A case study examined the effects of primary trait scoring on evaluating seventh grade students' compositions. Primary trait scoring as used in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in Indianapolis is innovative in that (1) the scoring guide is assignment specific, written after adult raters read and discussed many papers; (2) the same scorers have been involved in the procedure for many years; (3) raters are encouraged to act as real readers and to discuss papers as meaningful texts, and (4) scorers are required to try to ignore mechanics and other secondary writing features. Eighty papers, originally scored in a pilot study conducted from 1980 through 1982, were chosen for rescoring in 1984. Raters were closely monitored, discussions held during scoring sessions were analyzed, and the entire scoring process was evaluated. Results indicated that primary trait scoring was a reliable method. Over half of the papers received scores identical to their previous ratings. The evaluation process caused the participants to rethink beliefs about writing and writing instruction and to examine and refine those beliefs through group discussions. Findings also showed that because the method validated the use of whole texts and because participants acted as leaders for change within a school, more teachers were involved in having students write whole compositions, and curricular and methodological change occurred in the classroom. (References, writing samples, and the scoring guide are appended.) (NKA)