Reports results of a poll of faculty rhetorical values, student rhetorical values, and student perceptions of faculty writing preferences. Concludes that faculty members in all disciplines need to communicate their desire for clear language by responding actively as readers to student texts. (MM)

This guidebook gives educators an exciting new approach to improving language and writing skills for all students. Developed through a decade of work with elementary and middle school children, the Writing Lab Approach uses computer-supported activities to encourage student progress in each stage of the writing process, from organizing to editing.…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to writing in the English language for a variety of technical purposes,…

An overview of LEAP (Learning Environments for Accelerated Progress) project outcomes draws data from original scoring protocols developed by the LEAP project. These scoring protocols (or "measures") were developed to assess students' progress in the composition of three text genres: narrative, expert, and explanation. Initial analyses…

Written for the busy teacher, this book examines classroom writing conferences, one of the most talked about and least practiced strategies in the writing process classroom. Each brief chapter introduces a different facet of the writing conference or the philosophy and classroom practice that undergird it, and each chapter ends with a…

Following the journey of one elementary school as its teachers strived to provide appropriate and authentic learning activities for all students, this book explicates the development and use of rubrics and how they fit into an effective and authentic assessment program. After a preface, chapters are: (1) Introduction to Rubrics; (2) Developing and…

Taking students from emergent to elaborative writers, this book shows teachers how to conduct a daily writing workshop, manage the writing process, and teach the expository and narrative writing techniques primary-grade students will need to become fluent writers. It includes advice on setting up the classroom; scheduling and organizing the…

A study examined children's writing development in two kindergarten classrooms during the course of a school year, with particular consideration to context, teacher-provided support, and characterization of students' writing. The study was based on the theoretical concepts of writing-as-play and writing-as-exploration, as well as emergent literacy…

Presents the findings of a recent study on the writing and reading achievement of low SES children. Concludes that there is a need for more emphasis on writing for these children. (JL)

The relationships among scores on traditional college entrance tests and scores on an essay placement test for women and men and four ethnic groups were examined. The tests correlated highly with essay performance. However, women tended to be underestimated and men and ethnic minorities overestimated by these measures. (Author/PN)

Electronic dialogues tend to be rapid, informal, and public. When college teachers use computer technology to respond to student writing, they have an opportunity to rethink and reinvent the ways in which they teach and by which students learn. Despite some new concerns and problems, this mode of communicating does not evoke the same response that…

Twenty European American teachers-in-training estimated the grade point averages and IQs of four African American students significantly lower than those of four European American children. In another study, racial attitudes of 58 European American education majors predicted their evaluations of compositions by African American students, Results…

The "6+1" model of writing assessment, which identifies six traits of good writing, is applicable to any language. In an Anchorage (Alaska) elementary school with a high proportion of English language learners, homeless children, and other disadvantaged youth, the model helps students write about their own ideas and experiences, thereby…

In this article, two teachers of students with hearing impairments present their understanding of semantics and how they use this understanding to informally assess students' signed, oral, and written-language samples. Describes different classroom strategies for encouraging students with hearing impairments to use rich language. (Author/CR)

Studies the effectiveness of teaching middle school students to give focused and specific responses to their peers during collaborative writing response groups using the organizational technique called "Praise-Question-Polish" (PQP). Finds that the number of specific comments rose significantly while the number of vague comments dropped…