This document discusses the implementation of new Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) for English language arts and its potential impact on 8th grade writing scores on standardized tests. It notes that Georgia measures 8th grade writing ability through expository or persuasive essays scored in areas like ideas, organization and style. The author conducted a study comparing test scores from 2012 to 2013, the first year of CCGPS. While there was no statistically significant difference in overall scores, there were small decreases in mean scores and for females and males. The author suggests this may be due to increased focus on quantity over quality of writing under the new standards.

1. Regina Crawford

2.  School
systems seek to increase students’
writing achievement on standardized
assessments, so they are able to successfully
move forward to the college classroom or the
21st century workplace. The researcher
suspects that increased achievement can be
reached by the implementation of the new
English language arts Common Core Georgia
Performance Standards (CCGPS). Other
curriculum areas will join forces with language
arts and incorporate writing activities as part
of the curriculum. Questions related to the
impact of this initiative need to be answered

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

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 was 0.229070526, 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 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)