Assessment Plan:

Statement on Assessment
Throughout my classes at the Curry School, I have learned that
assessments are a basis of communication between teachers, students,
parents, and administrators. The focus of the day to day assessments in my
classroom and in this unit are teacher to students, asking, Where are you?
Do you get it? Do we need to try that again?
Throughout this unit, particularly at the beginning for the year, I hope
to create a personal relationship with student, optimizing personalized
contact, through written communication with Conversation Calendars or
individualized in person feedback with Writing Conferences. Individualized
feedback through a five minute conference communicate and teach a
student so much more than red pen marks over a paper. While not included
in this Unit, I hope to use transition from Short Texts to longer texts in the
next united, including Reading Workshop and Reading Conferences alongside
Writing Conferences, to individualized student feedback and meet each
individual students needs.
In the same way, students should have the opportunity to turn in what
they consider as their best work, and given chances for feedback before
turning in anything for a final assessment. The Portfolio is the final
summative assessment of the Unit, where students can present work that I
have seen at least once and students have had many hours in class time to
revise.
With this unit, I also purposely avoided any homework or projects
outside of class. I firmly believe that to communicate that writing and
reading are important, and those activities should be done during valuable
class time. Also all students do not have time at home nor adequate
resources to work at home. During class, all students are at an equal
advantage, and are within close reach or my help or a fellow students
assistance. If students manage their time wisely, they should have time to
complete every assessment in class, except for the introductory letter, with
which I gave them a few minutes of class time and full weekend to finish.
Throughout the Unit are many examples of formative assessments, I
have notecards, sticky notes, Conversation calendars, and exit tickets. These
little assessments communicate what students are understanding and will
allow me to adjust the lessons or content to meet student needs. For
grammar, they can communicate to students what they know or what they
dont know, in a low stakes environment that gives them a chance to
improve before they are summative assessed.
At a base level, students should pass by completing classwork and
reading on time and efficiently. With the way I have designed instruction, no
students should ever fail or receive a zero. They are receiving multiple
opportunities to work with explicit feedback.

Final Unit Grade Breakdown

Portfolio - 50%
o Students create a portfolio of three writing pieces form the unit,
based on the three prompts from class. Each writing piece has a
separate unit, which factors into a total portfolio grade.
First piece: A Memoir about a Friend or Enemy
Second Piece: Diary Entries about famous rivals
Third Piece: Perspective Writing, Write the story from
Brown and Stiglers Points of View
o Portfolio must include initial drafts and final writing pieces, as
well as any written tasks/comments from workshop.
o Objectives 3, 6, 9, 10

Classwork / Participation - 25%

o Includes Formative Assessments Does During Class Time.
Conversation Calendars
A way for me to ask students questions, as well as
respond to them. Students will get either a check for
completion with a quality answer, or a circle, that
means they need to try again. These are constantly
being passed back between teacher and students, so
students can easily modify their answers.
Quizzes
Only one quiz, on the two grammar points after two
weeks of review. Factors into the overall all grade.
Pass/Fail. If students fail they can take it again.
Class Discussions
Participation in class discussion or group work,
particularly the final class discussion of unit themes.
Students can write a rationale for their participation
grade on their reflection sheet.
Conferences:
Preparedness for conferences and engagement
o Objectives
I would say these assess all objectives throughout the Unit
as I use them to check in on student progress and
understanding.

Journal/Binder - 25%
o Includes completion, competent work, and organization of
materials in Students Journals and Binders. Journals are for
writing activities/grammar instruction, and Do Nows. Binders
include all class handouts, some notes, and returned work.
Do Nows - I will check only for completion for each Do Now
on each date, students can miss up to two without any
points taken off.
o Binder/Journal
I will check for organization that the binder follows the
continuous guide on the board. This helps students work on
non-cognitive skills, while also helping them keep track of
their things. I will also check that each assignment is
completed. I will check assignments in binders throughout
the unit, but this is where I can assess student
understanding of certain ideas or materials.
o Objectives:
All objectives, but specifically Objectives 7 and 8

Sample of Rubrics from Unit Portfolio

Diary of the Left Shark

Mentor Text Writing Assignment
Task: Using this mentor text, write a diary entry about two rivals
Possibilities include:
Rewriting Left Sharks story from the perspective of Right Shark Eric,
or Katy Perry
Real or Fictional examples from history, literature, pop culture, etc.
Your own experience or imagination

Genre: Diary

Craft Skill:
Conflict

Grammar &
Mechanics:
Complex

Excellent (54)

Competent
(3-2)

Needs Work
(1-0)

-Writes in First
Person Narration
-Includes sharp,
specific details
about events and
characters
-Concise entries,
with quick, fluent
sentences
-Clear, strong
tone of the
Narrator

-Writes in First
Person Narration
-Includes some
specific details
about events and
characters
- Mostly concise
overall, with
quick sentences
-Some Elements
of Tone of the
Narrator

Includes two or
three of these
traits:

Includes one or
two of these
traits:

-Inconsistently uses
First Person
Narration (Misuse of
proper pronouns)
-Includes little to no
specific details and
events and
characters
-Lengthy sentences
and explanations
that lose the focus
of the piece
-No elements of
Tone
Includes one or
zero of these traits

-includes details
to explain conflict
between
characters
-creates a central
event of conflict
-uses personal
reflection to think
about conflict

-includes details
to explain conflict
between
characters
-creates a central
event of conflict
-uses personal
reflection to think
about conflict

-Clear subject
and verb in every
sentence
-Varied sentence

-Mostly clear
subject and verb
in every sentence
-Mostly Varied

-includes details to
explain conflict
between characters
-creates a central
event of conflict
-uses personal
reflection to think
about conflict

-Occasionally clear
subject and verb in
sentences
-Little to no variety

Sentences
Wow Factor
Total

length

sentence length

in sentence length

(+.5

+1

+2

Perspective Writing Assignment

In response to a narrative nonfiction article, students write three different
paragraphs describing the event through a different perspective/POV each
time.

+3)

Excellent (5-4)

Competent
(3-2)

Student
demonstrates a
strong
understanding
of the text
Uses key
moments from
the text as the
basis of their
work

Understandi
ng of the
Text

Understandi
ng of Point
of View

Student writes
from two
different
perspectives.
Student shows
consistent use
of a POV
throughout
each piece.
Student
consistently
uses proper
pronouns to
match POV.
Student shows
strong
understanding
about a
subjects
perspective,
feelings, or
motivation.

Student
demonstrate
s a basic
understandi
ng of the
text
Uses some
moments
from the text
as the basis
of their work
but
sometimes
gets off topic

Consistently
uses complex
sentences, all
with at least

Student
writes from
two
different
perspective
s
Student
shows
some
consistent
use of a
POV
throughout
each piece.
Student
shows
some
consistenc
y using
proper
pronouns
according
to POV.
Student
shows
basic
understand
ings about
subjects
perspective
, feelings,
or
motivation.
Usually
uses
complex
sentences,

Needs Work
(1-0)

Student
demonstrat
es a weak
understandi
ng of the
text
Use little to
no
examples
from the
text
Mostly offtopic

Student
writes in
one
perspectiv
es
Little to no
consistenc
y using
POV for
each
piece.
Little to no
consistenc
y using
proper
pronouns
according
to POV
Student
shows
weak
understan
ding of
subjects
perspectiv
e,
feelings,
or
motivation
.

Unclear
subject
and verb
in complex