The Seventh Right of Every Writer- The Right to Be Assessed Well

After the recent PASS testing focus and preparation, the part of this chapter that was the most interesting to me was the description of Kentucky's state assessment. The combination of portfolio and on demand writing is intriguing! I have studied portfolio assessment, but I was unaware that any state used if as part of their assessment. I thought this form of assessment only occurring at the school and classroom levels. This combination form of assessment is so important because it allows for a better representation of students as writers. Adults as writers need time, resources, and input to complete their best work and we encourage our students to use these during writing instruction, yet during high stakes testing, we remove all of these from our students. We remove their comfort zone yet expect them to flourish. The combination type of assessment allows for this type of assessment but also allows for other samples of writing that students have written within their comfort zone and with the proper resources. This assessment also provides an opportunity for students to choose the work they believe is their best, allowing them to assess themselves before they are formally assessed. It also ultimately allows for a more authentic representation of students as writers. I'm sure this form of assessment is more motivational for students because it shows them respect as writers.