The writing samples presented in this paper were selected from the portfolios of eighth-grade Vermont students as examples of the various points in Vermont's newly revised analytic writing assessment guide. The benchmark writing pieces in the paper, when used with the analytic assessment guide that begins the paper, are guideposts for assessing student work. The paper presents four benchmark pieces for each of the five "dimensions" of writing: purpose, organization, details, voice or tone, and grammar/usage/mechanics. Each benchmark piece is accompanied by a chart indicating whether the piece extensively, frequently, sometimes, or rarely incorporated the five dimensions of writing. (RS)