Describes the implementation of portfolio assessment in a writing program at Kenai Peninsula College, a small college in Alaska. Discusses adjustments to the program, problems, and future applications. Suggests that portfolio assessment can be useful to a writing program even if it is implemented for only one or two semesters. (SR)

Describes the methods by which one teacher prepared eighth-grade language arts students for the Florida Writing Assessment exam. Considers the pros and cons of such activities. Advocates activities in which students are asked to evaluate each other's writing. (HB)

To study the effects of introductions and conclusions on the evaluation of student essays, 154 undergraduates graded 10 essays in which the quality of introduction or conclusion was varied. Quality of the introduction had a greater effect on the grade than did quality of the conclusion. (SLD)

Presents case of fourth-grade boy with learning disability that keeps him from being able to read at his own ability level. Examples of the student's writing (prose and poetry) are included. Presents steps in plan to encourage student to continue writing and to improve in his ability to write. (NB)

Proposes a framework for holistic evaluation of literacy development that is based on principles from whole-language theory. Argues that evaluation should be longitudinal, contextual, and evaluative. (RS)

Reviews history of writing portfolios, emphasizing differences between portfolios designed for instructional purposes and those intended to serve as tests. Suggests that because even carefully designed portfolio systems do not function as intended, portfolio users should expect evaluation and adjustment to be part of the portfolio process.…

Offers a framework (personality type theory) with which to understand differing perspectives on assessment. Aims to encourage readers to consider how their own preferences might influence their attitudes toward assessment in general, and toward particular assessment activities in the classroom. (PA)

Discusses the possible disjunct between what is good for large-scale assessment and what is good for teaching and learning. Represents one attempt to "marry" large-scale and classroom perspectives. Presents background and rationale for a new narrative rubric that was designed to support classroom instruction. Presents evidence for the…

Describes two computer applications that can enhance peer review in business-communication classes: news groups and specialized communication client software. Suggests ways to integrate these applications into such a class, including providing guidelines and topics, training students directly in the computer applications, and allotting time to…

Discusses 13 professional books (on multiple intelligences, changing literacies, censorship in children's literature, grading student writing, learning journals, and more) and one book of fiction that are potentially useful to educators, and that, in one way or another, take up the theme of "being explicit about explicit instruction."…

Defines a two-stage process by which a holistic rubric is applied to the assessment of open-ended items, such as writing samples. Indicates that the use of rating augmentation can improve the inter-rater reliability of holistic assessments, as indicated by generalizability phi coefficients, correlation coefficients, and percent agreement indices.…

Notes the problem of Net-based plagiarism in student papers. Describes a solution that turns the tables by using the Internet: TurnItIn.com, an Internet scanner that annotates/marks unattributed material in student papers and compiles a report for the teacher overnight. (SR)

Identifies and examines the range of approaches to writing assessment that are influential in Australian classrooms. Highlights the emergence of critical literacy as an assessment project in the state of Queensland, discussing what is involved when writing assessment moves away from personal voice and individual growth concerns to a socially…

Uses essays from the Analytical Writing Assessment of the Graduate Management Admission Test to develop a set of analytical tools to diagnose students' potential problems in MBA (Masters of Business Administration) writing assignments. Finds students learned about problems in their writing and about ways to address these needs, as well as improved…

Practices and underlying assumptions in assessing college students' written performance are examined. Examiners are found to give meaning to, and to construct and reconstruct, student answers using common-sense concepts often involving labelling. Political processes such as power, negotiation, and compromise are also identified. In a climate of…