The Fitchburg, Massachusetts, school system's writing program designed to meet the requirements of the commonwealth's Basic Skills Improvement Policy is discussed in this paper. The skills sequences that were selected for use in the areas of composition (levels kindergarten through grade 12) and mechanics and usage (levels two through nine) are…

MARC (Methodical Assessment of Reports by Computer) is a report-marking program which enables teachers to provide individualized feedback on reports written by engineering students. The MARC system is objective in its consistent application of the same programed criteria, but also allows individual markers to supply their own comments as required.…

Presents results of a study on the effects of topic selection on holistic scoring, which supported the idea that topic effects are reflected in student writing and influence student scores. (JC)

Describes the efforts of the basic writing program at the University of Louisville (Kentucky) to develop portfolio evaluation procedures to replace exit examinations. As a result, collaboration has come to play a more important role in relationships between administrator and teacher, as well as between teacher and student. (JK)

The definition of progress as applied to writing research and practice is examined, and three different approaches to understanding the writing of exceptional children are considered: a literal approach, an interpretive approach, and an evaluative approach. The scientific and social implications of each of the approaches are considered.…

Discusses the possibility that a writer's audience may be more malleable than it is normally assumed to be and describes how one researcher worked with several advanced college writers to learn more about the dynamics of their composing processes. Suggests that the use of these writing strategies may benefit both teachers and students. (JD)

Examines some of the written responses of instructors to student writing, such as "redundant,""vague," and "rewrite," and considers the effects on the students. (EL)

Discusses the essential difference between the writing process and its product; namely, that the former is a private and unique activity, whereas the latter is an observable artifact that can be publicly evaluated. Argues that even proponents of the process approach to writing cannot escape basing their discussions on products. (JD)

Describes some experiments with evaluating pupils' written work and gives teachers a few alternative techniques for correcting students compositions and for dealing with sentence-, paragraph-, and composition-level errors. Provides examples of how these techniques have been used at the secondary school level in Africa. (SED)

Describes the characteristics and behavior of three kinds of peer groups in the composition classroom. Discusses some of the difficulties these groups encounter in their critiquing, and some suggestions for improving the dynamics of the less successful groups. (HTH)

Describes an activity that involved eight-year-old children writing stories for three- to five-year-old children. (DF)

Describes one third grader's development as a writer as she participated in classroom writing workshops (peer and teacher feedback) and, in particular, her development as a reviser of her writing. (HTH)

Muses over knowledge gained from an education course and contrasts that with personal teaching experience in a writing classroom. (HOD)

Describes efforts in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Ontario to require actual samples of student writing on English performance tests. Includes a bibliography, a holistic marking scale, and an outline of criteria typical in analytic scoring. (EL)

Suggests using the writing folder for such reasons as gaining an improved description and assessment of individual growth in writing, getting a better descriptive picture of writing achievement within the class, and assisting teachers in improving their assessment of writing. (EL)