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Written by Sarah Baggs-Eastwood | sarah.baggseastwood@uamaker.nyc
Problem
In the first inquiry cycle, I focused on students’ ability to read and discuss a text. While I have seen quite a bit of growth and depth in students’ dialogues, I have not seen a similar level of depth in students’ writing. In the second inquiry cycle, I am thinking about how to support students in strengthening their writing skills. Additionally, I am considering how to ensure that I am supporting and challenging students at different levels. I want to provide support for students who struggle with writing to begin engaging. I also want to focus on students who are already meeting the targets and ensure that they are being appropriately challenged and growing throughout the year.
Hypothesis
If students are provided with tiered writing prompts/supports , then their quality of writing and depth of analysis will increase , as measured by the grades they are receiving (based on claims they are making and supporting - skill of argumentation).
Target group
All of my kids are my target group - but I am really focusing on the group of students in the “A” group to ensure that they are receiving assignments that appropriately challenge them and that they receive feedback that helps them to improve in their skills.
Planning & resources
Coming soon!
Data collection
Data collection
Baseline data
Students completed an on-demand writing task that was graded on the skill of argumentation. The assignment included the rubric but did not include any additional scaffolds or prompts to remind students of what is required to show this skill (claim, evidence, counterclaim, rebuttal).
Measuring success
I tracked their grades for argumentation over time.
Overall findings & impact
Coming soon!
Actionable steps
If you want to use this strategy in your classroom, I recommend …
Using on-demand writing so that students are completing the work in your classroom under your supervision. I recommend pen and paper, as most students will be asked to write essays by hand on high-stakes assessments. I did, however, provide opportunities for students to type if this was an accommodation in their IEP. By using on-demand writing and pen and paper, this greatly reduced the use of AI or other plagiarism. It also increased student stamina for on-demand writing.
Collect phones/technology so that they will not be a distraction.
Use lined paper. I learned in a grade team meeting from 9th grade ELA teachers that students are used to writing longer responses when they see lines on a paper instead of a blank box. Simply adding lines increased the length and complexity of the responses we received.
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