In fall 1993, Golden West College (GWC), in California, participated in a large-scale study coordinated by Computerized Assessment and Placement Programs (CAPP) to gather evidence supportive of the College Board Assessment and Placement Services (APS) tests. The study focused on gathering instructor ratings of student preparedness levels in a range of courses to serve as the criterion for an evaluation of the validity of the APS Writing test, GWC's primary instrument for English placement. Using end-of-course grades as the criterion in traditional predictive validity studies assumes that skills measured by the test are necessary for student success. Yet, a wide array of factors combine to determine course grades and educational success. A more appropriate gauge for assessment is whether the tests provide meaningful information about the students' skill levels. Instructors in English writing courses provided ratings of the level of preparedness of each of their students. A total of 312 ratings were then matched with CAPP assessment data. The primary analysis involved determining the correlation between APS writing test scores and instructor ratings. The findings supported the conclusion that the APS Writing test is an appropriate and effect placement tool and provided indirect evidence for the multiple-measure placement model currently used at GWC. The data also supported the argument that instructor ratings can be effective criteria in placement validation studies. Descriptions of the targeted English writing classes, directions for instructor ratings of student preparedness, and correlation data are appended. (KP)