Laurence--I guess that I too am a demonizer! Mea culpa. However,I
hasten to say that the argument I made over Email to CASLL would have
been made in a different manner to another audience--i.e. the univ.
administration or local politicians.
I suppose I would answer you, however, by saying that
competency testing as I know it(we had it here for 11 years) rarely
does what it pretends to do. Rather than testing writing
competency(and exactly what is "writing competency"?), it usually
tests how well individuals can write first draft, within a given time
frame, about a subject that is "sprung" upon them.
Even more important, I think these tests give everyone--students,
faculty, administrators--a wrong message about the nature of the
writing process.
I appreciate discussion on these issues! Sorry my tone indicated
the opposite!
Roberta Lee
