CURRICULA GUIDE FOR ENGLISH COMPOSITION · 2016. 12. 6. · English Composition • ACCESS Curricula Guide Introduction 7 “Understanding University Success.” 6 The report was

CURRICULA GUIDE FOR

11th Grade through College Level

English Composition Competencies

with Embedded Real World Applications in

Assignments & Assessments

ENGLISH COMPOSITION

Version 1.0

E n g l i s h • A C C E S S C u r r i c u l a G u i d e

P r e f a c e 1

11th Grade through College Level

English Composition Competencies

Embedded Real World Applications in

Assignments & Assessments

Version 1.0

Curricula Guide for ACCESS

Aligning Curricula and Career Education

for Student Success (ACCESS)

A C C E S S C u r r i c u l a G u i d e • E n g l i s h C o m p o s i t i o n

2

This project was made possible through the generous support of

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The James Irvine Foundation

The Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund

The Girard Foundation

E n g l i s h C o m p o s i t i o n • A C C E S S C u r r i c u l a G u i d e

3T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... Page 4

Career Clusters ..................................................................................................................................................Page 10

How to Use This Guide ...................................................................................................................................Page 13

Descriptions of ACCESS Competencies..................................................................................................Page 15

Formative Assessments (with Aligned Standards) ............................................................................Page 19

Competency 1: Writing an Argument with Audience and Purpose in Mind ..................... Page 22

Competency 2: Reading and Processing Sources ...................................................................... Page 27

Competency 3: Utilizing the Writing Process ..............................................................................Page 34

Competency 4: Incorporating Ideas from Other Texts in Writing ........................................Page 39

Competency 5: Organizing Using Accepted Text Structures and Patterns of Organization .............................................................................................................Page 45

Competency 6: Developing Clarity ..................................................................................................Page 50

Competency 7: Using Correct Conventions for Incorporating and Documenting Sources in Writing ..................................................................................................Page 58

Competency 8: Using Correct Grammar Conventions..............................................................Page 65

Summative Assessments .............................................................................................................................. Page 71

Summative Assessments Grading Rubrics ............................................................................................Page 84

Acknowledgements/Contributors ............................................................................................................Page 93

Appendix 1: Mapping ACCESS Competencies to California Content Standards and Common Core Standards ................................................................................ Page 103

Appendix 2: Testimonials: The Importance of Writing in the Workplace ................................Page 106

For more information, contact Shelly Valdez, EdD, at [email protected].

ACCESS Curricula Guide for


4 I n t r o d u c t i o n

I N T R O D U C T I O N

The ACCESS Curricula Guide for English Composition is the result of many passionate discussions

about English Language Arts among more than 100 K–12 and postsecondary English faculty and

Career Technical Education (CTE) instructors throughout California. The goal of these discussions

was to define the exit and entrance competencies that students should possess at the levels

of 11th grade, 12th grade, college basic skills, and freshman English composition to make student

transitions more successful. CTE instructors worked

with English faculty to develop assessments that

teachers can use to measure whether students are

meeting expectations, and make these assessments

apply to real world experiences.

This effort, called ACCESS (Aligning Curricula

and Career Education for Student Success),

launched in September 2008 with the backing

of foundation leaders who believe in the type of

intersegmental work that distinguishes Cal-PASS

from other educational initiatives. The foundations

are: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,

The James Irvine Foundation, The Evelyn and

Walter Haas Jr. Fund, and The Girard Foundation.

Thirteen regions around the state played

a role in defining core competencies in English

Language Arts and developing assessments

to measure achievement in each grade level.

Based on the experience of the English faculty and their knowledge of the California State

Standards and Community College Student Learning Outcomes, topics and skills were

identified that the faculty felt were important for students to know upon completing the

courses. Once these important topics and skills were identified and worded as measurable

competencies, they were mapped relative to the California Content Standards and Common

Core Standards for alignment. (See Appendix 1 for Mapping Standards.)

This guide is unique in three

distinct ways:

1) It takes an important

step beyond listing gaps

between high school and

college writing by providing

sample assessments that

measure mastery of the core

competencies.

2) It is the result of educational

segments working in unison.

3) It answers the often-asked

question from students:

“Where will I ever have to

use this?”


5I n t r o d u c t i o n

T h e P r o b l e m

California high school graduates leave high school believing they are ready for college, but

the data demonstrate that even successful high school students are often ill-prepared for

college. Research over the past 10 years points to specific areas that are needed — both in

class and in the home — to prepare students for the rigors and habits needed to succeed in

college and beyond.

The messages most California high school students

receive about standards for attending a broad-access

university or open-access community college are confusing.

Because it is generally perceived that it is easy to enter the

community college and California State University (CSU)

systems, there are few intrinsic incentives to work hard

in high school.1 Once students enroll in these colleges,

however, they face challenging placement exams, faculty

and university expectations, and graduation requirements

of which they are likely unaware.

Unlike messages students receive from competitive four-year universities, messages

received by students aiming for what are perceived as less-selective universities provide little

information about the educational level at which they should achieve. This lack of information

is represented by the number of college freshmen who must remediate in English and/or

math and those who drop out. Remediation rates in college are staggering: 53 percent of

students matriculating into the CSU system and as high as 90 percent at some community

colleges.2 While a majority of high school graduates enter college, fewer than half leave with

a degree. Many factors influence this attrition, but a report by the American Diploma Project

states that the preparation students receive in high school has been found to be the greatest

predictor of bachelor’s degree attainment.3

1 Michael Kirst and Andrea Venezia, From High School to College: Improving Opportunities for Success in Post-Secondary Education, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.

2 Robert Johnstone, “Community College Pre-collegiate Research Across California: Findings, Implications, and the Future,” iJournal, no. 9, 2004.

3 American Diploma Project, Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts, 2004, www.achieve.org/files/ADPreport_7.pdf.

Remediation rates in

college are staggering:

53 percent of students

matriculating in the

CSU system and as high

as 90 percent at some

community colleges.2



Although remediation rates at postsecondary institutions have remained steady for

30 years, the population going to college is rising, and the number of students needing

remediation is putting a strain on budgets and making the college experience longer

and more arduous. Students who are unprepared are often unaware of this fact until they

matriculate as freshmen. Already accepted or registered,

they are given placement tests to determine if they are ready

for college-level work. The CSU accepts students who, by

all indicators, are ready (have taken necessary college-prep

courses), but once at the university, these students must

contend with their lack of preparedness for college-level work.

Community colleges accept all students, regardless of courses

taken in high school.

The main source of this disconnect is the lack of communication and collaboration

between high school and higher education.4 High school teachers and college professors

rarely talk to each other about curriculum, learning issues, and expectations. This leads

to confusion by high school students and administrators regarding what it means to be

prepared for college.

H e a d i n g To w a r d A S o l u t i o n

In one large, comprehensive study in California, more than 400 instructors and professors

from California community colleges, CSU campuses, and UC campuses were polled about

what they expect from incoming college freshman.5 Members from some of the Cal-PASS

English Professional Learning Councils (regional councils made up of teams of discipline-

based faculty from elementary, middle school, high school, community college, and

university segments) utilized the work of this document to develop core competencies

and assessments that measure mastery of these competencies.

Many of Cal-PASS’s Professional Learning Councils turned also to a document published

by the Association of American Universities and the Pew Charitable Trusts in 2003 entitled

4 David T. Conley, College Knowledge: What It Really Takes for Students to Succeed and What We Can Do to Get Them Ready, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.

5 Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates, Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies Expected of Students Entering California’s Public Colleges and Universities, Sacramento, CA, 2002.

The main source of this

disconnect is the lack

of communication and

collaboration between

high school and higher

education.4



“Understanding University Success.” 6 The report was designed to describe the skills and

knowledge students needed to be successful in entry-level university courses. Included in

that document were English standards that described the reading, writing, research, and

critical thinking skills necessary for college success. Each of the English standards is broken

into meaningful subskills. Each subskill is then described in detail.

Most insightful to many of the Cal-PASS Professional Learning Council participants

was California State University’s Expository Reading and Writing course (ERWC). Several

teachers on Cal-PASS Professional Learning Councils around the state are trained in this

curriculum and attest to its effectiveness in teaching rhetorical writing strategies to students,

strategies students must master to be successful in college courses. The details of this

coursework inspired Cal-PASS Professional Learning Council participants to delve deeper

into discovering the disconnects between ELA classes in high school and college.

Having examined standards documents from a variety of resources, the teachers working

on ACCESS identified eight common strands where curriculum alignment work could begin.

The teachers needed to find a common term for these strands that was not already part of

the terminology of a specific educational segment

and, therefore, could become the intersegmental term.

The term “learning outcomes” is used by community

colleges and universities and the term “standards” is

used in the K–12 realm, so it was decided that these

shared skill strands would be called “competencies.” In

other words, by the end of a course, a student would

have achieved competency in a particular skill. These

eight competencies are not meant to be comprehensive.

In the first year of the grant, teachers examined English Language Arts and Career and

Technical Education standards and looked for where those standards aligned. The teachers

were not surprised to discover that there was a great deal of overlap between ELA and

CTE standards for writing and reading nonfiction texts. Once these overlaps were identified,

teachers began to examine college and university student learning outcomes and the high

Having examined

standards documents from

a variety of resources, the

teachers...identified eight

common strands where

curriculum alignment

work could begin.

6 David T. Conley, ed., Understanding University Success: A Project of the Association of American Universities and The Pew Charitable Trusts, Center for Educational Policy Research, University of Oregon, 2003.



school ELA standards, again looking for places where the standards aligned. Through

this process, the group made a major discovery (subsequently verified in several recent

reports7): There is a misalignment between college entrance expectations and high school

exit standards.

While one aim of the Common Core Standards is to rectify this misalignment, when work

began on this project, those standards had not been released. When work on this project was

wrapping up, those standards had just been made public. The professional development offered

by these discussions regarding the misalignment will definitely allow for a greater understanding

and implementation of the Common Core Standards because teachers were afforded these

opportunities. At the closing of the project, several teachers noted how the process of breaking

down standards into prerequisite skills and knowledge was essential to seeing the need and the

logic behind the Common Core Standards. Therefore, this document serves as a valuable bridge

between the California Content Standards and the Common Core Standards.

This document is not meant to represent a set of competencies that, if taught in this

way throughout the educational segments, will create college readiness. In other words,

they are not “power standards” or “focus standards.”

To further explain, one now debunked strategy that

was en-vogue when the California English Language

Arts Standards were initially published and, more

importantly, tested was to choose “power standards,”

those standards that were most frequently tested

on various state tests. The effect of choosing these

“power standards” was that some standards simply

were ignored because they were not tested. The

ACCESS participants were aware of this effect and wanted to ensure that the intersegmental

competencies represented here are illustrative of only those places where there are overlaps

among high school standards, college entrance expectations, and CTE standards. The

writers of this document acknowledge that due to time constraints and the nature of the

ELA standards themselves, there are important standards in the Common Core Standards

...teachers noted how the

process of breaking down

standards into prerequisite

skills and knowledge was

essential to seeing the need

and the logic behind the

Common Core Standards.

7 Michael Kirst and Andrea Venezia, From High School to College: Improving Opportunities for Success in Post-Secondary Education, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.



that may not be fully addressed here, especially where critical reading skills are concerned.

In essence, the teachers elected to focus on writing competencies, and even then only

the portion that pertained to the intersection between ELA and CTE. This document is not

intended to identify everything that needs to be taught

so that students are college ready, but more a tool for

clarifying the type of curricula alignment work needed

to ensure that more students are prepared for college.

These studies and curricula were the springboards

that ignited passionate discourse among English faculty

from high schools, community colleges, and universities

in California. Gathering English faculty from across

educational segments is something Cal-PASS does often,

and is a feat unto itself. The vision of this project was already realized when 200 English and math

teachers gathered for three days to debate, challenge, argue, and — finally — come to consensus.

Under the ACCESS grant, Cal-PASS Professional Learning Councils worked throughout

the second year of the grant to refine and align the competencies and begin the work of

designing assessments for each competency. They designed these assessments specifically

to be of high interest to students and to apply to real world work situations with the intention

of linking writing to careers (contextualized learning). Grading/assessment rubrics were

developed hand-in-hand with example assessment activities.

During the summer of 2010, a convening was held for both subject area experts and

CTE instructors to refine existing CTE assessments and embed them into the competencies.

Also, this group used the career clusters provided by the California Community Colleges

Chancellor’s Office to guide them in embedding assessments that represent key cluster

examples that may have been missing in the initial effort. Thus, this guide represents the

knowledge of CTE and English instructors from each segment and aims to illustrate the

competencies at work in some of the fields of Career Technical Education taught in California

high schools and colleges. The collaborations between teachers resulted in a guide that

allows English and CTE courses to teach the application of the competencies.

The vision of this project

was already realized when

200 English and math

teachers gathered for three

days to debate, challenge,

argue and — finally —

come to consensus.

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Engineering & Design:

• Architectural & Structural Engineering

• Computer Hardware, Electrical, & Networking Engineering

• Engineering Design• Engineering Technology• Environmental & Natural

Science Engineering

All Aspects of Industry:

Business PlanningManagement

Health, Safety & EnvironmentCommunity Issues

Principles of TechnologyPersonal Work Habits

Technology Production SkillsLabor

Finance

Health Science & Medical Technology:

• Biotechnology Research & Development

• Diagnostic Services• Health Informatics• Support Services

• Therapeutic Services

Marketing, Sales, & Service:

• E-commerce• Entrepreneurship

• International Trade• Professional Sales

& Marketing

Arts, Media, & Entertainment:

• Media & Design Arts• Performing Arts

• Production & Managerial Arts

Hospitality, Tourism, & Recreation:

• Food Science, Dietetics, & Nutrition

• Food Service & Hospitality• Hospitality, Tourism,

& Recreation

Public Services:Ê

• Human Services• Legal & Government

Services• Protective Services

Building Trades & Construction:

• Cabinetmaking & Wood Products

• Engineering & Heavy Construction

• Mechanical Construction• Residential & Commercial

Construction

Fashion & Interior Design:

• Fashion Design, Manufacturing, & Merchandising

• Interior Design, Furnishings,

& Maintenance

Information

Technology:

• Information Support & Services

• Media Support & Services• Network Communications• Programming & Systems

Development

Transportation:

• Aviation & Aerospace Transportation Services• Collision Repair &

Refinishing• Vehicle Maintenance,

Service, & Repair

Education, Child Development, & Family

Services:

• Child Development• Consumer Services

• Education• Family & Human

Services

Finance & Business:

• Accounting Services• Banking & Related Services

• Business Financial Management

CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY SECTOR PATHWAYS

Manufacturing & Product Development:

• Graphic Arts Technology• Integrated Graphics

Technology• Machine & Forming

Technology• Welding Technology

Agriculture & Natural Resources:

• Agricultural Business• Agricultural Mechanics

• Agriscience• Animal Science

• Forestry & Natural Resources• Ornamental Horticulture

• Plant & Soil Science

Energy & Utilities:

• Electromechanical Installation & Maintenance• Energy & Environmental

Technology• Public Utilities

• Residential & Commercial Energy and Utilities

This graphic served as a primary source of discussion during the two summer ACCESS convenings of math and English faculty. It guided groups in determining how best to assess students using real world applications.



Many educational segments are in the process of creating curriculum maps and vertical

alignment guides. This guide does not attempt to — nor could it — replace those efforts, however,

it could certainly be used to inform and help guide them. It cannot be emphasized enough how

much power the collegial conversations had on improving the thinking about curriculum and

instruction. This type of discussion is encouraged for all educational segments.

T h e F i n a l P r o d u c t

The ACCESS Curricula Guide for English Composition is the summation of English faculty

ACCESS work and represents newly aligned, contextually relevant, and collaboratively

developed curricula. This document is intended to supplement — not supplant — statewide

or institution-based curricula and expectations for multiple audiences, including high school

and post-secondary faculty, curriculum and instruction professionals, and campus-level or

statewide educational leaders.

Specifically, this guide

1. identifies several writing competencies as defined in standards documents across

three subsequent levels of English (spanning from high school to college);

2. provides formative assessment models with suggested evaluation criteria that could

be used to create rubrics to evaluate student competency levels;

3. maps the relationship between ACCESS curricula and California-based and nationally

based standards; and

4. describes the process by which faculty came together to discuss and identify these

competencies.

One of the challenges that instructors faced while working with the various standards

documents was related to the California Language Arts Standards and the Common

Core Standards, both of which identify grade level standards for grades 9/10 and 11/12.

The rationale for this combining is related to the high levels of complex problem solving

required to meet the critical reading and academic writing standards described therein. This

combining of standards clearly addresses this complexity by noting that it would take more

than one course to master the standard.

Teachers working on the ACCESS grant wrestled with how to address this issue since the



focus of the grant was to create grade level competencies. Savvy readers will note prerequisite

skills for the 12th grade often refer to 9/10 grade level standards, which are then identified as

11th grade competencies. In this document, we have allowed this idiosyncrasy to stand in our

attempt to show the vertical alignment and to describe cleanly and clearly how prerequisite

skills must be taught and mastered at previous grade levels before moving on to the next.

In addition, early in the project, it made sense to establish 11th, 12th, and college entrance

and exit requirements. It shortly became clear that an 11th grade exit competency would be

the same as a 12th grade entrance requirement. Similarly, a 12th grade exit competency would

be the same as a college entrance requirement. In addition, English language development

courses, which are aligned with the English Language Arts Standards, were identified as

having the same entrance and exit expectations. Thus, these five coursework areas were

consolidated into three levels of English instruction as noted below:

• 11th Grade English: includes 11th grade exit, advanced ELD exit, and 12th grade entrance

competencies

• 12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: includes 12th grade exit, one level below transfer-

level exit, and transfer-level English composition entrance competencies

•College Freshman Composition: includes transfer-level English exit competencies

It is hoped that high school English teachers who teach 11th and 12th grade students,

including those in EL classes, will benefit greatly from using the ACCESS Curricula Guide

for English Composition. Additionally, English instructors at community colleges and four-

year colleges who teach college basic skills English and freshman composition will find

good use of the curriculum and user-friendly assessments. Ideally, curriculum specialists

at high schools and colleges would use elements of this guide as tools to measure student

achievement and improve course alignment.

Further, those in English teacher preparation programs could use this guide as a textbook

supplement to provide concrete examples of what should be practiced in the classroom

regularly to help students prepare for college and careers.


13

H O W T O U S E T H I S G U I D E

The ACCESS Curricula Guide for English Composition identifies eight competencies. Each

competency is then broken down into three academic levels. Due to the inconsistency of

course numbering and titles among colleges and community colleges, and despite the issues

related to high schools having one set of 11/12 ELA standards, for simplicity, the course levels

in this document are labeled as followed:

1. 11th Grade English

2. 12th Grade/College Basic Skills English

3. College Freshman Composition

What follows in this section are descriptions of each of the eight identified competencies.

These descriptions are based on the standards documents, the college expectation documents,

and college course student learning outcomes. The eight competencies are:

• Writing an Argument with Audience and Purpose in Mind

• Reading and Processing Sources

• Utilizing the Writing Process

• Incorporating Ideas from Other Texts in Writing

• Organizing Using Accepted Text Structures and Patterns of Organization

• Developing Clarity

• Using Correct Conventions for Incorporating and Documenting Sources in Writing

• Using Correct Grammar Conventions

In addition, this handbook uses instructional terminology such as identify, analyze, and

respond, which represent the continuum of reading and writing skills, as well as English

content-specific terminology such as voice, tone, argument, claim, and evidence. These labels

have nuanced meanings to English teachers that are based in what researchers have called

“pedagogical content knowledge.”8 This nuanced language sometimes creates confusion for

students and even for teachers within the discipline when doing curriculum alignment work.

H o w t o U s e T h i s G u i d e

8 Lee Shulman, “Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform,” Harvard Educational Review 57, no. 1, 1987.


14 H o w t o U s e T h i s G u i d e

For example, one teacher may ask students to describe a situation, and that teacher is asking

for a piece of writing that includes details that appeal to the five senses. Another teacher may

ask students to describe their thinking about a topic, and what that teacher wants is a detailed

account of their thought process. Certainly, each of these writing tasks requires students

to have a deep content and skill knowledge, including the different academic definitions of

the word “describe,” as well as organization skills, word choice skills, clarity, and coherence.

As much as possible throughout this handbook, terms have been clarified based on what

contributing teachers intended. The conversations teachers had while working out what these

terms meant were extremely fruitful and rewarding for the teachers involved in the process.

The main section of this document includes representative formative and summative

assessments that were created by teachers. These assessments illustrate how common

classroom activities can be used to assess each competency. Regardless of the course level,

teachers can use and adapt any of the assessments to meet their needs. Many of these

activities and assessments presented in the third section are used across grade levels and

were designed with real world applications in mind. Each sample assessment, tied to each of

these levels, was created to be a formative assessment, to be adapted and completed in 1 to 4

hours. These assessments and rubrics can also be used in EL English classes. Four summative

assessments, each assessing most if not all of the competencies, are found in this section.

Holistic rubrics, which norm the summative assessments to the appropriate grade level, are

located here as well. The formative and summative assessments along with the holistic rubrics

combine to provide a framework for aligning the segments in the skills of writing.

The final section of this report lays out how these English/ACCESS competencies align

with the California State Standards for ELA, National Common Core Standards for ELA, and

typical student learning outcomes for English at community colleges and universities.


15D e s c r i p t i o n s o f A C C E S S C o m p e t e n c i e s

D E S C R I P T I O N S O F A C C E S S C O M P E T E N C I E S

As previously described, the ACCESS Curricula Guide for English Composition focuses on

the competencies that pertain to writing since those standards were the areas in which

Career Technical Education standards and English standards had the most alignment. The

section that follows describes and defines the overarching meaning of each competency.

1. Writing an Argument with Audience and Purpose in Mind

Successful students have main arguments, claims, and evidence in the texts they produce.

Outside of school, texts are generally written for specific audiences and purposes; therefore,

students need to think rhetorically when they write. They must consider the audience

and purpose when presenting the overall argument, choosing an organizational method,

selecting evidence, and employing persuasive strategies. By thinking through their ideas

within the confines of an argument structure and attending to the audience and purpose

of a text, students develop a consciousness and a distinct voice. This competency moves

students toward achieving real world goals through writing.

2. Reading and Processing Sources

Almost all academic writing is done in response to the ideas of others. Therefore, writers

with an academic purpose approach the task of reading a text from two perspectives:

first, to understand the ideas of the text; then, to decide which pieces of information are

important and relevant to the current assignment, noting the specific points that support the

argument they plan to present. This competency addresses skills related to active readers,

such as asking questions and noticing patterns, taking notes, summarizing, and critiquing

the material to understand what the text says.

3. Util izing the Writing Process

Writing involves complex thinking and problem-solving processes.9 High school students

need to learn a variety of thinking, rehearsing, brainstorming, producing, revising, and editing

9 Linda Flower and John R. Hayes, “A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing,” College Composition and Communication 32, no. 4, 1981.

John R. Hayes, “A New Framework for Understanding Cognition and Affect in Writing,” in The Science of Writing, eds. C.M. Levy and S. Ransdell. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996.


16 D e s c r i p t i o n s o f A C C E S S C o m p e t e n c i e s

strategies in order to develop a text. By college, however, students should have internalized

these “steps” and be able to independently produce texts that meet the purpose of the project.

Once students have used a process to crystallize their thinking, they can then more easily

identify the main message they wish to convey and avoid becoming overwhelmed by details.

The competencies that precede and follow this competency are all integral to a writer’s

process and are often nonlinear and represent critical thinking steps that are commonly

labeled rehearsing, brainstorming, producing, revising, and editing.

4. Incorporating Ideas from Other Texts in Writing

Academic writing requires that students have the ability to connect information from

sources to support, explore, complicate, or refute an argument. Effective student writers

take a position on an issue, summarize and contend with diverse viewpoints on the topic,

and provide effective supporting evidence drawn from outside resources. Students must

understand what plagiarism is and understand the ethics of writing. In this competency,

students must be able to effectively summarize the arguments of others so that when

incorporating ideas, they are not taking ideas out of context.

5. Organizing Using Accepted Text Structures and Patterns of Organization

Good writing uses appropriate and varied patterns of organization given the text’s purpose, genre,

and audience. Students should use patterns to organize ideas so that readers can easily follow the

analysis and conclusions offered by the text. Attention to both the contextualized structure of the

texts and the ways in which concepts and information are organized represents complex problem

solving and thinking. Categorization of information is a primary pattern of organizing required

of successful writers. In addition to categorical thinking, this competency emphasizes using

comparative thinking, making causal and temporal connections, as well as making connections

across texts and points of view. This competency displays a student’s ability to attend to the

demands of audience, purpose, and genre through organizational and structural choices.

6. Developing Clarity

Students should develop cohesive, well-developed, focused arguments that use focused

language, syntax, and tone given various audiences, genres, and purposes. Clarity should

be present in all aspects of writing: word and punctuation choices, sentence and paragraph


17D e s c r i p t i o n s o f A C C E S S C o m p e t e n c i e s

construction and placement, and the creation of the entire text as a whole. Ideas also need

to show clarity through clear main arguments, claims, evidence, and sound logic. Clarity

must also be maintained in the connection between ideas as represented by transitions

(both internal and external), topic sentences, concluding sentences, introductions, and

conclusions. It is through the competency of clarity that misunderstandings are avoided

and exact thinking about complex issues comes forward.

7. Using Correct Conventions for Incorporating and Documenting Sources in Writing

Each discipline has different conventions for how to report and document sources in writing.

Accuracy of research and interpretation as well as the ability for a peer to recreate the research

is highly valued in most endeavors, professional or otherwise. This competency addresses

the different conversations related to direct quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing as

determined by the content area. When directly quoting source material, students must

precisely and appropriately use quote tags that identify speakers and context. When

paraphrasing source material, students must pay close attention to and understand both

the literal meanings and connotations of words. This competency also includes instruction

in using correct citation and attribution styles. Students who have attained this competency

understand the reasons for the conversions and that the rules vary from profession to

profession or, while in school, discipline to discipline.

8. Using Correct Grammar Conventions

Correct grammar is the basis for good writing. Errors in these conventions inhibit a reader’s

understanding of a text. Good writing demands that writers consistently use proper, effective,

and purposeful sentence structure. Issues of proper agreement, idiom, and punctuation as well

as other minutiae of language construction are captured in this competency. This competency

also represents the importance of understanding how to identify and correct grammatical

errors in order to make writing clearer and to help communicate more effectively. Although this

competency is applicable throughout the writing process, these skills come to the forefront in the

editing phase. The knowledge of grammatical conventions is essential for clear communication

between reader and writer, but is not static and alters as our language alters.


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F o r m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s 19

Formative Assessments


F o r m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s20


The diagnostic use of assessment to provide feedback to teachers and students over the

course of instruction is called formative assessment. It stands in contrast to summative

assessment, which generally takes place after a period of instruction and requires making a

judgment about the learning that has occurred (e.g., by grading or scoring a test or paper).

Broadly defined, formative assessments include all activities that teachers and students

undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning.

Under this definition, assessment encompasses teacher observation, classroom discussion,

and analysis of student work, including homework and tests. Any assignment or class activity

becomes a formative assessment when the information is used to adapt teaching and learning

to meet student needs as knowledge and skills are in the process of forming, thus formative

assessment.

Writing tasks are often assumed to be summative assessments. However, they are

considered formative assessments when students have scaffolding or support. For example,

when students are working with a partner or in small groups or when students receive teacher

guidance in the form of an advance organizer or continual teacher feedback, writing tasks

become formative and not summative assessments.

When teachers know how students are progressing and where they are having trouble,

they can use this information to make necessary instructional adjustments, such as

reteaching, trying alternative instructional approaches, de-emphasizing the teaching of skills

that students are mastering in order to allot more time to those skills with which students are

struggling, or offering more opportunities for practice. These activities can lead to improved

student success.

How to Use This Section

The following pages contain sample activities for each of the competencies described in the

previous section, broken down by grade level. This guide offers examples of how student

progress toward a competency could be measured at the three instructional stages:

11th grade/advanced ESL course, 12th grade/college basic skills course, and a college level

transfer course. The holistic rubrics in the summative section best represent this relationship.



These formative assessments represent the work of intersegmental teams of teachers

using the competencies to create activities that focus intensely on the underlying skills

necessary to master the competency. The competencies are complex and are not easily

measured in a single assessment; they contain many nuances and subsets. However, these

formative assessments attempt to make concrete a method by which the underlying skills

of each competency can be taught in the classroom. The skill being assessed in each grade-

level competency is identified in bold type in the overview of the assessment and is reviewed

in the evaluation.

It is also important to note that many of the activities in the following section can be used

at multiple grade levels. In many cases, it is not the activity itself that is grade-level specific, but

the evaluation criteria of the activity that makes it appropriate for that grade level.

When engaging in these activities, teachers should focus on the purpose and outcome

in order to achieve the goals assessed in the evaluation. The teacher should frame the lesson

within the expectations of the larger competency. Students should be made keenly aware

of the specific skill focus of each activity and with the competency itself as outlined in the

overview. A close look at the evaluation criteria should follow. With these habits of instruction

in place, the teacher and student both engage in an act of meta-cognition in which each

knows the purpose of the activity, understands how it transfers to other disciplines and

texts, and comprehends how progress will be measured. Feedback to the student, once

the formative assessment has been completed, should be provided through the lens of

the evaluation criteria and with explicit connections made back to the larger competency,

making the larger academic, social, and professional importance known.

These assessments are offered by the teachers participating in the ACCESS grant as

discourse starters about what a competency looks like in the classroom, how assessment of

a student’s progress is constructed, how to appropriately set the rigor of the competency at

each grade level, and what the subskills of a competency might be.



C O M P E T E N C Y 1 : W R I T I N G A N A R G U M E N T W I T H A U D I E N C E A N D P U R P O S E I N M I N D

11/12 CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.911/12 National Common Core Standards: 1, 2, and 4CERT Standards: Invention

Successful students have main arguments, claims, and evidence in the texts they produce.

Outside of school, texts are generally written for specific audiences and purposes; therefore,

students need to think rhetorically when they write. They must consider the audience and

purpose when presenting the overall argument, choosing an organizational method, selecting

evidence, and employing persuasive strategies. By thinking through their ideas within the

confines of an argument structure and attending to the audience and purpose of a text,

students develop a consciousness and a distinct voice. This competency moves students

toward achieving real world goals through writing.

Writing an Argument with Audience and Purpose in Mind: ACCESS Competency 1 by Grade Level

11th Grade 12th Grade College

• Identifytheneedsofanaudienceinordertouseparticularsyntacticalstructures.

• Identifywhichpersuasivestrategywouldbeusefulgivenaparticularaudienceandpurpose.

• Identifyanduseconsistentandappropriateevidencefortheaudienceandpurpose.

•Analyze characteristics of an audience and genre in order to determine appropriate syntactical structures.

•Analyze characteristics of an audience and genre in order to determine appropriate persuasive strategies.

• Analyzecharacteristicsofanaudienceandgenreinordertodetermineandutilizeappropriateevidence.

• Evaluateandapplycharacteristicsofanaudienceandgenreinordertodetermineappropriatesyntacticalstructures.

• Evaluate and apply characteristics of an audience and genre in order to determine appropriate persuasive strategies.

• Evaluate and apply purposeful persuasive strategies for an audience and purpose.



Model Formative Assessment11th Grade English: Color-Coded Sentence Variety

Overview:

“Color-Coded Sentence Variety” is a classroom activity that formatively assesses the essential skills of identifyingvarioussentencetypes,analyzingpurposeofvarioustypes,andevaluatingeffectivenessgiventhepurposeandaudienceofatext.

Time Frame:

1 hour with homework

Assessment Description:

Working with a single page of an essay or an assignment students have written during the class, they will use highlighters to identify their simple (one color), compound (another color), and complex (a third color) sentences in their work. Adaptations could include parentheses, asterisks, bracketing, underlining, or numbering at the instructor’s discretion.

Following this, students will write a two-paragraph write-up of the level of sentence variety in their work. The first paragraph should describe existing sentence variety (how many simple/compound/complex sentences?), noting places where sentence structure is grammatically incorrect. The second paragraph should evaluate sentence variety, including suggestions for improvement.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Demonstrates ability to differentiate between sentence types.• Demonstrates ability to recognize errors in sentence structure.• Demonstrates critical thinking about purpose and audience.• Evaluates sentence construction with audience and purpose in mind.

Building Trades, Construction

I use writing skills in my job when I present myself and my company to prospective customers, when I work with customers and project teams to ensure successful project delivery, and when I follow up with customers and project teams to verify satisfaction. In other words, skilled writing is the central method of communicating all that is important to my firm and my industry.

Joe BittakerPresident, Landmark Construction



Model Formative Assessment:12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: Satire Imitation

Overview:

Students read and analyze several satirical texts, including Jonathan Swift’s "A Modest Proposal," Linda Pastan’s "Marks," A.R. Ammons’ "Needs," Marge Piercy’s "Barbie Doll," and Judy Brady’s "I Want a Wife." Using the texts as models, students imitate rhetorical elements to compose a satirical essay.

Various steps in “Satire Imitation” formatively assess the essential skills of recognizingelementsofagenreandnamingaspeaker,intendedaudience,andpurpose.

Time Frame:

1 week of class time to read, analyze, and compose drafts; some homework time required for revision and final draft


Students will read, annotate, analyze, discuss, and write satire. They will consider rhetorical strategies, tone, and style in order to avoid writing offensive or overly sarcastic texts. Students’ satirical essays must provide readers with various appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos) in order to persuade audiences about an important social issue.

Students must write about a familiar issue in an effort to avoid writing about subjects that are beyond their realm of understanding. Issues may include: school policies, the environment, teachers, ethnicity, poverty, family, lifestyles, cars, clothing, fashion, tattoos, pets, social networks, teenagers, cooking, etc.

Attention to organization, diction, syntax, and irony is required. Upon examining each of the satirical texts, the following will be discussed in class:

• Who is the speaker (persona)?• Who is the intended audience?• What is the main idea and purpose?• Which imagery and/or language helps to strongly assert the main idea?• Find examples of ethos, pathos, and logos.• What do these texts have in common? Provide examples to support commonalities.• Which text is most compelling? Why?• Which text would you most likely imitate? Why?



Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Meets the demands of the genre using humor, wit, irony, and clever language (that is not confused with offensive or sarcastic content) to support main argument and appeal to the audience.

• Establishes a strong persona. • Targets intended audience through narrative and examples, evidence and appeals.• Maintains a central purpose in the text that is distinguished from the main argument.


26 F o r m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s

Model Formative Assessment:College Freshman Composition: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Overview:

Students are asked to draft and deliver written thank-you notes/letters to three different real audiences.

“Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!” formatively assesses essential skills of using evaluatingandapplyingcharacteristicsofanaudienceandgenreinordertodetermineappropriatesyntacticalstructures.

Time Frame:

2 hours to draft, revise, edit, and prepare documents for delivery


Students are asked to write three different thank-you notes or letters. The first should be written to a friend, family member, or acquaintance with whom the student is comfortable. The second should be written to someone in a position of authority over the student. The final thank-you letter will be something read by a larger audience, perhaps to a company, organization, or the readership of a local newspaper.

Each of these thank-you notes/letters should be concise — between one and three paragraphs — and a copy of each should be presented to the instructor. The original notes/letters should be mailed and sent by, or in the presence of, the teacher to underscore the authenticity of a real audience. This can be a requirement of the assignment.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Uses appropriate vocabulary for audience.• Contains specific — not vague — content given the intended audience, purpose, and genre.• Uses appropriate format, form, materials for chosen audience and genre.• Pays attention to conventions that are appropriate for audience and genre.



C O M P E T E N C Y 2 : R E A D I N G A N D P R O C E S S I N G S O U R C E S

11/12 CA Content Standards: Reading Comprehension 2.2 and 2.411/12 National Common Core Standards: 7, 8, and 9CERT Standards: Invention

Almost all academic writing is done in response to the ideas of others. Therefore, writers

with an academic purpose approach the task of reading a text from two perspectives:

first, to understand the ideas of the text; then, to decide which pieces of information are

important and relevant to the current assignment, noting the specific points that support the

argument they plan to present. This competency addresses skills related to active readers,

such as asking questions and noticing patterns, taking notes, summarizing, and critiquing

the material to understand what the text says.

Reading and Processing Sources: ACCESS Competency 2 by Grade Level


• Identifyargument,claims,andevidence.

• Summarizeandparaphraseideas.

• Identify appropriate and relevant information from supplied or a limited number of texts.

•Analyze argument, claims, evidence.

• Summarize and paraphrase information effectively.

• Analyzearguments,claims,andevidencefrommorethanonetextinordertoidentifyappropriateandrelevantinformationrelatedtothewritingtaskorassignment.

• Evaluate complex arguments, claims, and evidence.

• Summarize and paraphrase information purposefully.

• Evaluatearguments,claims,andevidencefrommultipletextsinordertoidentifyappropriateandrelevantinformationrelatedtothewritingtaskorassignment.



Model Formative Assessment11th Grade English: Recall Diagram

Overview:

Students create an abbreviated map of main ideas and details in a reading as a quick way to summarize what they’ve read.

“Recall Diagram” formatively assesses the skills of summarizingandidentifyingthemainargument,claims,andevidence.

Time Frame:

5–10 minutes


Students will create a recall diagram after reading a source. Through this activity, students organize main ideas, subtopics, and details drawn from their reading of the text.

The organization of the recall diagram is adaptable, but usually starts with a horizontal line on which the subject is written, and utilizes secondary diagonal lines stemming from the original that lists subtopics or main ideas, and tertiary lines offering details that stem from those. There is no requisite structure or number of stems; the recall diagram is adaptable for use in many situations and aids the student in recall and the teacher in assessing whether students have captured main ideas and details after an experience or reading.

Marketing, Sales

I use writing skills in my job as a marketing consultant to write proposals; craft a few words for advertisements; tell a client success story for a newsletter; provide in-depth marketing plans; and report on results of meetings, training sessions, and marketing campaigns.

Karen Fraser-MiddletonMarketing Consultant, Marketing Action



For instance, after reading Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” a student might create the following recall diagram:

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Identifies main ideas. • Identifies supporting ideas and has arranged them as being subordinate to the main idea. • Identifies details and subtopics and has arranged them as being subordinate to the

supporting ideas.

Alliterative — lots!

Great use of sources

“LetterfromBirminghamJail”

Alliterative — lots!

Anaphora (lots of repetition)

Biblical sourcesJesus

PaulMartin Buber,

Jewish Theologian

Socrates

“Little clouds of inferiority filling her sky”



Model Formative Assessment12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: Charting Multiple Texts and Précis Composition

Overview:

Students complete a chart that includes details regarding related texts. The completed chart serves as an organizational tool for students to compose a précis for each text.

“Charting Multiple Texts and Précis Composition” formatively assesses the skills of writing a précis, i.e., of analyzingarguments,claims,andevidencefrommorethanonetextinordertoidentifyappropriateandrelevantinformationrelatedtothewritingtaskorassignment.

Time Frame:

1 hour for chart completion; 2 hours for précis instruction and composition


Students start by completing the chart (see next page), gathering and analyzing important details from each of the texts. Once the chart is completed, students write a précis for each text. The précis is a paragraph of 4–6 sentences that concisely states the entire argument of the text.



ChartingMultipleTexts

Text Information

What is the text’s

main topic?

What claim does

the text make?

What are the most important examples/

quotes from the text?

What do you think

about the text’s

claim?

What are your

examples?

How does this text

connect to the ideas of other texts?

Title

Author

Genre

(add rows as needed)

Directionsforstudents: As you look down the side of the chart, you will see that it asks you for information about the different texts you will be reading in this assignment:

• Title• Author• Genre

Across the top of the chart are the ideas you will be tracking as you read the texts in this module. They are presented in the form of questions:

• What is the text’s main topic? Identify the “main idea” of the text.

• What claim does the text make?Identify the writer’s perspective on the main idea.

• What are examples or quotes from the text?Include examples given by the writer to help the reader understand his or her claim. Be sure to offer page or line numbers (or both) to identify where you found the quote or idea.

• What do you think about the text’s claim?Explain your response to the text’s claim, including to what extent (if any) you agree with it.

• What are your examples?Give a few examples from your own experiences that help explain your response to the text’s claim.

• How does this text connect to other texts?If you see a similarity to another text, make note of it here. Connections can be made even among texts that have very different claims.



Evaluation:

Criteria for assessing the précis could include:• Limits précis to 4–6 sentences.• Concisely states entire argument of text.• Avoids including minor examples or superfluous details.• Employs key words and phrases from the text.

Criteria for assessing the chart could include:• Clearly identifies claim(s) and main ideas.• Effectively analyzes text by exploring relationship between the parts of the text and the

connections between the texts.



Model Formative AssessmentCollege Freshman Composition: Annotated Career Bibliography

Overview:

Students research a career and provide a formatted list of resources with short summative annotations.

“Annotated Career Bibliography” formatively assesses the skills of documenting source information (represented in Competency 7), as well as of evaluatingarguments,claims,andevidence frommultiple texts in order to identify appropriate and relevant informationrelatedtothewritingtaskorassignment.

Time Frame:

2 hours; requires access to research


Students will research a career in the career connections office/counseling center or other appropriate location and present information on three sources in an annotated bibliography. This bibliography should follow specific MLA formatting requirements and should include short 4–5 sentence annotations or summaries of the source. These summaries might comment on the source’s usefulness, format, and the information it presents.

Requirements could include:

• a heading with name, date, and class day/time• title “Annotated Bibliography” centered beneath the heading• three sources in correct MLA format • a 4–5 sentence summary about the source under each MLA source entry • a print source and an electronic source• word-processed with 12 pt., double-spaced, Times New Roman font

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Uses annotation that summarizes content and explains how the content of text is related to a topic.

• Observes conventions of MLA format; formats details in correct order.



C O M P E T E N C Y 3 : U T I L I Z I N G T H E W R I T I N G P R O C E S S

CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.9National Common Core Standards: 5 and 10CERT Standards: Arrangements

Writing involves a complex thinking and problem-solving process. High school students need

to learn a variety of thinking, rehearsing, brainstorming, producing, revising, and editing

strategies in order to develop a text. By college, however, students should have internalized

these “steps” and be able to independently produce texts that meet the purpose of the project.

Once students have used a process to crystallize their thinking, they can then more easily

identify the main message they wish to convey and avoid becoming overwhelmed by details.

The competencies that precede and follow this competency are all integral to a writer’s

process and are often nonlinear and represent critical thinking steps that are commonly

labeled rehearsing, brainstorming, producing, revising, and editing.

Utilizing Writing Processes: ACCESS Competency 3 by Grade Level


•Deconstruct a writing task in order to develop an argument that has a main claim, supporting claims, and evidence.

•Withguidance,plantowriteusingavarietyofprewritingstrategies.

•Draft argument/thesis and claims with scaffolding and guidance.

•Analyze and explain evidence with scaffolding and guidance.

• Reflect, revise, and edit based on teacher and peer feedback.

•Deconstruct a writing task in order to develop a complex argument using multiple texts for a familiar audience.

• Plantowriteusingavarietyofprewritingstrategieswithemergingindependence.

•Draft argument/thesis and claims with guidance.

•Analyze and explain evidence with scaffolding and guidance.

• Improve writing through incorporation of feedback (peers, tutoring resources, writing center, instructor).

•Deconstruct a multistep or ambiguous writing task in order to develop a complex argument for an unfamiliar audience.

• Independently plan to write using writing strategies that are appropriate to the task and writer.

• Independently draft an argument/thesis and claims.

• Independently cite, analyze, and explain evidence.

• Independentlyimprovewritingthroughreflection,revision,andediting.



Model Formative Assessment:11th Grade English: Prewriting the American Dream

Overview:

The prewriting process guides students toward an argument addressing the American Dream.

“Prewriting the American Dream” formatively assesses students’ ability to plan towriteusingavarietyofprewritingstrategies, such as defining key concepts that will be presented, naming possible questions that might be explored about the topic and a variety of points of view pertinent to the topic.

Time Frame:

2–5 hours; ideally would include prior reading that presents elements of the American Dream


Students will engage in multiple prewriting activities to address the following writing prompt. First, students will work in groups to create definitions for the American Dream. Then they will create a working thesis and four to five specific research questions. Next, they will use brainstorming to fill in a graphic organizer on the topic. At the end of the assignment, students will reflect on which steps in the process were most useful to them in creating the final product and what steps they will use next time.

Prompt:

Some people believe that hard work, persistence, and the passage of time can lead to prosperity in the United States. This notion has been termed the fulfillment of the American Dream. Write an argumentative essay that addresses the idea of the American Dream and the extent to which it has been achieved by a specific person, character, or group.

Information Technology

I use writing skills in my job as an IT professional when I prepare proposals for new and existing clients and produce planning documents (called “change controls”) to implement network changes.

Owen Kittredge Owner, Valley IT Support



Sample prewriting graphic organizer:

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Expresses understanding of how the steps assisted in producing the finished product.• As a part of prewriting, defines key concepts that will be presented and uses these terms

and definitions with the writing. • Names possible questions that might be explored about the topic in prewriting.• Addresses various points of view pertinent to the topic.

Argument

American Dream

Conclusion

Counter-Argument



Model Formative Assessment 12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: Preview Review

Overview:

Students practice on-demand prewriting and examine whether their process is effective.

“Preview Review” formatively assesses the skills of planning to write usingavarietyofprewriting strategieswithemerging independence, in this case, by outlining claims and evidence and the relationship between these parts of a paper.

Time Frame:

1 hour; could be completed as homework


This assignment has three parts. First, students will be given 15 minutes to prewrite for a given prompt. Their job during prewriting is to gather concrete details, determine subtopics, and organize their thoughts into appropriate structures to begin writing paragraphs. Students can use brainstorming, free-writing, Venn diagrams, outlines, or bubble clusters during this prewriting, but they should not be writing actual paragraphs yet.

Next, students will be asked to share their prewriting in small groups so they can see how other students have managed the same task. By sharing and comparing their prewriting, students should begin to see where potential issues might arise and can discuss what worked or did not work during the process of prewriting.

Finally, students will be asked to write a short self-evaluation of their prewriting, focusing on both the process and the product. This self-evaluation could address the following questions:

• How effectively did you use the 15 minutes? • After prewriting, how prepared are you to write the essay?• What methods were most effective in preparing to write paragraphs?• What areas of your essay, if any, are still unclear?• Which paragraphs will be the most difficult to develop, based on your existing prewrite?

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Reflects on the role of prewriting in the creation of a timed essay.• Creates a main claim that is on-topic.• Outlines claims that are able to be supported and connected to the main claim.• Provides evidence sufficient and appropriate to the claims.• Shows recognition of aspects of the paper that need greater clarity.• Notes where more must be written or new ideas must emerge to fully develop the thesis.



Model Formative AssessmentCollege Freshman Composition: Writer’s Reflection

Overview:

An on-demand writing task in which students reflect on a piece or pieces of writing by discussing their learning, specifically exploring the process of revision.

“Writer’s Reflection” formatively assesses the skill of independentlyimprovingwritingthroughreflection,revision,andediting by reflecting on choices made during composition and revision of a text.

Time Frame:

1–2 hours of on-demand writing


After writing a complete essay, writers will reflect on and discuss a recent piece or collection of writing. The “Writer’s Reflection” essay will be completed during 1 or 2 hours of in-class writing. In this essay, writers should reflect on how their writing changed in terms of both the process and product. Ideally, this reflection should include the use of details from previous essays in order to show growth in writing overall.

Some questions to consider while writing this essay are:

• What was the hardest part of the writing process?• What was your process for making revisions?• What parts of the essay(s) were the most improved?• What did you learn about yourself as a writer?• What goals do you have for yourself as a writer? • What specific tricks or skills did you use to improve your writing?

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:• Reflects on the most difficult aspects of the writing process for the writer with an

understanding of how they might be made easier in the future.• Outlines a process for revising that is reasonable, effective, and efficient for self-review.• Identifies areas of the writing that are most improved, and notes how they were improved

and why those improvements matter.• Recognizes and reflects on selected writing skills that were improved by this assignment,

noting how and why. • Sets writing goals and supports — with examples — why the goal is necessary.



C O M P E T E N C Y 4 : I N C O R P O R AT I N G I D E A S F R O M O T H E R T E X T S I N W R I T I N G

CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.3 and 1.8National Common Core Standards: 7, 8, and 9CERT Standards: Invention

Academic writing requires that students have the ability to connect information from sources

to support, explore, complicate, or refute an argument. Effective student writers take a

position on an issue, summarize and contend with diverse viewpoints on the topic, and provide

effective supporting evidence drawn from outside resources. Students must understand what

plagiarism is and understand the ethics of writing. In this competency, students must be able

to effectively summarize the arguments of others so that when incorporating ideas, they are

not taking ideas out of context.

Incorporating Ideas from Other Texts in Writing: ACCESS Competency 4 by Grade Level


• Identify texts appropriate to task in order to construct an argument using sources.

• Identify evidence across texts about the same issue or topic in order to support writer’s claims.

• Identify sources that address opposing claims.

• Understandthedifferencebetweenparaphrasinganddirectlyquotinginordertoavoidunintentionalplagiarism.

•Analyze texts appropriate to task in order to construct an argument using a variety of effective sources.

• Analyzetextsinordertodeterminevalueorvalidityofevidencetosupportwriter’sclaims.

•Use sources to address opposing claims in original argument.

•Utilize paraphrasing and direct quotes as evidence in order to support writer’s claims.

• Analyzescholarlytextsinordertoconstructoriginalargumentsusingeffectivesources.

• Evaluate text in order to determine appropriateness of evidence to support claims.

•Use sources to effectively counter opposing claims in an original argument.

• Integrate paraphrased information with direct quotes in order to put the ideas of the text in context.



Model Formative Assessment 11th Grade English: Career Investigation

Overview:

Students will research a career, interview a professional working in the chosen career, and compose a brief paper (three paragraphs) that includes important information from the research and the interview as well as a final reflection on their investigation.

“Career Investigation” formatively assesses student understanding ofthedifferencebetweenparaphrasinganddirectlyquotinginordertoavoidunintentionalplagiarism.

Time Frame:

1 week of class time to read, interview, and compose paragraphs; homework time for the interview and writing (students will need access to the Internet and career databases; students may need help finding an interviewee)


Students will select a career to investigate. Using the Internet and resources from the career center, students will take notes and compose a detailed paragraph on the most important aspects of the career. After composing a list of interview questions, students will interview a career professional and then compose a narrative paragraph of the most important information from the interview. Students will include a final reflective paragraph about their investigation and discoveries. A list of works cited also will be required.

Transportation

I use writing skills in my job as a naval architect in the following ways: to describe studies of new transportation routes; to put together manuals for safe stowage of cargo aboard ships; to prepare procedures for safe operation of a ship’s equipment; to develop marketing materials describing new equipment and services; and to present investigations into loss of cargo overboard from ships, groundings, collisions, or other casualties regarding ships.

John PaullingNaval Architect, Herbert Engineering Corp.



Interview questions to consider using:

• What is your job title and how long have you been working in this field?• How did you get started in this career?• Describe your responsibilities and duties. What does a typical day look like?• What type of training or education did you receive for this position?• What types of reading and writing are you required to do in this profession?• What do you like most about what you do?• What are some important things people need to know if they want to do your job?• What is the most frustrating or difficult part of your job and how do you deal with it?• If you could have a different career, what would it be and why?• Can you think of one on-the-job story that taught you something important?• What would you like to be doing in 5 years?• Is there any advice you could give to someone aspiring to be in your profession?• Is there anything else you think I need to know about your profession?• Thank you for your time.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Directly quotes information accurately from the interview and sources using appropriate citation and/or attribution.

• Accurately paraphrases information from the interview and sources using appropriate citation and/or attribution.

• Provides MLA documented list of works cited (including the interview).



Model Formative Assessment 12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: Source Survey and Evaluation of Arguments

Overview:

Students investigate a debatable issue and select sources with the strongest arguments reflecting various points of view in order to compose an evaluation of each argument. They then add a concluding reflective paragraph.

“Source Survey and Evaluation of Arguments” formatively assesses the skill of analyzingtextsinordertodeterminevalueorvalidityofevidencetosupportwriters’claims.

Time Frame:

1 week of classes for research and writing (students will need access to Internet search engines and familiarity with MLA documentation)


Students will read various articles on one debatable issue and answer questions to best determine content and point of view. Students will summarize and document selected articles, as well as compose a concluding paragraph on the process of investigation, credibility of source material, and personal position on the issue.

The source evaluation could address the following questions:

• When and where did you find the article?• What did you learn about the author and publication?• What is the strongest claim?• What is the author’s attitude toward the issue?• What counterarguments are addressed?• How has the article affected your opinions or viewpoints?• What audience does the author seem to be appealing to?• Might other audiences find it offensive? Explain.• How do this author’s viewpoints contrast or contradict other articles on this issue?• What emotional appeals (pathos) are incorporated into this piece?• What type of authority (ethos) does this author claim to have regarding this issue?• Does this article contain any faulty reasoning? Explain.• Why did you select this article? Provide a few specific reasons.



Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Identifies sources that address conflicting claims.• Analyzes texts in order to determine value or validity of the source.• Analyzes texts in order to determine the value or validity of the provided evidence.• Identifies and discusses the various ways writers attempt to persuade audiences to

accept their argument.• Understands how each text explores the same topic, but with differing claims and

evidence.• Shows recognition of aspects of the paper that need greater clarity.• Notes where more must be written or new ideas must emerge to fully develop the thesis.



Model Formative Assessment College Freshman Composition: Source Evaluation Paper

Overview:

Students write a 2–3 page paper evaluating sources for a research paper by answering assigned questions and revising research questions to guide further research. This exercise assesses a student’s ability to evaluate information in sources and revise the research question.

“Source Evaluation Paper” formatively assesses the skill of analyzing scholarly texts of an appropriate complexity in order to construct an original argument using effective sources and evidence.

Time Frame:

1 or 2 hours with homework


After gathering sources for a research paper, students will evaluate their selections by answering the following questions in a paper of 2–3 pages. This paper will discuss both the information they have found and the information they need to find. After evaluating their sources, students will revise their research questions to guide further research and drafting.

Questionsforstudents:• How reliable are your sources? Do any contain questionable information?• What points of view and flaws in logic do you see in your sources?• What disagreements or differences did you find between your sources? • What information do the sources provide in answer to your research question? • What information do you still need to find to support your argument?• Which of your sources are primary, secondary, tertiary?• How do the types of sources affect the reliability of the evidence?

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:• Demonstrates sufficient, logical analysis of source reliability. • Gathers sources from multiple perspectives on the topic that go beyond pro and con. • Shows evidence of a clear opinion emerging as a result of a conversation with the cited texts.• Reflects on how the quality of sources influences the focus of the research questions. • Revises and refines research questions appropriately.• Contextualizes the sources, with the paper noting how they respond to each other’s ideas.• Provides focus on revised research questions.• Contains few or no errors in mechanics.



COMPETENCY 5 : ORGANIZING USING ACCEPTED TEXT STRUCTURES AND PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION

CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4National Common Core Standards: 1, 2, and 4CERT Standards: Arrangement

Good writing uses appropriate and varied patterns of organization given the text’s purpose,

genre, and audience. Students should use patterns to organize ideas so that readers can easily

follow the analysis and conclusions offered by the text. Attention to both the contextualized

structure of the texts and the ways in which concepts and information are organized represents

complex problem solving and thinking. Categorization of information is a primary pattern of

organizing required of successful writers. In addition to categorical thinking, this competency

emphasizes using comparative thinking, making causal and temporal connections, as well as

making connections across texts and points of view. This competency displays a student’s

ability to attend to the demands of audience, purpose, and genre through organizational and

structural choices.

Organizing Using Accepted Text Structures and Patterns of Organization: ACCESS Competency 5 by Grade Level


• Utilizevariedbasicpatternsofoverallorganizationofideas(i.e., strongest to weakest, narrow to broad, chronological, etc.) in constructing an argument.

• Utilizetransitionswithinandbetweenparagraphs.

• Synthesize topic/concluding sentences.

• Utilizeappropriateandlogicaloverallorganizationofideas,i.e., strongest to weakest, narrow to broad, chronological, alternating subjects in compare/contrast, refutation and concessions following main argument.

•Utilize varied transitions within and between paragraphs.

• Connect ideas through varied topic/concluding sentences.

• Utilizepurposefuloverallorganizationofideas,i.e., strongest to weakest, narrow to broad, chronological, alternating subjects in compare/contrast, refutation and concessions following main argument, Toulmin, Rogerian, classical argument, etc.

•Utilize varied transitions within and between paragraphs or segments.

• Seamlessly connect ideas through effective and varied topic/concluding sentences.



Model Formative Assessment 11th Grade English: Summary and Analysis Paragraphs

Overview:

Students complete a summary paragraph using a template to demonstrate two ways to process a text after reading.

“Summary and Analysis Paragraphs” formatively assesses student use of various patternsoforganizationinconstructinganargumentanduseoftransitionswithinandbetweenparagraphs.

Time Frame:

1–2 hours


Students read a text and then identify 10 ideas in the text. Students then organize the ideas in two different ways:

1. order of importance

2. order of appearance

Then, given a list of transitions, students choose the appropriate transition to link the ideas together.

Directionsforstudents:

Write two summaries, one where you present the ideas in the order of importance and one where you present the ideas in the order they appear in the text. Then, write a clean copy revision of each paragraph, using appropriate and accurate transitions between sentences to show the relationship of ideas. Be sure to indent each paragraph and use correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Contains thorough and complete summary/analysis paragraphs.• Utilizes effective and appropriate transitions between ideas.• Identifies the main supporting ideas of the text.• Organizes ideas in order of appearance in the text.• Organizes ideas in order of importance in the text.

Health Science, Medical Technology

As a paramedic, I use writing skills during every shift and after every patient contact. Clear and concise communication is essential when I fill out patient care reports that provide nurses and doctors with the information they need to continue proper care for my patients. All of my reports are legal documents, so writing skills are an essential part of my work.

Kevin ColemanParamedic, First Responder EMS, MedCor, Inc.



Model Formative Assessment 12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: Pro/Con Organizers

Overview:

Students choose a graphic organizer that best serves the planned structure of their argument. The completed graphic organizer serves as an organization tool for students to clarify their position on an issue.

The “Pro/Con Organizers” assessment formatively assesses the skills of utilizingappropriateand logicaloverallorganizationof ideas by selecting the best organization pattern to convey an idea or concept and creating the relationship between those ideas according to the chosen pattern.

Time Frame:

1 hour for graphic organizer completion


Students use their choice of graphic organizers (pro/con, Venn diagram, problem/solution graph, cause/effect chart, timeline) to organize their thinking about a chosen subject. Following this, students provide short, written reflections regarding which graphic organizer they chose and why it was appropriate and effective.

ForTopic

Against

T-Bar

Topic: _________

PRO CON_______________1. 1.2. 2.3. 3.4. 4.5. 5.



Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Uses organizer to reorder topic, main argument, claims, and evidence.

• Uses organizer to represent the relationship between claims and/or evidence in the pattern selected (pro/con, timeline, and so on).

• Reflection discusses process and product, including why some patterns were rejected and why the selected pattern and organizer were chosen.

• Reflection explores how the graphic organizer represents the pattern of organization and the relationship among ideas.

• Reflection addresses strengths and weaknesses of graphic organizer/pattern of organizer chosen.



Model Formative AssessmentCollege Freshman Composition: Dueling Comparisons

Overview:

Students create two comparisons to demonstrate adaptability with organizing, using a compare and contrast pattern of organization.

“Dueling Comparisons” formatively assesses the skill of utilizing purposeful overallorganization of ideas by organizing same claims and evidence by various patterns of organization and selecting the best form for audience, purpose, and genre.

Time Frame:

1 or 2 hours


Students will develop two pieces of writing after prewriting (but prior to drafting) in response to a compare/contrast essay prompt, one using an alternating structure and the other using a block structure.

Prompt:

Write two texts in which you compare and contrast two places you have lived or worked, drawing a conclusion that goes beyond the evaluative “X is better than Y” claim. In your first comparison/contrast, use alternating structure. In the second, use a block structure. Be sure to use specific details that highlight the points you want to make about each in both texts. Write a reflection paragraph on which structure would work best for a given genre, purpose, and audience and why.

Developing both subject-by-subject (block structure) and point-by-point (alternating point) models, students will demonstrate facility in organizing ideas.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Uses appropriate structure for each text.• Uses transitions effectively given the purpose of each structure.• Uses two different patterns of organization.• Reflects on which pattern is most appropriate to a given audience, purpose, and genre.



COMPETENCY 6 : DEVELOPING CL ARIT Y

CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4National Common Core Standards: 1, 2, and 4CERT Standards: Arrangement

Students should develop cohesive, well-developed, focused arguments that use focused

language, syntax, and tone given various audiences, genres, and purposes. Clarity should

be present in all aspects of writing: word and punctuation choices, sentence and paragraph

construction and placement, and the creation of the entire text as a whole. Ideas also need to

show clarity through clear main arguments, claims, evidence, and sound logic. Clarity must

also be maintained in the connection between ideas as represented by transitions (both

internal and external), topic sentences, concluding sentences, introductions, and conclusions.

It is through the competency of clarity that misunderstandings are avoided and exact thinking

about complex issues comes forward.

Developing Clarity: ACCESS Competency 6 by Grade Level


•With guidance, provide appropriately limited focus by narrowing topic.

• Advanceargumentthroughlogicalconnectionsbetweenclaims,evidence,andexplanationsofevidence.

•Use language appropriate to the task, genre, and audience.

•Address counterarguments and counterclaims.

• Compose sentences that are clear and varied.

•With limited guidance, provide appropriately limited focus by narrowing topic.

• Effectivelyadvanceargumentwithclaimsandevidencethatdemonstratecriticalthinkingthroughanalysisandexplanationsofevidence.

• Effectively use language appropriate to the task, genre, and audience.

•Address and analyze counterarguments and counterclaims.

• Compose sentences that are clear and varied.

• Provide appropriately limited focus by independently narrowing topic.

• Seamlessly advance argument with claims and evidence that demonstrate critical thinking through original and sophisticated analysis and explanations of evidence.

• Purposefullyuselanguageappropriatetothetask,genre,andaudience.

•Address, analyze, and evaluate counterarguments and counterclaims.

• Compose complex sentences that are clear and varied.



Model Formative Assessment11th Grade English: Color-Coded Peer Review

Overview:

Students engage in a peer review stage of the writing process, highlighting cohesion, clarity, and focus in their writing assignments.

“Color-Coded Peer Review” formatively assesses the skill of advancing an argumentthroughlogicalconnectionsofclaims,evidence,andexplanationsofevidence.

Time Frame:

1 hour


Students will read and review a peer’s rough draft in order to identify and suggest changes to help the product be more unified, developed, and cohesive.

(See next page for sample assignment.)

Public Service

I use writing skills in my job as chief of police to document criminal activity, write traffic tickets, create performance evaluations, create staff reports, write grants, and communicate with other law enforcement agencies.

John Ruffcorn Chief of Police, Auburn Police Department



Instructionsforthestudent:

1. Highlight (in YELLOW) the thesis statement/purpose. According to the thesis/purpose, what is the writer’s position? Write the answer next to the thesis, in the margin. If the thesis is lacking information, write a specific suggestion for improvement next to the thesis.

2. Highlight (in BLUE) the main idea of each paragraph. If the main idea does not reflect the topic sentence, rewrite the topic sentence to reflect the main idea. If a sentence in the paragraph strays from the main idea, then write a specific suggestion in the margin.

3. Highlight (in ORANGE) the supporting evidence in each body paragraph. If any evidence is missing a proper citation, circle it. Determine the quality of evidence. If it does not support the thesis or purpose, then suggest what kind of evidence might work and where the writer might find it. Write this next to the evidence in question.

4. Highlight (in PINK) the explanation of the evidence. Determine if it is analysis or summary. If it is summary, what questions or points should the author pursue to develop or further analyze? Write this suggestion next to the highlighted analysis.

5. Address any sentences that are not highlighted. Label them. Are they transitions? Concluding sentences? Off-topic commentary? Consider what work they are doing for the essay and make notes if you think the author needs to revise or remove them.

(Adaptations could include parentheses, asterisks, bracketing, underlining, or numbering, at the instructor’s discretion.)

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Identifies claims, evidence, and explanations of evidence accurately.• Identifies transitions accurately.• Demonstrates critical thinking through quality of written commentary.



Model Formative Assessment12th Grade/College Basic Skills English: CSU’s English Placement Test (EPT) Style On-Demand Pair Writing, Peer Review, Peer Revision, and Reflection Project

Overview:

In pairs, students will a) write an essay in response to an EPT-style prompt; b) peer review another pair’s essay for clarity; c) revise yet another peer’s essay for clarity based on peer review notes; and d) receive their own revised essay back to reflect on the changes toward clarity and what they have learned about writing, reviewing, and reflecting for clarity of language, connections, and ideas.

“CSU’s English Placement Test (EPT) Style On-Demand Pair Writing, Peer Review, Peer Revision, and Reflection Project” formatively assesses the skill of effectivelyadvancinganargumentwithclaimsandevidence thatdemonstratecritical thinking throughanalysisandexplanationsofevidence by making better choices toward clarity based on a reader’s response as well as by recognizing errors in clarity.

Time Frame:

4–5 hours


Stage1: Pairs of students will be given an EPT-style prompt and expected to co-create an on-demand essay in response. The essay should include an overview of the argument of the quote and a thesis statement that asserts the degree to which they agree or disagree with the quote, claims, and evidence from readings, observations, and their own lives, supporting their claims and overall position in response to the quote.

Stage2: Once the essay is complete, the pair will trade their essay with another pair of students. Each pair will review and make revision notes toward clarity at the word, sentence, paragraph, idea, and essay level.

Stage3: The review and revision notes will be passed to a third pair of students who will revise the essay for clarity according to the notes and their own understanding of the writing task.

Stage4: The final activity has the original essay, review and revision notes, and revised essay returning to its pair of origin. They will compose a reflection on what has been changed and why. They also will reflect on what they learned about writing for greater clarity from each step in the process.



EPT-Style Prompt

Suggested Writing FormatIntroduction:• Introduce the topic being discussed (start general).• Explain the argument presented in the quote.• Thesis: Identify the extent to which you agree with the argument (strongly, completely,

somewhat, in some aspects…).

BodyParagraphs(minimumoftwo):• Topic/Transition Sentence: Present your first argument that supports your thesis.• Provide evidence — a specific example that proves your point — and then elaborate by

explaining how this example proves your point.• Connect your example/evidence to the argument presented in the quote.

Conclusion:• Restate your thesis.• Synthesize: How do your ideas come together to prove your thesis? (recap)• Leave your reader with a “big” idea, a “So what?”

PromptDirections:

You will have 45 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic assigned below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan what you will say. Your essay should be well-organized and carefully written.

Colleges and universities should strengthen our society by emphasizing aspects of life that are not for profit. Many institutions of higher education are failing in their responsibilities toward our country’s political and cultural health and creating citizens who think only of the self, personal wealth, and individual achievement. Unfortunately, education is viewed mainly as a means of getting a job instead of as a means to better the whole self and society. This widely held view of a university's purpose is diminishing the potential of our nation. — Professor Alice Kinnick

Explain Kinnick’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with her analysis. Support your position, providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.



Evaluation

Suggested criteria:

Stage1:• Explains the argument presented in the quote.• Identifies the extent to which the student agrees with the argument (strongly, completely,

somewhat, in some aspects…).• Uses topic and transition sentences. • Provides evidence. • Connects evidence to the argument presented in the quote.• Synthesizes how ideas come together to prove the thesis.

Stage2: Recognizes and suggests changes in areas of • word-level confusion;• sentence-level confusion;• paragraph-level confusion;• transition and connection of ideas; and• topic, thesis, claims, and evidence.

Stage3: Revises for clarity • words; • sentence; • paragraph;• transition and connection of ideas; and• topic, thesis, claims, and evidence.

Stage4: • States how revisions increased clarity.• Reflects on how to make text have greater clarity at each level of the compositional field:

word, sentence, paragraph, transitions, connections, whole text, and ideas.



Model Formative AssessmentCollege Freshman Composition: Syllogism Proposal

Overview:

A syllogism is developed into a mini-argument with evidence that addresses both premises.

“Syllogism Proposal” formatively assesses the skills of addressing, analyzing, andevaluatingcounterargumentsandcounterclaims by creating logical connections between claims and evidence.

Time Frame:1–2 hours, with additional time for research; could be assigned as homework


Students will develop a brief logical argument by expanding the syllogism. A syllogism is a simple, logical construction using two premises that lead to a conclusion. For example, Aristotle’s famous syllogism states:

Premise 1: All men are mortal.

Premise 2: Socrates is a man.

Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

For this assignment, the student will craft a proposal using a logical syllogism focused on his/her school. For instance:

Premise 1: Healthy students get better grades.

Premise 2: Most students aren’t allowed to independently access the gym.

Conclusion: Opening gym access will result in better grades overall.

The student asserting this syllogism then needs to create paragraphs for both premises and the conclusion with a works cited page, using MLA format. The focus is on gathering and effectively explaining quality evidence to produce a concise but effective argument.

For this process, students can use both primary and secondary sources to support each premise and the conclusion.



Evaluation:

• Creates a logical syllogism with two premises and a reasonable conclusion.• Develops a paragraph to explore each section of the syllogism.• Provides topic sentences that state the claims of Premise 1, Premise 2, and the Conclusion,

respectively. • Engages in research to find appropriate evidence for each premise from both secondary

and primary sources. • Creates connections between the evidence and the premise/claim.• Establishes the relationship between the premise/claim and the conclusion/main

argument in the final paragraph. • Uses MLA citation, including a works cited page.



C O M P E T E N C Y 7 : U S I N G C O R R E C T C O N V E N T I O N S F O R I N C O R P O R AT I N G A N D D O C U M E N T I N G S O U R C E S I N W R I T I N G

CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.7National Common Core Standards: 8CERT Standards: Style/Expression

Each discipline has different conventions for how to report and document sources in

writing. Accuracy of research and interpretation as well the ability for a peer to recreate the

research when necessary is highly valued in most endeavors, professional or otherwise. This

competency addresses the different conversations related to direct quoting, paraphrasing,

and summarizing as determined by the content area. When directly quoting source material,

students must precisely and appropriately use quote tags that identify speakers and context.

When paraphrasing source material, students must pay close attention to and understand

both the literal meanings and connotations of words. This competency also includes

instruction in using correct citation and attribution styles. Students who have attained

this competency understand the reasons for the conversions and that the rules vary from

profession to profession or, while in school, discipline to discipline.



UsingCorrectConventionsforIncorporatingandDocumentingSourcesinWriting:ACCESSCompetency7byGradeLevel


•With guidance, use paraphrasing, summarizing, and direct quotations.

•Apply an appropriate citation style (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago) in text and works cited page.

• Create an accurate and cross referenced works cited or reference page with single author books or periodicals.

•Understand the difference between intentional and unintentional plagiarism.

• Usebasicsentencestems/attributivetagstoidentifysourcesinordertointegratethemintowriting.

•Withlittleguidance,varyuseofparaphrasing,summarizing,anddirectquotations.

• Consistently apply appropriate citation style (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago) in works cited or reference section and throughout text.

• Create an accurate and cross-referenced works cited or reference page with multiple author books or periodicals that reference complex texts (e.g., texts with no author, texts in an anthology, reprinted texts).

•Understand the consequences of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism and avoid both.

• Effectivelyusesentencestems/attributivetagstoidentifysourcesandintegratethemintowriting.

• Purposefullydifferentiatetheuseofparaphrasing,summarizing,anddirectlyquotingasarhetoricalstrategy.

• Purposefullyapplyappropriatecitationstyle(e.g.,MLA,APA,Chicago)throughin-textcitations,attribution,andworkscited/referencesectioninordertoshowwritercredibility.

• Create an accurate and cross-referenced works cited or reference section with multiple author books or periodicals that reference complex academic texts gathered from academic databases (e.g., EBSCO, ProQuest, MedLine, etc.).

• Reflect on and understand ethical issues related to intellectual property involved in both intentional and unintentional plagiarism, and as such, avoid both.

• Purposely use sentence stems/attributive tags of varying lengths and structures to identify and indicate the credibility of sources and integrate them into writing.



Model Formative Assessment11th Grade English: Career Research Interview-to-Narrative

Overview:

Students transform interview notes into a narrative paragraph that requires various ways of incorporating details. Then, students create three citation pages using MLA, APA, and Chicago style. Finally, students research which fields these association-governing styles represent and reflect on why the rules might differ between the styles.

“Career Research Interview-to-Narrative” formatively assesses the skill of using basicsentencestems/attributivetagstoidentifysourcesinordertointegratethemintowriting by setting context of quotes with illustrative verbs.

Time Frame:

2–4 hours to conduct peer interview, compose narrative paragraph, create citation pages, research professional associations, and reflect and share paragraphs with class


After students have begun career research, they will interview each other in order to practice for research interviews with appropriate career authorities. Starting with a list of prescribed questions, students will conduct interviews with their partners. They will take notes on their partners’ responses, and they will use those notes to compose a paragraph that includes interview details, embedded quotations, and illustrative verbs. This will allow students to show aptitude in incorporating details into a text. Sharing their finished paragraphs will provide a live audience to complete the process.

Interview questions for students might include:

• What is your full name and what grade are you in?• What career are you researching and why did you select it?• What do you already know about this career?• What do you assume about your career?• What do you anticipate will be the most challenging aspect of your research project? • Who are some of the authorities you will be citing in your research project?

Agriculture and Natural Resources

I use writing skills in my job as a farmer every week in preparing a newsletter to my customers. I tell the story of the farm in weekly bites. People are curious about what we do and how we do it.

Greg ReynoldsRiverbend Farm



Verbs to discuss interviewee’s responses might include:

addresses acknowledges agrees believes wonders describes discusses explains notes thinks

NarrativeModel:

Robin Student, a sophomore at Mission High School, explains that he is researching a career in elder caregiving. With a smile on his face, he notes that the elderly are commonly referred to as “the aged, retirees, old folks, and senior citizens.” Robin believes that working with them and providing support will be rewarding, mostly because the elderly “like to tell stories about how the world has changed,” and Robin thinks that’s interesting. Although Robin looks forward to interviewing elder caregivers, he thinks that completing the career project will be extremely challenging. He is not looking forward to...

Next, students follow the rules of tagging quotations for three different citation styles: MLA, APA, and Chicago.

Then, the students should research which professions and disciplines the associations (MLA, APA, Chicago) represent.

Lastly, the students write a reflection on why the styles are different from each other and why the fields represented by the citation style might have those preferences, given their content.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria

• Conducts peer interview using provided questions.• Notes details and includes direct quotations.• Composes detailed narrative paragraph of the interview using appropriate quotation tags.• Uses correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.• Creates a citation page using three different styles of citation (MLA, APA, Chicago).• Reflects on reasons for differences between the styles of citation, using research to

add context to reflection.



Model Formative Assessment12th Grade and College Basic Skills English: Four Great Ways to Integrate

Overview:

Students use a single long passage from a given source to demonstrate their ability to summarize, paraphrase, integrate short quotations, and use block quotation.

“Four Great Ways to Integrate” formatively assesses the skills of varying the use ofparaphrasing,summarizing,anddirectquotations,andofeffectivelyusingsentencestems/attributivetagstoidentifysourcesandintegratethemintowriting.

Time Frame:

1 hour


In this short assignment, students will demonstrate the difference between summarizing, paraphrasing, incorporating a quotation within an original sentence, and using block quotation.

Prompt:

For the following quote, use four separate techniques for including the information in your own essay. First, paraphrase the passage. Next, summarize the passage. Then, use an attributive tag to introduce a short quotation into your own sentence. Finally, introduce an appropriate block quotation from the source. After you’ve finished these steps, include a citation appropriate for a works cited page.

J. Madeleine Nash wrote the article titled “Fireproofing the Forests,” which appeared on page 52 in the August 18, 2003, issue of Time:

To many forest ecologists, manipulating fuel loads — whether by thinning, prescribed burning, or a combination of the two — constitutes the best strategy we have for ensuring that the ponderosa pine forests of the present survive into the future. And the good news, says Mark Finney, a researcher with the U.S. Forest Service's Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Mont., is that it's probably not going to be necessary to thin or prescribe-burn every acre of forest at risk. According to mathematical models that Finney has developed, reducing fuels in a strategic pattern across a more manageable 20% of the landscape may well be sufficient.



Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

Summary:• Condenses the information to include most important information.• Includes author, text, page, and date.

Paraphrase:• Includes all information from original selection in his/her own words, making information

more clear than original text.

Shortquotation:• Includes short selection that contains key phrase or important detail.• Correctly integrates original text smoothly and efficiently.

Blockquotation:• Uses his/her own language to put block quotation in context.• Correctly formats block quote.

Citation:• Includes correct information in works cited page.• Correctly capitalizes, punctuates, organizes, formats works cited page.



Model Formative Assessment College Freshman Composition: Integration Times Ten

Overview:

Students are challenged to come up with as many structural variations of integrating a single short quotation as possible.

“Integration Times Ten” formatively assesses the skills of purposefullydifferentiatingtheuseofparaphrasing,summarizing,anddirectlyquotingasarhetoricalstrategyandapplyingappropriatecitationstyle(e.g.,MLA,APA,Chicago)throughin-textcitations,attribution,andworkscited/referencessectioninordertoshowwritercredibility.

Time Frame:

1 hour for introduction, exercise, and post-discussion (Ideally, this assessment should occur after students have written assignments that required incorporating outside texts.)


Students are given a short quotation and its context. For instance:

Who: Keith Richards.His position: Rolling Stones lead guitarist.Context: In an interview, offering his views on rock and roll.Your paper’s claim: Rock and roll isn’t “dangerous” and shouldn’t be taken so seriously.His quotation: “Rock and roll’s great weapon is humor.”

Given this information, students should work to create up to 10 original single sentences that incorporate this quotation, altering sentence structure in as many ways as possible. The goal is to demonstrate variety in quotation integration.

After 10 minutes or so of drafting sentences, students should finish their completed sentences, then take 10 minutes or so to name or describe the different sentence structures.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Uses a variety of simple, compound, complex sentences.• Uses introductory phrases or appositives.• Uses different lengths of the original quotation.• Brings in different positions of the original quotation within the sentence.• Describes or names differences in order to express sentence variety.• Utilizes appropriate citation style (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago).



C O M P E T E N C Y 8 : U S I N G C O R R E C T G R A M M A R C O N V E N T I O N S

CA Content Standards: Writing Strategies 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3National Common Core Standards: 1 and 2CERT Standards: Style/Expression

Correct grammar is the basis for good writing. Errors in these conventions inhibit a reader’s

understanding of a text. Good writing demands that writers consistently use proper, effective,

and purposeful sentence structure. Issues of proper agreement, idiom, and punctuation as well

as other minutiae of language construction are captured in this competency. This competency

also represents the importance of understanding how to identify and correct grammatical

errors in order to make writing clearer and to help communicate more effectively. Although

this competency is applicable throughout the writing process, these skills come to the

forefront in the editing phase. The knowledge of grammatical conventions is essential for clear

communication between reader and writer, but is not static and alters as our language alters.

Using Correct Grammar Conventions: ACCESS Competency 8 by Grade Level


•With guidance, identify and correct errors in writing, such as errors in syntax, sentence structure, dependent and relative clauses, agreement, idiom, punctuation, and word choice.

•Withguidance,writesimple,complex,andcompoundsentencesusingcorrectpunctuation.

•With guidance, apply a variety of editing strategies.

• Format to meet assignment requirements.

•With limited guidance, identify and correct errors in writing, such as errors in syntax, sentence structure, dependent and relative clauses, agreement, idiom, punctuation, and word choice.

•Writeeffectiveandcorrectlypunctuatedsimple,compound,andcomplexsentencesthataccuratelycapturetherelationshipbetweenideas.

•Apply a variety of editing strategies when directed.

• Format to meet assignment requirements with limited guidance.

• Independentlyidentifyerrorpatternsinwriting,suchaserrorsinsyntax,sentencestructure,dependentandrelativeclauses,agreement,idiom,punctuation,andwordchoice.

•Write purposeful, simple, compound, and complex sentences that accurately and correctly capture the relationship between ideas.

• Independently apply variety of editing strategies.

• Format paper to meet assigned requirements based on writing in the discipline.



Model Formative Assessment11th Grade English: Missing Links

Overview:

Students work in pairs to combine sentences, utilizing different grammatically appropriate methods. The choices students make should reflect the demands of a more complex vocabulary and ideas, and become a matter of rhetorical strategy and attention to audience, genre, and purpose. Sentence structure should be a matter of thoughtful selection and not habit.

“Missing Links” formatively assesses the skill of writingsimple,compound,and complex sentences by using — in this case — conjunctions and transitions appropriately, logically, and with correct punctuation.

Time Frame:

1 hour


Using the provided list or something similar, cut out slips of paper with a single clause printed on each. Ask students to pair up with someone holding a related clause. Once students have identified suitable pairs, their job is to find three to five logically and grammatically appropriate ways to link the clauses in a single sentence. Possible links include comma/coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, relative pronouns, semicolons, and transitional words/phrases.

After pairs have combined sentences, it would also be appropriate to have pairs switch and review other pairs’ sentences for logic and grammar.

Education, Child Development, Family Services

I use writing skills whenever I need to break down an idea, express my appreciation, request support, or simply engage in a casual conversation online. I write formal letters infrequently; however grammar, punctuation, and spelling still matter despite the vehicle: e-mail, chat, blog, handwritten note, or letter of recommendation.

Gregg RamsethDirector of Assessment and TechnologyPlacer Union High School District



Samplelistofclauses:

Miniskirts get shorter every year.

Those shoes are an ugly color.

Berries usually ripen in the summer.

Wild mushrooms grow all over the world.

I bought seven pairs of earrings.

His pants are dragging on the ground.

Everyone at work has to wear a uniform.

The yard is full of dandelions.

Ostrich eggs are enormous.

Cherry tomatoes make excellent snacks.

Some come with a belt.

They are torn and dirty.

My mother hates them.

Some kinds are edible.

The silver ones are my favorites.

Only experts should pick them.

Digging them up is my job.

I will not try them on.

I love to throw them in salads.

Each one could make several omelets.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Combines sentences appropriate to purpose, idea, and context.• Uses conjunctions appropriately and logically to connect ideas.• Uses transitions appropriately and logically to connect ideas.• Incorporates punctuation appropriate for sentence combinations.



Model Formative Assessment12th Grade/Basic Skills College English: Literary Imitation

Overview:

Students imitate a published writer’s structure and style in order to demonstrate syntactical awareness.

“Literary Imitation” formatively assesses the skill of writingeffectivesimple,compound,andcomplexsentencesthataccuratelycapturetherelationshipbetweenideas.

Time Frame:

1–2 hours


Students imitate a writer with a strong and specific style. This method of literary imitation demonstrates students’ syntactical awareness and requires students to carefully compose sentences — or, in this case, a paragraph — modeled after the opening lines of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

Students will complete the template, edit and proofread their writing, and submit imitations in MLA format. All imitations should reflect awareness of audience and purpose as well as attention to diction and syntax.

Example using the opening paragraph from “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote:

The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a

lonesome area that other Kansans call “out there.” Some seventy miles east of the

Colorado border, the countryside, with its hard blue skies and desert-clear air, has

an atmosphere that is rather more Far West than Middle West. The local accent is

barbed with a prairie twang, a ranch-hand nasalness, and the men, many of them,

wear narrow frontier trousers, Stetsons, and high-heeled boots with pointed toes.

The land is flat, and the views are awesomely extensive; horses, herds of cattle, a

white cluster of grain elevators rising as gracefully as Greek temples are visible long

before a traveler reaches them.



The __________ of ______________ of _____________, a ___________ that other

__________call “______________.” Some ________ miles east of the ____________ border,

the countryside, with its ______________s and _______________, has an atmosphere that is

rather more ____________ than _________________. The local accent is _____________ed

with a __________ _________, a __________-_________ness, and the _________, many of

them, wear ________s, ________s, and ________________s with ___________s. The land

is ___________and the views are _________ _________; ________________s, __________s

of ____________, a ________ of _________ __________s ________ing as _________ly as

___________ ___________s are visible long before a ______________s them.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Demonstrates attention to diction and syntax.• Echoes structure and style of writing.• Uses correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.• Uses conjunctions to connect ideas appropriately and logically.• Uses transitions to connect ideas appropriately and logically.• Incorporates end punctuation appropriate for sentences.



Model Formative Assessment College Freshman Composition: Two-Paragraph Breakdown

Overview:

After writing a paragraph or two on a topic, students are asked to analyze their own structural and grammatical conventions.

The “Two Paragraph Breakdown” formatively assesses the skill of independentlyidentifyingerrorpatternsinwriting,suchaserrorsinsyntax,sentencestructure,dependentandrelativeclauses,agreement,idiom,punctuation,andwordchoice.

Time Frame:

1 hour with time for homework; 1 follow-up hour for discussion


Students are given 10 minutes to write two paragraphs on a given topic. Afterward, they are asked to review their piece of writing objectively by paying attention only to certain elements of the writing.

First, they should indicate how many sentences include run-ons or comma splices. Next, they should indicate any sentence fragments.

In the remaining complete sentences, students should indicate how many are simple, how many are compound, and how many are complex. Then they should indicate how many sentences use introductory phrases or appositives.

Finally, students should write a one-paragraph analysis of what their exploration tells them about how intentionally they structure sentences and what might improve their writing in terms of structure and variety.

Evaluation:

Suggested criteria:

• Recognizes sentence types.• Correctly identifies sentence types.• Indicates sentence-level errors: run-ons/comma splices and fragments.• Demonstrates ability to draw conclusions and consider potential areas of revision.


71S u m m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s

Summative Assessments


72 S u m m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s


Summative assessments differ from formative assessments in that they are designed to give

students opportunities to show that they have mastered all of the individual competencies

rather than just a single competency. Necessarily, the summative assessments featured here

are more extensive projects that function as course or unit culminating projects or finals. In

contrast to the formative assessments, summative assessments require an extended timeline,

and may include checkpoints along the way to help students through the multistep process.

The skills necessary to fully engage in these large projects must be introduced and

practiced in lower stakes formative assignments preceding the summative assessment. The

summative assessment measures the student’s ability to independently do what has already

been learned with support. Introducing the critical reading and academic writing skills

necessary to complete a culminating project during a summative assessment inevitably

leads to teacher frustration and student failure.

The skills required and content knowledge needed to successfully complete all of the

summative assessments included in this section illustrate the rationale for embedding the

skills and knowledge throughout the course. It further illustrates the need for formative

assessments along the way. Large scale products, such as the ones that follow, are not the

time to discover that students don’t have the prerequisite skills and knowledge needed

to complete the task. In other words, a student who is writing a research report should

not be learning the skills embedded in the competencies for the first time. Similarly, the

depth of content knowledge necessary to successfully complete these tasks also illustrates,

for example, the need for the content of a research paper to grow out of the content of

the course rather than having a decontextualized research project in which students are

simultaneously learning skills and gaining knowledge.

How to Use This Section:

This section presents four summative assessments (pages 75–83). Each assessment is

adaptable, and once adapted, appropriate for use at all levels.

Following the four assessments are three rubrics, one for use in the 11th grade/advanced

EL course, one for the 12th grade/college basic skills course, and one for the college level

transfer course.



Each rubric identifies four levels of achievement:

•basic

•emerging

•meets competency

•advanced

Each rubric assesses each level of achievement in six categories:

•writing process

•critical thinking

•organization

•support/evidence/sources

•style/voice

•conventions

Because the summative assessments evaluate student achievement for all or most of the

competencies in a multilayered project, and because the competencies overlap and reinforce

each other, the holistic rubric identifies categories for evaluation rather than evaluating each

competency separately. In other words, the categories of evaluation reflect the complexity

and interrelatedness of the reading, writing, and thinking tasks.

For example, there are two categories, “critical thinking” and “style/voice,” to which there

seem to be no direct references in the competencies. Upon further examination, however,

we see that the four levels of achievement related to “critical thinking” include skills such as

producing arguments and taking context into account (Competency 1: Writing an Argument

with Audience and Purpose in Mind), and using logic (Competency 5: Organizing Using

Accepted Text Structures and Patterns of Organization). The category “style/voice” includes

skills such as using appropriate vocabulary and making syntactical choices based on the

needs of the audience, skills that are represented in competencies 1, 6, and 8.

The language of the holistic rubrics representing the competencies is blended within

the levels of achievement (basic, emerging, meets competency, and advanced), hopefully

rendering the relationship between the rubric and the competency explicit and visible.

The holistic rubrics for each level are good starting places for considering ways to adapt

the assignments as well as for assessing student work and thinking about how rigor increases



at each grade level. Instructors are encouraged to adapt the rubrics to the specifics of the

assessments or focus on chosen elements of the rubric to highlight mastery in a particular

competency or competencies.

Similar to the formative assessments, the summative assessments are models, not

mandates. All assessments are offered with the caveat that teachers should adapt them

however they see fit to meet the particular needs of their students, their courses of study,

and the dynamics of their own classrooms.



Summative AssessmentProject Public Service Announcements or Brochures

Overview:

Students create a triptych poster in which they analyze a poem in order to use the poem as part of a concise, audience-appropriate visual document — a public service announcement (PSA) or brochure — to promote an industry sector.

Time Frame:

2–3 weeks of class time, with outside homework and research

Real World Application:

The skills of analysis and research of a chosen topic, and the culminating product of a concise, audience-appropriate visual document, are ubiquitous in many career pathways. Literature generally, and poetry specifically, contains universal themes and subjects that can be used to market, support, explain, or illuminate ideas in a variety of applications (marketing, team-building, organization, staff development).

Assessment:

ProcessandProduct:In small groups, students use the Internet to locate a number of poems that contain themes pertinent to various industries. After reading a variety of poems from American poets, students will select a poem that best demonstrates a theme appropriate to the aspect of the industry sector they wish to address. They will research and analyze this poem, assert how the poem connects to an industry sector (why they selected the poem), and present their findings in a neat, visually attractive three-panel poster to inform and engage their peers.

This poster will be arranged in three distinct panels. The panels should include mostly text (at least 70% of the space should be text) with appropriate accent visuals to draw in the audience. The text should include the poem; the student’s exposition/analysis of the poem; the poem’s connection to the industry sector; the poem’s literary, historical, and cultural context; and a brief (no more than a paragraph) biography of the poet. The student will use the research process (utilizing MLA references) to gather critical and background information, and will demonstrate the writing process by turning in prewrites and drafts at scheduled times and participating in group editing prior to submitting the final product.

Students must then identify a target audience that needs but is currently underutilizing the services of the industry they’ve selected to promote. The students will then create a PSA or brochure using the poem to highlight the chosen industry, paying close attention to genre conventions, intended audience, and purpose. They need to engage in research to find models of brochures and PSAs from their chosen industry. They will use sample brochures



and PSAs from their selected industry sectors as models for their products, and reflect on how these examples assisted them in their creation process.

Some sample PSA and brochure projects:

• Agriculture and Natural Resources: Use a passage from a poem to highlight the history and benefits of an agricultural technology in an informative advertisement for public or consumer education.

• Energy and Utilities: Use a section of a famous poem in a marketing document to persuade industries to embrace emerging technologies.

• Health Care: Use excerpts from a poem or poems about grief, illness, dying, pregnancy, or childbirth to encourage the continuing education of healthcare workers in the psychological aspects of patient care.

• Public Services: Highlight a patriotic poem as a marketing tool that supports the mission of a government agency.

• Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation: Include local poets’ or writers’ works in brochures to romanticize a locale and facilitate tourism, e.g., Visit Kerouac’s “Big Sur,” Come to “Steinbeck Country,” Explore “Beat Poetry Headquarters” in Northern California.

Example:

Nothing Gold Can Stay

The Author — Robert Frost:

What Does it Mean?

Why Does it Matter?

Nature’s first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down today.

Nothing gold can stay.

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Imagery and Symbolism:

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Works Cited

Frost, Robert. Interview with James Jameson. Nov. 1958.

Smith, Jane. “The Meaning of Poetry.” Literature Weekly, Vol 4. July

2010.

Williams, Xavier. “Robert’s Frosting.” Writer’s Life. Sept. 2008.

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Summative AssessmentCalifornia Water Persuasive Essay

Overview:

Students are required to research the current issue of water supply in California and write a series of formal responses arguing for a specific course of action. The assessment includes an annotated bibliography, researched persuasive essay, and three cover letters geared toward varying audiences. The assessment includes an annotated bibliography, researched persuasive essay, three cover letters geared toward varying audiences, and a formal reflection.

Time Frame:



The issue of water supply potentially reaches into all California industry sectors. Some examples are:

• Agriculture and Natural Resources: An irrigation manager in Sonoma might engage in a project of this scope to help Sonoma continue to produce world class wines.

• Building Trades and Construction: A civil engineer working on the development of subdivisions in outlying areas of Palm Desert might invest considerable time and resources ensuring that the water demands of the project are met during construction, and that the needs of the community will be met following construction.

• Energy and Utilities: Waste management technicians and engineers might use such a project to ensure improvement in efficacy of wastewater systems in existing communities and new developments.

• Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation: The tourism industry in Santa Rosa, dependent upon water supply as a jumping-off point for tours and wine country excursions, might enlist lobbyists dedicated to projects such as this to ensure continued tourism.

Assessment:

ProcessandProduct:Students will write from the perspective of a legal clerk for a legislator and must provide a recommendation on the issue of California water supply and use. This report must include an annotated bibliography that reviews different perspectives of the issue, a persuasive essay that supports their thesis, and three cover letters that summarize their argument.



Annotated bibliography: Students will research and analyze various types of text of increasingly complex discourses, which may include audio and visual media. For each text, students should

1. write a brief summary that accurately identifies and analyzes the claim, and

2. provide a paragraph predicting how they will use this source in their final report or why it will not be useful.

Persuasive essay: After completing an annotated bibliography from various interest groups (the economy, the environment, the citizens) on the California water supply and use issue, students will craft a persuasive essay. This essay should

1. begin with an overview of various stakeholder issues related to water supply and use in California;

2. include a thesis that states their recommendation(s) to the legislator;

3. develop and support recommendation(s) with relevant reasons, evidence, and analysis;

4. address and evaluate the opposing view(s); and

5. conclude with a summary of their findings, including their recommendation(s).

Cover letters: Students will write three letters to three different legislators of different partisan groups. These cover letters should

1. summarize their findings;

2. state their argument;

3. be specific to their audience; and

4. follow the format of a cover letter.

Formal reflection: Students will write a reflection of their writing process over the course of these assignments. This reflection should

1. reflect thinking and rethinking of the organizational structure, connection, and ideas in the persuasive essay and cover letters;

2. illustrate how they recognized and corrected significant patterns of errors in their writing; and

3. answer the following questions:

•What are the strengths of this draft?

•What did you do to improve this draft?

•What skills did you learn in the process of crafting this paper that you could use in future projects?



Summative AssessmentA Closer Look at Visual Texts

Overview:

This project focuses on visual rhetoric and argumentation. The project is comprised of four components: the prospectus, the oral presentation, the annotated bibliography, and the final research paper including a works cited page. The purpose of this research project is to build skills at posing analytical questions, conducting an investigation of existing knowledge, analyzing and synthesizing accumulated data, and presenting to a predetermined audience.

The primary text used in the class is “Picturing Texts” by Lester Faigley, Diana George, Anna Palchik, and Cynthia Selfe. Other helpful resources are “Beyond Words” by John Ruszkiewicz, Daniel Anderson, and Christy Friend, and “Seeing and Writing” by Donald McQuade and Christine McQuade.

Time Frame:



Analysis of visual texts is a skill that crosses industry sectors. Some specific examples of applications are:

Arts, Media, and Entertainment: A publicity director publicizing a graphic novel’s film adaptation might participate in a careful analysis and study of graphic novel visuals to help create publicity material consistent with the original work’s independent and edgy reputation.

Finance and Business: An accounting firm looking to redesign their marketing materials and office interior might undertake an analysis of images to select icons and decor that represent security, confidence, accuracy, or other appropriate ideals.

Information Technology: A software engineer creating a design for basic skills grammar software might undertake a visual analysis of text design and images for the millennial generation, and apply that research in the design of the software to facilitate a better user experience for their younger target market.

Transportation: A vehicle-painting company interested in exploring new markets might do a visual analysis to see whether the current and historical interest in tattoos and their connotations would translate into removable decorative wraps, window decals, or custom paint jobs.



Assessment:

Process and Product:The first three components of this project — the prospectus, oral presentation, and annotated bibliography — assist the student in writing the final research paper. Students will have three choices regarding the type of research paper they will write, with a couple caveats:

• Students may not use topics that have been discussed in class or the topic of prior essays or print advertisements.

• Students may not use commonplace topics, such as tobacco or alcohol advertisements or the use of sex as an advertising tool.

• Topics must be approved before students proceed.

The goal of this project is to prepare students for the rigors of both investigative research of a particular topic and the intellectual engagement required in career and industry fields.

Prospectus: The prospectus is the student’s consideration of the appropriateness of a research topic. The purpose of this assignment is to help students clarify a research topic and to guide them in their research. The prospectus is graded CR/NC, but it is a required component of the final project. In one or two typed pages (one page minimum, two pages maximum), the prospectus should address the following prompts:

• Proposal: Choose one of the three research options and describe what specific topic you’d like to know more about. Be sure to address how that topic fits with the parameters of the particular option you’ve chosen. Tell why you want to study this topic.

• Existing knowledge: What do you already know about this topic? Have you studied it before? What interests you about this topic? List everything (or as much as you can) about this topic that you know.

• Research question: Articulate one or two research questions that will drive your investigation: What needs to be discovered about your topic?

• Future knowledge: What do you hope to learn through this process?

Annotated bibliography: A bibliography is a list of sources (books, articles, documents, etc.) with complete citation information. An annotated bibliography also provides this information, but each entry is followed by an annotation, a paragraph that first summarizes or describes the main idea of the source in one or two sentences and then evaluates the source (6–10 sentences). The annotated bibliography should contain a minimum of 12 entries from a variety of sources, including books, articles, and Web sites.

Oral presentation: This will give students an opportunity to share information with peers, help students to organize their thoughts and research, and provide feedback from classmates. Students should strive to present their central claim and supporting ideas. They may mention pertinent research, but the focus of the presentation should be on the student’s ideas.



FinalResearchPaper: Using at least 10 outside sources in the text of their 8- to 10-page paper, students have three options:

Option 1: Study of a visual text. Pick a work of visual art (painting, sculpture, film, etc.) that has appeared in different contexts over time. Write a research paper exploring the meaning/significance of that work in the different contexts in which it has appeared. Your research should help you illuminate:

• What was the original context in which it was made? • Who was the author/artist? What were her/his intentions?• How has the image been appropriated over time and for what purposes? How does this

change the meaning of the text? • Who was/is the audience for this work? • What historical, social, economic, or cultural factors have influenced the reception and

meaning of this work?

Option 2: Study of a message in visual genres. Pick a message or idea that has been communicated in at least three different visual sources. Write a researched analysis of the message's effectiveness in those sources (consider themed museum displays, festivals, or conferences that include different visual texts focusing on the idea). Your research should focus on:

• Why is this message important? • Who is the audience for the message?• How is the message presented in each source, and how does the presentation affect the

effectiveness of the message?• What historical, social, economic, or cultural factors have influenced the reception of this

message?

Option 3: Ethical construction of a visual text. Using the principles of visual rhetoric, graphic design, and argumentation, create your own visual text. Some examples of texts are a short film, a poster for a business or organization, or any text that intentionally employs visual rhetorical strategies. As you design the text, consider the factors that contribute to ethically designing visual texts: your message (argument/claim), assumptions, audience needs, purpose, and potential reactions. Then write an essay to accompany your text in which you (1) describe your text, (2) perform an analysis of your text, (3) summarize two viewers’ responses, and (4) reflect on what worked about your text, what didn’t work, and what aspects of the design you found most challenging. You should consider:

• What is your message or intended effect? • Who is your audience and how did you address your audience?• Why did you choose the particular medium/genre? • What visual/rhetorical strategies did you employ and for what purpose?



Summative AssessmentViews from “The Devil’s Highway”

Overview:

Luis Urrea’s book The Devil’s Highway details the true account of 26 men who attempted to cross the Mexican border into southern Arizona and only 12 survived. In this research project, students take on the role of one of the stakeholders (law enforcement, healthcare worker, social worker, historian, or politician) and make an argument from that person’s perspective on immigration of undocumented workers. The product is a 5–7 page feature magazine article in which students use Urrea’s book, outside research, and their own prior knowledge to construct an argument for a specific audience.

Time Frame:



A variety of current, relevant, controversial situations that students are facing — or may be facing in the future — are applicable in all of California’s industry sector pathways. One general outcome of this assignment is that students will be able to see how issues often have many points of view and many possible solutions. Students will also see the value of contributing to their society and how their contributions can further enhance their connection to their community. They should be aware of public debates on issues in their field.

Assessment:

ProcessandProduct:Every year, hundreds of migrants cross the border between Mexico and the United States. Immigration brings many challenges, not only for the undocumented immigrants themselves but for legal citizens in the United States. For this paper, students choose one of the five following roles and dilemmas. In addressing the questions, they are asked to take into account the information in Urrea’s book and outside research regarding the issues in the given field they select.

a) You are a law enforcement agent patrolling the border. What challenges do you face? If you were in charge of the situation, explore three possible ways to deal with the issue. Given your resources, which of the three ways do you see is the most feasible and why?

b) You work as a hospital administrator who deals with many immigrants who come to you uninsured, dehydrated, and sometimes dying. You also may be dealing with citizens who have been in accidents involving immigrants. What challenges do you face? How much medical care should the undocumented immigrants receive and why? If you were in a situation where you had to make decisions, what possible courses of action would you take that would be humane and that would take into account the financial repercussions of caring for such people?



c) You are a social worker who works with immigrants. What psychological and social issues do immigrants bring to the community? What advice would you give to the community as to how to work together and/or visualize the challenge?

d) You are a historian in charge of documenting the challenge of illegal immigration for future textbooks. What about the situation concerning undocumented immigrants would be important for students to learn? What lessons would you feel are important for future citizens to learn so that they can resolve future immigration issues?

e) You are the mayor of a border town and are faced with a steady stream of undocumented workers, irritated and supportive citizens, a budget shortfall, and maintaining the well-being of the community, including keeping a strong workforce. What are the challenges you face? What policies would you enact that would benefit the majority of your constituency?

Students will choose a specific publication for their article that will establish the audience, such as:

• Esquire

• The Weekly Standard

• The Nation

• Upfront (Scholastic News Magazine)

• Good Housekeeping

• National Geographic

Before choosing a specific publication, students will familiarize themselves with each of the magazines, noting characteristics of the audience as well as the types and structures of arguments the magazine tends to make.

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BASIC EMERGING MEETS COMPETENCY ADVANCED

Writing Process

• does not use a consistent or planned writing process

• does not develop a claim/controlling idea/thesis

• does not plan or write with audience, purpose, and genre in mind

• utilizes some writing processes

• develops a claim/controlling idea/thesis that may be simplistic or formulaic

• exhibits some sense of audience, purpose, and genre in planning and writing

• utilizes necessary writing processes: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing

• develops a claim/controlling idea/thesis

• writes with a sense of audience, purpose, and genre

• revises with audience, purpose, and genre in mind


• demonstrates ongoing application of writing process through evolving claim/controlling idea/thesis

• writes and revises and makes appropriate choices with audience, purpose, and genre in mind

• reflects on success of writing with audience, purpose, and genre in mind

Critical Thinking

• produces illogical arguments or solutions

• includes few, mostly weak persuasive and logical appeals

• does not address alternative views

• makes no connection to a larger political/social/cultural context

• produces incomplete/ inconsistent arguments/solutions

• uses weak persuasive and logical appeals

• may not address alternative views

• has little awareness of a larger political/social/cultural context

• produces clear but simple arguments or solutions

• includes some persuasive/logical appeals

• shows awareness of opposing ideas

• alludes to at least one larger context — political/social/cultural

• produces clear arguments or solutions

• uses persuasive and logical appeals

• addresses alternative views

• acknowledges larger political/social/cultural contexts

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Organization • generally organizes around five paragraph essay model

• organizes information in simplistic or random order

• uses few transitions within and between paragraphs/sections/segments

• includes basic introduction and conclusion with limited body/sections/segments

• uses adequate order of information

• uses transitions regularly; may be predictable (first, second, etc.)

• includes clear introduction, body/sections/segments, and conclusion

• uses effective order of information

• uses various transitions regularly in paragraphs

• employs appropriate patterns of organization

• includes focused introduction and clear body/sections/segments and conclusion

• maintains consistent focus throughout the text

• presents information in a logical order

• uses variety of transitions regularly within and between paragraphs/sections/segments

• employs patterns of organization that deepen understanding of ideas

Support/ Evidence/Sources

• uses sources minimally; may not meet the assignment requirements

• uses only secondary sources

• uses support/evidence that sometimes does not relate to argument

• often fails to use evidence

• uses limited sources that minimally meet assignment requirements

• relies heavily on secondary sources, but may include a primary source

• uses support/evidence that mostly relates to argument

• inserts evidence (quotes, summaries, paraphrases) in text

• uses a variety of sources that meet the assignment requirements

• uses mostly secondary sources, but includes some primary sources

• relates support/evidence to central argument

• introduces evidence (quotes, summaries, paraphrases) into text

• uses credible sources appropriately that meet assignment requirements

• uses both primary and secondary sources

• clearly and consistently focuses support/evidence on central argument or claim

• integrates evidence (quotes, summaries, paraphrases) into text

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Style/Voice • uses simplistic word choices that do not create a voice

• has no awareness of audience beyond self

• sometimes uses inaccurate vocabulary

• uses vocabulary and sources that are consistently at odds with purpose

• creates an emerging voice with awkward word choices and simplistic language and descriptions


• uses simple vocabulary

• uses vocabulary/sources that inconsistently support purpose

• creates a voice with accurate word choices, figurative language, and appropriate description and tone

• shows awareness of audience beyond self

• accurately uses vocabulary that may or may not be discipline-specific

• uses vocabulary/sources that support purpose

• creates a voice through appropriate word choices, figurative language, creative description, and appropriate tone

• demonstrates audience awareness through choice of sources and references

• uses varied vocabulary; may not always be discipline-specific

• uses vocabulary and sources that consistently support purpose

Conventions • uses mostly complete sentences and accurate punctuation with some sentence-level errors

• inconsistently formats in-text citing and reference or works cited page

• uses simple sentence structure and punctuation


• uses accurate sentence structure and punctuation

• consistently formats in-text citing and reference or works cited page that is appropriate for chosen style guide

• uses varied sentence structure and punctuation


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Writing Process

• utilizes some writing processes


• exhibits some sense of audience, purpose, and genre in planning and writing






• demonstrates ongoing reflection of writing process through evolving claim/controlling idea/thesis

• writes/revises and makes appropriate choices with audience, purpose, and genre in mind


• independently engages in and reflects on writing processes to meet the specific demands of the writing task

• develops a clear thesis that addresses the topic with clarity, complexity, and depth of thought

• uses appropriate rhetorical moves, content, evidence, and arguments with audience, purpose, and genre in mind during all stages of the writing process

Critical Thinking

• produces incomplete or inconsistent arguments or solutions

• uses weak persuasive and logical appeals

• may not address alternative views

• demonstrates little awareness of larger political/social/cultural context

• produces clear but simple arguments or solutions

• includes some persuasive/logical appeals


• alludes to at least one larger context — political/social/cultural





• produces complex, original arguments or solutions

• integrates effective persuasive and logical appeals

• demonstrates objectivity by addressing alternative views

• makes connections to larger political/social/cultural contexts

S u m m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s G r a d i n g R u b r i c f o r 1 2 t h G r a d e / C o l l e g e B a s i c S k i l l s E n g l i s h

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Organization • includes basic introduction and conclusion with limited body/sections/segments

• uses adequate order of information

• uses few transitions within and between paragraphs/sections/segments

• includes clear introduction, body/sections/segments, and conclusion

• focuses text on argument

• organizes information in logical order, perhaps with one or two exceptions

• uses some transitions; may be formulaic or repetitive

• employs appropriate patterns of organization

• includes focused introduction and clear body paragraphs/sections/segments and conclusion

• maintains consistent focus throughout the text

• presents information in logical order

• uses transitions regularly within and between paragraphs/sections/segments


• includes engaging introduction, clear paragraphs/sections/segments, and conclusion that move the reader to action

• includes interpretations with a rhetorical thread throughout the text

• presents information in logical, thoughtful order relative to the task

• uses transitions regularly and effectively within and between paragraphs/sections/segments

• contains multiple patterns of organization to best showcase the relationship among ideas

Support/ Evidence/ Sources

• uses limited sources that minimally meet assignment requirements

• uses mostly secondary sources

• uses support/evidence that mostly relates to argument

• inserts evidence (quotes, summaries, paraphrases) into text

• uses variety of sources that meet assignment requirements

• uses some primary sources; uses mostly secondary sources

• uses support/evidence that relates to central argument


• appropriately uses credible sources that meet assignment requirements




• effectively uses credible sources that meet assignment requirements

• balances use of primary and secondary sources

• advances central argument or claim through support/evidence that works together

• cohesively integrates evidence (quotes, summaries, paraphrases) within text

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Style/Voice • creates an emerging voice through awkward word choices, lack of figurative language, and unclear description


• uses simple vocabulary

• uses vocabulary and sources that inconsistently support purpose

• creates a voice through accurate word choices, figurative language, and general description/tone

• shows some awareness of audience beyond self

• accurately uses vocabulary that may or may not be discipline-specific

• uses vocabulary and sources that mostly support purpose

• creates a voice through appropriate word choices, figurative language, and clear description/tone

• demonstrates audience awareness through choice of sources/references

• uses varied vocabulary; may not always be discipline-specific

• uses vocabulary/sources that consistently support purpose

• creates distinctive voice through purposeful word choices and consistent tone

• demonstrates command of audience through choice of sources and references

• uses complex and discipline-specific vocabulary appropriately

• uses tone, vocabulary, sources, and references that work together to support purpose

Conventions • uses simple sentence structure and punctuation


• uses accurate sentence structure and punctuation




• uses sophisticated, varied, complex sentence structure and punctuation


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Writing Process


• develops a claim/controlling idea/thesis




• demonstrates ongoing reflection of writing process through evolving claim/controlling idea/thesis

• writes/revises and makes appropriate choices with audience, purpose, and genre in mind


• independently engages in and reflects on writing processes to meet the specific demands of the writing task

• develops a clear thesis that addresses the topic with clarity, complexity, and depth of thought

• uses appropriate rhetorical moves, content, evidence, and arguments with audience, purpose, and genre in mind during all stages of the writing process

• uses writing processes that demonstrate perseverance, precision, and ownership

• demonstrates clear and engaging language in thesis, which advances sophisticated and unique claim

• uses knowledge of audience, genre, and purpose to inform critical choices in the writing process related to context, organization, selection of evidence, appeals, and hierarchy of ideas

Critical Thinking

• produces clear but simple argument or solution

• includes some persuasive or logical appeals






• alludes to at least one larger context —political/social/cultural

• produces complex, original arguments or solutions

• integrates effective persuasive and logical appeals

• demonstrates objectivity by addressing alternative views

• makes connections to larger political/social/cultural contexts

• produces original, sophisticated argument or solution

• integrates effective, complex persuasive and logical appeals

• demonstrates objectivity by thoughtfully addressing alternative views

• makes connections to larger political/social/cultural contexts that go beyond the obvious

S u m m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s G r a d i n g R u b r i c f o r C o l l e g e F r e s h m a n C o m p o s i t i o n

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Organization • includes clear introduction, body/ sections/segments, and conclusion

• focuses text on argument

• presents information in logical order with one or two exceptions

• uses repetitive transitions

• employs basic patterns of organization

• includes a focused introduction and clear body paragraphs/sections/segments and conclusion

• maintains consistent focus throughout text

• presents information in logical order

• uses transitions regularly within and between paragraphs/sections/segments


• includes engaging introduction, clear body paragraphs/sections/segments, and conclusion that move the reader to action

• includes interpretations with rhetorical thread throughout the text

• presents information in logical, thoughtful order relative to task

• uses transitions regularly and effectively within and between paragraphs/sections/segments

• contains multiple patterns of organization to best showcase the relationship among ideas

• includes engaging introduction, clear paragraphs/sections/segments, and conclusion that move the reader to think beyond the text

• integrates interpretations with consistent rhetorical thread throughout the text

• presents information in logical, thoughtful order that illuminates task

• uses skillful transitions regularly and effectively within and between paragraphs/sections/segments

• uses a variety of patterns of organization with innovation to showcase the relationship among ideas and forward to argument

Support/ Evidence/ Sources

• uses a variety of sources that meet assignment requirement

• uses mostly secondary sources

• uses support/evidence that relates to central argument


• appropriately uses credible sources that meet assignment requirements




• effectively uses credible sources that meet assignment requirements

• balances use of primary and secondary sources

• advances central argument or claim through use of support/evidence


• effectively uses abundance of credible sources that support each other and advances central argument or claim

• uses rigorous primary and secondary sources

• skillfully advances central argument or claim through support/evidence


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Style/Voice • creates inconsistent voice through poor word choices, lack of figurative language, simplistic description, and inconsistent tone

• shows limited awareness of audience beyond self

• uses vocabulary that may or may not be discipline-specific

• uses vocabulary and sources that interfere with purpose

• creates a voice through appropriate word choices, figurative language, adequate description, and consistent tone

• demonstrates audience awareness through choice of sources, allusions, and references

• uses varied vocabulary that may not always be discipline-specific

• uses vocabulary and sources that are mostly appropriate for the purpose

• creates a distinctive voice through purposeful word choices, figurative language, appropriate description, and clear tone

• demonstrates audience awareness through choice of sources, allusions, and references

• uses sophisticated vocabulary that is complex and discipline-specific

• uses tone, vocabulary, sources, and references that work together to support purpose

• creates a distinctive voice through skillful and purposeful word choices, figurative language, creative description, and clear tone

• demonstrates command over audience through choice of sources, allusions, and references

• purposefully and skillfully uses vocabulary that is complex and discipline-specific

• advances paper’s purpose through tone, vocabulary, sources, and references that work together

Conventions • accurately uses sentence structure and punctuation




• uses sophisticated, varied, complex sentence structure and punctuation


• skillfully uses purposeful and complex sentence structure and punctuation


A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s / C o n t r i b u t o r s 93

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S / C O N T R I B U T O R S

English and English Language Arts (ELA) faculty from 13 Cal-PASS Professional Learning

Councils (PLCs) collaborated toward the common goal of aligning curricula from 11th grade

through transfer-level coursework in postsecondary education in the disciplines of English/ELA

and English Learners (EL). One EL and 12 English Cal-PASS Professional Learning Councils from

the following regions participated in the ACCESS Initiative:

Contra CostaEast San Diego County

Los Angeles*Merced

North BayNorth Coast

Placer-NevadaSan Francisco

San MateoSanta Barbara

Siskiyou CountyWest Fresno Region

West San Bernardino County

*EL PLC

Several Cal-PASS Professional Learning Councils began this type of alignment work in

their local regions, and their experience helped Cal-PASS develop a model for aligning exit and

entrance competencies for sequential coursework. This initiative is unique in that it brought

together a collaboration of high school and postsecondary faculty from around the state to

discuss curriculum and build a clearly articulated curricula guide chronicling what students are

expected to know upon completing one course and to be prepared for subsequent courses. The

names of Cal-PASS Professional Learning Council faculty participants who graciously volunteered

their time and expertise for this project are listed starting on page 94.


A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s / C o n t r i b u t o r s94

The ACCESS initiative was made possible through partnerships between Cal-PASS

and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The Evelyn

and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, and The Girard Foundation. This far-reaching project could not

have come to fruition without the keen vision and generous funding of these partners.

The coordination and management of this statewide endeavor was the accomplishment

of Eden Dahlstrom, ACCESS project director, who traveled around the state over a 2-year

period to meet with the Cal-PASS Professional Learning Councils and keep the project

relevant and on track. She also headed up the summer workshops, where faculty from

around the state came together to specify competencies and assessments. Cal-PASS

leaders Michelle Kalina and Shelly Valdez also traveled to Cal-PASS Professional Learning

Council meetings and offered collegial guidance and assistance to keep this project

energized and relevant.

After hundreds of pages of English assessments, guides, and rubrics were compiled,

the guide was handed over to English instructors Kent Fortin and Laura Malcolm to handle

the initial editing process. English instructors Veronica Toledo-McLennan, Jessica Holman,

Stephanie Macceca, and Susan Johnson also contributed to the editing and proofing of

this guide. Following several rounds of editing, Cal-PASS’s Katheryn Horton stepped up to

oversee the editing process. Finally, English instructors Cindi Davis Harris, Cali Linfor, and

Adrianna Lazzarini edited and honed the content into its final form. Throughout the

editing process, freelance copyeditor Cindi Patton (www.thefinaledit.com) handled

copyediting and formatting as well as production and print management. Patton Brothers

Illustration & Design, Inc. (www.pattonbros.com) created the design.

For more information, please contact Shelly Valdez, EdD, at [email protected].



English Faculty Participants

Name: Region:

Avila, Mario Los Angeles

Acosta, Cheryl San Diego - East

Ahrens, Joan San Diego - East

Almeida, Regina San Bernardino - West

Amann, Nicolette North Coast

Amerian, Melissa San Diego - East

Anderson, Leah San Diego - East

Ashcraft, Monica Sonoma (North Bay)

Ballard, Dora Sonoma (North Bay)

Barba, Michael Merced

Barese, Dani Sonoma (North Bay)

Barnett, Karen San Diego - East

Barnett, Lynda Siskiyou

Barr, Marsha Santa Barbara

Barrillas, Maria Los Angeles

Betteschild, Mary Fresno - West

Bianco, Jessica San Diego - East

Biczo, Andrea San Bernardino - West

Bjorkman, Mariann Placer–Nevada

Boehme, Cece San Diego - East

Borden, Todd Santa Barbara

Boyson, Andy San Mateo

Brant, Tera Merced

Caldwell, Marie Siskiyou

Cardona, Martina San Bernardino - West

Carmean, PJ Santa Barbara

Carrizoja-Robledo, Imelda San Bernardino - West

Carter, Chuck San Diego - East

Castanos, Jean San Diego - East

Castillo, Raul San Bernardino - West



Name: Region:

Cavales-Doolan, Sheryl Sonoma (North Bay)

Chabran, Gail Los Angeles

Chavez, Arcely Los Angeles

Clark, Donna Los Angeles

Cooke, Trisha North Coast

Daniels, Neomi Fresno - West

Day, Vicki San Mateo

De Shazo, Elsa San Bernardino - West

Dentino, John Los Angeles

Derscheid, Vicky Santa Barbara

Devlin, Pam Sonoma (North Bay)

Doane, Margaret San Bernardino - West

Dobbs, Marcie Santa Barbara

Doherty, Donna North Coast

Elam, Shawn San Diego - East

Erpelo, Liza San Mateo

Evans, Eva Los Angeles

Fagaly, Elizabeth San Diego - East

Farquar, Kirin San Diego - East

Favero, Gary San Bernardino - West

Feinblum, Kathleen San Mateo

Feiner, Jarrod San Mateo

Fiedler, Bonnie San Mateo

Fischer, Ann Santa Barbara

Fitzpatrick, Lynn Sonoma (North Bay)

Flores, Jeanette San Bernardino - West

Forslund, Jeannine Santa Barbara

Fortin, Kent Placer–Nevada

Foster, Ann Sonoma (North Bay)

Friesen, Julian San Diego - East

Furry, Carly Siskiyou



Name: Region:

Gai, Stephanie North Coast

Galindo, Laura Los Angeles

Garcia, Nancy Sonoma (North Bay)

Gibson, Alicia San Diego - East

Gillesepie, Jimi San Bernardino - West

Ginsberg, Eric San Diego - East

Gomez, Tatiana Los Angeles

Gonzalez, Heather Merced

Griffith, Ryan San Diego - East

Guiremand, Tanya Santa Barbara

Hall, Sadie Santa Barbara

Hanford, Linda San Bernardino - West

Hanna, Judd Siskiyou

Haro, Ignacio Los Angeles

Harris, Cindi Davis San Diego - East

Hernandez, Carla Los Angeles

Hernandez, Myra Los Angeles

Herrera, Carla Los Angeles

Hobbs, Jack Santa Barbara

Holcomb, Robert Los Angeles

Hollems, Diane Santa Barbara

Huntington, Pam Merced

Hurvitz, Tate San Diego - East

Huttenbrauck, Jesse San Diego - East

Jackson, Jeremy Los Angeles

Javitch, Daniel San Francisco

Jeffers, Mark San Diego - East

Jendian, Micah San Diego - East

Jenkins, Heather San Bernardino - West

Johnson, Susan Placer-Nevada

Joyner, Cassandra Santa Barbara



Name: Region:

Joyner, Cassie Santa Barbara

Kelly, Peggy Santa Barbara

King, Stephanie San Bernardino - West

Krespan, Silvia Los Angeles

Kruse, Debbie San Bernardino - West

Kurtz, Vicki North Coast

Laughrea, Suzanne Placer–Nevada

Leary, Donna Contra Costa

Leber, Heidi Contra Costa

Lehman, Jennifer Sonoma (North Bay)

Leighton Keith Santa Barbara

Liddell, Michelle San Diego - East

Lindemulder, Char San Bernardino - West

Lindenstein, Mary Santa Barbara

Lindgard, Sue Siskiyou

Little, Holli Placer–Nevada

Lopez, Becky Merced

Lopez, Gerald A. San Diego - East

Love, Amy San Mateo

Lynes, Rosabelle San Mateo

Macceca, Stephanie San Diego - East

Magner, Heather Santa Barbara

Malcolm, Laura Sonoma (North Bay)

Mario, Avila Los Angeles

Marriot, Douglas Los Angeles

Marshall, Kristina San Bernardino - West

Martinez, Linda Los Angeles

Matanane, Margaret San Bernardino - West

McCroskey, Tara Placer–Nevada

McIntyre, Sue North Coast

Metlitzky, Lilian San Bernardino - West



Name: Region:

Michelson, Sarah San Diego - East

Miele, Ilene Santa Barbara

Millican, Rick San Diego - East

Miluso, Schecky San Diego - East

Mitchell, James San Diego - East

Monda, Kim Santa Barbara

Mondor, Shannon North Coast

Montesanto, Lisa San Diego - East

Montgomery, John Placer–Nevada

Morris, Paul San Francisco

Muro, Debbie Fresno - West

Murray, Julie San Bernardino - West

Myers, Kathy Placer–Nevada

Naas, Jodi San Francisco

Nazar, Robert San Bernardino - West

Nelson, Jennifer Placer-Nevada

Nguyen, Scott Los Angeles

Nuth, Tara North Coast

Ochoa, Yolanda Los Angeles

Oh, Susan San Bernardino - West

Ostini, Ashley Santa Barbara

Ostini, Joshua Santa Barbara

Ourique, Jared North Coast

Oxford, Susan San Diego - East

Palko, Carol San Bernardino - West

Parker, Lynette Contra Costa

Patlán, Carmen Los Angeles

Patterson, Kathy Santa Barbara

Pierce, Emmet San Diego - East

Piro, Vince Merced

Poole, Eileen San Diego - East

Poremba, Jeanelle San Bernardino - West



Name: Region:

Praniewicz, Brendan San Diego - East

Preston, James Fresno - West

Putman, Debbie San Bernardino - West

Ramirez, Laura E. Los Angeles

Ramirez, Laura M. Los Angeles

Ransom. Julie Merced

Reyerse, Rene San Bernardino - West

Reynolds, Steve Siskiyou

Rhoads, Andrea Fresno - West

Rhodehamel, Jivan San Diego - East

Richter, Jan San Bernardino - West

Rivas, Claudia Los Angeles

Roberge, Mark San Mateo

Roberts, Debbie Los Angeles

Robledo, Julio Los Angeles

Rose, Christie Sonoma (North Bay)

Ruggles, Barbara San Diego - East

Salcido, Bard Santa Barbara

Samuelson, Amy North Coast

Schmitt, Adelle Reinert San Diego - East

Semik, Mathias San Diego - East

Sheffield, Kimberly Fresno - West

Shehorn, Jacqui Fresno - West

Silva, Alan San Diego - East

Smith, Victor Merced

Snider, Robert San Diego - East

Snyder, Octavia San Bernardino - West

Solano, Angela San Bernardino - West

Solorio, Victor Los Angeles

Sperling-Nordquist, Petra Sonoma (North Bay)

Stevens, Ellen Los Angeles

Sumner, Ann Sonoma (North Bay)

Thomas, Georgina San Diego - East

Thomas, Jerry Los Angeles



Name: Region:

Toledo, Veronica Contra Costa

Torres, Kay Los Angeles

Torres, Victor Los Angeles

Turnbull, Laura San Bernardino - West

Van Riper, Maggie San Bernardino - West

VanderHeide, Pamela Santa Barbara

Vasquez, Natalie San Diego - East

Vidaurre, Lorena Los Angeles

Waldron, Tom San Diego - East

Walker, Mike Santa Barbara

Webber, Carla San Bernardino - West

Weidman, Mark San Bernardino - West

Weightman, Wayne San Diego - East

Wilds, Brandy Fresno - West

Wilson, Kristine Placer–Nevada

Wolking, Susan San Diego - East

Yepez, Veronica Los Angeles

Zanzucchi, Anne Merced

Zimmerman, Andrea Placer–Nevada

Career and Technical Education Participants

Name: Region:

Davis, Bill Fresno Area

Harvey, Elizabeth Riverside Area

Hollems, Diane Santa Barbara

Kellar, Raymond Siskiyou Area

Miller, Jerald Santa Rosa Area

White, Kathleen San Francisco Area

Scott, Sandra Placer–Nevada



Cal-PASS Regional Coordinators

Name: Region:

Ceaser, Lisbeth Santa Barbara

Dahlstrom, Eden Siskiyou

Horowitz, Virginia Placer–Nevada

Horton, Katheryn Sonoma (North Bay)

Iwasaki, Kentaro San Francisco

Lachmayr, Lucia San Mateo

Linfor, Cali San Diego - East

Mahar, Kate San Francisco and Contra Costa

Owens, Rae Merced

Schneider, Garry Los Angeles

Schneider, Katy San Bernardino - West

Sizoo, Bob North Coast

Sutherland, Camilla Fresno - West

Tyberg, Alana San Diego - East

Wintermeyer, Lauren Santa Barbara


A p p e n d i x 1 • M a p p i n g C o m p e t e n c i e s 103


A P P E N D I X 1

Mapping ACCESS Competencies to California Content Standards and Common Core Standards

The California Language Arts Standards were designed by appointees of the State Board of Education. Postsecondary faculty who may have participated in those discussions did so without approval of or by their Academic Senates. Thus, this document does not retain the official input of California’s public colleges and universities. The document was adopted by the State Board of Education and mandated for all public K–12 schools. These standards are available online at www.cde.ca.gov/board/.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort launched in 2009 by state leaders, including governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states through membership in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The process used to write the standards were informed by

• the best of state standards

• the experience of teachers, content experts, state leaders, and leading thinkers

• feedback from the general public

To write the standards, the NGA Center and CCSSO brought together content experts, teachers, researchers, and others.

The Common Core Standards, which can be found online at www.corestandards.org, are divided into two categories:

1. college and career readiness standards, which address what students are expected to have learned by the time they graduate from high school; and

2. K–12 standards, which address expectations for elementary through high school.

The California Education Round Table Content Standards (called the CERT Standards) were published just prior to the state’s content standards for language arts in 1997. The standards were designed by a task force sponsored by the Round Table. The Round Table comprised, in part, the heads of the California Department of Education, the California Community Colleges, the California State Universities, and the University of California. Serving on the task force were K–12 faculty, administrators, public participants, and academic Senate-appointed postsecondary faculty. While these standards have no official status under the Board of Education, they provide a point of contrast, noting competencies that are not addressed in the California Language Arts standards. These standards can be found at www.certicc.org.

A p p e n d i x 1 • M a p p i n g C o m p e t e n c i e s104

Curricular Theme ACCESS Competency

CA Content Standard

National Common Core

Standard CERT Standards

Writing an Argument with Audience and

Purpose in Mind

1Writing

Strategies 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.9

1, 2, and 4 Invention

Reading and Processing Sources 2

Reading Comprehension

2.2 and 2.47, 8, and 9 Invention

Utilizing the Writing Process 3

Writing Strategies

1.95 and 10 Arrangement

Incorporating Ideas from Other Texts

in Writing4

Writing Strategies1.3 and 1.8

7, 8, and 9 Invention

Organizing Using Accepted Text Structures and Patterns of Organization

5Writing

Strategies1.2, 1.3, and 1.4

1, 2, and 4 Arrangement

Developing Clarity 6Writing

Strategies1.2, 1.3, and 1.4

1, 2, and 4 Arrangement

Using Correct Conventions for Incorporating

and Documenting Sources in Writing

7Writing

Strategies1.7

8 Style/Expression

Using Correct Grammar

Conventions8

Writing Strategies

1.1, 1.2, and 1.31 and 2 Style/Expression



A p p e n d i x 1 • M a p p i n g C o m p e t e n c i e s 105

CERT Writing Competencies:10

Invention

• Generate ideas for writing by using texts in addition to past experience or observation.

• Duly consider audience and purpose.

Arrangement

• Develop thesis convincingly with well-chosen examples.

• Organize information.

• Use revision techniques to improve focus, support, and organization.

Style/Expression

• Vary sentence structure and word choice as appropriate for audience and purpose.

• Edit or proofread to eliminate errors in grammar, mechanics, and spelling using standard English conventions.

• Critically analyze and evaluate the ideas or arguments of others.

• Summarize ideas and/or information contained in a text.

• Write well-organized, well-developed essays.

• Synthesize ideas from many sources.

• Provide factual descriptions.

• Report facts or narrative events.

• Prepare lab reports using the conventions of the discipline.

• Produce informal writing in and out of class (e.g., journals, “quick-writes”).

• Use the library catalog and Internet to locate relevant sources.

• Critically assess the authority and value of research materials that have been located.

10 Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates, Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies Expected of Students Entering California’s Public Colleges and Universities, Sacramento, CA: 2002.


A p p e n d i x 2 • Te s t i m o n i a l s106

A P P E N D I X 2

TestimonialsThe Importance of Writing in the Workplace

••• Agriculture and Natural Resources

Dewey LuceroLucero Olive Oil

I use writing skills in my job as owner and head of operations for my olive oil company, Lucero Olive Oil, daily. Communication is the largest part of my job; I write daily, and I must do it well in order for my company to be successful. I use these skills in the following ways: I write e-mails to my employees and customers, press releases for newspapers and magazines, marketing literature, copy for labels and print advertising material, sales letters, and letters to local business owners and city leaders.

__________________________________________________

Greg ReynoldsRiverbend Farm

I use writing skills in my job as a farmer every week in preparing a newsletter to my customers. I tell the story of the farm in weekly bites. People are curious about what we do and how we do it.

__________________________________________________

••• Arts, Media, and Entertainment

Beverly LewisDirectorPlacer–Lake Tahoe Film Office

I used to be a documentary filmmaker and found that the writing skills I developed there — writing grants to raise funding to make my TV shows, researching the topics and morphing that information into a script to tell a story that was visually exciting, and writing promotional materials during distribution — made the difference between getting funded for a project or not. I still use these abilities today in my job as the director of the Placer–Lake Tahoe Film Office and as the chair of our state professional organization, Film Liaisons in California Statewide (FLICS).

These writing skills afford me the opportunity to write letters of support for pending legislation; compose e-mails that persuade homeowners to make their homes available for filming; explain rules and regulations to production companies; and explain production needs to a multitude of state, federal, and local authorities and the public.

All major productions start with a concept. If you can’t write out an idea articulately, there is no script and you won’t convince anyone to finance your production. Learn how to write, and you can take that skill anywhere!

__________________________________________________


A p p e n d i x 2 • Te s t i m o n i a l s 107

Robert AnsellVideographerRobert Royce Video

As a director of photography, I use written communication when describing scenes to other camera people in a multi-camera shoot.

__________________________________________________

••• Building Trades and Construction

Joe BittakerPresidentLandmark Construction

I use writing skills in my job when I present myself and my company to prospective customers, when I work with customers and project teams to ensure successful project delivery, and when I follow up with customers and project teams to verify satisfaction. In other words, skilled writing is the central method of communicating all that is important to my firm and my industry.

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••• Education, Child Development, and Family Services

Gregg RamsethDirector of Assessment and TechnologyPlacer Union High School District

I use writing skills whenever I need to break down an idea, express my appreciation, request support, or simply engage in a casual conversation online. I write formal letters infrequently; however grammar, punctuation, and spelling still matter despite the vehicle: e-mail, chat, blog, handwritten note, or letter of recommendation.

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Jana EvansArea SupervisorRegional Center of Orange County

As a supervisor of case managers, I write performance appraisals and performance improvement plans on an annual basis. As a manager and decision maker, I write follow-up letters to families and attorneys regarding provision of or denial of services. As a trainer, I write training materials for new hires, as well as training materials to further staff development within the organization.

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••• Energy and Utilities

Brian HurdPresidentHands on Solar, Inc

With more than 40 years in the construction industry as a contractor, building inspector, energy auditor, and educator, I have written a wide variety of proposals, evaluations, explanations, synopses, reports, and opinions. But I would say that letters — whether the stamp and envelope variety or e-mail — have been the lifeblood of my business.

I am asked on a regular basis to weigh-in on various issues concerning alternative energy education, and I have contributed to monthly newsletters and professional journals. Articles concerning alternative energy education that have appeared in Green Technologies Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, the LA Times, and others were based on my original submissions. My biggest writing assignment was a 220-page report for the South Coast Air Quality Management District about the state of solar education in the Los Angeles Basin.

I could not have become successful in my business without the ability to express myself through the written word.

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••• Engineering and Design

Mark Middleton Corrosion Engineering ManagerCalpine

I use my writing skills when I provide detailed instructions to engineering consultants who install or repair corrosion prevention systems on high pressure natural gas pipelines. The written detailed instructions are transmitted in the form of letters, e-mails, engineering specifications, and construction and drawing details.

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••• Fashion and Interior Design

Louisa Elliott Clothing Designer

Writing skills in my job as a fashion designer are very important. In order to market my designs, I have to submit applications related to marketing and selling each item. I must be able to describe my products in detail in order to have my application accepted. In working with suppliers, I must accurately specify the exact materials I need as well as the associated costs. Once the product is designed, I must contract for the garment assembly; this requires precise assembly instructions related to seam allowance, hem widths, and stitching details. Other marketing involves brochures, cost sheets and quantity break points, and shipping and payment details.

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109A p p e n d i x 2 • Te s t i m o n i a l s

••• Finance and Business

Chris Hebard-SummersInsurance AgentHebard Insurance and Finance Services

I use my writing skills in my job as an insurance agent to effectively communicate with both my clients and the insurance company underwriters. Many times, the only interaction I will have with people is through written communication.

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••• Health Science and Medical Technology

Kevin ColemanParamedic, First Responder EMSMedCor, Inc.

As a paramedic, I use writing skills during every shift and after every patient contact. Clear and concise communication is essential when I fill out patient care reports that provide nurses and doctors with the information they need to continue proper care for my patients. All of my reports are legal documents, so writing skills are an essential part of my work.

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••• Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation

Jan HoltCampus Club, University of Minnesota

I use writing and language skills every day. As the executive director of a private club at a major university, I oversee four departments, interacting with members, staff, vendors, and university personnel, and report to a board of directors. In the course of one week, I may write reports for my board or my auditors, write and edit promotional pieces for both digital and print media, engage in written correspondence with members and others, and complete necessary office and human resources reports such as disciplinary action reports.

I work in the field of hospitality, but my job requires that I write in many different styles and voices. For example, I write personal thank-you letters to couples who hold their weddings at the club, I compose business letters to professional entities such as insurance companies or the university real estate office, and I write blog postings for local foods groups. Occasionally I must write speeches for myself and board members and put them into Powerpoint presentations. Last year, I helped to write and edit a cookbook for the club’s 100th anniversary. With the rise in popularity of digital communications — social media sites, blogs, etc., I write more than ever, and to a wider audience.

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••• Information Technology

Owen KittredgeOwnerValley IT Support

I use writing skills in my job as an IT professional when I prepare proposals for new and existing clients and produce planning documents (called “change controls”) to implement network changes.

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••• Marketing, Sales

Karen Fraser-MiddletonMarketing ConsultantMarketing Action

I use writing skills in my job as a marketing consultant to write proposals; craft a few words for advertisements; tell a client success story for a newsletter; provide in-depth marketing plans that clients can follow; and report on results of meetings, training sessions, and marketing campaigns.

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••• Public Services

Dave SnyderDirectorPlacer County Economic Development

I use writing skills in my job when I generate reports, draft correspondence, and communicate with businesses considering location or expansion within Placer County.

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John Ruffcorn Chief of PoliceAuburn Police Department

I use writing skills in my job as chief of police to document criminal activity, write traffic tickets, create performance evaluations, create staff reports, write grants, and communicate with other law enforcement agencies.

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111A p p e n d i x 2 • Te s t i m o n i a l s

••• Transportation

John PaullingNaval ArchitectHerbert Engineering Corp.

I use writing skills in my job as a naval architect in the following ways: to describe studies of new transportation routes; to put together manuals for safe stowage of cargo aboard ships; to prepare procedures for safe operation of a ship’s equipment; to develop marketing materials describing new equipment and services; and to present investigations into loss of cargo overboard from ships, groundings, collisions, or other casualties.

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Fran HuntRetiredUnion Pacific

I hired on with the Southern Pacific Transportation Company (now merged with Union Pacific) in 1979 as a data process coordinator in Sacramento. This job required writing skills for the initial planning, analysis, and overall conceptual development of new systems.

In 1992, I transferred to the Operating Department in Roseville as a train dispatcher. My responsibilities included moving rail traffic on a safe and timely basis to meet predetermined timetables; communications regulated by the Federal Communications Commission; supervision for all train and engine crews; and overseeing applications and enforcement of operating rules. At the end of a shift, each train dispatcher had to prepare a turnover book for the next shift dispatcher to sign in order to accept responsibility of the ongoing operations. This book consisted of vital information the new dispatcher would need to continue operating that region of the railroad. Also, any report a chief dispatcher required pertaining to any accident or rule violation during the shift would have to be written before the end of a shift.

In 1996, I transferred and began training as a locomotive engineer. Each engineer, upon taking over a train, is required to inspect each engine and fill out a daily inspection report before moving the train. Daily writing is required for equipment and mechanical inspections, which include detailed information regarding any equipment that may need to be repaired.

2011 For more information, contact Shelly Valdez, EdD, at [email protected]

www.iebcnow.org

Documents

CURRICULA GUIDE FOR ENGLISH COMPOSITION · 2016. 12. 6. · English Composition • ACCESS Curricula Guide Introduction 7 “Understanding University Success.” 6 The report was