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members reviewed the K-12 TEKS, analyzed ACT/SAT writing components, and talked to industry professionals and higher education officials about writing skills that were important to master. The team developed writing rubrics for elementary and secondary levels and enlisted technology experts to build a broad, Google-based portfolio program. Called SISD Writes, the program offers a platform for students to hone their writing skills and receive feedback from their teachers. Each year, students are issued a set of folders in Google Drive. One folder might be for expository writing, another for persuasive writing and yet another for “relevant writing” — such as résumés and letters of introduction. There also are folders for math, science and social studies writing samples. Throughout the school year, students add writing samples to their folders, and teachers issue grades based on the respective rubric. For example, the secondary level rubric emphasizes idea development, organization, clarity, diction and composition technicals. “Students and teachers can talk back and forth about any issues they have, which then helps the students form their next piece of writing,” Morgan explains. “They are asked to reflect on their writing and to identify strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement. These portfolios travel with the student all year long, and their teachers can look at the writing samples and see if the student is making the appropriate progress.” Third grade teacher Kari Gomez says, in the past, if she said, “We’re working on writing today,” all she would hear was “Ugh. Writing? I have to write again? I don’t know what to write about. I don’t have a story.” No longer. Using a writer’s workshop model, she allows her third graders to choose a topic for writing. They are given time to bounce around ideas Kari Gomez and conjure up and compare writing examples. Once they’ve written something, students are invited to share their drafts with a partner or with the entire class. After Gomez offers her feedback, the students can decide whether to start a new piece or revise an old one. “All of this has made them more comfortable, more confident writers,” she says.
Taking it statewide Teachers in Sunnyvale ISD aren’t the only ones who see promise in SISD Writes. This past fall, Sunnyvale ISD joined six other districts in a Texas Education Agency pilot program to test a new state writing assessment tool that utilizes the strengths of the SISD Writes program. The pilot is part of House Bill 1164, which went into effect in 2015. In lieu of the traditional STAAR writing test, Sunnyvale ISD fourth and seventh graders will be assessed through the TEA pilot. Freshmen and sophomores will still take the STAAR/end-of-course exam, but their teachers will continue to evaluate their writing through the SISD Writes program. “I think it’s the best thing we’ve done in a long time,” Morgan says.
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BRAGGING RIGHTS 2016-2017 Texas School Business
“Our goal from the beginning was for kids to develop fluency and comfort level in writing. “You know, we started hearing rumblings in 2015 about the Legislature changing the writing assessment, but we were already working on it,” she continues. “The legislation has only reinforced the idea that we were on the right track all along.” A key component to that “right track” is strengthening relevant writing, from letters to the editor and data reports to wedding speeches and eulogies. Also, writing assignments are expected in all classes — even extracurricular ones. All teachers, in effect, are writing teachers.
‘You know, we started hearing rumblings in 2015 about the Legislature changing the writing assessment, but we were already working on it.’ — Assistant Superintendent Christi Morgan
“True assessment takes place over the course of the year,” Superintendent Williams says. “Yes, you have to assess for mastery, but you need to assess for student improvement too. If we do this successfully, and I’m confident we will, we can show that assessment can be more than a one-day test.” Trish Conradt, chief of staff for House Rep. Gary VanDeaver, a sponsor of HB 1164, says: “I hope the results of the pilot will mirror what Sunnyvale ISD has discovered through its writing portfolio. … I hope the state learns that writing is a fluid, creative process that cannot be judged by a 26-line, formulaic writing sample.” More than an assessment tool, SISD Writes instills confidence in young writers. “Not long ago,” Morgan says, “a sophomore stopped me in the halls and told me, ‘You know, I’m not scared of writing anymore. It used to make me really nervous, and I thought I wasn’t any good at it. But I’m writing in all of my classes, and I’ve found that I kind of enjoy it.’” Before SISD Writes, students in Sunnyvale ISD considered writing an abstract chore, confined to their language arts classes. Says Kris Williams: “So, our science teachers were getting awful efforts because the students had it in their minds that ‘It’s science. We don’t write in here, so I don’t have to put any effort into my sentence structure or my correctness or my fluency.’ “But now, it’s becoming obvious to them that they are expected to be able to communicate in writing in all of their classes. They’re recognizing that writing isn’t just an English class thing. It’s a life thing.” BOBBY HAWTHORNE is the author of “Longhorn Football” and “Home Field,” published by UT Press. In 2005, he retired as director of academics for the University Interscholastic League.