Strategies to Improve Schoolers Writing Skills on Performance Based Assessments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the topic of instructional strategies that can be used to improve writing skills in high school students. The measurement tool used was the 7-point Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) rubric used for grades 6-12 in the English Curriculum. The instructional strategy used was the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) strategy which includes explicit, interactive learning of writing strategies for self-regulation through the writing process (e.g., goal setting, self-assessment, self- instructions, and self-reinforcement). This study utilized a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Using the SRSD strategy did statistically impact writing skills. The SRSD strategy should continue to be implemented in various level English classes in order to assist students in setting writing goals, creating effective and well-developed paragraphs, and revising their writing.