Why are Florida children writing so much better?

Practice, practice, practice, teachers say, adding that this year's writing scores rose in great part because of teaching tailored to the statewide test.

By STEPHEN HEGARTY

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 21, 2000

At A.A. Dixon Elementary in Pensacola, every school day starts the same way. Breakfast at 7:15. The Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom at 7:45.

Then writing. Lots of writing.

Every morning when the children enter the classroom, they see a "prompt" written on the blackboard -- a question to get the kids writing to explain something, or to tell a story. Every day, the children spend an hour writing.

"It gets to be like breathing," said principal Judith Ladner. "Constant writing. Every day."

That intense focus paid off in a big way. Ladner's school more than tripled the percentage of kids who met the state's writing standard.

Dixon's writing gains could be considered miraculous if not for the fact that the state's other 77 F-rated schools also turned around their writing scores this year. None of the gains was as great as Dixon's, but many were close.

How could so many kids suddenly become competent writers?

Many educators were not completely surprised at the improvement. Out of fear and necessity, Florida educators have figured out how the state's writing test works and are gearing instruction toward it -- with constant writing and, in many cases, a shamelessly formulaic approach. For some struggling schools, the writing test has helped them avoid an F rating.

"I think people people have caught on: "This is what the state is looking for, and here's a formula so you can get the kids to do it,' " said Sam Whitten, supervisor of testing for the Hillsborough County schools. "It works."

Florida has more experience with this writing test. The Florida Writes test was introduced in 1993. The state's reading and math tests were introduced in 1997. Teachers have had more time to learn what the writing test is like, and to adjust instruction.

Also, students can be shown a simple formula for effective -- though not exceptional -- writing. If they spend a lot of time writing, and they can master the formula, they can score high enough to meet the state standard.

The quick improvement in writing scores has helped several schools avoid embarrassment. Last year, four schools were in danger of becoming Florida's first voucher schools if they fell short in reading, writing and math. Two of them, including Dixon Elementary, did fall short and spent last school year as the state's voucher experiment.

Two others escaped that fate. They knew it as soon as they saw their writing scores.

"We've seen that a few times where the writing scores make the difference," said JoAnn Carrin, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Education. "With writing, you're using your own vocabulary, your own thoughts, your own style. And you can incorporate it into every subject being taught."

The importance of the writing test has forced teachers to adjust the way they teach writing because the state requires a particular kind of "demand" writing. Students are given a single "prompt," and have 45 minutes to write an essay based on the prompt.

Many Hillsborough County teachers were accustomed to teaching their students a more deliberate write-and-revise style of writing.

"People had their own writing methodology, and they thought that would carry them," Whitten said.

After a couple of years of disappointing scores, Hillsborough shifted its focus to the kind of "demand" writing necessary for a good Florida Writes score. Scores improved. Now the district is aiming higher.

"Before Florida Writes teachers had very little writing instruction," said Pat Nelms, elementary reading and language arts supervisor for the Pinellas County schools. After posting impressive writing scores, Pinellas got calls from other school districts. Educators began comparing notes.

Evidently, instruction improved statewide. In 1993, 20 percent of the state's fourth-graders scored a 3.0 or above on the writing test (scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 6). In 1996, that percentage doubled. And this year, 84 percent of the state's fourth-graders wrote well enough to earn a 3.0 on the test.

Some educators resist the formula approach to writing. A formula can help you reach a certain level (all the state requires is that students score a 3.0 or above), but it won't produce exceptional essays.

Ladner said her school adopted a prescribed system for writing a couple of years ago, but she felt it could take her students only so far. The scores showed it. This past school year, her school adjusted instruction to get the students to a higher level. The incredible gains showed it.

Zane McInroy, a fourth-grade teacher at Brentwood Elementary in Pensacola, has seen plenty of students with great ideas they can't get down on paper.

"They tend to go off on a tangent," McInroy said.

He teaches his students to write "five paragraph papers, to use transitions, to stay focused on the topic." That fits the handy formula used around the state. McInroy says it's a great help to students who have trouble putting their ideas in order. Once they have that sense of organization, he adds, you encourage them to get creative and strive for even better writing.

Happy as she is with her school's improved writing scores, Ladner also has concerns about drilling students on a formula just so they can pass the state's test.

So, she has the kids do one regular assignment that has nothing to do with the state tests -- something that she says is "just for the kids."

She has them keep a journal.

They write in it every day.

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