JSM 2011 Online Program

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Abstract Details

Activity Number: 529
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
Abstract - #300997
Title: Writing Errors from Speakers of African-American English, Speakers of ESL, and Speakers of Standard American English: Which Annoys Raters More?
Author(s): Lewis VanBrackle*+ and David Johnson
Companies: Kennesaw State University and Kennesaw State University
Address: 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA, 30144,
Keywords: logistic model
Abstract:

Raters of state-mandated college-level writing exams are trained to grade holistically when assessing these exams. Such exams are intended to ensure that students possess a minimal writing competency at the university level. A guiding principle in holistic grading is to not focus exclusively on any one aspect of writing but rather to give equal weight to style, vocabulary, mechanics, content, and development. However, the present study, based on 358 ratings of a state writing exam, indicates that raters give more emphasis to surface grammar errors than other areas of writing. In addition, this study details how raters react to surface errors typical of speakers of African American English, ESL, and Standard American English. Using a logistic model to generate odds ratios for comparison of essays with errors typical of these three language groups, results indicate a bias against African American errors and a bias for ESL errors.


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