Continuing Down the
Writing Path: Where Do
We Go Next?
The Next Chapter
Session 6
Barb Mick - COOR ISD
Jackie Fry - COP ESD
Time for a roadmap check…
 We’ve introduced assessment, thought about our literacy histories
and those of our students, looked at the developmental
progression of readers and how to determine the level of our
students, and taken a deeper look at comprehension. We looked
at writing from a number of angles, and began to practice
assessing our students’ writing. Tonight we will look more
closely at formative assessment and goal setting, and practice
using these tools to score our students’ writing and confer with
individual writers.
Goals for Session 6
1. Understand formative assessment and practice using it to
inform our instruction
2. Understand the role of goal setting and review how to
use it effectively
3. Continue to practice our skills of conferring
4. Practice scoring student writing using a developmental
continuum, and using that information to set goals for
individual writers
Your Turn…
1. Appoint a time-keeper at your table. (You will have 15
minutes total for discussion, so make sure everyone gets
a chance to share.)
2. Share your Quick Writes and the results of the Writing
Tracker.
3. Discuss the Handwriting Rubric results.
4. Share your conferring notes.
5. Be ready to have one person share out any ah-ha
moments your group had from the data collected.
Formative Assessment
 The National Council of Teachers of English released a
position paper on Formative Assessment in October
2013. This document serves as a good resource, with
definitions and checklists you will find useful.
 Please read the marked passages of text in your copy,
making notes in your Thinking Journal as you go.
 Turn and Talk at your table about what you read.
Assessments as Tools
 Jennifer Serravallo reminds us that we should only be
doing assessments that we actually have time to look at
afterward!
 MLPP provides us with a TOOLBOX from which we
can pull assessments for specific information on our
students.
More Carl…
Now let’s watch an examples from
Max Brand
And the research says…
JOHN HATTIE’s work, VISIBLE LEARNING,
synthesizes over 800 meta-analyses relating to
student achievement.
Let’s look to the research to think about
CONFERRING
What makes conferring so
effective?
GOAL SETTING
An important aspect of the conference is goal
setting…what is next for this writer?
Goals: regulate action
explain the nature of the link between the past
and the future
Effect Size: .56
However…
Achievement is enhanced to the degree students and
teachers set CHALLENGING rather than “do your best”
goals, relative to the students’ present competencies.
Difficult goals:
 lead to a clearer notion of success
 direct the students’ attention to relevant
behaviors or outcomes
It is not the specificity of the goals but the difficulty that is
crucial to success.
Thus, goals inform individuals:
as to what type or level of performance is to be
attained so that they can direct and evaluate their
actions and efforts accordingly. Feedback allows them
to set reasonable goals and to track their performance
in relation to their goals so that adjustments in
effort, direction, and even strategy can be made as
needed.
(Locke & Latham, 1990, p.23)
And remember from our last session, quality FEEDBACK has an effect size of
.73 !
Jennifer Serravallo talks about
Formative Assessment…
 Follow along on the script of this interview of Jennifer
Serravallo by Franki Sibberson.
 http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detailview.php?id=1934
 Annotate your script as you listen.
Now compare to the Chart
Chums blog post
 With your table group, make a list of the parts of
effective goal-setting. Discuss.
Scoring Student Writing
 Work in groups of 3
 Use the Writing Continuum for Narrative,
Informational, or Opinion/Argument
 Highlight the things you see in the student’s writing (you
can use a different color highlighter for each student)
 Look for the things the writer can almost do…these are
your teaching points
Now Chart It!

Choose one piece of writing from your group that you will highlight.

Create a chart to document your thinking as a group.

Paper clip the writing at the top of the chart, then write this
information:

Grade of student

Type of writing

Score

3 strengths of this writer

Type of conference you will have

Using the scoring continuum as your guide, list 1 teaching point: What’s
Next for This Writer?
Gallery Walk
 Each person will get 3 sticky notes.
 Take a walk around the room, reading the various charts.
 Comment on 3 of the charts
 Each group should then gather their chart and read the
comments.
 Discuss at your group.
Your Assignment
1. Score two out of the three types of your case study students’
writing (narrative, informational, opinion/argument) using a
developmental writing continuum. You may, instead, use a
rubric if it is one your entire building uses for common data.
2. Make conferring notes as you meet with the students about
these pieces of writing.
3. Fill out the assessment form for each of your case study
students, and for each of the two pieces of writing per student.
4. Fill out the Reflection for Session 6.
Ticket Out the Door &
Wrap Up
 Make sure to clean up your area and recycle your water
bottles.
 Please complete your Exit Ticket and turn it in as you leave.
 Leave your nametag in the box on the table in the hallway.
 Our next meeting will be: All Kinds of Talk Along the Way: The
Power of Oral Language
 Thank you for your hard work, thoughtful
contributions, and professionalism.