The AIMS Writing Sample Test Prompt papers are a representation of
the student responses f rom the 2003-04 field test prompt. Students
produced the papers in an AIMS testing environment. Prompts were
not known until the beginning of the testing period. Students were
directed to use the writing process to brainstorm or pre -write, create a
first draft, and produce a final draft in one sitting. The papers were
scored by Harcourt-Brace and returned to ADE in December, 2004.
Teacher committees were assembled to establish anchor sets in each
trait. The Assessment Section finalized the process by provid ing
annotations for each score point of each trait. The papers were
scanned and are exactly as written by Arizona students; all
identification markers have been removed. Scores are true to the
scoring by the testing company. Although we anticipate that
expectations for each score point may be higher in the classroom
where teachers and students use multiple days to produce a final
draft, these papers represent how the testing company determined the
scores for the test prompt responses. Effort to ensure sampl es
represented districts statewide was a priority in selecting the samples.
These sample papers may be printed and used in the classroom for
instructional purposes. Allowing students to read the papers and the
annotations will strengthen their understandin g of what a successful
writer is. Using the sample papers can also be a very effective strategy
to help students understand what makes writing work and what the
expectations are for AIMS writing. Viewing these samples on a large
screen in the classroom pro vides an excellent opportunity for a
discussion of strengths and weaknesses of each paper in terms of the
six traits of writing. If you score papers as a group to reach consensus,
students can compare their scores to a given score. You may then
discuss how the papers could be revised and edited for improvement
while using the scoring guide. This allows for targeted instruction in
each trait. Through this experience, students will become the best
raters of their own papers for the six traits.
For more information on the AIMS Six Trait Analytic Writing Rubric, please click here.
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Contact Information
602-542-5031
Testing@azed.gov
by name
Accountability Division | Assessment Section | Research & Evaluation Section
