Scoring

Once ākonga have submitted their writing, it is marked automatically via the WriteSHIFT API. This API is provided by Vantage—an educational measurement company with experience in creating educational measurement tools for different jurisdictions, including working with ACER to develop scoring systems for writing assessments, and current work with NZQA. Upon receiving a learner’s written response, the API generates a set of scores and holistic feedback. This feeds through to NZCER Assist, which then shows the feedback and scoring in individual and class-level PAT Tuhituhi reports.


Data privacy

Responses are processed and stored in the United States. Learners’ personal data is not attached to responses when they are sent for processing and scoring. Response content is never reviewed by anyone outside of the PAT Tuhituhi development and administration team at NZCER, unless a response violates the Vantage Terms and Conditions. Vantage does not share with, sell, or disclose any information to third parties.


Rubrics (attached)

Scoring in PAT Tuhituhi uses a set of four genre-specific rubrics that are adapted from rubrics created by Vantage. Each rubric contains five distinct elements. Each of these elements is connected to a specific genre, except for the mechanics and conventions element which is generic for all genres.

• Focus and purpose: how well a response demonstrates overall focus of the topic, awareness of audience and purpose, and meets the demands of the task

• Content development and elaboration: how well a response develops and supports main ideas or content and provides elaboration with genre-specific elements and details

• Organisation: how well a response demonstrates a cohesive, appropriate, and logical structure, and uses paragraphing and appropriate transitional strategies to link ideas and content

• Language use, voice, and style: how well a response establishes and consistently maintains a style and tone appropriate to the audience, demonstrates control of language, uses language that is appropriate to the task, and uses varied sentence structures

• Mechanics and conventions: how well a response demonstrates control of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. When interpreting this score, consider how your ākonga used the provided spelling and grammar checker.


For each element, there are six score categories. These do not relate to specific curriculum levels or ages—they represent a progression of writing development for each element. Within each element, each score category is further illustrated by a descriptor.