This symposium enacts a debate over a high-stakes question for writing studies: How does standardization within and across writing programs enable or constrain our democratic aspirations? It includes: (1) "Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Assessment " (Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein); (2) "Assessment, Coherence, and Standardization in the Writing Program" (Bruce Herzberg); (3) "Articulation, Not Standardization" (Chris W. Gallagher); (4) Graff and Birkenstein Response; (5) Herzberg Response; (6) Gallagher Response; and (7) Graff and Birkenstein Notes.