Abstract:
Assessing developmental writing differs from assessing writing of students prepared for college writing. Because developmental writers are beginning writers, they require instructional assessment that will guide and prepare them for more stringent grading standards. I come to these conclusions by researching the literature of Mina Shaughnessy, David Bartholomae, Peter Elbow, Brian Huot, and others. Their composition knowledge explains the developmental writing situation and offers assessment insight. Georgia developmental writing instructors offered essay assessment advice and classroom-tested knowledge by answering my survey questions. Compiling the evidence gained through literature research and instructor interviews guides my construction of a rubric for developmental writers. My rubric values writing process over formalist writing assessment, which stresses surface error. It addresses the traditional rubric categories (organization, unity, coherence, style, grammar, mechanics) by emphasizing planning, drafting, revising, and editing. These writing process components build writing skills which contribute to an organized, unified, acceptably error-free essay; therefore, the traditional, commonly-used rubric categories are satisfied.
