Writing growth among non-English learners and English learners in grades 6-8 using automated writing evaluation
Wilson, J., Palermo, C., Wibowo, A., Zhang, F., & Nusrat, A. (2026). Writing growth among non-English learners and English learners in grades 6-8 using automated writing evaluation. Reading and Writing, 39, 1003-1032. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-025-10700-5
This study examined MI Write as an automated writing evaluation benchmark for monitoring middle-school writing growth in grades 6-8. Using multilevel growth models with 3,299 students, the authors found modest overall gains across the school year, with similar total growth for English learners and non-English learners but different growth trajectories and feature-level patterns.
Key takeaways
- MI Write supported measurement of writing growth across fall, winter, and spring benchmark prompts.
- English learners and non-English learners showed similar total annual gains, but their growth patterns differed over time.
- Feature analyses suggested English learners made relatively more progress in foundational writing skills, while non-English learners advanced more in complex language features.
- English proficiency did not predict overall growth, indicating distinct instructional needs rather than different total progress.
Why it matters
Provides longitudinal evidence that an automated writing evaluation system can function as a formative benchmark for middle-school writing assessment and can capture meaningful growth patterns for both English learners and non-English learners.
Coauthors
Joshua Wilson, Corey Palermo, Arianto Wibowo, Fan Zhang, Adiba Nusrat
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