Writing Assessment for the Common Assessment System

Whereas, Resolution 18.01 F14 recommended that “the Common Assessment Initiative include writing samples as a required component of the common assessment and that the writing samples are scored by human readers whose participation will inform assessment procedures that promote the growth of students across the composition sequence”;

Whereas, Many college districts are assessing students who are incarcerated or students who may be disadvantaged due to a variety of circumstances that prevent them from using or accessing computers to type writing samples; and

Whereas, Many college districts do not have the funds in their district budget and have communicated to faculty that funding cannot or will not be prioritized to compensate human readers in order for them to assess writing samples;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with representatives from the Common Assessment Initiative to ensure that a paper-and-pen option is available for any writing sample included in the Common Assessment System; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to identify funding for local colleges to support human scoring of writing samples included in the Common Assessment System prior to making the Common Assessment System available to colleges.

MSC