Wil Cather

TESL 628.F15
10 November 2015
Dr. Koubek
Writing Assessment Instruments
1. Imitative
WIDA Level: Level 2, Beginning
WIDA Standard: ELD Standard 1: Social and Instructional Language
Purpose: assess the microskill of producing graphemes and orthographic patterns of
English
Meets VA SOL English, Grade 1, 1.12
Written Language
1.12 The student will print legibly.
a) Form letters accurately.
Description: For this picture-cued exercise, the student writes the names of objects in the
picture. The assessor reads the instructions to the student. If the student cannot name the
picture, the assessor may choose to say the name for the picture, because it is an
assessment of writing legible letters and not vocabulary nor spelling. Each item is worth
a possible two points: two points for all letters written legibly and accurately, one point
for most letters legible and accurate (i.e., only one letter appears backwards), and zero
points for mostly illegible letters.
Student copy:
Instructions: Please write the names of the pictures in the spaces below them. Do not
worry about perfect spelling. Please make sure your letters are neat.
All the names begin with br_____
.

2. Intensive
WIDA Level: Level 1, Entering
WIDA Standard: ELD Standard 1: Social and Instructional Language
Purpose: assess the microskill of using acceptable grammatical systems, patterns and
rules
Meets VA SOL English, Grade 3, 3.10d
Written Language
3.10 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling.
d) Use past and present verb tense.
Description: For this task, students must transform the sentences from the past tense into
the present tense. The assessor reads the instructions and example that appears on the
assessment. For each sentence, they can receive a total of two points: one point for
identifying the past tense verb and another point for correctly transforming.
Student copy:
Instructions: Each sentence has one verb in the past tense. Rewrite each sentence with
that verb changed to the present tense verb. You do not need to change any verbs in the
italicized sentences. Each sentence is worth two points for a total of 20 points.
Ex. Two boys gathered some hazelnuts in the woods.
Two boys are gathering some hazelnuts in the woods.
1. Sitting under a tree, they tried to eat them,
___________________________________________________________________
2. but they did not have their knives, and could not bite open the nuts with their teeth.
____________________________________________________________________
3. "Oh," they complained, "if only some one would come and open the nuts for us!"
____________________________________________________________________
Hardly had they said this when a little man came through the woods.
4. And such a strange little man! He had a great, great head,
____________________________________________________________________
5. and from the back of it a slender pigtail hung down to his heels.
____________________________________________________________________
6. He wore a golden cap, a red coat and yellow stockings.
____________________________________________________________________

7. Coming near, he sang:

____________________________________________________________________
"Hight! hight! Bite! bite! Hans hight I! Nuts bite I! I chase the squirrels through the
trees, I gather nuts just as I please, I place them 'twixt my jaws so strong, And crack
and eat them all day long!"
8. The boys almost died of laughter
____________________________________________________________________
9. when they saw this funny little man,
____________________________________________________________________
10. who they knew was a Wood Dwarf.
________________________________________________________________________
____________________
Adapted from The Nutcracker Dwarf by Count Franz Pocci (Translated)

3. Responsive
WIDA Level: Level 5, Bridging
WIDA Standard: ELD Standard 2: Language of Language Arts
Purpose: assess the macroskill of conveying links and connections between events and
communicate such relations as main idea and supporting ideas
Meets VA SOL English, Grade 4, 4.7fk
Written Language
4.7 The student will write cohesively for a variety of purposes.
f) Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea.
k) Include supporting details that elaborate the main idea.
Supports VA SOL Science, Grade 4, 4.9a
4.9
The student will investigate and understand important Virginia natural resources.
Key concepts include
a)
watersheds and water resources;
Description: After reading as a class and in partners Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water?,
an expository, non-fiction text with a lexile score of 700, students must complete a
graphic organizer. The graphic organizer requires students compose a main idea and four
supporting details to answer the questionwhy is water important to people? Upon
completion of the graphic organizer, the students must write a paragraph that includes the
main idea and each detail. Each component is worth up to two points: two for a clear
idea in a complete sentence; one for clear idea; zero for an ambiguous idea.
Student copy:
Instructions: Use your graphic organizer to write a paragraph that answers this question:
Why is water important to people? Include a main idea and four supporting details.
Make sure your ideas are clear and written in complete sentences.

4. Extensive
WIDA Level: Level 5, Bridging
WIDA Standard: ELD Standard 5: Language of Social Studies
Purpose: assess the macroskills of conveying links and connections between events and
developing a battery of writing strategies, particularly using feedback for revising and
editing
Meets VA SOL Government, Grade 12, GOVT.1eg
GOVT.1 The student will demonstrate mastery of the social studies skills responsible
citizenship requires, including the ability to
e) evaluate information for accuracy, separating fact from opinion;
g) select and defend positions in writing, discussion, and debate.
Description: This task extends over several class meetings and requires students to
conduct research and peer edit rough drafts. Students will select a current event and read
articles about it on two different news outlets. The students must compare the different
representations of the event, seek a third source to clarify any discrepancies, and then
write a 1,000-word essay that gives the students version. The essay must also explain
why s/he told the story this way. The primary goal of peer editing is to ensure the
students arguments are reasonable to each other.
The students will be assessed twice, once informally and then formally. During the peer
edit session, they will be given a checklist that includes yes/no items (e.g., clear
presentation of different representations, well stated discrepancies, presence of thirdparty source for clarification, clear explanation for students position) and free comment
section where peers make suggestions to improve the paper.
For the final assessment, students will be scored using an analytic rubric that focuses on
student summary of the event (20%), research supported argument for either accepting
certain details or not (40%), incorporation of peer edits (30%), mechanics (10%).
Student copy:
Instructions: For this writing assignment, choose a current event to research. Find news
stories about the event on different news outlets but from the same time period. For
example, you might find articles about the Iran nuclear deal on NPR and Fox News from
the same week in June. It is important that you find differences in how the stories are
told (i.e., different perspectives or opinions). In the case of the Iran nuclear deal, outlets
reported on some of the same facts (e.g., inspection schedules) in different ways
positive and negative. After identifying these differences, find another source that
clarifies the difference. Then write a 1,000-word essay that gives your version of the
event. The essay must also explain why you told the story this way.
You will have the chance to peer edit the paper before turning it in to me. However, you
must have a complete rough draft for the peer editing session, because it will make up a
significant portion of your final grade. It will also help you make the most of the process.

References
Apples4theTeacher.com (1999-2015). Printable Thanksgiving Stories for Teachers.
Retrieved from http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/thanksgiving/shortstories/the-nutcracker-dwarf.html
Brown, D. B. & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: Principles and
classroom practices (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Wells, R. (2006). Did a dinosaur drink this water? Morton Grove, Ill.: A. Whitman.
WIDA Consortium -- World-Class Instruction and Assessment.
(2012). 2012 amplification of the WIDA English language development
standards. Retrieved from http://wida.us/standards/eld.aspx