Abstract
Writing studies professionals agree that students must learn to write for specific audiences. Despite this professional consensus, there is reason to believe that this skill is not widely tested in state-mandated writing assessments. In this study, we survey the state content standards for English Language Arts and the state-mandated writing tests for high school students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. While all states have adopted standards that require students to write for specific audiences, only a small percentage test this skill on state-mandated assessments. We argue that the consequences of this misalignment between standards and assessment are potentially severe. Since teachers often narrow the curriculum to content that appears on state tests, it could be that pre-service writing teachers will encounter an educational environment in which students are not taught how to adapt their writing to specific audiences.
Recommended Citation
Warren, James E.
(2022)
"Writing Without Audiences: A Comprehensive Survey of State-Mandated Standards and Assessments,"
Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education: Vol. 11:
Iss.
3, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/wte/vol11/iss3/4
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