Assessing Writing

This book on assessing writing is designed for teachers, school leaders, and evaluators. It begins with a collection of assessment practices that will increase teachers' efficiency and effectiveness as they guide students in learning how to think and write successfully. The second section includes step-by-step procedures, prompts, and rubrics for conducting on-demand, timed writing assessments, either for diagnosis of students' skills or for analysis of instruction. The final section explains how to develop and measure interrater reliability, the extent to which assessors agree on the quality of student writing-a critical component for any faculty that seeks to increase the efficacy of their teaching. Whether readers wish to assess the thinking and writing of students in one class, one school, or a whole district, this book will show them how.

The University of Miami Writing Institute was one of the most valuable in-service programs that I ever attended. Co-sponsored by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, it is now known as the Glazer-Lorton Writing Institute. The Writing Institute provided me the opportunity to hone my skills in writing instruction and assessment. Dr. Billie Birnie was one of the visionary leaders of the Writing Institute. Although there are limited opportunities for teachers to interact with Dr. Birnie personally, we are fortunate that she continues to share her expertise through her writing. Dr. Birnie’s concise guide to writing assessment, Assessing Writing: A Guide for Teachers, School Leaders, and Evaluators, will help educators plan and implement writing assessment with greater success. Not only is the information clear and concise but it is well supported with a wealth of resources such as rubrics, prompts, and report formats. The encouraging and supportive tone of this text is indicative of Dr. Birnie’s respect for teachers. The key principle that 'your primary aim in assessing writing and thinking should be to improve both' is supported with practical guidelines. Preparing for high stakes writing assessments is a priority for most teachers, school leaders, and evaluators. Dr. Birnie patiently reviews the steps for designing and implementing a timed writing assessment using either a holistic or analytical rubric. She accompanies the technical explanation with reflective questions that guide the decisions to be made prior to and following the assessment. Although the technical explanation is thorough, the reflective questions are invaluable. By answering these reflective questions, instructional leaders can analyze and address the strengths and gaps in the instructional program. In any group effort, having everyone on the same page is easier said than done. As Dr. Birnie delineates the process for establishing interrater reliability, she explains that by consistently assessing student’s thinking and writing, we can greatly facilitate their improvement in both. The process stresses five actions and is explained in great detail. Having participated as a teacher, instructional leader, and evaluator in the collaborative effort to achieve interrater reliability, I can attest to its challenges as well as its merits. Once again, Dr. Birnie provides not only a blueprint for the process, but a reflective guide for analyzing the resulting data. Anyone who is charged with the responsibility to provide students with literacy skills will find this guide to writing assessment a valuable tool., As a new high school language arts teacher years ago, the quality tools provided in Assessing Writing: A Guide for Teachers, School Leaders and Evaluators would have been a welcome gift in the development of my assessment of student writing skills and dramatically reduced time spent evaluating student writing assignments. As a principal and student achievement improvement leader, I would have valued it as a treasure in my staff development tool chest. This impressive book, jam packed with specifics, would have been an important resource in my quest to support our staff as we together faced the challenge in assessing writing throughout the curriculum and using our assessments to positively impact our students’ writing achievement. Now, as an educational consultant working with leaders in challenged schools struggling with raising student achievement levels in all areas, this excellent book is a valuable resource I will share and use as a stimulus in facilitating richer discussions about writing assessment. Thank you, Dr. Billie Birnie, for this captivating book that simplifies the writing assessment process with user friendly step-by step procedures., In reading Assessing Writing: A Guide for Teachers, School Leaders and Evaluators, I found wonderful examples for all school personnel. I found it extremely informative and instructive. The examples given easily relate to any and all situations. I would highly recommend Assessing Writing.

Billie Birnie has been teaching writing most of her life, first to students in elementary, middle, and senior high schools, and in recent years, to prospective and veteran teachers. Her experience in writing assessment spans several decades and ranges from classroom practice to district-wide testing.