The relationship among writing ability (measured by writing samples and the Test of Standard Written English, TSWE) and a reconstruction test (requiring anagram solving, word and sentence reordering, and paragraph assembly) was studied for 105 undergraduates. The reconstruction test was a good predictor of writing ability. (SLD)

Asserts that the complexities peculiar to "bottom-writings" (essays graded at the lower end of a holistic scale) are often overlooked. Analyzes organizational patterns of high-rated, low-rated, and professional writers, noting similarities between the latter two groups. Considers how teachers can work with the skills bottom writers…

Reviews various approaches to critical response/evaluation, including New Criticism and belletrism, and discusses the relationship between grading and responding. Asserts that a teacher's response to students' written efforts offers the student a repertoire of critical values and a model of critical reading. (MM)

Describes a study on peer evaluation of students' writing. Indicates that teacher evaluation of students' writing is valuable, though results do not favor teacher evaluation over peer evaluation. (JD)

Offers guidelines for grading essays so that students and parents can see what is expected. Suggests keying a grading scale to the criteria set forth in the guidelines. (FL)

States that many writers face rejection of their work and includes a quiz consisting of 17 quotations about famous authors whose work was at some time rejected. (DF)

Identifies the characteristics of clear references to explain why certain kinds of broad pronoun reference are clear while others are not. (HTH)

Holistic scoring of essays, a writing assessment method in which trained raters make a single overall judgement of the quality of a piece of writing, has acceptable reliability, face validity, and speed of administration. (Author/CL)

Procedures are outlined for teaching writing as a step-by-step process. (MJL)

Laments the unnecessarily ponderous and difficult language and syntax that characterizes much technical writing. (HTH)

Describes a system for grading student compositions that evaluates the central idea, support material, organization, expression, and literacy, as a supplement to written comments from the teacher. Contains a copy of the grade and comment sheet. (HTH)

Proposes a general theory of writing evaluation that attends to communication intention, as well as formal semantics. Suggests practical ways of implementing such a theory. (RL)

Examines how assessment is constructed and understood, i.e., some of the conflicting subject positions writing instructors occupy when in the throes of grading. Suggests that "teacher selves" affect the act of grading, but so too do the subject positions of "student selves," namely, unconscious and/or superficial factors. (PA)

Describes and evaluates the exit assessment for writing at Simpson College. Provides background, reflection, results, a numbers analysis, and thoughts about the next steps. Argues that portfolios are a feasible means of large-scale and high-stakes writing assessment. (TB)

Proposes a hybrid grading system for composition papers which combines numbers and letters (thus providing some objectivity while preserving flexibility) that awards points on a sliding scale (with substantial rewards for content and readability and more limited rewards for mechanics and format) and that helps students see how their papers were…