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2010 TCAP Writing Assessment

Published January 21, 2010

Thousands of Williamson County students will mark Groundhog Day by taking the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Writing Assessment.  Students in fifth, eighth and eleventh grades will take the assessment Tuesday, February 2.  They will each have 35 minutes to write a rough draft essay in response to an assigned topic.  Each grade writes a different type of essay:

  • Grade 5 – Narrative
  • Grade 8 - Expository
  • Grade 11 - Persuasive

The purpose of the TCAP Writing Assessment is to measure each student's progress toward achieving Tennessee goals and standards.  The essays are scored according the Tennessee Writing Rubric on a scale of one to six, with one described as deficient and six as outstanding.  This LINK to the Tennessee Department of Education provides a further explanation of the writing assessment and scoring rubric.

Students not being tested will respond to a district provided prompt that day following the same format as the state prompt.  The Williamson County Writing Assessment provides structured practice for students to prepare for the state assessment, as well as formative assessment data to assist teachers in planning and designing writing instruction in all grades.

Below are a few tips to help your child do his or her best on this assessment:

  • Get a good night’s sleep.
  • Eat a good breakfast.
  • Allow plenty of time to prepare for and arrive at school on time