Express Yourself

Be who you are and say how you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
--Dr. Seuss

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Expository It Is!

The state of Texas has decided that our students will write an expository composition the 4th and 7th grade writing tests.  In the past, the writing samples that were required were one expository and a personal narrative given two consecutive days. Just yesterday the test schematics were released. The writing test will take place on one day. There will be twelve multiple choice questions that are categorized as being editing type questions and six coming from the revision realm. I am not sure how all of this will be weighted. I know that of the multiple choice portion, 66% of those items are editing questions and 34% are revision questions. That was the pattern of all STAAR testing cycles. I wonder if the composition will be scored on the adjacent model of 0-8 and then just multiplied by two to keep it consistent with the way it was previously. In the past, the expository and personal narrative were each scored and then combined. The maximum score for both compositions would be 16 points out of 44 possible raw score points (these include 28 multiple choice questions.). That is why they could possibly multiply the expository composition on a scale of 0-8 and then multiply the score by two. This would be the same method of determining the raw score as in previous years. If that is the case, then the composition would weighted at 36% of the test. the multiple choice questions would be weighted at 64%. We will see as we wait for more information by the Texas Education Agency. It will be interesting.  To get the current documents, go to the link below and download. You can also go directly to the TEA website to download.



4th Grade Writing Documents from TEA

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