Journal Write
1.
2.
3.
How are you feeling about your
chances at passing the Writing HSPE?
How are you feeling about your
chances at passing the Reading
HSPE?
Do you know what the passing scores
are for each of the tests?
***KEEP YOUR JOURNAL OUT PLEASE***
Journal Write—Do this:

Column 1:
1. List as many basic
EXPOSITORY
Essay Elaboration
Strategies that you
possibly can from
MEMORY.
2. What strategy in
particular can give
your paragraphs
more length if they
are looking a little
skimpy?

Column 2:
1. List as many
PERSUASIVE Essay
Strategies as you
possibly can from
MEMORY.
2. Also, what specific
Persuasive
strategies are
scorers looking for
in your persuasive
writing above all
others?
TODAY
Going to the library to
READ YOUR
INDEPENDENT
READING NOVEL +
doing a novel reading
check (turn in tomorrow):
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Yoon
Alex
Kayla
Noel
Roldan
Cody
Diamonique
Zoe
Miguel
Staying HERE to go over
HSPE Reading Review
for the test on Thursday:
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Mark
Patricia
Nga
Tran
Steven
Genaro
Expository Essay Reminders

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Anecdotes are your FRIENDS.
Quotes are the expository essay’s sort of
“testimonial”—they give your writing validity.
Facts, Statistics, Dates, Times are AWESOME
because #NUMBERS# draw your reader’s attention
and add SPECIFICITY to your ideas.
Finally, do what the PROS do—use LIT DEVICES
(see back whiteboard) in YOUR writing! Alliteration,
Hyperboles, Similes, Metaphors, IMAGERY (what is
that again??) are POWERFUL writing tools. Try
them in your INTROS and CONCLUSIONS for
added ZIP!
Persuasive Essay Reminders

2 Types of Persuasive Prompts:


Persuasive Stance and “Persuasatory”
Your Intro Paragraph MUST have:
◦ a Stance—TAKE A STAND! (as best you can!)

Your Body Paragraphs should AT LEAST have:
◦ Expert Testimony (quotes????)
◦ Facts and Statistics
◦ Anecdotes (personal, funny, heartbreaking!)

Your Concluding Paragraph MUST have:
◦ a CALL TO ACTION! (Prediction at the least)

BUT…Don’t forget about PERSUASIVE
LANGUAGE (& lit devices!):
◦ Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, etc. etc. etc.
The Washington State
High School Proficiency Exam
•WRITING
passing score = 17
•READING passing score = 400
Writing Rubric
COS = Content, Organization, Style
 CV = Conventions

Passing the WRITING portion of
the HSPE
EXPOSITORY & PERSAUSIVE WRITING
 “COS”
◦ Content, Organization, & Style
◦ Total Possible Points = 4

“CV”
◦ Conventions
◦ Total Possible Points = 2
4
+2=6
How many essays will I write?
 TWO!!!

One Persuasive and one Expository
essays…
What score do I need to pass?
TWO people (hired and trained by the
state of WA) will score your Expository
essay and two other people will score
your Persuasive essay…
 ALL 4 of these scores will be added
together for a total possible score of
24…

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You MUST score 17 or higher OUT
of 24 to PASS.
If I must score 17 out of 24, what
does that look like?
4
+ 4 + 4 + 5 = 17
ONE person must give you a 5 out of 6
on one of your essays to pass…
 COS 3 + CV 2 = 5 points
 COS 4 + CV 1 = 5 points

So, what should I focus on?

What are your strengths &
weaknesses???
◦ Elaboration? Staying focused? Word choice?
Grammar? Punctuation?
◦ If you know you struggle with conventions, then
really throw your effort into getting a 4 out of 4
in COS (content, organization, style)
◦ Plus, DO NOT BE LAZY!!
 Brainstorm!!
 Write a rough draft THEN your final draft!! (NO
ONE is perfect the first time through!)
 Proof Read!! Capitalize those proper nouns! And don’t
write in TEXT SPEAK (no abbreviations)!
POINT-OF-VIEW in writing (POV)
HSPE Essay
Lit Analysis Essay
Personal Essay
(about you)
English class or
general Academic Essay
Use “I, Me, My,”
etc. (1st person
narrative)
(All Quiet w/ quotes)
Use “he, she, they,”
etc. (3rd person
narrative)
NEVER use “you,
your,” etc. (2nd person
narrative) in either type
of essays…
HSPE Test Day REMINDERS
Get TONS of REST this week.
 Eat breakfast.
 BE ON TIME.
 Gym doors will open as early as 7:20, Testing
begins at 7:30 sharp, Wait in commons area for
doors to open.
 NO CELL PHONES or MUSIC DEVICES.
 Bring snacks, water.
 Bring something to read or work on if you finish
early.
 BREATHE. 
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