Copyright 2006 Your Name, Reich College of Education, Appalachian State University

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Alignment By IRA Standards

Standards

References
 

  Components of Writing Action Research Plan

                                                                  

Action Research Paper

Action Research Chart

Teacher Survey

Implementation (Writing Committee Cove Creek School) PowerPoint

Action Research Bibliography

Professional Development Workshop/Power Point

Professional Development Workshop (Rubrics) and Bibliography

Writing Web-Sites Links to support teachers and students

 

Context:  While taking FDN 5560 Classroom Assessment, I completed an action research project with a focus on the most recent state writing assessment and the shift of grading rubrics from holistic to the current analytic scoring model.  I wanted to research and apply the changes in North Carolina’s scoring rubric for writing in effort to help teacher’s better teach writing.  Based on my research, I discovered that writing scores across the state of North Carolina dropped significantly when the analytic scoring rubric for writing was used for scoring writing.  Because of this drop, there has been a push within Watauga County to develop extensive writing plans to address the analytic scoring model.  I took my research and used it as part of a team of three teachers, selected by my principal, to serve as teacher leaders and facilitators to lead the faculty in the writing plan development. The principal selected a K-2 representative, 3-5 representatives, and a 6-8 representative.  I served as the 3-5 area representative.  The three of us then worked together to help facilitate the implementation of writing strategies into our school-wide writing plan in effort to help improve future student writing test scores and develop consistency in writing instruction school-wide.  Based on my research, some strategies that I focused on developing with the teachers included an understanding of performance assessment and rubric development.

          In conjunction with the development of my action research paper, as a part of the requirements of FDN 5560 Classroom Assessment, I created a professional development workshop on the process of creating a school-wide writing plan.  The steps that we used as a team were:

-Grade level teachers should meet to look at curriculum (NCSCOS) and alignment documents which are board approved policies, to be implemented in the classrooms which are aligned with the NCSCOS, teachers were then asked to use the materials to complete the created template.

-Teachers will then use the curriculum information found in the curriculum and alignment documents and recorded on the template to develop grade level expectations. 

-After grade level expectations are developed then teachers should meet with the grade level above and the grade level below to discuss expectations and to make adjustments as needed. 

-With the information gathered thus far then grade levels should meet to develop a yearlong plan for writing, using the expectations as a guide.

-Finally, grade level spans meet K-2, 3-5, 6-8 to ensure that there is flow and consistency to the Cove Creek Writing Plan.

As part of my action research and professional development workshop, I researched writing practices that help support writers in efforts to raise help students receive a consistent writing education where they can be successful with the use of a analytic scoring rubric.  Some of those researched practices included using different modes of writing, using rubrics, integrating writing into other subject areas, using graphic organizers in the planning process, using literature as exemplar models, and teaching grammar as a part of writing instruction.

Impact:  This action research project and professional development workshop was a project that I applied directly what I researched and learned about writing, to the development of a school-wide writing plan.  I researched information related to writing as a performance assessment, and best practices in helping to develop a consistent school-wide writing plan in effort to help teachers gain more strategies so they will have more tools to aid students in their efforts to become successful life-long writers and to pass the state writing assessments.

 

Standard A:  Instructional Expertise

The purpose of planning and implementing an action research plan about writing was to use data and research to address student writing problems.  As a part of the action research process, I researched why writing scores had dropped across the state but also strategies to teach writing in effort to design and modify learning environments to better support students as writers.  The strategies that I researched were some of the best practices emerging from theoretical and philosophical educational literature.  As a part of the writing team at Cove Creek School, we worked diligently to incorporate my research into our presentation to the staff in effort to help other teachers incorporate the researched strategies, such as integrating writing across the curriculum and using children’s literature as exemplar models for students, into their teaching, thereby improving student learning.  As a part of the development of a school-wide writing plan over time, the three facilitators divided into specific grade levels so writing strategies would be developmentally appropriate at each level.  We had a k-2 representative; I served as the 3-5 representatives, and a 6-8 representative.

 

Standard B:  Knowledge of Learners

Based on my action research plan, and subsequent participation in developing a school-wide writing plan, I wanted to help teachers respect the differences among learners and support student writers accordingly.  I believe by breaking information and writing strategies down in chucks for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8, helped other teachers visualize the steps children go through early on to develop writing skills and knowledge of what types of skills students should come to them knowing.

 

Standard C:  Research

My action research project was based on school and state performance data regarding the scores from the state writing performance assessment.  I chose to investigate why there was drop in writing test scores at the school, county, and state level, in effort to better support students as writers help them become life-long writers and ultimately improve test scores.  In effort to attain that goal, I critically read and consulted current philosophical and theoretical educational research.  This research helped me understand possible reasons for a drop in writing scores, at the fourth grade level, across the state and helped in sharing writing teaching strategies with other classroom teachers.

 

Standard D:  Content Knowledge

These artifacts developed in conjunction with my action research plan, demonstrate my advanced and in depth content knowledge and my understanding of current trends in education.  While creating the writing action research plan, I articulated relationships between and among theory and research to help myself and other teachers improve their teaching of writing and across other disciplines.

 

Standard E:  Professional Development

I used my action research plan to initiate professional inquiry within a small group at first.  Three teachers served as teacher leaders on the writing committee, we used my research to help us facilitate the development of a school-wide writing plan and professional inquiry about writing.  I provided all teachers with a survey to understand what strategies teachers were currently using in their classrooms to teach students writing.  I wanted to expand on what they were currently doing without too much repetition, as well as introduce new strategies.  As a member of the school-wide writing committee I formally and informally participated in writing discussions.  My involvement was typically more formal when addressing the entire faculty with the use of a PowerPoint, and informal when addressing the small group of 3-5 representatives.  In addition, these artifacts demonstrate my participation in collaborative leadership to address low writing scores.