A statewide sample testing of writing skills in the fourth, seventh, and tenth grades was conducted by the Michigan Educational Assessment Program in the fall of 1982. This report, which shares the writing assessment information (historical, descriptive, and interpretive) for educational decision-making, was prepared in the hope of increasing efforts of local educators to provide conprehensive writing curricula in their communities. It includes a brief history of the writing objectives and test development process, a description of the testing, an overview of findings, implications, and further plans. The test consists of two timed essay exercises to assess expressive and persuasive writing. The writing task, thetorical mode, objective, primary trait, and rationale of the primary trait are given for each test exercise. Scoring methods, developed from primary trait scoring, are described and test results presented. Less than 50 percent of the students tested reached the acceptable level of attainment on all aspects of the test and at each grade level. Lower than expected results indicate an urgent need to improve writing education in Michigan schools. Appendices contain a fact sheet, actual test items, additional tables, other MEAP Resources, a bibliography, and a report evaluation sheet. (BS)