Using a writing assessment rubric for writing development of children who are deaf

The purpose of the study was to explore whether a writing assessment rubric could be used as an effective teaching strategy with children who are deaf : From September through June, the teacher evaluated the students' composit ions using a writing assessment rubric. I;rom fall to spring, the fifth and seventh graders showed significant improvement in four writing qualities a nd no significant improvement in five qualities. All of the compositions re flected the students' ability to use language functionally both interperson ally and intrapersonally. As an instructional strategy, teachers can indivi dualize rubrics by student, class, age level genre, or assignment to target the developmental needs of students who are deaf and other students with s pecial needs.