Process Assessment

Teachers watch students as they engage in writing in order to determine strengths, abilities, and needs. Teachers observe in order to learn about students' attitudes and interests in writing, the writing strategies that they use, and how students interact with classmates during writing. While observing, teachers may ask students questions such as: How is it going? What are you writing about? Where do you want this piece to go? This type of informal observation, although not graded as such, enables teachers to make informed instructional decisions and demonstrates to students that teachers are supportive of the writing process.

Conferencing is a central means of assessing the writing process. A conference is a meeting to discuss work in progress. As teachers listen to students talk about writing, they can learn how to help students work through the process. A conference can occur at various points of the writing process. Teachers' questions can lead students to discuss what they know, what they are doing, what they find confusing, or of what they are proud. Teachers should balance the amount of their talk with the students' talk and allow the students to take responsibility for discussing and thinking about their own writing.

The key to success in any conference lies in asking questions that teach, such as the following:

As students begin to write:

• What will your topic be?
• How did you choose (or narrow) your topic?
• What pre-writing activities are you doing?
• How are you gathering ideas for writing?
• How might you organize your writing?
• How might you start writing your rough draft?
• What form might your writing take?
• Who might be your audience?
• What do you plan to do next?

As students are drafting:

• How is your writing going?
• Are you having any problems?
• What do you plan to do next?

As students revise their writing:

• How do you plan to revise your writing?
• What kinds of revisions did you make?
• Are you ready to make your final copy?
• What kinds of mechanical errors have you located?
• How has your editor helped you proofread?
• How can I help you identify (or correct) mechanical errors?
• What do you plan to do next?

After students have completed their compositions:

• With what audience will you share your writing?
• What did your audience say about your writing?
• What do you like best about your writing?
• If you were writing the composition again, what changes would you make?
• How did you use the writing process in writing this composition?

(Adapted from Tompkins, 1994, p. 375)

Using anecdotal records and checklists, teachers can chart students' development and gather information that will help them determine grades and quality. Anecdotal records provide teachers with details about students' writing that provide a tool for continuous literacy assessment. Over time, these records provide comprehensive pictures of the students as writers.

Teachers can use or adapt the form accessed below to assess writing process.

The following assessment form is provided as an example. Sample Writing Process Checklist

When students assess their own writing and writing processes, they develop a sense of responsibility. In self- assessment, students assess their own writing and decide which pieces will be shared or evaluated. As students work through the writing process, they may address the quality of the writing and the effectiveness of the message. They may also judge if they have met the requirements for the given assignment. Early in the course, teachers can introduce students to the concept of self-assessment by creating a handout with questions such as the following:

Sample Self-Assessment

• Does my composition make sense?
• Does it say what I want it to say?
• Does it say it clearly?
• Can the reader follow my thinking (i.e., my organization)?
• Are there any details that need to be deleted? Added?
• Am I happy with this composition? What makes this piece of writing strong? Weak?

Students' reflections and insights are an important element of evaluation. Most classes, with practice, are capable of assisting the teacher in establishing evaluative criteria. Teachers should clearly communicate to students their expectations regarding evaluation. An example follows:

Choose five compositions from your writing folder/dossier/portfolio that you wish to submit for evaluation. Each composition should have gone through the following steps:
Step 1: pre-writing plans
Step 2: rough draft(s)
Step 3: edited, proofread, and initialed by a peer or other person
Step 4: revised and rewritten.

Work from each step must be submitted. You will be assigned/may choose a submission date.

http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/xla/ela15c4.html

Saskatchewan Education. (1997).
English Language Arts 10: A Curriculum Guide for the Secondary Level.
Regina, SK: Saskatchewan Education.