This study examined the relative effects of the self-evaluation process on written composition skills development among learning-disabled junior high students. It specifically evaluated the use of a structured self-evaluation process on the quality of short compositions. Experimental subjects (N=38) were taught the use of a self-evaluation…

Teachers in Kentucky are using portfolios to determine strengths and weaknesses of individual students. Consequently, instruction is centered totally around the student. The implementation of portfolios sends the message to students that their first efforts should not be their last. Revision is part of improvement, and students are expected to…

Based on the belief that effective literacy assessment is an integral part of literacy instruction, this book provides information about the aspects of reading and writing that can be assessed and how assessing them can aid in planning instruction. Each chapter of the book includes a "reflection" section intended to encourage readers to consider…

Presenting the full range of students' writing, this paper provides administrators, teachers, and students with samples of students' writing that exemplify the criteria used to score responses to the June 1992 Grade 6 English Language Arts Achievement Test. After an introductory section, the paper presents a general commentary; the writing…

A study examined whether or not the composition faculty at the University of Northern Iowa agreed on criteria for evaluating student writing and to what extent they would give similar scores even if their criteria did not agree. Using 15 sample student papers written for the Writing Competency Examination (WCE), the scores given by current writing…

This book provides a set of principles and analytical methods that are based on research findings and are designed to be adapted to different assessment scenarios, thus enabling instructors to construct their own assessment methods. Part 1 covers the underlying principles of assessment, examining its purposes, assessment criteria, and the nature…

This document presents a curriculum (based on the author's own experiences listening to music) that aims to get children to become aware of themselves by having them write down their thoughts and feelings (their "contemplations") after listening to music or in response to famous quotations. The document discusses how the curriculum was…

This sampler discusses California's English-language arts assessment program and presents examples of high school reading assessments, writing assessments, and writing prompts. The first section of the sampler takes an integrated look at the California's new English-language arts assessment. The second section presents the scoring guide for…

This sampler discusses California's English-language arts assessment program and presents examples of elementary school reading assessments, writing assessments, and writing prompts. The first section of the sampler takes an integrated look at the changes which make up the new English-language arts assessment. The second section presents the…

Reorganized and revised, the second edition of this book provides the latest theoretical and practical materials that instructors across the disciplines will need to help students build strong writing skills. It offers suggestions about how to develop effective writing assignments; and it evaluates various methods of assessing student writing,…

Changing from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach and trying to use the principles of critical pedagogy are not enough to teach writing--both male and female students need to go beyond prescribed gender roles and social roles. Some women students in peer response groups act as though they have composed a secret etiquette guide: they…

This paper argues that unsatisfactory argumentative and expository texts generated by college students represent a simplification of complex discourse structures. It asserts that the usual explanations for poor student performance, such as illogical thinking, lack of academic commitment, and poor mastery of grammar, are unsatisfactory. The paper…

This booklet, which concerns student writing on a social studies examination given to Alberta (Canada) students, addresses two major purposes. First, the booklet illustrates and compares two important levels of expectations, or standards, that have been set for student writing on this examination: satisfactory and excellent. Second, it provides…

A writing test was developed with validation based on the assumption that the use of formulaic language is an important aspect of language proficiency and should be considered in assessing native and non-native English proficiency. Formulaic language is defined as language chunks learned and used together (e.g., "false sense of security"),…

Writing teachers and educators can add to information from large-scale testing and teachers can strengthen classroom assessment by creating a tight fit between large-scale testing and classroom assessment. Across the years, large-scale testing programs have struggled with a difficult problem: how to evaluate student writing reliably and…