This article focuses on writing instruction and seeks to: (1) define the expectations of first-year composition (FYC) programs; (2) consider the factors shaping high school writing instruction; and (3) explore the gap between the goals of each. The authors have interviewed secondary writing teachers and college first-year composition instructors to ascertain the degree to which each feels the pressures of standardized assessment on their instruction and on student development. They found that teaching to the test and the dominance of the five-paragraph essay are systemic problems in writing instruction.