Compares two methods for evaluating syntactic complexity and maturity: (1) the T-unit method of W. K. Hunt and (2) the sentence weight method of P. DiStephano and S. Howie. Concludes that sentence weight is no more accurate than T-units, and more difficult to compute. (JG)

Discusses the importance of maintaining a dialog between teachers and students about each writing assignment. Explores ways of keeping the dialog going, even after an assignment has been graded. (JAD)

Provides analysis of the term "plagiarism" and distinguishes it from other ways students might employ sources. Defines a form of source usage called "patchwriting" that relies heavily on summary and which should be acceptable to writing teachers. Weighs the pros and cons of summary writing. (HB)

Defines portfolios in terms of their uses in university writing courses. Summarizes teachers' experiences in implementing portfolios in departments that have not adopted portfolios. Reviews common complaints and questions writing teachers have about portfolios. Describes and gives examples of student portfolios. (RS)

Suggests that awkwardness in writing (like good writing) is an interactive nexus of writer, text, and reader and is a matter of subjective judgment. Argues that awkwardness in student writing is a positive sign of a writer's grappling with language complexity. Concludes that awkwardness is rhetorically motivated and therefore complex but…

Discusses several data collection procedures involved in four manageable writing classroom evaluation measures. (MG)

Examines how four teachers respond to their students' creative writing. Describes how they shape their comments. Analyzes what those comments suggest about their teaching styles and classroom goals. (TB)

Considers the theoretical issues of portfolio approaches to writing evaluation, especially as related to use in a large-scale setting such as a high school. Focuses on several key issues: standardization of portfolio contents, scoring procedures, the authenticity of student writings, and logistics. Describes a pilot study of the feasibility of…

Discusses the ways that writing teachers comment on and evaluate student writing, especially in the form of marginal comments. Describes three writing teachers in the act of creating margin comments. Analyzes their acts of commenting. Shows how analysis of such teacher response might inform work with student writers. (HB)

Relates how a microcomputer with word processing capabilities can facilitate and enrich a student's writing. (HOD)

Demonstrates how an integrated approach toward writing evaluation works at each stage of the writing process and presents a checklist teachers can use to assess whether their students use specific behaviors of the writing process as they compose. (FL)

Describes how microcomputers can assist in grading the work of beginning writers, especially repetitive errors, and how students respond to this practice. (FL)

Describes a method of peer review in which peers read each other's papers while writing questions to inspire invention and elaboration in their partners. Describes a four-day sequence for introducing the peer-review method. (TB)

Argues that writing students can be their own best critics, if teachers allow them to be. Describes a class in which students were assigned to write and discuss commentaries of their work. Explains that the procedure helps student and teacher alike to identify writing problems. (SG)

Shares students' reactions to written responses from teachers. (MG)