The first year of the writing program at the William M. Trotter Elementary School (Boston, Massachusetts) accomplished (1) the development of an outline of basic writing activities and skills for grades one through five; (2) the use of holistic rating; (3) the development of a common correction symbol; (4) the development of writing folders…

Urges teachers to set up a program for testing writing which uses holistic scoring. (DD)

This study examined the reliability of holistic scoring for a sample of essays written during the Spring 1985 MCAT administration. Analysis of variance techniques was used to estimate the reliability of scoring and to partition score variance into that due to level differences between papers and to context-specific factors. (Author/LMO)

The Connecticut Assessment of Educational Progress assesses writing traits using different approaches to diagnose students' skills. These include multiple choice, direct assessment, "revising test," dictation, and note-taking. These measures and scoring guides are used to assess several elements of good writing. (DWH)

Analyzes the implicit requirements for achieving reliable results from holistic ratings of writing samples and argues that these conditions bring the validity of the ratings into doubt. (HOD)

Presents an integrated generalized model of education, called Holistic Education, which the author feels is equally relevant to all adult educators regardless of their area of specialization. The author describes those characteristics which distinguish the Holistic Education model from other approaches. (CT)

Discusses the problems of evaluating creativity, and explains a particular approach used by the author. (JL)

Describes a "focused holistic" method of writing evaluation, which considers a total piece of writing, but in terms of predefined criteria. Provides sample evaluations. (HTH)

Drawing from research findings, this article identifies five dimensions of teacher evaluation (summative versus formative evaluation, criteria and standards, discernment versus criticism, and arithmetic versus holistic evaluation), then suggests three methods for making holistic judgments about teachers. (Author/JM)

Outlines critical weaknesses of many assessment procedures. Argues that, to be meaningful, the act of assessment must in some way enhance the learning process. Discusses establishing purpose for assessment and selecting criteria. Outlines alternative assessment techniques. (SR)

Advocates a holistic method for evaluating assignments. Notes how the system reflects the evaluation procedures used in business for determining the success of a written communication by assigning numbers (0,1, or 2) for unacceptable, acceptable, and excellent work respectively. Explains that this system not only reduces the time commitment of…

Provides advice on designing scoring rubrics, rating scales as opposed to checklists, for use with performance assessments. Discusses holistic and analytic rubrics, and lists the steps in rubric development. (SLD)

Analyzes the persuasive essays of high school juniors and seniors to determine the specific rhetorical and linguistic features that contributed to raters' holistic judgments about the overall quality of the essays. Reports that use of logical appeals, five-paragraph structure, coherence, and number of words were strongly correlated with overall…

Describes how an elementary teacher uses portfolios to determine her students' math knowledge. Most of the portfolios contain student-selected problem-solving activities, reflective writings, and teacher-selected work samples. The article explains portfolio evaluation and presents tips on streamlining the portfolio process. A parent portfolio…

Offers a brief history of an attempt to establish predictive test validity with holistic scoring of writing tests. Asserts that holistically scored writing samples may be practical for some local purposes, but they must be used judiciously. Suggests monitoring the validity of local tests with statistical packages and using teacher ratings as…