TELPAS Writing Descriptor Levels
Beginner Level: Errors associated with second language acquisition may significantly hinder or prevent understanding, even for individuals accustomed to the writing for ELL's
Intermediate Level: "Intermediate students have developed fluency in their writings as well as a knowledge of simple sentence types, and they are developing fluency in their expressions. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 255)
Advanced Level: "Our concept of an advanced second language writer is defined in terms of an effective first language writer of the same age." (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 243)
High Advanced Level
Grammar: Student has minor grammatical errors. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Vocabulary
Organization
Genre: Student chooses form to suit the purpose but is limited in choices of expository forms. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Fluency: Student can write several sentences. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Sentence Variety: Student uses several sentences patterns. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Grammar
Vocabulary
Organization
Genre
Fluency
Sentence Variety
Grammar: Students grammar resembles that of a native speaker of the same age. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Vocabulary: Student is flexible in word choice. Students vocabulary is similar to a good native writer of the same age. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Organization: Student follows standard organization for genres. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Genre: Student knows several genres of writing. Student makes appropriate choices. Students genre knowledge is similar to effective native writers of the same age. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Fluency: Student is capable of writing a paragraph or more. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Sentence Variety: Student uses a good variety of sentence patterns effectively in their writing. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"Produces occasional errors in semantics (naturalness of phrasing and expression)"(Carrizales, 2018A, 6:34)
"Errors associated with second language acquisition are minor and usually limited to low-frequency words and structures; errors rarely interfere with communication"(Carrizales, 2018A, 6:46)
"Occasional difficulty with naturalness of phrasing and expression."(Carrizales, 2018A, 5:53)
"Nearly comparable to writing of native English-speaking peers in clarity and precision with regard to English vocabulary and language structures, with occasional exceptions when writing about academically complex ideas, abstract ideas, or topics requiring low- frequency vocabulary." (Carrizales, 2018A, 3:49)
Students writing is somewhat sequenced. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"Although writers details simple sentences attempts verbs in irregular past tense." (Carrizales, 2018A, 14:38)
"Student uses verbs in present progressive tense" (Carrizales, 2018A, 14:38)
Student knows most words that are needed to express ideas but lacks vocabulary for finer shades of meaning. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"Student uses prepositions, pronouns, articles, and adjectives." (Carrizales, 2018A, 14:38)
Student is only capable of writing one or two short sentences. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"High-frequency words/phrases and short, simple sentences (or even short paragraphs) based primarily on recently practiced, memorized, or highly familiar material; this type of writing may be quite accurate." (Carrizales, 2018A, 7:39)
Student has limited vocabulary. Student relies, at times, on first language or asks for a translation. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"Present tense used primarily (Carrizales, 2018A, 7:39)
Student uses one or two sentence patterns only. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"Frequently primary language feature (spelling patterns)" (Carrizlaes, 2018A, 7:39)
Student uses basic word-order problems. Student uses only present tense forms. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
"Frequent primary language features (word order)" (Carrizales, 2018A, 7:39)
"Frequent primary language features (words from the student's primary language)" (Carrizales, 2018A, 7:39)
Student lacks logical sequence or the passage is so short that organization presents no problem. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)
Student does not differentiate form to suit the purpose of the story. (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013, p. 244)