The Effects of Targeted Feedback and Micro-Conferences on the Writing Performance of Special Education Students on Extended Response Questions

Abstract

According to The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2011), students with disabilities significantly underperform in writing in comparison to their nondisabled peers. While only 15% of 8th-grade students identified as not having a disability scored below the basic level, 60% of 8th-grade students identified as having a disability scored below the basic level (NAEP, 2011). Writing ability affects student scores in reading where students complete extended response questions, “A non-multiple-choice question that requires some type of written or verbal response” (NAEP). In reading, the average score of students identified as having disabilities decreased by 4 points nationally from 2014 to 2022. A significant factor in this discrepancy is writing in response to text and extended response questions in particular. During the writing process typical students respond well to longer form conferences during which the teacher highlights items in need of revision or editing. Special education students are often overwhelmed by such conferences and benefit more from targeted feedback and multiple shorter conferences rather than one prolonged conference. A review of literature was conducted to examine topics related to the problem determined and the question developed in response to the problem. The review examined categories of research. These included; teaching revision skills to middle school writing students, Writer’s Workshop, cloud-based writing formats such as Wikis and Google Docs and how they can be used for collaboration and feedback, and the extent to which different feedback approaches are related to the writing quality of students’ compositions and motivation. The findings of the six-week study manifested as two themes: (a) narrowing feedback on Google Docs to mechanics and grammar using direct and commentary feedback and (b) it may be better to utilize my micro-conferencing time for higher level corrective feedback regarding content, organization, and word choice. The study findings suggest that feedback and conferences affect student engagement, communication, and skills.