Zinc Writing Booster

Zinc’s Writing Booster turns an SBAC-aligned Writing Benchmark into an opportunity for students to learn from feedback and improve their writing.

Students first complete a source-based writing task independently, giving teachers a cold benchmark score. Then, when the teacher is ready, students use feedback from Zinc’s AI Writing Coach to revise their own writing.

Writing Booster is currently available for Zinc’s SBAC-aligned writing performance tasks in grades 7, 8, and high school. Even if your school doesn’t administer the SBAC, these tasks can be useful for assessing and practicing source-based writing and revision. We’re also exploring opportunities to bring Writing Booster to additional writing tasks in the future.

❓Not seeing the Writing Booster from your dashboard? Zinc Writing Booster is an add-on feature. To bring it to your school or district, contact us at partnerships@zinclearninglabs.com.

How does Writing Booster work?

Writing Booster has two parts:

Part 1: Writing Benchmark

Students independently read sources, answer research questions, and complete a Written Extended Response. Their benchmark score is locked, preserving a record of what they can do independently.

Part 2: Guided Revision

When you’re ready, you unlock Part 2. Students receive focused feedback and revise their response across three writing dimensions:

• Purpose & Organization
• Evidence (Or Development) & Elaboration
• Conventions

⚠️ Zinc’s AI Writing Coach does not rewrite students’ work or provide a chatbot experience. It directs students back into their own writing to make meaningful revisions.

After submitting their Benchmark assignment for a score, Zinc’s AI Writing Coach guides students through dimension-by-dimension revision. They then resubmit for a chance to grow their score.

What should I know before assigning?

Plan for multiple class periods. A common implementation is:

Block 1: Sources + research questions → Block 2: Written Extended Response → Block 3: Guided revision

You can adjust this schedule to fit your students and instructional context.

Part 2 starts locked. You decide when students are ready to revise and can unlock Part 2 for your whole class or selected students from the Reports page.

Zinc Writing Booster requires Respondus LockDown Browser. When students start the Benchmark, Zinc automatically opens the assignment in Respondus to protect the integrity of their independent work.

SBAC-aligned Writing Benchmarks are available three times per year:

Available grade bands: 7 • 8 • HS

What do I get after students revise?

Writing Booster lets you compare students’ independent benchmark performance with their revised writing.

Use your reports to see class-wide patterns, explore performance across the three writing dimensions, and review an individual student’s performance across the original response, feedback, and revision.

The Dimensions tab shows classwide strengths and areas for growth, along with suggested instructional groupings.

🔒 The original Benchmark score remains locked. The revised response receives an AI-suggested score. Choose “Review” from the Student Results table to approve or rescore using the SBAC-aligned rubric.

Ready to get started?

Go to Test Prep Programs → SBAC Writing Benchmark, select your class, and assign a Writing Benchmark to your whole class or selected students.

Want a deeper walkthrough? Complete the Zinc Writing Booster Professional Learning Module (Coming in September) for guidance on planning your Benchmark, introducing revision to students, and using Writing Booster data to inform instruction.