Demonstrating that gender perceptions and expectations can influence assessment decisions that seem neutral on the surface, this book examines the responses of 31 freshman composition teachers to student writing. The book shows the negative effects of gender biases on assessment. For writing instructors to increase their sensitivity to gender issues in assessment, the book recommends that they self-consciously engage in "responsive reading" that occurs when the teacher reads with an eye toward providing supportive feedback and dialectic exchange. Chapters in the book are: (1) Gender and Reading: Theoretical Indications; (2) Gender Patterns: Reading Student Texts; (3) Gender and Writing Teachers: The Maternal Paradigm; and (4) Gender and Teaching Writing: Conclusions, Implications, and Guidelines. A brief discussion of reader response theorists, seven student essays, and oral responses are attached. (RS)