High Stakes testing/Analytical Writing

     There are other forms of writing that are more academic and structured. These forms of writing are generally referred to as informative or expository prose. Responding to informative prose is the kind of writing most students have to perform for high-stakes testing. Teaching students strategies on how to effectively respond to informative text will only enhance their chances of passing high-stakes testing (Armbruster, 2000).

     Students need to thoroughly understand the writing process to pass high-stakes writing assessments. Teachers are encouraging students to respond to many different type of writing, whether it is narrative or expository writing. Students are being taught that while there are three stages to the writing process, the pre-writing, writing, and revision, they are not linear but recursive. Students who thought they were at one stage may find they have to shift back to another stage before completing their final copy (Noskin, 2000).

     State officials and educators have differing opinions about high-stakes testing. State officials see testing as necessary for improving reading and writing for the diverse populations within their states. The grass-roots educators see the tests as cutting into an already over crowded curriculum. Many states want students to pass high-stakes testing to receive a diploma. One result of states pressuring students to pass high-stakes testing is that students and educators are electing to leave the educational system (Hoffman, Paris, Salas, Patterson, & Assaf, 2003).