On Writing Tests, Computers Slowly Making Mark Handwritten NAEP
for 8th and 12th graders might be replaced. Most adults can
remember when taking a writing test meant sitting down with a
paper and pencil, then scribbling out sentences and erasing
mistakes until the time ran out. For many students today,
however, writing extended essays is a task performed almost
exclusively on a computer, typically one equipped with automated
tools to help them spell, check grammar, and even choose the
right words. In recognition of that technological progression, a
number of states have incorporated computer-based testing into
their writing assessments. Other states are piloting ways of
using technology to gauge writing. The movement to assess
writing on computers also could grow if the directors of the
influential National Assessment of Educational Progress act on a
proposal to replace the handwritten test of writing at the 8th
and 12th grade levels... This article is available to
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