An investigation of academic writing in secondary schools to inform the development of diagnostic classroom assessments

作     者：Llosa, Lorena Beck, Sarah W. Zhao, Cecilia Guanfang 

作者机构：New York University Department of Teaching and Learning Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development New York NY 10003 Pless Hall 7th floor 82 Washington Square East United States Shanghai International Studies University College of English Language and Literature Shanghai 200083 550 West Dalian Road China 

出 版 物：《Assessing Writing》 (Assess. Writ.)

年 卷 期：2011年第16卷第4期

页      面：256-273页

学科分类：0402[教育学-心理学(可授教育学、理学学位）] 0501[文学-中国语言文学] 0502[文学-外国语言文学] 0401[教育学-教育学] 04[教育学] 

主　　题：Diagnostic assessment English language learners, Classroom assessment Exposition/argument Secondary school Writing 

摘      要：Despite the high stakes attached to students performance on assessments of academic writing, we still know little about the challenges students face when composing in academic contexts. To begin to address this problem, two studies were designed with the following aims: to identify and describe the most prevalent types of academic writing at the secondary level, and to characterize the challenges that both English Language Learners (ELLs) and non-English-Language Learners (non-ELLs) experience with this type of writing. Findings from these studies reveal that (1) in the context of New York City schools, exposition/argument is the most prevalent genre assigned as a writing task in secondary classrooms, as well as the most valued;and that (2) while both Intermediate ELLs and non-ELLs articulated Translating (the process of articulating ideas in the conventions of written English) as the most frequent challenge, the two groups differed in the kinds of Translating challenges and in the types and range of other challenges they articulated: ELLs articulated fewer challenges specifically related to the genre of exposition than did non-ELLs. Based on these findings we suggest several new approaches to classroom diagnostic assessment of writing, and raise issues to be considered in these approaches. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.