The purpose of this report is to provide information about the level of student performance in the area of writing based on results for 1998-99 from the annual on-demand writing sample of the North Carolina Writing Assessment at grades 4, 7, and 10 (English II). It notes student performance increased at grades 4 and 7 when compared to student…

The report presents findings concerning the language proficiency of elementary, middle, and high school students receiving bilingual services in the Las Cruces Public Schools (New Mexico). The report contains five sections: general information about the bilingual program in the school district; the Idea Language Proficiency Tests (IPT); results of…

In 1991, a student learning outcomes assessment was conducted at Wenatchee Valley College, Washington. All English 101 students in the winter and spring quarters of 1990 wrote a 2-hour final exam. Winter quarter students wrote on the same topic while spring quarter students wrote on one of three randomly assigned topics. Five English 101…

This report presents tables summarizing test results statewide for ninth-grade students who took the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) in April, 1987. The HSPT consists of reading, writing, and mathematics sections, and must be passed as one of the requirements for a high school diploma. Data include percent passing, mean score, and…

This report summarizes test results statewide for tenth-grade students who took the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) in April, 1987. The HSPT consists of reading, writing, and mathematics sections, and must be passed as one of the requirements for a high school diploma. The tenth-grade students who were tested consisted of students…

This report describes the North Carolina Annual Testing Programs writing task which was administered in 1985-86. Grade six students were tested on their ability to write a clarification composition; while grade 8 students were evaluated on their skills in writing a persuasive composition. The timed composition (50 minutes) was scored by two…

Supplementary to "NAEP 1996 Trends in Academic Progress," this report describes two aspects of writing for which change has been measured since 1984: writing fluency as determined by holistic scoring; and mastery of the conventions of written English as determined by mechanics scoring. The introduction discusses the layout and means of…

In 1982, writing was added to the North Carolina Annual Testing Program. Results from the 1990-91 writing evaluations in grades 6 and 8 are reported. Tests were read by two readers, with an agreement rate of over 71%. In 1990-91, sixth-grade students were asked to describe a kitchen so that readers could picture it. Quality was determined on the…

An essay to test writing skill has been administered to North Carolina sixth and eighth graders for 10 years. In 1992-93, fourth graders were also tested. Each year compositions are graded by readers trained to apply a uniform set of criteria to the essays. Composition criteria are main ideas, supporting detail, organization, and coherence. A…

The New Standards Project (NSP) is an effort to create a state- and district-based assessment and professional development system to serve as a catalyst for major educational reform. As part of a professional development strategy tied to assessment, 114 teachers, curriculum supervisors, and assessment directors, representing 23 states and…