\(> (14' Association for Information and Image Management 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1100 Silver Spring. Maryland 20910 \b, 301/587-8202 Centimeter 15 mm 9 14 8 17 13 10 11 7 2 6 if ['hi! 1\11 ty IT IT iiii\it 11'1 11 I \" 5 4 3 2 1 Inches 1111111 1.25 illil 1.6 111111.4 9. (S) MANUFACTURED TO AIIM STANDARDS BY APPLIED IMAGE. INC. DOCUMENT RESUME ED 357 993 SO 022 842 TITLE Samples of Students' Writing from the Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test, June 1991. INSTITUTION Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Student Evaluation and Records Branch. REPORT NO ISBN-0-7732-0756-2 PUB DATE 92 NOTE 37p. AVAILABLE FROM Learning Resources Distribution Centre, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5K OL2, Canada. PUB TYPE Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Achievement Tests; Foreign Countries; Grade 9; Secondary Education; *Social Studies; *Student Evaluation; Writing Achievement; *Writing Evaluation; Writing Skills; *Writing Tests IDENTIFIERS *Alberta Achievement Testing Program ABSTRACT The purpose of this booklet is to provide administrators, teachers, and students in Alberta, Canada, with samples of students' writing that exemplify the criteria used to score students' written responses on the June 1991 Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test. The Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test consisted of two parts: Part A: Multiple Choice and Part B: Written Response. This booklet deals with the writing assignment, which required students to respond to an issue question. Each sample paper in this booklet has been reproduced as it appeared to the markers, that is, in the student's own handwriting. Accompanying each response is a discussion relating the characteristics of the response to the descriptors in the scoring guide. The scoring guide is reproduced in an appendix. (DB) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** .5 5 . U.S. DDAfiTMtNTOc IDUCATIO OIhc. at Educas.on& Rasas,cfl md lrnciasas,.tw EDUCATiONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) f '( fliis daCumini hIS bsn r.producsd as £14c.4v.d horn th piison or orgarniation origin.'ung it ID Minor charig.s hay. basn mmdl to .nproys rprOduCtion Qu.IIty Po.ntmolv*woropinion$mtatadinthisdocu. mInt do not nCasanly r.pr.asnt official Of RI position or policy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE TI-IIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY wo(Jr k() TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES NFCiRMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Ic I ( C C 1; Samples of Students' Writing from the Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test June 1991 Alberta Education Student Evaluation Branch :'i Alberta Education Cataloguing in Publication Data Alberta. Alberta Education. Student Evaluation. Samples of Students' writing from the June 1991 grade 9 social studies achievement test. ISBN 0-7732-0756-2 1. Social StudiesAlbertaExaminations 2. Educational test and measurementsAlberta. I. Title H70.A333 1992 300.7 The Alberta School Principals and Teachers Distribution: Superintendents of Schools Alberta Education Alberta School Boards Association Teachers' Association Copyright 1992, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, Student Evaluation Branch, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, TSK 0L2. All rights reserved. Additional copies may be purchased from the Learning Resources Distributing Centre. CONTENTS v Acknowledgments Introduction 1 General Commentary 3 The Writing Assignment 5 Samples of Students' Writing 11 Additional Sample Papers and Excerpts 21 Appendix 31 Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test Part B: Written Response, Scoring Guide, June 1991 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This booklet would not have been possible without the student writers who kindly granted us permission to publish their work or the valuable contributions of the following teachers and Student Evaluation Staff: Cheryl AlexanderCounty of Leduc #25 Confirming Standards for the Judy BeyelerCalgary School District #19 Selection of Sample Papers: Jacques BlanchardCalgary School District #19 Valerie DoenzTest Development Specialist, Social Studies, Alberta Education Sandra DyckMedicine Hat School District #76 Rick GilsonGrande Prairie School District #2357 Jo-Anne HugTest Development Specialist, Language Arts, Alberta Education Rebecca KallalWestlock RCSS District #110 John MurphyEdmonton School District #7 Cathy ZieglerRockyview School Division #41 A special thank-you is extended to Rebecca Ka llal, who, in addition to participating in confirming standards, contributed many hours of hard work and thoughtful insight in compiling this document. - v - ti INTRODUCTION Purpose The purpose of this booklet is to provide administrators, teachers, and students with samples of students' writing that exemplify the criteria used to score students' written responses on the June 1991 Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test. Examples of the full range of students' writing are provided. Content The Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test consisted of two parts: Part A: Multiple Choice and Part B: Written Response. This booklet deals with the writing assignment, which required students to respond to an issue question. Each sample paper in this booklet has been reproduced as it appeared to the markers, that is, in the student's own handwriting. Accompanying each student's response is a discussion relating the characteristics of the response to the descriptors in the scoring guide. The scoring guide is reproduced in the Appendix, page 31. Selection of Papers The papers selected for this booklet were used as samples for training markers during the July 1991 marking session. As such, these papers generally illustrate the quality of students' work at each of the five levels of accomplishment described in the scoring guide. The additional papers and excerpts of student writing were selected as examples for use in classroom instruction. Confirming Standards The initial work of confirming the standards that would govern the scoring of the June 1991 writing assignment was undertaken by a group of experienced Grade 9 Social Studies teachers during the week of June 24, 1991. Their task was to read a large enough sample of papers to find exemplars of the upper and lower ranges of the marking criteria. These teachers also suggested adjustments to the scoring guide where needed to facilitate the marking of the assignment. They selected papers that were illustrative of the various scoring descriptors. The second step in confirming standards involved a day-long session for teachers who were specially selected to serve as leaders of small groups of markers. These teachers reviewed the sample papers selected during the process of confirming standards and endorsed them as appropriate examples of the various scores possible, thus setting the marking criteria so that they were consistent with expectations for writing in Grade 9 Social Studies. 1 Marking Process their superintendents. All Teachers were selected for marking on the recommendations of school year that the test was the markers were tead.'ng Grade 9 Social'Studies in the same the first hours of administered and had crone so for at least two years. The markers spent included a review of the scoring the marking period in an intensive training session, which selected by those teachers descriptors as they related to the representative papers previously discussed in the confirming standards and endorsed by the group leaders. These papers are pages that follow. appeared on the test papers. Neither the name of the student nor the name of the school that they recognized its source. MalAers were advised not to n ark a paper if they suspected when evaluating the papers and They were instructed to disreg,sd the quality of handwriting handwriting would influence their judgment. to return a paper unmarked if they thought the referred to the planning and When the writer had not completed the final draft, markers intent. No marks were placed on drafting pages to add to their understanding of the writer's Papers were read by one marker, the students' written work during the marking process. time to establish inter-marker although a random sample of papers was read a second follows: reliability. The range of quality of students' writing was scored as 1-POOR. Each paper was 5-EXCELLENT, 4-GOOD, 3-ACCEPTABLE, 2-LIMITED, and reporting categories: assessed on this five-point scale for specific qualities within two SUPPORT OF POSITION SUPPORT OF POSITION and EXPRESSION. The mark for doubling its weight in relation to the EXPRESSION category. was then multiplied by two, Periodically throughout the marking session, a "Reliability Review" process was example paper that had performed. All markers were required to read and score an the confirming standards previously been scored by those teachers who had assisted in discussed and commented on the scores they had process. In small groups, markers then relation to the standards assigned. Scores were then compared with and discussed in This process was repeated relevant to expectations and to the previously assigned mark. thereby further ensuring marker reliability. every morning and afternoon, Cautions reading this booklet or when using the The following cautions should be kept m mind when contents for instructional planning: curriculum by which teachers 1. These sample papers reflect an interpretation of the July 1991 marking established and implemented standards specifically for the judgments made by the markers session. The interpretation of the standards and the assignments and with writing completed at the time may vary with other writing should be considered in under different circumstances. Therefore, these samples writing. They are intended to that context when used as instructional models of weaknesses in classroom writing help teachers and students identify strengths and overall. and in this way improve students' writing accomplishments in light of the constraints 2. Readers should consider each student's students produce writing that must of test writing. Under test-writing conditions, write under conditions that permit be considered as first-draft only. When students work that differs substantially discussion, review, and reflection, they may produce from what is illustrated here. 0 2 GENERAL COMMENTARY When the entire range of papers produced on the June 1991 Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test is viewed, several observations may be made about how Grade 9 students managed the assigned writing task. These papers are a source of information about approaches students take when responding to an issue. The following discussion is offered to teachers concerned with the outcomes of this test. Most students used fairly well-organized arguments to respond to the issue, although some tended to use emotional language. Relevant facts and examples that reflected personal life experiences and encounters with the media and with other subject areas were used by writers. Markers were pleased to note very few Manic papers: almost all students felt able at *least to attempt writing on this issue. However, students appeared to have some difficulty focusing on the specific issue. Many responded more to "Should the Government of Alberta be involved in recycling programs?" rather than to the actual question, "How should the Government of Alberta be involved in recycling programs?" The students who misinterpreted the question were able to express concerns but did not outline any specific plan. Some students addressed a much broader range of environmental concerns than the recycling question called for. Given this sort of response, most students at this grade level would benefit from more practice at focusing on specific issues and at limiting their responses to the parameters of the topic. Generally, students appeared to hesitate about incorporating economic factors from the course into their writing; however, those who did tended to do so accurately. A few students experienced difficulty differentiating among the levels of government as well as among the economic responsibilities of government, business, and citizens. Markers noted that a rather limited number of students incorporated data from the given "Information to Consider" in a meaningful manner. To build students' skills at including such information into their discussion and writing assignments, teachers can help students by exposing them to a variety of information that complements the issue being addressed. In some cases it appeared students felt that all data, even when contradictory, could be used to support their position. Other students used data that both supported and contradicted their positions without discriminating between the two. By presenting data supporting different sides of an issue, teachers can help develop student's differentiation skills. Teacher comments indicate that more writing is being done in social studies classrooms. This was reflected in the test situation: students appeared to be consistently aware of audience, regardless of which format they chose. Students' selection of vocabulary was generally satisfactory, and words and expressions were usually used accurately. However, markers noticed the use of environmental buzz words and jargon. Some overly dramatic language was evident in remarks such as "killing our whole planet" and "garbage dumps in everyone's yards". Control over conventions (mechanics and grammatical construction) was evident in most papers, although some basic errors were noted. On the Grade 9 Social Studies Achievement Test, students achieving the acceptable standard were expected to demonstrate an understanding of concepts and generalizations based on the knowledge and skills fundamental to the program. Despite this expectation, many students experienced difficulty using and applying information on the written assignment. Students who were able to draw relationships among concepts and who demonstrated little difficulty with higher process skills such as analysing, synthesizing, and evaluating achieved the standard of excellence. These students proficiently conveyed information and were able to use persuasive arguments in their written communication. 3