[Slides] presented at the national conference for AERA (American Educational Research Association). This study examined whether the addition of the Writing section caused the implementation of changes in writing instruction across the nation. It used survey data from teachers and administrators across the country to measure the impact on the…

It is well-documented that students' prior knowledge, cultural background, and language proficiency play a role in how they read, interpret, and respond to writing tasks (Barkaoui, 2007; Connor & Kramer, 1995; Hinkel, 2002). Essays written by students from different language backgrounds often differ in their linguistic, stylistic, and…