The fifth Assessment of Achievement Programme (AAP) survey of students' attainment in English language was carried out in 1998 by two English specialists from Edinburgh University (Scotland) working with the AAP National Coordinator. Samples of students at P4, P7, and S2 were selected to be representative of students in all mainstream schools.…

This booklet contains some examples of the assessment items used in the fifth English language survey of the Assessment of Achievement Programme (AAP). The examples in the booklet are intended to provide teachers with a clear idea of the range of items used in the survey in the hope that they will provide material for personal professional…

Providing a foundation in which researchers may build future research and theory and in which teachers may design more effective classroom practice, this book presents 12 essays that bring together the contributions of researchers and teacher-scholars to present the significant theory and research related to the writing process. The book is…

This paper describes the design and process of an outcomes assessment tool created and modified over the past 10 years by the English department at the College of Southern Idaho. Initiated by the State Board of Education and executed by the department, this process is effective in its objectives: first to inform students of their competence to…

This handbook guides teachers through nine workshops designed to share strategies for success on writing tests. The workshops in the handbook give practical ideas that can be implemented in the elementary classroom to set the stage for test success without compromising children's growth as writers. Following a foreword by Michael R. Sampson and…

An experimental 16-item 5-point Expository Writing Evaluator was administered to 1,311 college students in 79 writing courses to evaluate college-level courses in expository writing. The 16 expository writing items exhibited a narrow band of factor loadings ranging from .87 to .77, and the factor was labeled "Expository Writing Impact."…

Based on the responses of 50 ESL instructors to a composition-scoring exercise, a detailed method of scoring compositions was developed that divides the writing into basic components (structure, content, vocabulary, organization, and mechanics) and provides a scoring mechanism for each component for each of three competency levels. (MSE)

The content of 228 college student's writing samples appears to be a main determiner of how many and what types of preposition errors will appear. These results indicate that preposition errors point to cognitive lags and complex, abstract writing tasks may be the appropriate treatment. (Author/PN)

Focusing on the interaction influences of scorer achievement expectations and writer handwriting quality on the scoring of essays, results found handwriting quality and scorer expectations both influence essay scores. However, there was no evidence of interaction between handwriting quality and scorer achievement expectations. (Author/PN)

Examines materials in the ERIC system related to trends in grammar instruction. Discusses the efficacy of formal grammar instruction in the schools and presents activities for successfully integrating grammar instruction into the writing curriculum. (HTH)

Acknowledges that individuals feel about and describe the world differently, and that composition teachers allow established authors more license with syntax than they extend to students. Suggests that teachers evaluate student writing with more sensitivity to those different perceptions, and recognize the diversity of the English language and…

Describes the new GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), including its evaluation and the results schools receive. Reviews uses of the AWA scores and essays that have ramifications for management communication. Suggests why it is vital for communication instructors to become involved in decisions about how…

The personal statement as an indicator of writing skill was evaluated by comparing personal statements with standardized essay measures of writing ability for 475 graduate students. Correlations of the essay and the personal statement with nontest indicators of writing skill indicate that the traditional essay was more highly related to nearly all…

Discusses how 4 teachers handle writing assignments, response, grading, portfolios, time allotted for completion of assignments, and classroom environment for English-as-a-second-language students. (RS)

Describes the development of an instrument for assessing the writing development of students in an English-medium university in Japan. Discusses the process of selecting a language proficiency framework suitable for the 4-year degree. The Canadian language Benchmarks were chosen and subsequently formed the basis for the development of the rating…