Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively

Sentence structure

Sentence correctness or sentence complexity

• Language Mechanics subtest of the California 

Achievement Test, focusing on error identification

• Percentage of correct writing sequences written 

for a writing prompt

Use of evidence

Making arguments in writing supported by rea-

soning and data (i.e., identifying and analyzing 

relevant evidence, and developing and supporting 

claims based on that evidence)

• Number of arguments used

• Measure of the balance between pro and con 

arguments

• Number of sources used

Word choice

The words used by the writer in his or her writing. 

Word choice may be assessed by counting spe-

cific types of words (e.g., the number of different 

words or the inclusion of content-specific words) 

or by examining the complexity of words (e.g., 

the number of syllables).

• Language Expression subtest of the California 

Achievement Test, focusing on language usage

Writing output

The actual quantity of text produced

• Word count in a student essay

• Number of sentences in a composition