Intended for educators seeking information on direct writing assessments, this monograph describes general procedures for planning and conducting a writing assessment and strategies for tailoring that assessment to local needs. The introductory chapter offers a brief comparison of direct and indirect writing assessment methods, highlighting those features of direct assessment that make it the most popular approach. The status of writing assessment in American education is then summarized with emphasis on current patterns and developmental trends. The second chapter presents an overview of direct writing assessment procedures, touching on considerations in maximizing test quality, strategies for exercise development and alternative scoring approaches. The third chapter discusses selection of a writing assessment approach to suit a specific educational context such as program evaluation or student screening. Appended is a profile of statewide writing assessment, which provides information on the use of objective tests and or writing exercises, the developers of such exercises, kinds of writing assessed, kind of scoring method used, those using the results, and contact persons. (HOD)