Description of Writing Achievement Levels-Setting Process and Proposed Achievement Level Definitions: 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

In July 1992, American College Testing convened a 5-day meeting to set achievement levels in writing for grades 4, 8, and 12 to be recommended for use in reporting the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Sixty-six panelists (teachers, non-teacher educators, and non-educators) attended the meeting and participated in the achievement levels-setting process. The process involved: completion of NAEP writing assessment; operationalizing definitions and identification of sample papers; training in the rating process; the paper selection process; and review of grade-level descriptors and selection of exemplar papers. Numerical results of analysis of the panelists' scoring of papers indicated that results across achievement levels within grades and within achievement levels across grades appeared to be logical and consistent. Achievement level descriptions, indicating basic, proficient, and advanced performance for each grade level, were developed. Panelists completed four evaluation questionnaires, in which they rated their experience as very positive. (Four tables of data and eight figures are included; the final version of the identification and selection of panelists design document, the agenda, NAGB (National Assessment Governing Board) policy definitions of achievement levels, achievement level descriptions representing student writing performance as developed by the Orlando content validity study group, and achievement level sample papers are attached with test questions and scoring guide.) (RS)