ABSTRACT
Recent initiatives for improving academic outcomes for all students, such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2012) have prompted attention to writing in both assessment and intervention literature. Students are expected to end schooling prepared for writing in college and the workplace, demonstrated by: (a) writing arguments, informative/explanatory text, and narrative text; (b) writing with clarity and cohesion to meet task, purpose, and audience; (c) planning and revising, editing, or rewriting; (d) using technology for production, publication, and collaboration; (e) writing both short and longer responses to demonstrate understanding of subject matter; (f) using and integrating multiple sources while avoiding plagiarism; (g) gathering evidence from text to support writing; and (h) writing in both short and extended time frames. Given the specificity of initiatives and the “shared responsibility” within schools (CCSS, 2012, p.4), it is essential that all teachers understand how formative writing assessment for process skills and written expression can be used to inform writing instruction that ensures student progress towards meeting standards (Graham, Harris, & Hebert, 2011).
