Newsgroups: bit.listserv.erl-l
Date:         Sat, 12 Sep 1992 16:32:00 CDT
From:         P30JWP1@NIU.BITNET
Subject:      OERI: Portfolio writing assessment (95 lines)

The following is provided by The Office of Educational Research
and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.  Please feel
welcome to distribute.


                  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
         OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
            NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

            PORTFOLIO USE EXAMINED TO ASSESS WRITING

Most writing tests require students to draft an essay on an
assigned topic within a specific time. However, this type of
assessment does not take into account more complex writing
processes now being taught in schools. Teachers and testing
experts have sought alternative methods that might examine how
well students are writing as a result of these new techniques.

A report on a pilot study that examines the viability of using
writing portfolios as part of a large scale National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment was recently released
by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for
Education Statistics.

EXPLORING NEW METHODS FOR COLLECTING STUDENTS' SCHOOL-BASED
WRITING notes that for this pilot study, researchers reviewed the
writing of more than 2,000 students who submitted a piece from
their "portfolio" of classroom writing--pieces that students and
teachers considered their best work. A portfolio approach allows
a student to select writing samples, done over time, that might
indicate overall writing ability more accurately.

The pilot study showed that scoring guides and methodology could
be effectively used to allow for this type of assessment. In
addition, in a non-representative sample, NAEP found that even
when students were allowed to polish their writing, the pieces
were generally not well developed and did not communicate
effectively. The students, for the most part, did not plan, think
about, or revise their writing even when they had the
opportunity.  The portfolio project will be repeated and refined
in future NAEP data collections.

EXPLORING NEW METHODS FOR COLLECTING STUDENTS' SCHOOL-BASED
WRITING is available from New Orders, Superintendent of
Documents, PO Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954.  It costs
$10, and the stock number is 065-000-00491-7.


                  GPO PUBLICATION REQUEST

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Authorizing Signature                                DATE

Mail to:       New Orders, Superintendent of Documents
               P.O. Box 371954
               Pittsburgh, PA   15250-7954

               Thank you for your order
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