But this year's writing scores have teachers giddy with relief at a sign that the school is making headway toward getting off the state's list of low-performing schools. That's almost a 20-point jump in one year, up from 57 percent last year. But the data sure shows we did. Results of the writing test came back last week. While the other TCAP tests in reading, language arts, math, science and social studies are multiple choice, the 35-minute writing portion is a subjectively graded exercise.
Deficient essays are incoherent and full of errors.
Unlike standardized portions of the TCAP, which are given in late March, students don't run into words they do not know on the writing tests. Teachers were hopeful because these students scored higher as a group on last year's standardized tests. Cherokee facilitator Barbara Hellman also pulled weaker students out of various classes to practice. That includes the first couple of original sentences in kindergarten to giving second-graders a topic every day. Home Place your ad here.