Today after turning in all work related to the Current Issues Project, students began a simulation of the Georgia Writing Assessment. Students will finish the practice writing assessment tomorrow in class. 

“Georgia’s performance-based writing assessments are administered to students in grades three, five, eight, and eleven. Student writing samples are evaluated on an analytic scoring system in all grades to provide diagnostic feedback to teachers, students, and parents about individual performance. The writing assessments provide information to students about their writing performance and areas of strength and challenge. This information is useful for instruction and preparation for future writing assessments” (Georgia Department of Education).

To view last year’s topics for the 8th grade Writing Assessment, as well as sample papers and the raters’ comments and scores for those papers, click HERE.

“Writing is easy:  All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” 
~Gene Fowler