Process assessment, which is directed toward identifying why a child's writing achievement is discrepant from IQ, is contrasted with product assessment, which is directed toward measuring the amount of discrepancy between writing achievement and IQ. Whereas process assessment is theory based, product assessment is not. The theoretical model underlying a research program designed to validate process measures for writing assessment is described. An overview of the findings of that research, in which 300 primary grade, 300 intermediate grade, and 288 junior high students participated, is provided. The implications of the findings for the model and for the assessment of writing disabilities by school psychologists are discussed.
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