Can I administer the PK-6 items instead to a very low functioning student who will not be able to write an essay?
The student's standard score for Written Expression is based on his or her performance on the assigned grade-appropriate items. You should attempt to administer the Grades 7-16 items. Some students will be able to earn points on Word Fluency and Sentences even when they cannot write a persuasive essay. Once you have scored the subtest based on the grade-appropriate items, you may test the limits by administering the paragraph item and evaluating performance qualitatively.