Presents three ideas for teaching content area writing, noting that such writing is most productive when assignments are based on real subject area topics and authentic styles. (HOD)

Suggests a computerized writing workshop provides an ideal setting for collaborative learning, enabling students to participate in activities such as peer evaluation and group brainstorming. (HOD)

Describes an approach to writing evaluation in which the teacher asks the student to write a student-teacher memo--a brief, informal not-to-be-graded communication--that explains the student's intention in responding to the writing assignment. (HOD)

Decries the narrow focus of teachers' comments on technique at the expense of content in students' essays. (HTH)

Describes a project that provided students with the opportunity to observe and comment on their own writing throughout the year through observations of their childhood writing, a series of journal writings, and writing taken through revision. (EL)

Describes the writing evaluation of an 11th-grade English class in which precourse and postcourse samples are graded by a team of English teachers. (EL)

Discusses writing strategies that can be used in mathematics classes, including: (1) free writing; (2) writing in journals; (3) in-class writing; and (4) term papers. A checklist for evaluating student's writing is included and a rating scale for central idea, organization, development, style, and technical control is given. (JN)

Advocates fostering student writers' best efforts by creating ungraded, high word volume writing courses. (CRH)

Texas Assessment of Basic Skills tests are criterion-referenced measures administered to students in grades 3, 5, and 9. Written compositions are part of the test battery and are scored holistically. The Texas approach to measuring written composition consists of elements including magnitude, scoring system, and effect on instruction. (DWH)

This article reviews the Basic Achievement Skills Individual Screener (BASIS), an individually administered achievement battery that consists of skills tests in reading, mathematics, and spelling as well as an optional writing exercise. BASIS is found to be an effective and efficient means of assessing basic skills. (Author/EGS)

This report provides a comprehensive summary of statistical data on the state of education in Alabama. It is divided into eight sections: (1) General school information (students, staffing); (2) State accountability (adequate yearly progress status, adequate yearly progress summary); (3) Student academic performance (Alabama reading and…

This investigation of the comparability of writing assessment prompts was conducted in two phases. In an exploratory Phase I, 47 writing prompts administered in the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language[TM] (TOEFL[R] CBT) from July through December 1998 were examined. Logistic regression procedures were used to estimate prompt…

A review of literature in sociolinguistics and classroom conversation reveals areas in which sociolinguistic research and theory can inform the conducting of student writing conferences with teachers. Studies on classroom discourse, communicative competence in classroom exchanges, the nature and role of teacher talk, and the features of…

When given the chance to select their own research topics, decide which genres to write in, and determine how to present their findings, students assume ownership and take pride in their work. This book leads teachers through the multigenre research papers with upper elementary students. The book explains how teachers can organize their…

This study investigated Brazilian elementary teachers' decision making processes when evaluating and grading students' written work. Teachers analyzed the written work of four students who were unknown to them, then produced reports indicating: their perception of the author's grade level and reasons for believing it was that grade level; positive…