Reorganized and revised, the second edition of this book provides the latest theoretical and practical materials that instructors across the disciplines will need to help students build strong writing skills. It offers suggestions about how to develop effective writing assignments; and it evaluates various methods of assessing student writing, including the multiple-choice test, the essay exam and the writing portfolio. It also uses theories about reading to examine how teachers read student papers. The book breaks down into two main sections, "Part One: Assessment--A Critical Tool in the Teaching of Writing," and "Part Two: Writing Assessment beyond the Classroom." Chapters in the first section are: (1) Assessment as Threat and Promise; (2) Assessment and the Design of Writing Assignments; (3) Using Essay Tests; (4) How Theories of Reading Affect Responses to Writing; (5) Responding to Student Writing; (6) Using Portfolios. Chapters in the second part are: (7) Language and Reality in Writing Assessment; (8) Assessing Writing Proficiency; (9) Selecting Appropriate Writing Measures; (10) Organizing and Managing Holistic Essay or Portfolio Readings; (11) Avoiding Pitfalls in Writing Assessment; (12) Evaluating Writing Programs. The book's final chapter (The Politics of Assessment: Past and Future) looks back on the historical and political issues in writing assessment over the past two decades. Contains 105 references. (TB)