Writers can communicate in a variety of ways from business letters to stories to reports to essays.
But to become good writers, students need expert instruction, frequent practice, and constructive feedback. In addition to determining how well students write, this assessment examined curricular emphases, writing instruction, and the availability of resources. Most students had an understanding of the basic features of narrative and informative writing, but many at each grade level had difficulty producing effective informative, narrative, and persuasive writing. Even the best students had difficulty with persuasive tasks. The assessment described certain activities that promote good writing.