Preparing for the Georgia High School Writing Test GHSWT

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Preparing for the Georgia High School Writing
TestGHSWT
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About the GHSWT

• All juniors are required to take the test.
• Passing the GHSWT is one of the requirements for
  graduation.
• The test will be given on Wednesday, Sept. 30
  during the school day.
• Make-Up There will only be one make-up date for
  the test.

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More About the GHSWT

• A writing topic will be provided to students that
  will describe an issue.
• The purpose of the writing will be to Persuade.
• A specific audience will be indicated in the
  Writing Situation and Directions.
• The writing is scored by a state testing agency.
  Two raters will score each paper.
• A rubric is used to score the papers. The
  development of Ideas equals 40 of the final
  score. 20 of the score is for Organization, 20
  is for Style, and 20 is for Conventions.

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Defining Persuasive Writing

• Persuasive Writing Writing that has as its
  purpose convincing others to accept the writers
  position as valid, adopt a certain point of view,
  or take some action.
• Methods Provides logical appeals, emotional
  appeals, facts, statistics, narrative anecdotes,
  humor, and/or the writers personal experiences
  and knowledge.

Persuasive Writing
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Sample Writing Topic (Prompt)

• Writing Situation
• Many public school systems across the country
  require students to wear uniforms. Some educators
  believe that wearing uniforms will help students
  concentrate more on their school work. On the
  other hand, some students argue that having to
  wear uniforms prevents them from expressing their
  individuality. Your principal is considering
  whether students at your school should wear
  uniforms.
• Directions for Writing
• Write a letter to your principal expressing your
  view on school uniforms. Provide convincing
  reasons and specific examples to support your
  position.

Writing Topics
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On the day of the test

• You will have 100 minutes to write on the topic
  given. This includes time for prewriting, writing
  a rough draft, revising, editing and producing
  the final copy.
• You will be asked to write in blue or black ink.
• You will not be allowed to use white out.
• You will not be allowed to use a dictionary or
  other resources.
• Be sure that your writing is legible. Papers that
  are difficult to read will not receive a score.
• You must write your final paper on the
  appropriate form in order for it to be scored.

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What you can do to prepare

• Review the tips on the handout provided today.
• Practice the writing topic that is provided on
  the handout. Make sure you time yourself.
• Ask a teacher, parent or another student to give
  you feedback about your writing.
• There will be extra help sessions available
  before the test. See one of the English teachers
  if you are interested in attending these sessions.