A study was conducted at the University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland) in the Fall 1985 15-week semester to test the effects of advanced knowledge of grading criteria on students' writing skills and attitudes in a Freshman Composition class. A holistic grading scale, which was distributed to students as a checklist for revising writing assignments, was developed and coordinated with the assignment sheet for each of six major papers. Students were assigned to either direct-instruction or peer-critique groups. Students in the direct-instruction group submitted their drafts to teachers and received written and in-class feedback. Students in the peer-critique groups had the opportunity to grade sample papers and classmates' drafts using the grading scale. The groups were compared on the basis of grade improvement on pre- and post-tests; the amount of out-of-class time spent by the teachers in responding to individual student papers; and student attitudes toward the grading procedures. The study found no significant differences in grade improvement or student attitude toward grading between the groups, although teachers spent significantly more out-of-class time responding to the papers of the direct-instruction group than to the peer-critique group. Appendixes include a sample assignment sheet and the grading scale/revision checklist. (EJV)