Studied the stability of rater severity over an extended rating period by applying multifaceted Rasch analysis to ratings of 16 raters of writing performances of 8,285 elementary school students. Findings cast doubt on the practice of using a single calibration of rate severity as the basis for adjustment of person measures. (SLD)

Compared performances of 3,300 third graders on a performance-based writing test and a multiple choice test of writing skills. Overall, results support the view that performance-based writing assessment is relatively fair and that it measures learning tasks that are related to the school's curriculum. (SLD)

Compared performances of third graders (n=3,300) on a performance-based writing test and a multiple choice test of writing skills. Overall, results support the view that performance-based writing assessment is relatively fair and that it measures learning tasks that are related to the school's curriculum. (SLD)

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have associated difficulties in reading decoding and reading comprehension. To date, few research studies have examined the children's written language. The aim of the present study was to (a) evaluate the nature and extent of the children's difficulties with writing and (b) investigate the…

The advantages and limitations of using computers in writing assessment and instruction are discussed. The English teachers feel that even though computers and computer programs offer huge benefits for the teaching of writing to students, they cannot be used as a substitute for humans in the ultimate evaluation of a composition written by them.

This study follows from a previous study into children's attitudes to writing test stimulus features. In that study the views of 192 English eleven-year-olds were surveyed using a questionnaire. The survey found that the children were mainly influenced by features that they felt contributed to task difficulty. A qualitative study was designed in…

This article uses the Kentucky portfolio assessment to illustrate ways a sophisticated writing requirement can stimulate statewide professional development and school change. Though the authors question the accountability function of the assessment, they applaud the broad and deep professional development movement that has resulted because of it.…

The focus of this report is to summarize the research that has been conducted thus far on the new SAT Writing section. The evidence provided reveals that the new writing section has satisfactory psychometric quality in that its reliability is acceptable; it is significantly related to first-year college GPA and college English grades; it has been…

Providing information to test takers and test score users about the abilities of test takers at different score levels has been a persistent problem in educational and psychological measurement (Carroll, 1993). Since the 1990s Educational Testing Service has been investigating solutions to this problem through the development of proficiency…

The authors report on an interpretive case study that investigated how three elementary teachers summatively assessed their own students' written work over a three and one-half month period. Their collaborative assessment sessions reflected their ongoing routines that created productive social spaces that sowed the seeds for transformational adult…

This article argues that the engagement of teachers in collaborative discussions about assessment can provide a fruitful context for valuable professional learning. It is of interest to those who provide Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for teachers and teachers themselves. It looks particularly at the value of writing…

Three groups of children of different ages who were considered by their teachers as showing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and matched controls were tested in a series of expressive writing tasks, derived from a standardized writing test. In the first study, 24 sixth- and seventh-grade children with ADHD symptoms wrote…

This study explored the extent to which the reading-to-write construct is the sum of one's reading and writing abilities or an independent construct. The investigation included an analysis of (a) test tasks, (b) the relationship of test task scores and scores on reading and writing measures, and (c) the effects of proficiency level and educational…

These two booklets contain a variety of information about the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), which assessed for the first time in April 1997 all fourth-grade classrooms in the content areas of reading and writing. The first booklet, the Demonstration Booklet, discusses the history and purpose of the assessment; assessment design;…

By being creative in preparing tests and by allowing creativity on the part of students, language teachers can incorporate many of the principles associated with proficiency-oriented instruction into a traditional test format. Such test strategies are based on the following: (1) testing in context is better than testing with a series of unrelated…