Common Writing Expectations Summary

1. Proposal for
Common Writing
Expectations:
Summary
GGIS
2016-2017

2. What we’ve been talking about:
● Deciding if a common format would
serve us and our students.
● Keeping our expectations of student
writing quality consistent.
● Discovering how much writing and what
kind of writing our students are doing.

3. What we’ve really been doing:
We have actually been operating like a Professional
Learning Community (PLC).
Characteristics of a PLC (Bolam et al., 2005)
● Share a common mission / goal
● Share responsibility for the outcome
● Practice reflective professional inquiry
● Collaborating to produce products / solve problems
● Individual and group learning is encouraged
Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Stoll, L., Thomas, S., Wallace, M., Greenwood, A., ... & Smith, M. (2005). Creating and sustaining effective
professional learning communities. Bristol: University of Bristol Department of Education and Skills.

4. Professional Learning Community
Image: Craig Mah / https://craigmah.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/professional-learning-community.png

5. Professional Learning Community
Image: Craig Mah / https://craigmah.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/professional-learning-community.png

6. Professional Learning Community
Image: Craig Mah / https://craigmah.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/professional-learning-community.png

7. Rubrics & Scoring Guides
Common Core Informative Writing
Categories:
● Focus
● Development
● Audience
● Cohesion
● Language & Style
● Conventions
Common Core Informative Writing
Achievement levels:
5 = Exceptional
4 = Skilled
3 = Proficient
2 = Developing
1 = Inadequate
Source: Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2018). Writing standards | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.
Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/

8. Writing Rubrics Should Include:
Conventions
Punctuation
Spelling and Usage
Presentation
Other:
Paragraph Development
Organization
Word Choice
Assessing Content:
Intro / Thesis
Focus / Message
Supporting evidence /
Details
Drafts / Outlines?
Conclusion

9. Our Writing Expectations
● Students will use complete sentences.
● Students will use proper grammar conventions.
● Students will do neat and complete work.
● Students will write using full-thought expressions.
● Students will use structural conventions for
essays such as: Introduction, Body, &
Conclusion.

10. Quick Summary
● MLA Formatting is compulsory
● We pledge to keep our students
accountable to rigorous writing
expectations.
● Faculty are accountable to create rubrics
and scoring guides to objectively
assess student writing.