Place Middle School students are failing to meet state writing standards. Only 26% scored proficient on the writing portion of the state test. Multiple factors contribute to this problem, including lack of organizational, grammar, and punctuation skills among students. The recommended solution is to teach students the six traits of writing model through an interactive PowerPoint lesson to improve achievement in writing and increase test scores.

1. FINAL PRESENTATION
Needs Analysis
~ A Performance Problem in Writing
University of Colorado at Denver
~ Mae Guerra

2. GAP ANALYSIS
The ideal state at Place would be that
students would be proficient at writing
essays that demonstrated proper
sentence structure, correct
punctuation, and capitalization. The
actual state at this school is that
students do not consistently
demonstrate these skills based on
CSAP scores.
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3. LEARNING PROBLEM
Place Middle School 7th grade
students are failing to meet the
requirements of the Colorado Model
Content Standards in writing.
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4. MULTIPLE CAUSES
1. Students lack organizational skills in
writing
2. Basic grammar skills are below grade
level
3. Teachers are asked to teach at
grade level with curriculum that does
not support learner’s needs in
grammar and punctuation
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5. RECOMMENDATION
The need is to improve student achievement
in the area of writing and improve test
scores. The recommended action is to teach
students the six traits of writing model and
how to use it in their writing.
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6. LEARNING GOALS
To increase learner achievement in
writing by meeting Colorado Model
Content Standards and by scoring
proficient on the Denver Public School’s
Post-Benchmark Assessment.
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7. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Given a PowerPoint lesson over the six
traits of writing, the learner will list all
six traits of quality writing.
2. Given a PowerPoint lesson over the six
traits of writing, the learner will identify
3 qualities of good writing from each of
the six traits.
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8. INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH
A learner led interactive PowerPoint
lesson over the six traits of writing
intended to help students gain a broad
understanding of what is working well
and what needs to be improved in their
writing.
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9. ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITY
• Learners will complete a quiz that
covers the learning objectives.
• When completed the student will give
the quiz back to the instructor.
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10. DELIVERY SYSTEM
The teacher will guide the class through
an interactive PowerPoint presentation
as the students interact with the
slides.
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11. MEDIA NEEDS
Students will need a computer with
the downloaded lesson over the six
traits of writing on their desktops.
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12. THE SIX TRAITS OF WRITING

13. CLICK ON THE TRAIT
Conventions Voice
Sentence
Fluency
Ideas &
Content Organization Word Choice
Take Quiz

14. • Ideas paint pictures in a
reader’s mind
• Informational text becomes
reader-friendly
• Ideas demonstrate clarity,
focus, sense of purpose

15. • Does it make sense?
• Is the writing easy to
follow?
• Are transitions smooth
and appropriate?
• Is the conclusion
satisfying?

16. isualize
rganize
nterpret
raft
laborate

17. • Is there enthusiasm and expressiveness?
• Are you knowledgeable about the topic?
• Does the piece hold the reader’s
attention?
• Does the text just repeat common
knowledge?

18. • Use striking words
• Eliminate tired words
• Words are specific
• Find the word that is
‘just right’

19. • Sounds soothing to the ear
• A variety of sentence length and structure
• Smooth transitions support fluency
• Punctuate. Periods are a good thing!
• Sentences are constructed in a way that
helps make meaning clear

20. • Correct use of capitalization, punctuation and
spelling
• Maintain verb tense and subject verb agreement
throughout composition
• Use adverbs, appositives, clauses and phrases
correctly
• Use homophones and other vocabulary correctly

21. WHY IS WRITING IMPORTANT?
“If people cannot write well, they
cannot think well, and if they
cannot think well, others will do
their thinking for them.”
George Orwell

22. SELF QUIZ QUESTIONS
1. List all six traits.
2. Identify 3 qualities of good writing
from each of the six traits.
Directions: On the last page found in your packet,
answer the above questions and turn into your teacher.
For more information over the six traits click the buttons below:
More Info

23. ANSWERS TO QUESTION #1
1. Conventions
2. Voice
3. Sentence Fluency
4. Ideas
5. Organization
6. Word Choice

24. ANSWERS TO QUESTION #2
1. Conventions –correct use of capitalization, spelling and verb
tense
2. Voice – knowledgeable about the topic, holds readers
attention, contains enthusiasm
3. Sentence Fluency –variety of sentence length, transitions
support fluency, punctuate
4. Ideas –reader friendly, demonstrates focus and purpose
5. Organization – makes sense, easy to follow, conclusion is
satisfying
6. Word Choice – specific words are used, striking words or
phrases

25. LINKS ABOUT THE SIX TRAITS:
1. http://senior.billings.k12.mt.us/6traits/
2. http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/tea
cherlinks/sixtraits/stlinksstudents.htm
3. http://www.geocities.com/ljacoby_2000/
6traits.html
Take Quiz

26. LEARNING PROBLEM
Place Middle School students score below grade
level in the following writing standards:
Standard 2: Students write and speak for a variety
of purposes and audiences.
Standard 3: Students write and speak using
conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure,
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
(CO Dept. of Education, 2005-2006)

27. GAP ANALYSIS AND LOCAL DATA
In 2005-2006, Place Middle School was rated "Low" by the
Colorado Department of Education for the middle school level.
The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) tests
students' skills in reading, writing and mathematics in grades 3
through 10 and in science in grades 5, 8 and 10. On the CSAP
26% of 7th grade Place Middle School students scored at or
above proficient level on the writing portion of the CSAP
assessment. The Federal No Child Left Behind states that Place
Middle School did not make adequate yearly progress in 2005-
2006 and the state Department of Education identified this
school as "in need of improvement, Year 2" for 2006-2007. (CO
Dept. of Education, 2005-2006)

28. MULTIPLE CAUSES
Other factors that contribute to the
lack of student success on test scores
consist of the inconsistency of staff,
student mobility, students arriving late
to class, lack of parent support, large
class size and low staff morale.

29. DETERMINED NEED
Another recommendation is to design a
curriculum that addresses writing
deficiencies through the use of graphic
organizers, Daily Oral Language practice
sessions, grammar lessons, Pearson
Knowledge Technologies’ WriteToLearn
online instructional learning tool and the
use of the 6 traits of writing model.