Pre-Assessments

Pre-Assessment -

The Pre-Assessment I’ve used is similar in structure, content, and style to the final product: A “Synthesis” essay. Synthesis, according to the AP Language board, basically means writing formally, answering a prompt, citing multiple sources of literary merit (be it poetry, essay, literary nonfiction, fiction, etc.) to help answer / prove the students’ point of view regarding the prompt. Their first two essays in this style are the pre-assessment, and what I’m judging them on is:

- organization, of both paragraphs (attention-getters, support, concluding statement / transition) and the essay as a whole (paragraph arrangement, order, introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph)

- Thesis statement - it should be the last 1 or 2 sentences of the introductory paragraph, and include an opinionated statement of position (if it can’t be argued, it’s not a strong thesis - thesis statements have opinions!), as well as why that statement matters or how it is accomplished. The first essays are usually geared more toward “How authors accomplish _____,” as the first units are focused on tone, using diction, syntax, etc. A more advanced option is to write about why the literature matters, how it’s innovative or convincing, writing about it using lenses of literary criticism, etc.

- Quotation usage - Students must be able to cite evidence accurately and convincingly (which requires skills in analyzing literature) as well as being technically proficient with it (punctuating it correctly, citing it correctly, etc.).

- Grammatical conventions - I want to know what they can do, what I must teach, etc. Areas of specific concern are the use of: parallel structure; appositive phrases; avoidance of comma splices; using multiple symbols (;:,-), etc.

These first essays are not required to be a certain length, and that’s part of the assessment; I do, however, mention this: that when AP graders are reading their essays, they aren’t SUPPOSED to be biased by length; however, studies show that students who make it onto the 3rd page of their handwritten AP test essays usually score, on average, at least a point higher than their counterparts who don’t make it to the 3rd page. So, when assigning these essays, I generally go by the same “informal rule” - that students should aim to make it to the 3rd page of the essay. I won’t necessarily penalize them for not making it, but most essays require a certain amount of space to completely convey their point of view, convincingly, to the audience of informed readers.

Attached are the first two packets for 9th grade that I’ve used in the past; the essay prompts can be found on the back pages. Students have been able to choose between either of the essay options (or in the case that there are three, all three). The second two attachments will act as the assessment essays for 10th grade Pre-AP English class; I’ve yet to decide whether I’ll do one or two pre-assessments for 10th grade, as this will be the first year I’ve taught it, and I will have had most of the incoming students in Pre-AP English 9A/B the previous year. In the past, students have received full credit (20 points in the Essays / Major Tests category, which is worth 40% of their grade) for completing the assignment in a satisfactory manner (I'm the judge of that).

https://docs.google.com/a/isd110.org/file/d/0BzChdz6CxM6oSmtKZ1BTd09XR1E/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzChdz6CxM6oUnF5bk9Ha185YjA/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/a/isd110.org/file/d/0BzChdz6CxM6oTmJydGVxZDVUZzg/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/a/isd110.org/file/d/0BzChdz6CxM6oT0lTUVRLS2lRSFk/edit?usp=sharing

Also attached is the sort of "Writing checklist" that I give the students before all writing assignments; it includes good and bad examples of all writing components, a checklist of the things that "good academic writing" usually includes, examples of how to integrate different types of quotations, and a basic outline form that they can use if they wish, but for some assignments are not required to. 
https://docs.google.com/a/isd110.org/file/d/0BzChdz6CxM6odjBWN0NvN1R0R2s/edit?usp=sharing