Suggests that the portfolio bandwagon began with a series of unexamined assertions against existing practices. Concludes that the challenge of writing teachers is to develop valid and reliable methods of assessing student writing, based on clearly defined purposes, and to educate the various publics about the complexities of that challenge. (RS)

Proposes that writers evaluate works in progress guided by their internal standards. Finds that writing samples from students whose judgments of good writing matched those of their readers were rated significantly higher than the writing of students whose judgments disagreed. (SR)

Describes how to develop a computer critiquing system for student feedback, producing individualized student feedback from a preestablished master list of critical comments. Discusses developing the master feedback list, setting up the merge process, special applications of computerized responses, and assessing its advantages and disadvantages.…

Argues that poststructural literary theory raises concerns about the validity of holistic scoring. Concludes that, in the case of large-scale writing assessment, failure to consider the implications of poststructural theory can result in reliable but hardly valid readings of students' essays. (PRA)

Presents an interview with English professor and Pulitzer Prize Award winning poet Gary Snyder. Discusses his writing processes, journal writing, writing instruction, and writing evaluation. (SR)

A study of stories written by 10-12 year-olds attempted to interpret the authors' meaning and intention by using three modes: primary reading, speculative questioning, and reflective reading. The modes led to multiple layers of meaning, revealing subtlety and complexity and overturning the reader's position. (SK)

This article describes how readers from a graduate program in anthropology evaluated student writing in a general education course. Readers voiced the concerns of their discipline when they focused on the stance writers assumed and how they made value judgments.

Test-based accountability programs are designed to promote improved standards of teaching and learning within the systems of education that they are connected to. Brenan [Brenan, A. L. (2006). "Perspectives on the evolution and future of educational measurement." In: Robert (Ed.), "Educational measurement" (4th ed., pp. 1-16).…

Type and quality of revisions made by students between first and final drafts of a state writing test were scored using a revision taxonomy. Scorers categorized revisions first by unit (e.g., word, phrase, sentence), and then by type (e.g., addition, substitution, spelling). They then evaluated the impact of each revision on the readability of the…

This article is a description of the process of constructing an assessment of written and oral language for pre-service teachers. This assessment was used prior to their formal admission into the teacher education programme. The rationale for this evaluation is presented along with the actual processes involved. Finally, comparisons are made…

The authors explored the credibility of using informal reading inventories and writing samples for 138 students (K-4) to evaluate the effectiveness of a summer literacy program. Running Records (a measure of a child's reading level) and teacher experience during daily reading instruction were used to estimate the reliability of the more formal…

Writing is a highly valued skill that is often neglected in the classroom; one reason is that teachers often do not receive adequate training in writing assessment and instruction. Teachers, particularly preservice teachers, need practice making detailed assessments of student writing and to build their confidence for assessing student writing,…

Writing across the curriculum has been a pedagogy associated with faculty development since the earliest days of the movement. Carleton College, an early adopter of WAC pedagogy and faculty development, has, in the last decade, added portfolio assessment to the combination with positive results. Among the unexpected consequences has been a…

While formal, standardized assessment instruments provide valuable and necessary information about students' various abilities and skills, the use of informal and qualitative assessment approaches has the benefit of leading directly to instruction based squarely on an individual student's needs, strengths, and existing skills. This article…

Teaching English became a professional and academic field from a half century ago. Many researches for teacher education and teacher training have been conducted in order to raise the English as well as the foreign language trainers' knowledge and capabilities in carrying out effective lessons in classroom. During second millennium of speedily…