An essay test is now an integral part of the computer based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL-CBT). This paper provides a brief overview of the current TOEFL-CBT essay test, describes the operational procedures for essay scoring, including the Online Scoring Network (OSN) of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and discusses major…

North Carolina began administering its End-of-Course (EOC) tests to high school students in the 1985-1986 school year with the first administration of the Algebra test. Other tests have been added over the years, and the program now includes 10 multiple choice EOC tests aligned with the state's Standard Course of Study in each subject and one…

This packet assists teachers and students in preparing for the Michigan Communications Arts (Writing and Reading) portions of the High School Proficiency Test (HSPT). Sections of the packet are: Map of the Regional Network for Communications Arts (including local contacts); Calendar of Professional Development Events; Annotated Bibliography of…

This packet assists teachers and students in preparing for the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Grade 5 and 8 Writing Assessments. Sections of the packet are: Map of the Regional Network for Communications Arts (including local contacts); Calendar of Professional Development Events; Annotated Bibliography of Recommended Resources;…

The North Carolina Writing Assessment, which is part of the state's End-of-Grade testing program, requires students in grades 4 and 7 to write essays in response to a standardized prompt. This report contains results for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Fourth grade writing assessment scores across North Carolina rose in 1999, and in…

This position statement from the Conference on College Composition and Communication begins with a "foundation claim": in all situations calling for writing assessment, the primary purpose of the specific assessment should govern its design, implementation, and the generation and dissemination of its results. It describes 10 assumptions about…

By comparing how students performed before and after a schoolwide writing program, a California middle school with a low-scoring reputation discovered that it ranked second in the district in steady student improvement. Effects of reporting the school's value-added results were overwhelmingly positive. Staff and students were finally recognized…

Provides strategies designed to help both mainstream and underrepresented students meet the rhetorical demands of placement exams and gain control in these situations. Describes the University of California Santa Barbara's Preparatory Program which serves a large, culturally diverse student population, acknowledges the variables embedded in the…

School-level assessment of student writing ability using a group-level polytomous item response theory (IRT) model was illustrated in this study. Results with approximately 20,000 students support the viability of an IRT-based school assessment as an alternative to the conventional approach based on aggregation of individual scores. (SLD)

Weighting responses to Constructed-Response (CR) items has been proposed as a way to increase the contribution these items make to the test score when there is insufficient testing time to administer additional CR items. The effect of various types of weighting items of an IRT-based mixed-format writing examination was investigated.…

This study assessed the predictive and incremental validity of a prototype version of the forthcoming SAT® writing section that was administered to a sample of incoming students at 13 colleges and universities. For these participants, SAT scores, high school GPA, and first-year grades also were obtained. Using these data, analyses were conducted…

This article discusses an approach to teaching used at Calexico Unified School District, a California-Mexican border high school, by a group of teachers working to make teaching and learning more relevant to Chicano and Mexican students' lives and to improve their academic achievement in writing. An off-shoot of a training program for English…

This report provides information about the performance of 2009 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2009 and tested under standard time conditions. The ACT is designed for students who plan to attend college, and the report results…

This report provides information about the performance of 2009 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2009 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of…

This report provides information about the performance of 2009 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2009 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of…