PSSA WRITING TEST

…Meeting the Challenge!

Pennsylvania's General Performance Level Descriptors

AdvancedThe Advanced Level reflects superior academic performance. Advanced work indicates an in-depth understanding and exemplary display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards.

ProficientThe Proficient Level reflects satisfactory academic performance. Proficient work indicates a solid understanding and adequate display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards.

BasicThe Basic Level reflects marginal academic performance. Basic work indicates a partial understanding and limited display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. This work is approaching satisfactory performance, but has not been reached.  There is a need for additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment to achieve the Proficient Level.

Below BasicThe Below Basic Level reflects inadequate academic performance.  Below Basic work indicates little understanding and minimal display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. There is a major need for additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment to achieve the Proficient Level.

General Guidelines: Plan how to use allotted time

Set your own pace.

Estimate how many minutes you need to finish.

Use extra time to check your answers.

Writing Test Logistics

20 Multiple-choice questions that assess your English language usage

Informative essay

Persuasive essay

ANSWERING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Formulate your own answer before reading the options.

Focus on finding an answer without the help of the answer choices.

You will be more likely to make a mistake if you do not have an answer in your mind before you look at the answer choices.

ANSWERING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Eliminate unlikely answers first.

With each answer you eliminate, the probability of selecting the correct answer increases!

With all 4 answer choices = 25%By eliminating 1 choice = 33%By eliminating 2 choices = 50%

ANSWERING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONSSimilar answers give you a clue to the correct answer.

One of the answers is correct.

The other answer is disguised.

Conventions

The Domain of Conventions includes grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence formation.

Conventions

Revise Writing to improve style, word choice, sentence variety and subtlety of meaning after rethinking how questions of purpose, audience and genre have been addressed

Conventions Edit

Spell all words correctly.

Use capital letters correctly.

Punctuate correctly (periods, exclamation points, question marks, commas, quotation marks, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, parentheses, hyphens, brackets, ellipses).

Use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections properly.

Use complete sentences (simple, compound, complex, declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative).

Multiple-Choice Questions

EMBEDDED-ERROR PASSAGES AND MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS:

The purpose of the passages and multiple-choice items is to assess students’ abilities to revise and edit written text.

Each correct response is worth one point.

ESSAY QUESTIONSOrganize your thoughts before writing.

Make a short outline on a separate piece of paper.

Use the topic and the key introductory words to formulate your thesis.

Restating the question also helps the scorer to see how well you understand what is asked.

ESSAY QUESTIONSFormat a clear and focused response.

A PROFICIENT essay has a thesis, supporting details, and illustrative examples.

Form a clear thesis and place it as the last sentence in your introduction.

Restate your thesis and summarize your main points in your conclusion.

WRITING TIPS

Write clearly! Use cursive or print- whichever is more legible.

Be neat; do not smudge your paper.

Reread your writing to make sure your answer is logical.

Answer the question that is asked.

Keep within the boundaries as outlined on the answer pages.

Conventions Rubric

Informational Rubric

Sample Prompt

“Great thoughts speak only to a thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all humankind.”—Emily P. Bissell

How do “great actions speak to all humankind”? Write an essay that explains your understanding of this quotation.

Persuasive Rubric

Sample Prompt

At what age are people ready to assume the rights of adulthood?

Write an essay to persuade others that your position is a valid one.

Writing Point Distribution

Learning Express Library Practice and Be Prepared…

The Learning Express Library website provides an interactive online learning database of practice tests and tutorials designed to help students succeed on standardized tests. Students receive immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of their results. Follow the directions below to access the site. Please contact the school librarian with any questions or comments you may have about this program.

See the next slide for log-in details.

Learning Express Library

To Login To The Program

Go to our district home page at www.esasd.net Click: Students In the drop down menu click: Libraries Select: East Stroudsburg Senior High South Library On the menu bar select: College and Career Click: Learning Express Sign in as a new user (or return user after you create

your username and password) Follow all program directions

To Look at Some Examples

Writing Assessment Handbook

Writing Assessment Scoring Samples

Go to the Pa. Department of Education Web Site

www.pde.state.pa.us

Questions…..

….If you have any questions please contact your teacher!