In an age of assessment and standardized testing, assessing student writing in a way that meets state expectations while also eliciting student growth is a daily challenge for English teachers. Because of the need for equity and accountability in education amongst high schools, the State of New Jersey adapted standardized testing and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to ensure our students are meeting certain goals. Finding a balance between reaching the standards, while also evaluating student growth and development in writing is a major frustration for teachers. To understand ways to manage this alignment, I completed an ethnographic study at Highland Regional High School, in Blackwood, NJ. I conducted my research in a public high school where I interviewed teachers and administrators, and analyzed lesson plans, grading rubrics, and district writing assessments. Using this information in conjunction with the CCSS and the PARCC examination, I studied how teachers are addressing the state standards for writing while also trying to measure and evaluate student growth in a less objective way. Finding an appropriate balance for this is the ultimate problem.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
English
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
English language--Study and teaching
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Educational tests and measurements--New Jersey
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Common Core State Standards (Education)
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_6512
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Note
Supplementary File: Appendix 5
Extent
1 online resource (iv, 66 p. : ill)
Note (type = degree)
M.A.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Heather Lee Clifford
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Camden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10005600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.