REVISED 6/2008

CWCS Writing Prompts

The purpose of the Standards Based Writing Prompts is for the ES and Parent to monitor their student’s writing ability.

The Writing Prompts are required for all grade levels (including 12th graders who have already passed the CAHSEE) and should be given at the same time as the Benchmark Assessment dates. (The prompts should be done by hand and not typed on the computer. If an ES wants to include the typed finished produce, a handwritten first draft must also be included.) Writing Prompt Booklets are given to parents at the time of Enrollment. ESs should collect the booklets from any student that drops from the school for redistribution to incoming students, and can also obtain additional copies from the Waterford Office.

For Kindergarteners, use the Kindergarten Writing Prompt guide.

Here are additional Prompts for 10th and 12th graders who otherwise might have to repeat a prompt.)

The Writing Prompts/Samples should be scored with one of the rubrics provided. (Other rubrics/ genres acceptable). By using the rubric as a scoring method the ES and parent are able to see where the students’s writing strengths and weaknesses are. After determining the writing standards that are weak the ES and parent can plan a writing curriculum to help the student improve his/her writing skills.

Here are the rubrics from our CWCS Writing Prompt Booklet as well as other samples (use the password for the hqt courses, found in FRED, to open this link).. Four Point Rubric, Four Point Rubric Conventions, Rubric Scoring Guide for Paragraphs

After the writing prompts/samples are scored (by the ES and/or the parent) the ES will put them into the child’s portfolio for further reference (for portfolio samples, first draft of samples are preferred but if you have a first draft and a final draft please include both, and copies of rubrics do not have to be included).  Two of the writing samples may be the Reading/Writing Growth Area samples and the other two writing samples are kept by the ES in the students file. Only score the Benchmark Writing Prompts with the rubric.  You do not need to score every piece of writing that the student does.

There are several alternative rubrics that are available.  The parent and ES should discuss and review the rubrics and decide which one best suits their student's needs.

Parents will receive a Writing Prompt Booklet from their ES. (When family drops from the school, please collect these booklets to be passed on to other families). Here is a link to some helpful Graphic Organizers to print and give to your parents for the specific prompts they are working on. Here is a link to a description of the writing application standards that are required by the California Writing Standards Tests..

Here is a listing of Writing Standards by Grade Level.

The Writing Prompt may be something that was written for another subject rather than a specific Writing Prompt. If this is the case, the following must be applied:

1) The sample is a standard that is being required to do for that benchmark assessment for writing.
2) The sample be complete to fit the standard. For 2-12 grades the sample should be a complete essay not just a paragraph.

For example: if a tenth grade student was writing for World History, and you wanted to include it as the writing prompt.

The example would need to be handwritten (maybe the first draft) and the finished product could also be attached.
The example would need to be one of the standards for writing in the language arts benchmark. For 9th and 10th grade, one standard is to write a biographjical or autobiographical narrative. So in the case of World History, the assignment might be a biographical report that includes the writing applications listed within the standard:
Sequence events, specific scenes and places, describe sights, etc…

Another standard benchmark for 10th grade is to “establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone and focus throughout the piece of writing”. So the assignment could be a different type of work other than a biographical report but it must have a consistent theme and make a strong point.

3) Given the standards for other grades, the length of the piece should be considered. One or two paragraphs for the 10th grade student would not be acceptable. See http://www.connectingwaters.org/Assessment/writingstandards.htm for assistance.

If you have any other questions or concerns you can contact Terry Souza at tsouza@connectingwaters.org or 209 769 0994.