Writing

The 2011 writing assessment was the first NAEP writing computer-based assessment (WCBA) and was developed under a new framework. This framework recognizes the significant role that computers play in the writing process and organizes writing content into three communication categories: to persuade, in order to change the reader’s point of view or affect the reader’s action; to explain, in order to expand the reader’s understanding; and to convey experience (real or imagined), in order to communicate individual and imagined experiences to others. The framework also outlines what writing knowledge and skills students should have to reach Basic, Proficient, and Advanced achievement.  Survey questionnaires, administered to students, teachers, and school administrators who participate in a writing assessment, are used to collect and report contextual information about students’ learning experience in and out of the classroom.

• Writing Assessment Framework

  Read the writing assessment framework.

• Writing Content Areas
  

  Learn about the content of the writing assessment and how student performance is measured.

• Sample Writing Questions

  Explore sample writing questions, scorer comments, and the percentage of students nationwide who correctly answered individual questions.

• Survey Questionnaires

  See questionnaires that collect information about students’ writing experiences in and out of the classroom. Questionnaires are given to students, teachers, and school administrators.

• WCBA Tutorials

  See tutorials that were given to students before taking the WCBA.

• WCBA: Lessons Learned

  Review lessons learned from the 2012 Grade 4 Writing Computer-Based Assessment pilot study.
  

• Writing Handout (8)
  

  Read Ideas for Planning and Reviewing Your Writing, a handout given to students taking the 2011 writing assessment at grade 8.

• Writing Handout (12)
  

  Read Ideas for Planning and Reviewing Your Writing, a handout given to students taking the 2011 writing assessment at grade 12.
  

• State Profiles

  Use the State Profiles tool to find key writing results for your state and see tables and maps that compare the results of states/jurisdictions.

• District Profiles

  Writing results for districts that participate in the Trial Urban District Assessment are available in the District Profiles tool.

Student performance on the NAEP writing assessment is presented in two ways: scale scores and achievement levels.

• Scale scores represent the average performance of students who took the writing assessment. Scores are aggregated and reported for the nation, states, and districts as well as and groups of students based on gender, race/ethnicity, etc.
• Achievement levels are performance standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels (e.g., Basic, Proficient, and Advanced) that are defined in the assessment framework. Students performing at or above the Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. Note that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments).

Item maps illustrate how specific writing knowledge and skills correspond to different NAEP achievement levels. Item maps answer the question, “What assessment questions were likely to be answered correctly by students performing at the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced achievement levels?”

• Scale Scores

  Read about the writing scale.
  

• Achievement Levels

  See more information about what students should know and be able to do to perform at the Basic, Proficient, or Advanced achievement levels.

• Item Map
  

  Use the NAEP Item Maps tool to see how specific writing knowledge and skills correspond to different achievement levels.