Regina Crawford, a teacher at E. T. Booth Middle School, conducted a study to determine if there was a differential impact on writing test scores from the implementation of new English language arts standards in Georgia (CCGPS). She compared standardized writing test scores from 2012, before CCGPS, to 2013, the first year of CCGPS implementation. Her analysis found no statistically significant difference in overall scores or by gender between the two years, although mean scores decreased slightly from 2012 to 2013.

1. Regina Crawford
E. T. Booth Middle School
6th Grade (formerly 8th grade)

2.  Is
there a differential impact on writing scores
on standardized tests when the new CCGPS
English language arts standards are
implemented?

3.  Listed
on the 2011-2012 SIP to improve
writing scores by 1% - 94% to 95% Meets or
Exceeds
 Standards changed

4.  GA
measures students in 8th grade on ability
to write an expository or persuasive essay in
January of each school year
 Students are scored in 4 domains: ideas,
organization, style, & conventions

5. 8th grade teacher @ E. T. Booth Middle in CCSD
 Administrator approval
 CCSD approval
 PC approval
 IRB approval
 Collected data (non-identifying information)
 Compared 2 similar populations of students in
2012 and 2013
 T-test to compare scores of 2 years
 Mean scores to compare overall scores and
gender scores


6.  Comparing
2012 and 2013
 T-test score p=0.229, which indicates no
significant difference between the 2 years
 Overall mean decreased by 3 points from
2012 (229) to 2013 (226)
 Decrease in females 2012 (232) to 2013 (230)
 Decrease in males 2012 (226) to 2013 (221)
 DNM 2012 (2%) 2013 (1.7%)
 M 2012 (86%) 2013 (92%)
 E 2012 (11%) 2013 (6%)

7.  1st
year of CCGPS implementation
 GA required a minimum number of
compositions. Teachers using more instant
grading programs
 Students are more frequently scored
holistically versus by domains. Less
formative assessments and quality feedback
 Quantity does not always equal quality.
 If a teacher has 120 students he/she is
grading 2,880 essays per year (does not
include research connections or routine
writings)