In a study designed to analyze faculty and student perceptions of the value of digital writing in the first year composition classroom, 21 first-year college students and a nationwide sample of 50 college composition teachers participated in conceptualizing digital multimodal composition and defining the benchmarks for first-year college digital writing. Based on the findings of this study and meta-analyses of literature, the following assessment criteria are suggested: 1. Rhetorical Knowledge, 2. Knowledge of Conventions, 3. Use of Modalities, Media, and Genres, 4. Originality/Creativity, and 5. Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving Skills. The implications for developmental educators lie in the necessity for developmental students to move into first year college-level writing classes and successfully navigate these classes in an increasingly digital world.