Describes a continuous school-wide effort begun in 1994 by Nogales High School (Arizona) to improve student writing. Nogales students in 2000 and 2001 scored at or above the state averages on the writing assessment portion of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS). Advocates involving all teachers from all disciplines in the effort to…

Identifies a set of linguistic/rhetorical measures which were developed to analyze cross-cultural differences in student argumentative/persuasive writing at the same age level. Compares the writing achievement of students from America, England, and New Zealand to test these measures, and contrasts these results with those produced by holistic…

Reports on the satisfaction of college news writing students with a computer program which combines reporting simulation with a writing analysis of the students' news stories. Finds that students rated the computer program significantly ahead of the paper version of the exercise. Suggests providing more detailed feedback in the computer program.…

Identifies four phases in the study of written feedback to students' compositions and reviews research studies that have been conducted on each phase. Topics discussed include the teacher-student stimulus/response relationship, the writing teacher as audience, students' perceptions of teacher feedback, and context and scaffolding in writing…

Describes the experiences of a bilingual kindergarten teacher implementing a whole-language approach. Emphasizes the importance of integrating writing into every activity. Proposes eight developmental writing stages, suggesting that those stages could help teachers and parents to set their expectations to meet children's level of development.…

In a Singapore study of the evaluation of engineering students' writing, engineering lecturers and language lecturers marked scripts differently. Analysis showed that engineering lecturers placed more emphasis on students' understanding of a process rather than their expression of that understanding. (Contains 13 references.) (LB)

Critiques Joy Reid's treatment of the concept of "appropriation" by teachers in their responses to student writing and disputes Reid's analysis of the type of influence exerted by both process- and writer-oriented research. The article also warns against extremes of contrastive rhetoric. A response by Reid is included. (Contains 14 references.)…

Analysis of 72 reports comparing first- (L1) and (L2) second-language writing indicate differences between L1 and L2 writing with regard to composing processing and features of written text. Implications for L2 and L1 writing theory, comparative writing research, and assessment, placement, staffing, and instruction are discussed. (Contains 77…

Examines the implications of process writing and peer review in one class of argumentative writing. Classroom consensus reflected the group's sociocultural organization and discouraged the writing of one marginalized student. The instructor and the powerful students legitimated biased critique and suppressed the less powerful student. (12…

This article examines why Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities often lack validity and accuracy and offers methods to make IEPs more responsive to student education needs. These methods focus on holistic assessment including such strategies as observation, story retellings, oral and silent reading, writing…

This study investigated 3 English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing teachers' and 39 of their ESL students' attitudes toward feedback and its uses. The results indicated that students preferred teacher feedback over non-teacher feedback, though the three teachers used non-teacher feedback frequently in their classes. (37 references) (MDM)

High school students' preferences for teacher versus computer feedback on written compositions were studied. Three compositions composed at the terminal were evaluated by the teacher, a computer grammar checker, and the student's choice of teacher or computer. Questionnaires indicated that students strongly favored teacher evaluation because of…

A case is made against the use of computer-assisted text analysis, including style analyzers and grammar checkers, with nonproficient second-language or basic-skills student writers. The inaccuracy of analysis, limited feedback, and type of revision behavior encouraged are cited. (33 references) (Author/LB)

Analyzes the adjustments and changes that have evolved from the inception of a pilot portfolio program through the fifth semester of its implementation in a developmental English class. The program allows for authentic, performance-based assessment and challenges students to assume more control of their writing. Asserts that the final portfolio…

Discusses a method of evaluating middle school students' writing portfolios that places responsibility on the students themselves. Presents the evaluation assignment in three parts: students' self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, and parent-evaluation. Notes the effects of the portfolio method and evaluation strategy on literacy education. (JPB)