A pilot study was conducted to identify a viable method for analyzing the distinctive characteristics of the English writing of Hispanic students while retaining the consistency of diagnosis of the holistic method. Forty Hispanic students from the eighth and tenth grades were chosen as subjects. Some were fluent in both languages; others were limited in English with strong Spanish skills. A control group of 48 monolingual English speakers at both grade levels was also included. Subjects were asked to write an essay of one to five paragraphs on a choice of four topics. Analysis of the essays was based on two scoring systems: a holistic system which used a 6-point scale, and an itemized or analytic scoring system that was based on a 12-point scale. The itemized system, developed by the researcher, reflected an emphasis on the structure and organization of the essay with points earned or taken away in such areas as introduction, body, conclusion, syntax, devices, format, and fluency. Eighth grade Hispanic students scored an average of 2.45 on the holistic scale, and the English-speaking students scored an average of 4.05. Tenth grade Hispanics averaged 4.15 compared with 4.60 for the control group. Under the itemized scoring system, eighth grade Hispanics averaged 7.9 compared to the control group's 12.96; tenth grade Hispanics averaged 12.15 compared to the control group's 11.25. Although the holistic scoring system did not provide sufficient information for diagnosing writing skills for Hispanics, it did indicate, however, that the itemized scale had validity in terms of consistency while also providing more specific information for the teacher. (Author/DS)