Writing Assessment

Elbow (Ranking, Evaluating, and Liking, 1993) and Routman (Writing Essentials, Make Assessment Count, 2005) have similar views on assessment. They both discuss how ranking/grading papers does not give the writer constructive feedback to better their writing. Ranking does not point out what the student did well and can build on, but focuses on what is wrong. It also leads students to care more about the score and less about the writing. For Routman there is also often an overemphasis on conventions. Routman says this leads to voiceless, flat writing. It may be mechanically correct, but it doesn’t have heart.

Both Elbow and Routman recommend evaluating writing to give students feedback on specific areas of writing, like the six traits. This type of evaluation also takes into account the audience for the piece. I love how Routman makes the distinction between “assessment of learning” (grading, high-stakes tests) and “assessment for learning” (p. 239) which guides instruction. Elbow uses an analytic grid (p. 195) to rank writing instead of grades. This is similar to the writing rubrics Routman discusses (p. 240-243). Each evaluates individual traits of the writing instead of giving one overall grade for the piece. They can give a writer information on areas to focus on in their writing and let them know what they have done well, especially if comments are included. But often it serves a writer better to have a conversation (or written feedback) that points out specific areas that they have done well on and can use more in their writing and those areas that need improvement. Routman also stresses that students need to see examples of good student writing, and also poor student or teacher writing that has been revised in order to become better writers themselves.

Both Routman and Elbow are proponents of non-evaluated freewrites. I like how Routman makes the connection between not evaluating every book a child reads and not evaluating everything a child writes (p. 243). In each instance in order to learn and improve, lots of practice must take place in an environment where students are free to take risks and try things out. This cannot happen if we are always evaluating student writing.

Our ultimate goal as writing teachers should be to move students to the point that they can self-evaluate their writing. This is what will help them the most when they are required to write in their future, including for high-stakes tests.