Assessment in the Second Language Writing Classroom

5. Large-Scale Writing Assessment and Its Influences on L2 Writing

115 Chapter 5 Large-Scale Writing Assessment and Its Influences on L2 Writing 115 Any time an indicator takes on too much value, it is corrupted and so are the people around it. If test scores take on too much value, educators, like all other human beings, are likely to manipulate the indicators. —David Berliner Testing is often at the forefront of the news. A review of U.S. testing history shows that standardized tests have evolved rapidly over the past century and have become a potent force in education (Washington Post, 2006). States were expected to spend between $1.9 and $5.3 billion dollars by 2008 to implement NCLB-mandated tests (Miner, 2004/2005). In 2007, Virginia estimated that state implementation costs totaled approximately $20 million per year; Connecticut estimated the cost of complying with NCLB at $17 million (Lips & Feinberg, 2007). As tests have become more prevalent, so too has the business of test preparation. This phenomenon is not restricted to the United States, however, but is international in scope. China’s New Oriental Education and Technology Group, Inc., offers exam prep at 35 schools and more than 130 learning centers, mostly in eastern China (http://english.neworiental. org). Best known as a “cram” school, the size of New Oriental (2008 net income estimates range from $183.93 million to $197.32 million) is testimony of the scope, impact, and importance of standardized testing in China and further eviLarge -Scale Writing Assessment 116 dence that testing (including test preparation) is indeed big business. Clearly, testing and test preparation are burgeoning industries. This chapter explores an overview and description of largescale writing tests for L2 writers, advantages and disadvantages of standardized tests of writing, political and business aspects of large-scale assessment, the effect of NCLB legislation on the L2 writer, and strategies for classroom teachers to make largescale writing assessment work for their students. An Overview of Large-Scale Writing Tests: Product and Purpose This section describes tests generally used for large-scale writing assessment of L2 writers living both within the United States and internationally. Many of these instruments assess the skills of reading, speaking, and listening along with writing . Five tests that include a separate writing section and have consequences for both U.S. and international L2 writers at levels from high school to graduate school will be discussed: TOEFL® , TOEIC, SAT, ACT, and GRE. The advantages and disadvantages of these types of tests follows. TOEFL® The TOEFL® ’s stated purpose is to assess the English proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening of nonnative speakers of English. ETS claims that international L2 test takers will be eligible for admission into “virtually any institution in the world—including the top colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand” (www. ets.org/). Currently, ETS offers two versions of the TOEFL® — the paper-based test (PBT) and the Internet-based test (iBT). According to the ETS website (www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/), the PBT has three sections, and one of the sections, Structure and Written Expression, “measures the ability to recognize Assessment in the L2 Writing Classroom 117 language that is appropriate for standard written English” (ETS, 2008b). The test consists of 40 multiple choice questions to be answered in 25 minutes. Also required of everyone taking the PBT is a 30-minute writing test, the TWE® (Test of Written English® ). Examinees are asked to respond to prompts such as • What are some important qualities of a good supervisor (boss)? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important. • Some people think that the family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position. Two readers rate each essay using a 0–6 point rubric. Readers either score at home or at ETS scoring centers using ETS’ Online Scoring Network (OSN) (Weigle, 2002). OSN is a secure Internet system that provides a platform for the display of test-taker responses, support materials for raters, and tools for monitoring the accuracy of raters (ETS, 2008c). The score assigned to an essay is derived by averaging the two independent ratings or, in the case of a discrepancy of more than one point, by the adjudication of the score by a reading manager. For...