Assessment for learning and its relationship to the quality of written language: the effects of using exemplar writings to build criteria on the quality of student writing

Abstract

This action research project investigated the central research question: To what degree do es the quality of students ' p ersonal writings improve when students build criteria from exemplary writing? This project requested teachers to implement specific assessment for learning strategies into their written language instruction of personal writing. The students participated in one baseline write and three subsequent writes to determine if using the assessment for learning strategies of analyzing exemplary writing and developing criteria would increase the quality of writing based on the meaning strand of the BC Performance Standards in Writing. For further evidence of effectiveness of using assessment for learning strategies, students completed a rating scale on their perceived helpfulness of these strategies, and teachers completed a rating scale on their beliefs of the effectiveness ofusing assessing for learning strategies, performance standards and participating within a learning team. The primary students' quality of writing improved substantially with the implementation of assessment for learning strategies. The students and the teachers perceived the assessment for learning strategies to be effective in increasing the quality of personal writing. The teachers believed the use of assessment for learning strategies, and performance standards and working within learning teams were highly effective in improving and assessing the quality of students ' writing.