Cobb Eighth Graders Outperform Peers on State Writing Test

From the Cobb County School District

The state released results for the 2014 Eighth Grade Writing Assessment, which show more Cobb students writing at or above standards than their peers. With a mean scale score of 217, 86 percent of Cobb eighth graders achieved the Meets or Exceeds standards, compared to 80 percent statewide and 85 percent for metro Atlanta school systems.

Nine of 25 Cobb middle schools showed growth in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding writing standards from 2013 to 2014, including Awtrey, Cooper, Daniell, Hightower Trail, Lost Mountain, Lovinggood, McClure, Palmer and Smitha.

As one of four grade level-specific writing tests administered statewide, the Eighth Grade Writing Assessment gauges middle school students' writing performance, helping students, teachers, and parents identify areas of strength and weakness in written composition before students enter high school. Student essays are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, assessing the qualities of effective writing: ideas, organization, style, and convention. The writing test taken during a student’s 11th grade year (as part of the Georgia High School Graduation Test) is an important requirement for graduation.

Click here to read the Eighth Grade Writing Assessment Testing Brief, including data tables.