The way Wyoming schools evaluate writing could be changed in upcoming weeks, potentially affecting the skill levels of incoming freshman at UW.
Wyoming House Bill 159 would eliminate Student Assessment of Writing Skills (SAWS) in schools across the state. Upon passing through the House of Representatives it is now undergoing discussion in a Senate committee.
The objective of the bill is to reduce testing and to approach writing comprehension in an alternative matter, bill co-sponsor and Representative Albert Sommers (R-Sublette) said.
“My understanding is SAWS hasn’t promoted great writing, it’s more teaching for the test than incorporating writing into homework assignments,” he said. “It doesn’t get to where we want to get for good writing for students.”
The SAWS test is administrated during third, fifth and seventh grade; however, it sets the tone for how writing is taught throughout the remainder of grade school, Sommers said.
Although there is room for improvement in the system, Pam Galbreath, UW English Department instructor, and Judy Powers, retired English teacher and writing center instructor, agreed eliminating writing evaluations is not necessarily the best approach.
“I’m totally in favor of any type of writing in the high school that will prepare students for the type of writing they have to do in college,” Galbreath said. “What I saw quite some time ago, and this could have changed, it did not meet the needs for the type of writing they have to do in college.”
It depends on how the tests are being used to evaluate students, but Powers said generally basic writing tests could develop fundamental skills. These fundamentals eventually progress higher-level writing in college, she said.
“If you get the basic skills, then you can adapt them. College writing is all based on the basics,” Powers said.
If the bill is passed, responsibility of assessing writing will be placed on individual school districts, and the state will save $1.8 million.
Avoiding multiple choice tests and switching to written exams would be more effective for developing writing skills, Summers said.
“Standardized test on English or science or whatever you may be testing on, one should incorporate writing into all of that,” he said. “That’s how writing needs to be taught by incorporating it into all subject matters.’
A lack of correct writing taught in grade school trickles into students’ writing in college, where mistakes are not as easily tolerated, Powers said. She added it is tricky for teachers to emphasize writing exercises with a wide variety of curriculum and students in grade school.
Powers and Galbreath agreed incoming freshmen are often not relaxed and confident with their writing.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Powers said.
In the meantime, the house bill will be further discussed in committee before it can be presented on the senate floor.
Writing Assessment
