This article contains two measurement development studies on writing apprehension. Study 1 reexamines the validity of the writing apprehension measure based on the finding from prior research that a second false factor was embedded. The findings from Study 1 support the validity of a reduced measure with 6 items versus the original 20-item…

This paper reports on a qualitative research study into the test-taking strategies employed in completing two picture prompt writing tasks--Situational Writing and Interpretational Writing in the Beijing Matriculation English Test. Think-aloud and retrospective interview protocols were collected from twelve Chinese students representing two key…

In high-stakes writing assessments, rater training in the use of a rating scale does not eliminate variability in grade attribution. This realisation has been accompanied by research that explores possible sources of rater variability, such as rater background or rating scale type. However, there has been little consideration thus far of…

Concludes that the rhetorical specification approach to developing essay examination topics (giving writers information about the purpose of a composition, its audience, speaker, and subject) may not be the best way to elicit good writing. (JL)

Measurement problems which jeopardize the reliability and validity of competency-based writing assessments are analyzed. Methods to stabilize rating criteria and readers' application of them are necessary. Most writing assessment programs use guidelines from norm-referenced test methodology. Use of this method of criteria application based on…

Several studies have shown that essays receive higher marks when preceded by poor quality scripts than when preceded by good quality scripts. This study investigated the effectiveness of providing scorers with model essays to reduce the influence of context. Context effects persisted despite the scoring procedures used. (Author/EGS)

Three pilot studies--effects of writing prompt modality on writing performance; effect of topic familiarity; and effect of topic, sample and rater group membership on the stability of scoring criteria application--are used to identify the variability in student writing performance. A writing competency test aims to assess writing-specific skills…

Describes a study of the influence of wording changes in essay questions on test performance. Results did not support the hypothesis that such changes would affect writer performance. (HTH)

Using data from the SCRE Criterion Test composition papers, the author tests the hypothesis that the bulk of inter-marker unreliability is caused by inter-marker inconsistency--which is not correctable statistically. He suggests that a shift to "consensus" standards will realize greater improvements than statistical standardizing alone.…

Explores rhetorical specification in writing tasks by examining responses to a poorly constructed task used in large-scale placement testing at a major university. Argues that fictional scenarios (writing prompts which give student writers a role to play) can be effective, provided that the roles created are reasonable ones for students to adopt.…

Reports on the development and testing of the Revision and Editing Test. Presents the test and its answer key in an appendix. (RL)

Students at grades four and five were administered a writing assessment that was developed to correspond to the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) writing tasks at grade four. Teachers were trained to score the CLAS-like tasks according to the rubric developed by the State for CLAS. In addition, 164 students at three schools in the…

A number of studies have found that essays are scored higher when preceded by poor quality scripts than when preceded by good quality scripts. This study investigated the effects of scoring procedures designed to reduce the influence of context. Context effects were found irrespective of the scoring procedure used. (Author/PN)

Two factors which may affect the ratings assigned to an essay test are investigated: (1) context effects; and (2) score level effects. Context effects exist in essay scoring if an essay is rated higher when preceded by poor quality essays than when preceded by high quality essays. A score level effect is defined as a change in the score (value)…

To compare the different images of writing that different assessment methods produce, a study examined two formal writing assessments--holistic and the specially developed intra-subject paired comparison method (IPC)--of pre/post university freshman composition-course writing. The samples of writing were unrehearsed, 50 minute, in-class essays.…