Eighth grade students will take the Nebraska State Writing Assessment from January 21-25th. The test is online. Students are expected to write a draft of the paper, and type the final copy online. This is not timed, but students are expected to have the test completed before the end of the day. The NESA-W test is a Descriptive Writing piece. Here are some tips and resources for Descriptive Writing: - The Topic and Organization are keys to scoring a Proficient on the test. - In Descriptive Writing, students are using their sensory skills (hear, see, smell, taste and touch). - Have your child describe a place or event. - Paint a picture by telling more (it's okay to exaggerate). State Writing - NeSA Writing website NeSA Writing Flyer Performance Level Indicators