End-of-Semester Procedures for RWAD, RWAD II, and CWIS - NJCU :: English Department

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End-of-Semester Procedures for RWAD, RWAD II, and CWIS

To: RWAD, RWAD II, and CWIS Instructors

From: Joshua Fausty, Assistant Chair of English (Composition)

Date: November 1, 2009

Re: End-of-Semester WRAP Procedures (Fall 2009)

This memo details end-of-semester procedures for courses that culminate in a WRAP exam. Please read it carefully and contact me immediately if you have any questions.

Dates and General Information

The Writing and Reading Assessment Profile (WRAP) is given during the last full week of classes before finals week ( Tuesday, Dec 8 through Monday, Dec 14, 2009). It should be administered by instructors as late in the week as possible so that students can benefit from as much instruction as possible.

The WRAP is picked up by instructors at the Writing Center (Karnoutsos 105), given to students by instructors during regular class time, and scored by the Writing Assessment Committee (WAC) of the English Department. WRAP packets may be picked up in the Writing Center the day before the exam. (If you need to make other arrangements, please contact the Writing Center in advance.)

Scores and Grades

While instructors must indicate on the Information Sheet what grade a student has earned through class work, any passing grade will apply only if the student passes the WRAP. Students who do not pass the WRAP cannot receive a passing grade for the course.

There are different “passing” WRAP scores for RWAD, RWAD II, and CWIS:

a. Students in RWAD must receive a WRAP score equivalent to an English Placement Test score of 3 to pass the WRAP and the course and move into RWAD II, or a WRAP score equivalent to a Placement Test score of 4 to move into English Composition I and Writing Lab.

b. Students in RWAD II must receive a WRAP score equivalent to a Placement Test score of 4 to pass the WRAP and the course and move into ECI and Writing Lab.

c. Students in CWIS must receive a WRAP score equivalent to a Placement Test score of 4 to pass the WRAP and the course and move into ECI and Writing Lab.

Students in their first semester of RWAD or RWAD II who fail the WRAP but were passing the course according to the instructor’s criteria receive the non-punitive final course grade of R (Repeat).

Students who fail RWAD or RWAD II for the second time receive the final course grade of F and are subject to academic dismissal by the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences.

While instructors may administer the WRAP as a final exam to students who are exempt, they may not submit essays of exempt students to the WAC for scoring.

The Retest

Students who have demonstrated their readiness for the next-level composition course during the semester may be recommended for a retest by their instructors in case they do not pass the WRAP. Instructors must follow the guidelines for recommending students for a retest. These guidelines are listed on the back of the Information Sheet (included in the WRAP packet).

Eligible students will be invited by the WAC to take the retest. Instructors may be asked to contact these students and provide the location and time of the retest (to be announced).

Before the WRAP

Instructors must type a Contact List that includes students’ current telephone (including cell phone), email, and mailing address information as well as the instructor’s current telephone and email contact information. This typed Contact List must be returned to the WAC with the completed Information Sheet and WRAP exams. Instructors must keep a copy of the Contact List in order to contact students about the retest.

The WRAP packet contains a double-sided Information Sheet that instructors must complete and submit to the WAC with the completed WRAP exams.

Instructors must fill out both sides of the Information Sheet and include the preliminary grade each student has earned going into (prior to) the WRAP. Students will be eligible to receive passing grades if and only if they pass the WRAP.

During the WRAP

Instructors must read the WRAP instructions aloud to students after they give out the exam to students and before students begin working on the exam.

Instructors must ensure that students include their student ID numbers but NOT their names on their WRAP essays.

Instructors must collect all WRAP documents at the end of the exam period.

Instructors must have students delete their files and empty the recycle bins on their computers after they have printed two copies of their essays. Both copies must be submitted to the WAC.

If students hand-write their WRAPs on the provided sensitized paper, they must separate the top sheet from the bottom sheet to create two copies of their completed essays.

Instructors must not allow students to take copies of the WRAP when they leave.

The WRAP packet includes a handout for students that details composition course eligibility requirements and a link to the Composition website, where they will find instructions on how to view their scores. Instructors must give out this sheet to all students before they leave the exam session and should urge students not to misplace it before they have retrieved their scores.

As explained in the handout for students, the English Composition website includes detailed instructions on how to access WRAP scores. The important website address is:

http://web.njcu.edu/dept/english/Content/english_composition.asp.

After the WRAP

Immediately after students complete the WRAP, instructors must prepare the completed essays to be submitted to the WAC.

After students submit two copies of their completed essays, instructors must create two separate stacks of individually stapled WRAP essays so there are two complete sets, one set for each of two WAC readers.

Instructors must return both sets of WRAPs with the completed Information Sheet and typed Contact List to the Open Writing Lab immediately after the students complete the WRAP.

IMPORTANT: Instructors must not record students’ final grades online until they receive their WRAP results and final grades from the WAC.

Prior to the date on which final course grades are due, completed Information Sheets will be emailed to instructors with WRAP scores and final grades.

IMPORTANT: Instructors MUST enter the final grades indicated by the WAC in column 5 of the completed Information Sheet. These grades are based on the students’ WRAP scores, which determine final grade eligibility .

NOTE: RWAD and RWAD II students must receive the same final grade in both sections of these courses.

When instructors submit final grades to the Registrar on GothicNet, they must also email a copy of the final grade roster to Barbara Hildner, WAC Chair, at bhildner@njcu.edu (on the grade roster page, simply “select all,” then copy and paste the entire roster—including grades assigned—into the body of an email.)

WRAP scores are not mailed to students: Students must access their WRAP scores on GothicNet. WRAP scores will be posted to GothicNet before Final Grades are due.

Please contact me by email (jfausty@njcu.edu) with any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation.

SAMPLE FORMAT FOR STUDENT CONTACT SHEET

CONTACTS FOR RWAD OR RWAD II

Semester and Year

Instructor Name: Josh Fausty

Instructor Phone: 201-200-3338

Instructor Cell: 201-555-3456

Instructor Email: jfausty@njcu.edu

Student Name

Phone

Cell

Address