)Main Trait Focus: Organization & Idea Development (See trait posters in the Curriculum Support section of the Writing Pacing Guide for details)Support Trait Focus: Sentence Fluency & ConventionsMarch 4-8th: On demand writing—second secured prompt in the explanatory modePrompt scored by the scoring center and teacher, then put a copy in the (buff) Writing Evidence folderMid March-May 17th (Opinion):Teach Key Elements of Opinion Mode (Writing that shares an opinion with reasons and information)

Main Trait Focus: Voice, Organization, & Word Choice (See trait posters in the Curriculum Support section of the Writing Pacing Guide for details)Support Trait Focus: Organization & ConventionsMay 20-23th: On demand writing—third secured promptPrompt scored by the scoring center and teacher, then put a copy in the (buff) Writing Evidence folderMid May-End of the year: End of the year writing sample, (prompts to be chosen from a list of suggested prompts—teachers choice but he/she is to give students 2-3 choices of prompts) to be compared to the writing sample at the beginning of the year. Celebrate growth! End of the Year Folder: All five assessments will go home to parents. (Parents will be told in advance to be looking for these papers.) REMEMBER TO INCLUDE ONE BEST-PIECE FROM THE YEAR IN THE WRITING EVIDENCE FOLDER.Love of Writing: Below is a partial list of writing activities that many of you teach. By all means, include them during your writing time this year! We've suggested the possible mode that they fit in, others will work as well. Writing should be fun! Poetry unit (Opinion, Narrative) Letter writing (Explanatory; Opinion) Books (Narrative) Autobiographies/Biographies (Narrative) Reports (Explanatory, Opinion) Plays (Narrative; Opinion) Objects, pictures (Narrative, Opinion) Creative writing (Narrative) Pen Pals (Explanatory; Opinion) Other

Description Date scored papers will be returned

Writing On Demand--NarrativeTo be given the week of Dec. 3rd

By January 11

Writing On Demand--ExplanatoryTo be given the week of March 4

By April 5

Writing On Demand--OpinionTo be given the week of May 20th

By June 7th

The scoring center will be open and available to score elementary K-5 papers October 2012. Pam Weiler will send a district-wide email with the exact date when the center opens.

Scoring Center Time Line for Required Scoring K-5 (Summative Assessments):

*These papers will be copied, with one set gathered by building principals and sent as a school to the scoring center. The other set will be scored by teacher teams during designated PLC time. Scoring center turn around after receiving a set of papers is usually one week, but may be as many as three weeks around the time of the new required assessments.Scoring Center Availability (Formative Assessments)

Teachers may send classroom sets of papers to the scoring center at other times during the year. Many teachers have used the center in the past to help inform their writing instruction. The option is again open for this use. We will start the year without use restrictions. If the center is too busy, we may need to amend this.Scoring Center Training

The raters are trained by an ODE writing expert. They spend two days training and calibrating papers. In these next two years of the switch over to the Common Core State Standards, we will continue to have our raters trained by ODE. The raters will score 3-5th grade papers using Oregon's current official scoring guide. We are asking the raters to score K-2 papers using the rubric that the writing team developed. Be patient, since there is no expert to train them on how to score using this guide. View the scoring center as an extra set of eyes looking at student growth.

Work Sample Submission Forms (MUST accompany classroom sets of papers)Work Sample Submission Forms are found on the DO website under Curriculum and

Instruction.   (pam.weiler@albany.k12.or.us) As always, feedback (positive and constructive) is encouraged and welcomed!

Using Data to Inform Instruction

Class Record Sheet (One example of ways to use the scores from the scoring center)

WRITING RECORD SHEET TEACHER______________________

IDEA/CONTENT ORGANIZATION SENT FLUENC VOICE WORD CHOICE CONVENTIONS

KEY: N=NARRATIVE E=EXPLANATORY O=OPINION

2012-2013

Conventions Oregon WR.08 Spell correctly three- and four-letter short vowel words (can, will).WR.09 Use spelling/phonics-based knowledge to spell independently when necessary.WR.10 Show spelling consciousness or sensitivity to conventional spelling.GrammarWR.11 Identify and correctly write singular and plural nouns (cat/cats).WR.12 Identify and correctly write simple possessive pronouns (my/mine; his/hers).PunctuationWR.13 Correctly use periods (I like my dog.), exclamation points (Help!), and question marks (Do you like to play ball?) at the end of sentences.CapitalizationWR.14 Capitalize the first word of a sentence, names of people, and the pronoun I.HandwritingWR.15 Print legibly and space letters, words, and sentences appropriately.CCSS

•L.2.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil).

Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. •L.2.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Use collective nouns (e.g., group).Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).

CCSS Language Section (Conventions) added to last page

Last page of each pacing guide has the added standards from the language section of the CCSS

Standards (with correlating Writing Standards) Academic Vocabulary Writing Sample Expectations Resource Packet (Also available on District website under Curriculum and

Instruction)

Text Type and Purposes

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined

experiences or events using effective technique,

descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.

Provide a sense of closure.

WR.10 Use vivid adjectives and action verbs.WR.11 Begin to elaborate descriptions and incorporate figurative wording in own writing.WR.25 Write descriptive pieces about people, places, things, or experiences:

o Develop a unified main idea.o Use details to support the main idea.

WR.27 Write brief reports:oUse diagrams, charts, or illustrations that are appropriate to the text.oInclude observations and information from two or more sources.

Production and Distribution of Writing

4. With guidance and support from adults, produce

writing in which the development and organization are

appropriate to task and purpose.

5. With guidance and support from peers and adults,

develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,

revising, and editing.

Traits Ideas and Content Organization (Beg, Mid, End/Conclusion) Sentence Fluency ConventionsModes Narrative Explanatory OpinionWriting Process Prewrite Rough Draft Revise Edit Publish Topic Fact Main Idea SequenceOrderSummarizeDetail SentencesTransition wordsPeer EditingSequenceNoun Verb Adjective Punctuation (? . !) Comma Apostrophe Singular PluralPossessiveParagraphTenses (Present, Past)

Beginning of Year Writing Sample ( Sept. _________) This sample is to be placed in writing evidence folder for end of year comparison. Teacher selects prompts from list of suggested prompts in resource packet. Give students 2-3 prompt choices--preferably from different modes.

On Demand Writing--Narrative: (Dec.___________)Secured prompts will be sent to building principals last week in November. Papers will be scored by teachers and the scoring center then placed in writing evidence folder. ( resource packet for details)

Writing Evidence Folder: The writing evidence folder will follow students from grade to grade. All papers will not stay in the folder at the end of the year. Remember to keep 1 best piece from the year to remain in the writing evidence folder. It is the team's recommendation that the scored papers be bound as a class project for the students to take home and share with parents. This is a time to celebrate their writing growth!

Writing Overview (Big Picture) Writing Overview Companion How to Use Student PortfolioGraphic Organizer SamplesEditing Symbols Scoring Guides Definition of Modes and traits Writing Process Guide and posterWriting Web ResourcesScoring Center ExpectationsThree Year Long PlanCurriculum Support:Writer's Workshop Basics-- Information and guidance6+1 Trait PostersStep Up To Writing BasicsBe looking for more information on the following topics in our new monthly newsletter:Mentor Texts BasicsWriters Notebook BasicsWriting Across the Curriculum

Writing Pacing Guide - September-November (Narrative) Check out the new resources!

New Info!

Writing Prompts—Select from these for the September and June writing samples

NarrativeTell about a time you got hurt.Tell about an unforgettable moment. Think about a time when things did not turn out the way you expected. Tell the story of what happened to you.Did you ever have a day where everything went wrong? Tell about this day from beginning to end.Tell a true story about an experience that you have had with an animal.Tell about a time something funny happened to you.Tell about the happiest experience you have ever had. We all get angry for a variety of reasons. Tell about a time you were angry. Tell how you solved the problem. Many people have a favorite toy. Describe one of your favorite toys, and tell why the toy is special to you.

ExplanatoryExplain how to have fun outdoors when it snows.Think of one thing you know how to make. Explain very clearly how to make it.Explain how you celebrate a holiday or event in your home. Use details so the audience can picture what it is like on that special day.Explain the reasons why exercise is important for the body.Explain why it is important to respect adults. Explain how you would solve a problem in your school (bullying, vandalism, littering, noise, etc.)Explain how a person can make a good choice when other people are pressuring them to make a bad choice. Explain about an interest or hobby.

OpinionDo you think kids should be allowed to spend the night at a friend’s house on a school night?Do you think kids should be allowed to have their own pet?Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall. Every season has its own special qualities that make it the best. What do you think the best season is? Why do you think it is the best?Do you think that students need more recess during the school day? Why?What is your favorite food and why is it your favorite?What is the most important subject in school? Why?

Prompt Choices

Curriculum Support

The Plan Support with Curriculum

ideas

Curriculum PacketVideo ClipWeb ResourcesMonthly NewsletterSocial Networking PLC Team Work

Time: Component:

5 minutes Read aloud

10 - 15 minutes Mini-lessons

30 - 60 minutes

Independent Writing & Conferring

Guided Writing

5-10 minutes Sharing

Writer’s Workshop

Read Aloud of Touchstone/Mentor Texts

Mini-Lessons

Components Explained in packet

Independent Writing Conferring

Guided Writing Sharing

Writer's Workshop Ideas/Comments from teachers @ ProTeacher.net

Teacher #1

My Writer's Workshop time is actually very simple to implement (although, looking at the size of this email, I am not so sure anymore!) The schedule is as follows:

10 mins Sustained Silent Writing10 - 20 mins Mini-Lesson20 - 30 mins Writing Block5 - 10 mins Author's Chair

Sustained Silent Writing -- The students begin each Workshop day with 10 minutes of uninterrupted writing. Similarly to Sustained Silent Reading, they may do nothing but write. They may either continue a story they are currently working on, begin a brand new story, or write in their journal (I always have some topics posted for those who are stumped) During this time, their pencil MUST be moving....

Mini-Lesson -- During this time, I teach a writing lesson. Any lesson that is appropriate at that time. Craft, grammar, punctuation, or the actual lesson that is in our reading program. (These lessons come from many different sources....writing inservices, grade level meetings focused on writing, various books, etc...) The lesson is no longer than 20 mins.

Read the rest of this teacher’s use of Writer’s Workshop along with how three more teachers use Writer’s Workshop

Step Up to WritingThis is a writing program that focuses on making the writing process simple and easy to remember. Students will become familiar with the 3 main steps in writing by relating them to colors-- green, yellow and red. At each grade level, students master skills of increasing length and complexity.

Title

Topic Sentence: The main topic of the composition is stated.

Reason/Detail/Fact : Give the reader a main reason, detail or fact that relates to and supports the topic sentence. Use transitions (First,... First of all,... In addition,... Also,...) to start these sentences.

Explain/Example: Give an example for the statement made in the reason/detail/fact sentence.

Concluding Sentence: The topic is restated to remind the reader what the composition was about. (Begin this sentence with Clearly,... In conclusion,... All in all,..)

Writer’s Workshop Video Clip (How one teacher begins a mini lesson 1:33)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKY_7AhnS3o&feature=related

Writer’s Notebook Difference between a Writer’s Notebook and a journal according to Corbett Harrison: corbettharrison.comA writer's notebook is a place where writers can freely play with words, sentences, paragraphs, and topics that might inspire a bigger piece of writing. Journals are tools that can be kept in a box in the classroom; notebooks beg the owner to take them home to continue work on them. Both journals and writer's notebooks should house ideas that students might eventually want to take through the writing process, but writer's notebooks are less "paragraphy" and more about celebrating snippets of ideas with lots of visual support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZE3_j6a59w&feature=related

Writing Overview Companion Modes/Traits/Writing Process(m)

Click: On a resource

Your Writing Assessment Timeline

Sample Date: September 2012Mode: Teacher Choice

Assessment Date: December 3-7Mode: Narrative

PLC Scoring Date: December 12th

Assessment Date: March 4-8Mode: Explanatory

PLC Scoring Date: March 13th

Assessment Date: May 20-23Mode: Opinion

PLC Scoring Date: May 29th

Sample Date: June 2013

Mode: Teacher Choice

Book Mark

Three

Year

Plan

Three Year Writing PLan2011-2014

Year What is it we want students to learn?

Be kind to ourselves. We need to give ourselves permission to not be perfect!

Get familiar with the pacing guide and the new standards.

Check out some of the websites listed on the Web Resource sheet.

Try to spend 60 minutes a day teaching writing (handwriting not included).

Begin the "best practices" journey. Become familiar with such research as

"90/90/90 and Beyond" by Doug Reeves, and "Writing Next", by Steven Graham.

Students will write to FIVE prompts of varying modes: a pre- and post- assessment,

and three other prompts to be given at the end of each trimester. Pre/post tests will be

administered in the same formal fashion as the state test. Results of these

assessments will be recorded on the provided record sheets, to be analyzed in

PLC teams as an instructional tool. Pre/post tests will be scored by the center

and viewed at the district level.

Staff will be trained by writing team members to score writing papers.

The writing team will collect teacher feedback, and be an integral part of

writing support to staff at the building level.

Year How will we know that they have learned it?

Give permission to not be perfect, but stretch ourselves.

Spend 60 minutes a day engaging students in writing. This includes writing across the

curriculum. You may want to consider implementing such models as a Writer's

Workshop model and a writer's notebook, as these methods ensure that students are

actively writing.

Participate in discussions on instructional practices. What lessons have you found to

be especially effective? What resources do you turn to the most? (The writing team is

working on a plan for teachers to be able to engage in professional discussions via

social media. Be looking for details in the curriculum newsletter.)

Instructional video and video clips will be available on subjects such as 6+1 trait

teaching, components of writer's workshop, best practices etc

Teachers double-score the three on-demand writing prompts and send papers to the

scoring center for a third score. Teacher’s practice, analyze, and refine calibration of

scoring. Teachers use classroom data to adjust instruction.

A writing evidence folder will be kept for each child that will hold a beginning of the

year writing sample scored by the teacher, three On Demand writing pieces scored by

the teachers and the scoring center, and end of the year sample scored by the teacher.

An end of the year conference with students is recommended to discuss their growth

over the year. Keep the student’s best piece of work to remain in the writing evidence

folder that moves from grade to grade. The remaining folder contents will be sent

home with child for them to share with their parents.

Writing team will review and revise pacing guide/District Curriculum and Instruction

Web Page/team created documents based on feedback.

Year What kind of interventions/enrichments will we offer

students?

Begin to use prompts in other subject areas.

Learn how to integrate writing across the curriculum

Implement strategic interventions and enrichment.

Ensure 60 minutes per day is spent on writing.

Writing team will review and revise pacing guide/District

Curriculum and Instruction Web Page/team created documents

based on feedback.

Analyze data collected. Make a plan based on the analysis.

Results of district prompts will be recorded and data analyzed at

the building and district level. The writing team and instructional

coordinators will look for patterns in the data to guide follow up

support, training, and revisions to pacing guide and resources to

improve instruction and learning.

Author of the 90/90/90 Study

http://www.leadandlearn.com/multimedia-resource-center/video-library-topic/school-improvement