ABSTRACT
There are two major purposes for assessing writing in second languages, related to different educational functions. Related to teaching and learning, formative assessments involve locally focused, continuous feedback on students’ writing. Formative assessments have the purpose of helping to improve the writing of individual students, to inform instruction, and to evaluate achievements or completion of courses or programs. Research on formative assessments tends to appeal to values of educational relevance, utility, ongoing interpersonal relations, and individual writing development. In contrast, formal tests or examinations of proficiency in writing (and of course other modes of communication, such as reading, speaking, and listening) are related to program and institutional policies. They inform decisions about admissions or placement into programs or graduation from them, certification of individual abilities, or evaluations of program effectiveness. Research on formal tests tends to appeal to values of construct validity, reliability, and fairness for diverse populations and situations.
