Which writing system takes the longest for children to learn? The answer might surprise you.
The data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics. They analyzed the writing scores of third, fifth and eighth graders in the 2016-2017 academic year and compared these scores to writing scores from two prior academic years, 2014-2015 and 2012-2013.
We’ll begin by looking at the average writing score for each grade level. In the 2016-2017 academic year, fourth grade students scored the highest with 45.9 out of 50 possible points, and third grade students scored the lowest with 31.2 points. Fifth grade students scored higher than expected in 2016-2017 (40.8), but lower than predicted in 2014-2015 (40.9) and 2012-2013 (39.5). Eighth grade students scored higher than expected in 2016-2017 (40.8), but lower than in 2014-2015 (39.5) and 2012-2013 (39.8).
The scores don’t lie. Students in all grade levels had lower-than-expected writing scores in 2016-2017. The biggest decline was in third grade, where students scored 23.6 points lower than predicted for an average score of 31.2.
Why did third grade students score so low on this particular measure? The writing system used in the NCES analysis, the English language arts (ELA) strand of the Common Core, focuses heavily on reading and using texts to support reasoning and analysis. However, writing isn’t ignored, as third grade students are required to write short stories and narratives throughout the year. It’s probably safe to assume that students are encountering low expectations, given that so many scored so low on this particular measure.
The writing system used in the NCES analysis is called the GLO: English Language Arts.
What about the other grades? Do they have something unique to say about the subject? Let’s take a closer look at the data.
Overall Trends Of Writing Scores
Overall, writing scores decreased in all grade levels in 2016-2017 compared to 2014-2015 and 2012-2013. Fourth grade students’ scores were lowest in 2016-2017 (44.6), followed by fifth grade students (37.0) and then third grade students (33.4). Eighth grade students’ scores were highest in 2016-2017 (43.6), but lower than expected in 2014-2015 (44.3) and 2012-2013 (43.9).
It should be noted that the scores in 2016-2017 were based on a smaller sample size (n = 17,300) compared to prior years (n = 18,500). Even so, the overall trends are similar. Writing scores for all students in the U.S. have been steadily declining for the past five years.
Writing Systems
Let’s take a closer look at the writing systems used by students in different grade levels. The data shows that, in general, students are writing more frequently in English than they are in other languages. The following table contains the number of students in each grade level who reported speaking a language other than English at home in 2016, along with the percentage of students who reported writing in a different language than English.
| Grade Level | Native Language | % Native Language |
|————|—————|—————–|
| Third | 35,300 | 6.5 |
| Fifth | 43,500 | 12.2 |
| Eighth | 39,200 | 7.4 |
| Overall | 40,600 | 9.0 |
Writing In English
The majority of students in each grade level reported writing in English in 2016. The table below contains the number of students in each grade level who reported writing in English in 2016, along with the percentage of students who reported writing in a different language than English.
| Grade Level | English | % English |
|————|———|———-|
| Third | 36,400 | 83.2 |
| Fifth | 50,500 | 93.8 |
| Eighth | 40,800 | 81.9 |
| Overall | 42,500 | 86.9 |
Odds Of Success In School
One of the significant takeaways from this study is the significant difference in student outcomes when comparing writing performance to standardized test scores. The table below contains the PISA scores for reading, mathematics and science for third through eighth grade students in 2016, along with the corresponding 2016-2017 writing scores. The PISA data is from the OECD, the Paris-based organization for economic cooperation and development. The data shows that for every one point increase in writing score, students’ odds of success increase by 11 percent. For example, at the lowest end of the scale, a 31.2 writing score is equivalent to an 11 percent increase in odds of success compared to a score of 40. At the highest end of the scale, a 50.0 writing score is equivalent to a 44 percent increase in odds of success.