ABSTRACT
The relationship between instruction and assessment has always been problematic. Framed as a struggle between the force of systems and integrity of individualism, writing assessment stands as a term symbolizing contested space. Research in writing assessment operates on a continuum between nomothetic span and idiographic representation (Borsboom, 2005; Embretson, 1983). In one tradition, the field seeks information about the performance of entire populations (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012); in another, investigation of individual student ability is the proper assessment aim (Sternglass, 1997).
