Wake Writing Scores Up at Grade 4, Down Slightly at Grade 7
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Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - Wake County Schools' fourth-grade writing test results for 1999-2000 rose six percentage points over the previous year, while seventh-grade scores are down slightly. The school system released the scores today.
Results By School
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Among fourth-graders in Wake County, 67.8 percent scored at or above grade level (2.5 or higher) compared to 61.8 percent last year, marking the fourth year in a row that fourth-grade scores increased. The local results compare to a statewide fourth-grade average of 57.6 percent this year and 55.2 percent last year.
For Wake County seventh-graders, 70.9 percent scored 2.5 or higher on the 4.0 scale, compared to 73.1 percent last year. Last year's results, however, had increased more than 12 percentage points from the previous year. The local 1999-2000 results compare to the statewide average of 72 percent this year and 70.4 percent last year.
Dr. Karen Banks, assistant superintendent for evaluation and research, said, "The most important thing to note about writing results is the trend over time, and the trend in Wake County is encouraging."
The NC Writing Assessment is given statewide in grades 4 and 7 as part of the NC End-of-Grade testing program. Students have 50 minutes to write an essay based on a standardized prompt.
Bill McNeal, associate superintendent for instructional services, said that while the results were mixed, he is extremely pleased by the strides that have been made in the local results not only in writing, but reading and math, as well, and by the district's commitment to helping bring all students to grade level. The Wake County Board of Education, with the support of the community, has adopted a goal that by 2003, 95 percent of students tested will be at or above grade level as measured by End-of-Grade testing at grades 3 and 8.
"We should all be encouraged by the fact that we're getting there," said McNeal. "A six-percentage-point gain in fourth grade is a great accomplishment. Of course, we're disappointed by the dip at seventh grade, but we recognize that's on the heels of a 12-percentage-point gain last year compared to the previous year."
This year's fourth-grade writing prompt called for a personal narrative on this topic: "One day you are reading a book. One of the characters jumps out of the book. Write a story about what happens next." The prompt for seventh-grade for expository clarification said, "Think about the most important job there is in your school. Name the job and explain why you think it is the most important job in your school."
The four-point scoring scale is as follows: Level 4 means the response exhibits a strong command of a particular style of writing; 3 means the response exhibits a reasonable command; 2 means a weak command; and 1 means a lack of command. Characteristics that test readers look for in a student's essay are a main idea, supporting details, organization, and coherence. Scores of 2.5 or higher are considered to demonstrate appropriate writing skills.
Students also receive a "conventions" score that indicates the level of proficiency in sentence formation, usage, and mechanics like spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Conventions ratings are awarded as "+" or "-". A "+" means the writer showed a reasonable and acceptable level of proficiency; a "-" means the writer did not show a reasonable and acceptable level of proficiency. Students receive "++" or "--" to show both test readers agreed, or both "+" and "-" to show both test readers did not agree.
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