Writing Instruction and Assessment for Struggling Learners

• In Event: 34.094 - Fairmont Royal York Roundtable Session Six
  In Roundtable Session: 34.094-7 - Challenges of Assessment and Instruction for Students at Risk

Abstract

Writing is a critical feature of comprehensive literacy. For writing assessment results to be useful in instruction, a student’s writing ability must be appropriately evaluated. This study describes a novel approach to measuring writing content for students with significant cognitive disabilities by evaluating a student assignment process based on teacher-supplied information about their writing skills. It provides an optimal match to content and an accurate summary of student learning that can guide subsequent instruction. The discussed sorting techniques differed in the requisite writing skill level needed to be assigned to an assessment. Placing the demarcation at orthographic writing resulted in an even student distribution for each assessment. The findings have broad implications on writing instruction and assessment for struggling learners.

Authors

• Jonathan Schuster, The University of Kansas

• Russell E. Swinburne Romine, The University of Kansas

• Amy Clark, The University of Kansas