Presents a model that the student can use in analyzing the communication context of the business letter, and in composing and revising the letter. Also provides the evaluator with necessary contextual data. (PD)

A chemistry professor and an English professor combined their efforts in a regularly scheduled chemistry course to guide students in writing better laboratory reports. This approach is described, including criteria (which are part of the course syllabus) used to evaluate student papers. (JN)

Suggests guidelines for evaluating and using the findings of research in the classroom. (JL)

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

Investigates the question of T-unit length stability in informative discourse written by freshmen near the end of an intensive course in college writing. (HOD)

England's Leslie Stratta shares his views on teaching basic writing and assessing student growth in writing. (AEA)

Outlines a program in journal writing and self-assessment for college students. (AEA)

Describes the characteristics of good writing. Discusses how to foster good writing and how to help students develop it. (Author/JM)

Suggests that teachers use a tape recorder, with students resubmitting an erased cassette tape with each composition, for recording responses to written work as an alternative to the less instructive comments written in the margin of a paper. (HTH)

Describes the writing of the formal technical report as a project for students in technical writing courses. Includes grading criteria for such a report. (HTH)

Examines the relative effects on holistic scores given to college students' expository essays of three types of variables--essay, reader, and environment. (HOD)

Investigates the impact of portfolio assessment strategies on second graders' perceptions of themselves as writers. Finds that the process had positive effects on students' perceptions of themselves as writers; their ability to describe strengths and weaknesses in their writing; their ability to identify changes in themselves as writers; and their…

This article describes the revision of the writing sample component used as one of five identification criteria for placement in a gifted program. A checklist of characteristics common to gifted writers was developed to be used in evaluating the students' creative writing responses to specific literature selections. A rubric for scoring writing…

Suggests that in evaluating student papers audiotapes have several advantages over written comments: audiotapes make for a holistic instead of myopic evaluating approach, and make it easier to make positive comments. Explains system for transferring responsibility for grammatical errors from the teacher to the student. (TB)

Principles of writing assessment with at-risk students are explained, including the importance of identifying the purposes of assessment, assessment in the classroom context, and inclusion of children's and parents' perspectives in assessment of the child's writing progress. (DB)