Automated Scoring Within a Developmental, Cognitive Model of Writing Proficiency

ETS has recently instituted the Cognitively Based Assessments of, for, and as Learning (CBAL) research initiative to create a new generation of assessment designed from the ground up to enhance learning. It is intended as a general approach, covering multiple subject areas including reading, writing, and math. This paper is concerned with the writing assessment being developed within the CBAL framework, and in particular, with the potential for using automated scoring techniques effectively within such an assessment to support learning.