Tracking Students' Written Communication Skills
Since 1993, WSU's Writing Program has prepared biennial reports on student performance as writers. Statistical evaluations on many dimensions of the Junior Writing Portfolio program provided information on students' preparedness to write in their major. The reports also provide colleges and administrators with information about student skill levels.
The most recent report (2005-7), released in October 2007, indicates that there's a positive, stable trend that WSU undergraduates are, or are on course to be, very good communicators through their writing.
The report ...
- was based on evaluations of more than 9,000 portfolios submitted from summer 2005 to summer 2007
- showed that 90 percent of all students earn "pass" or better on their portfolio, with 7.6 percent of those earning a "writing with distinction" honor
- offered evidence that the range of courses from which the portfolio writing samples were drawn was broadening significantly