Wake Students Outpace State Average in Writing Scores

May 25, 1999

Writing test results for the Wake County Public School System for 1998-99 show local fourth- and seventh-graders are performing ahead of the statewide average. Locally, scores are up considerably in grade 7 while down slightly in grade 4.

For Wake County seventh-graders, 73.1 percent scored 2.5 or higher on the 4.0 scale, up from 60.6 percent last year, an increase of more than 12 percentage points. That compares to the statewide average of 70.4 percent this year and 62.5 percent last year. Dr. Karen Banks, assistant superintendent for evaluation and research, said this marks the first time local seventh-graders have outperformed the statewide average in the four years that the test has been given.

Among fourth-graders in Wake County, 61.8 percent scored 2.5 or higher compared to 64.8 percent last year, a three percentage point drop. That compares to a statewide fourth-grade average of 55.2 percent this year and 51.7 percent last year.

Overall State and Wake County Scores

School/unit Year %>=2.5 % 4.0 % 3.5 % 3.0 % 2.5 % 2.0 % 1.5 % 1.0 NS % ++
State 1998-99 55.2 2.3 3.2 32.3 17.4 41.7 1.1 1.9 0.1 35.6
State 1997-98 51.7 1.4 2.7 33.2 14.4 42.3 2.4 3.4 0.1 68.7
State 1996-97 48.6 1.0 2.4 27.4 17.8 44.8 2.6 3.7 0.3 82.4
Wake 1998-99 61.8 3.9 2.7 38.5 16.7 36.0 0.6 1.7 0.1 39.8
Wake 1997-98 64.8 2.4 5.2 42.7 14.5 30.9 1.9 2.4 0.1 76.2
Wake 1996-97 46.4 1.4 3.5 25.7 15.8 45.2 3.3 4.9 0.1 79.4

School By School Results for Wake County

Grade 4: Adams - Lacy Grade 4: Lead Mine - Powell
Grade 4: Rand Road - Zebulon Grade 7: All


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 pleased overall in the emphasis the district is putting on writing, and appreciates the hard work of students, teachers, staff, and parents in supporting high achievement. "An increase of 12 percentage points is an incredible accomplishment. Performing above the statewide average also deserves attention. Where there was the slight decrease, we went back and looked at the three-year average, which shows we are, overall, moving in the right direction. Still, anytime we see a dip it's cause for examination. What else can we do to ensure that all of our students are achieving at the highest level possible? That analysis is our responsibility, especially in view of the Board's goal."

He was referring to the Wake County Board of Education's 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.

This year's fourth-grade writing prompt called for a personal narrative on this topic: "Think about a time when something happened that made you very happy. Write a story about what happened that made you very happy." The prompt for seventh-grade for expository clarification said, "Think about your favorite day of the week. Name your favorite day of the week and explain why it is your favorite."

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.

School-by-school writing results for Wake County Schools are included on the pages linked below. For more information, contact the school's principal or testing coordinator.



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