Reward the successful and penalize the inept.

After reviewing these rated essays, new raters should practice applying the rating procedures to the essays provided in the next section, "Practice Essays."

Rating - 1: How does a person make a favorable first impression in an interview?
We as college students, have ahead of us possibly one of the most difficult tasks left to master. As we come to the crossroads, for which our years of education have been directing us, it is important to realize that knowledge alone may not lead to the occupation that we desire.

The task of searching for a job may be made somewhat simplified if we take some time to consider that all-important interview; and more specifically the qualities we have demonstrated in the interview, once we leave the office.

The qualities most likely to allow us to have a second interview are punctuality and sincerity.

Punctuality is viewed by perspective employers as a very honorable quality. Honorable in the sense that we are there out of a feeling of respect for the employer's time. Arriving on time also demonstrates the kind of eagerness that reminds interviewer's how determined we are to have a position with them.

Our sincerity, secondly, remains on the mind of the interviewer longer than any grading statistics that may appear on our resume.

Shake your perspective employer's hand with a firm grip, our body language says alot about us.

Answer questions thoughtfully and forcefully so as to be understood as well as heard. Our sincere answers to questions may get us the position we are looking for.

Punctuality means money to your boss, don't allow him to see you as a bad investment.

Sincerity is one of the few impressions we leave and it may be the only side of us an employer has an opportunity to see.

Rating - 1: If you were made the programming director of a major television network, what changes in programming would you make? Explain.
If chosen programming director of a major television network many changes would be implemented for the viewers. There would be less advertising during the family television hours. There would be more educational programs for children. Also, there would be a cut back on the stereotype movies and advertising.

Perhaps, one of the first changes to be made in the television network is less advertising, during family viewing. A smaller amount of commercials would definitely give its audience more of the program. There would be no interruptions every ten minutes between scenes. Also, a minimum amount of advertising benefits the viewer in which he can get a better understanding of the program.

In addition, more educational programs would be provided during the children hours. However, these programs would be presented during the time most children are at home. They would not have to watch those programs which relay violence. Children would not have to view the daily soap operas because there would be special educational presentations just for them. However, some children might not get to see those programs.

Although, many changes would be made, equally important is the cut back of stereotype movies. This cut back would eliminate sexist movies on television. Also, the viewer would not get ideas such as, the only roles males and females play are sex symbols. In addition, female place is in the home. The male place is outside doing a hard days work.

Therefore, being a programming director of a major television network many major changes would be made to better television for society. This would include giving families more viewing time of programs. The output of more educational programs for children would be implemented. Another change would be the limited number of stereotype pictures. These are some changes and practices which would be used to upgrade the programming of television.

Rating - 1: Should the government do more to discourage smoking? Why or why not?
"The High Rate for Cancer Has Decreased Because Cigarettes are Off the Market" would be a nice headline if the government did more to discourage cigarette smoking and succeeds. The government should do more to discourage cigarette smoking because this would decrease the high cancer percentage and help many people break their habit.

First, if the government does do more to discourage cigarette smoking it may succeed and there would be a tremendous decrease in the cancer percentage. Although, cigarettes are not the only items on market that cause cancer, but if cigarettes are removed, then there would be one less item on market that does cause cancer.

Second, if the government does more to discourage cigarette smoking it would help many people kick the smoking habit. There are many people trying to stop smoking but can not. If the government succeeds at it's effort to discourage cigarette smoking many people, especially the smokers, would be very happy because they would no longer have to worry about trying to stop smoking.

In conclusion, if the government succeeds at it's attempt to discourage cigarette smoking, this would be a great benefit for the smokers, because they would have kicked the habit and helped the cancer rate to decrease in the non smokers.

Rating - 1: What do you think are the major effects of divorce upon children? Discuss.
From birth to the first few years, life is filled with new, exciting and influential experiences. Familarization with the people and things in the surroundings makes lasting impressions. For years doctors and psychologists have been pondering the question of the effect divorce has on the offspring of a marriage. Although the information is still inconclusive, I will attempt to define my feelings on the subject based on the first few lines of this essay.

With the passing of time, even a very short time, parents become a symbol in an infant's eyes. The infant becomes dependent on the faces, the hands, the bodies that feeds loves and protect it.

As the infant grows in to a child, it becomes more and more attached to its parents. If at some point, the child senses something wrong between the parents it will respond in some way. This response also holds true if the parents are seperated and eventually divorced.

Divorce creates problems with children that few couples or parents realize or understand. For instance if for 3 years the father, mother and child has been living together as a family unit. Suddenly (in the childs eyes) the father disappears, he simply walkes out. This 3 year old child cant understand what's going on. But he knows and responds to his fathers absence. This holds true for children of almost any age. Along with the confusion of "where is Daddy, the child will go through phases which will show that divorce affects him in some devistating ways.

The security I spoke of earlier is one of the things that could have an impact on the child. For 3 years, father has watched over the family unit, he is big strong and protects mother too. Now that father is gone who will be there. The child could resent his fathers leaving or resent his mother for letting him go. While this is important, the childs loss of companionship could be more important.

Father has been spending a great deal of time playing with talking to and holding this child. If this is suddenly lost, the child will or could resent it.

While resentment maybe easiely overcome by a child of 3 years, mental and emotional difficulties may not be.

The tension, stress, and strain of a divorce tend to play the biggest role in how a child will adjust afterward. I'm sure we all know how attached most children are to their parents. There are emotional ties that could never be broken. However if a child understand what is going on or senses hostility between his parents he tends to be torn between them. He may experience confusion, resentment, hostility mental and emotional stresses. If the problem continue to exist, this could lead to longlasting if not permanant mental and emotional strain.

As the study of divorce and its effect on children continue, parents should keep in mind what they are doing to thier children. Apprehension about future fathers (step-fathers), could spark a new and more tragic experience.

While I realize that not all marriages work out, I also realize that not all children respond or recover the same. So parents be aware of the consequences, you could be destroying the most precious thing(s) in your lives, your children.

Rating - 1: Some states now permit single men and women to adopt children. Do you favor such a policy? Explain why or why not.
Adopting a child is a big responsibility for both the child and adult. In todays society, more and more people are becoming more independent on themselves. In turn, people are not taking the vows of marriage for the security of a mate. Adopting a child as a single parent would give the parent child relationship a stronger personalised relationship while building a more secure home invironment. Single parents adopting children would also reduce the divorce rate by over 25%.

A single parent would be able to offer a child more attention while not having to worry about the lost attention a mate may feel. Single parents feel more independent and directly teach their children how to become more independent on themselves. Children also feel that the time they spend with their single parent is more meaningful and advantages than if they were to have two parents. The children would not be forced to choose sides if a parental argument borke out. Children do feel a closer relationship if they have one parent and one set of rules.

When children feel closer to their parent, they feel more secure. Security for a single parent is very important to maintain with the child. Children to trust people more if the person is not conterdicted. With one parent, the child feels secure about what is right and what is wrong. The children are also able to develop faster with emotions that they share with one parent. The children do not have to worry about telling the mother or the father; they can confide directly to their single parent.

People are trying many different ways to have a child of their own. People have even been know to steel children. People will go to almost any length to get a child including marriage. Marriges are failing at a rate of 50%. A divorce puts untold amounts of strain on children as well as parents. People do not need to put themself through these needless hardships. Single parents do not face the pain involved in a divorce which ends up making the children pick sides. Single parents represents the one personal intructer without the conflict of an emotional family unit.

In the homes of today, people are reaching out for care and guidence that a single parent could offer. Children are respecting and understanding why their mother or father did not get married. They also understand that their parent wanted them more than a mate. Children understand that they can get enough love from one parent. A policy of a single parent is one that should also be supported by the government.

Rating - 1: Is it better to have brothers and sisters than to be an only child? Explain.
Growing up with brothers and sisters is important to a young child. It is better to have brothers and sisters than to be an only child.

Growing up as an only child can Growing up as an only child can be very lonely. Many children today need the companionship of a brother and sister to keep them in line. When a child is without a brother or sister, there seems to be missing a large part of what life is all about. Growing up means learning to cope with those around you and learning from your brother or sister what is the difference between right and wrong. The spare time a child has should be spent with brothers and sisters. The fellowship of a family plays a vital role in how a child creates an idea of how to treat others around him. Loneliness can lead to emotional problems throughout a child's life. A big brother showing a little brother how to play baseball or how to build a treehouse is an example why a brother is important. A big sister showing a little sister how to cook or fix supper can show the need for a sister. Not having brothers and sisters can lead to a lonely life.

Influence from a brother or sister can be important as a child. Many children do things without knowing whether they did right or wrong. An older brother can be there to show little things like how to treat guests or the difference in respect or rudeness. Older brothers and sisters play a major part in how the younger child grows up. Many times a younger brother or sister will act as the older brother or sister did. Having an older sister can mean the difference between knowing proper manners or not, because older sisters seem to teach the younger ones how to act at the table or how to act while company is present. A big brother who is a big standout at school can play a large role in how a younger brother strives to do as he is growing up. Brothers and sisters hold the true meaning of friendship and love. The influence a brother and sister have on another brother and sister can be important in the outcome of each other. Love many times comes from brothers and sisters. A child that is mistreated at school may come home looking for a good word from a brother. If there is no brother or sister then the emotions can stagger and create an obstacle in the child's social life. A brother or sister at home can mean having someone to talk to and share good times.

Being an only child seems to produce a spoiled person later in life. Children that growup as an only child seem to receive everything their hearts desire. The child that gets anything he wants grows up wanting more than he truely needs to survive. As a spoiled child gets older, then the demands for earthly possession get greater. If a want goes unanswered, then a child may began to look for other ways to get these things. Children who do not have brothers and sisters do not respect other people's possessions. A spoiled child is obviously the lack of a brother or sister as a companion. Sharing with someone else can mean respecting other people's feelings. A child without a brother or sister won't share because sharing with others has never been experienced as a young child. Spoiled children sometimes take longer to mature because of the lack of guidance by a brother or sister. An only child can not know the meaning of sharing without growing up with a brother and sister.

The company of brothers and sisters is important to a young child while growing up. Loneliness, influence and sharing of possessions are reasons why having brothers and sisters is important for a child.

Rating - 2: Which of the four seasons of the year appeals to you the most? Why?
Fall appeals to me most because it seems to be the "calm" season. During this time of year, not many people are seen about the streets, or just hanging out on corners. Even the trees look calm. Their coats change into different hues of yellow, orange, and even red. After this transition has taken place, the trees begin to shed these beautiful colors until they are naked and asleep.

The air is cool and a great relief from the hot, still air of summer which brings people out of their houses and into the streets, swimming pools, and onto beaches filled with noises such as loud music. This cool air, instead, makes people want to stay inside, surrounded by the calming warmth of a house whose firplace exudes a lazy contentment, and whose walls reflect a myriad of illusions shaped by dancing flame. Nonetheless, taking walks alone and enjoying the sights and stillness of Fall is enough to calm and relax the soul, especially mine when I need it. While I walk, I hear no noise and its so easy to imagine that there's only me and the trees.

I, personally, look forward to Fall each year, hoping that maybe it will last longer than the last time it came around with all of its different and interesting colors, and its "calmness". Even Winter fails to compare favorably in my mind because that beautiful blanket of white becomes dirty and temperatures grow harsh. Spring is for the birds.

Rating - 2: Choose a profession whose members make a worthwhile contribution to society and discuss the benefits that society receives from members of this profession.
One necessity of life for living things is food. Without food people cannot live long. With today's large population, high costs of production, and low energy supplies much improvement is needed on our present agricultural production systems to meet the needs of the world. Agricultural researchers are the answer to the problems. Agricultural researchers make a worthwhile contribution in society in that they are constantly coming up with new and better methods to produce the food required by the world.

Today's food requirements for the world are higher than ever before simply because there are more people than ever before. While the population grows, the amount of land available for production does not, if anything the amount gets smaller. More food must be produced on less land. Agricultural researchers have done much work in this area. They have developed the practice of triple-cropping, which is producing three crops in one year on one field. The practice of fertilizing the soil has been developed to provide more nutrients for the crops, and improved feeds that tend to make livestock grow at faster rates have been produced.

Farmers of today have a real problem in trying to deal with the higher costs of production. Agricultural researchers have developed methods of crop production where once the crop has been planted you do not need to go back into the field until harvest time. The main way Ag. researchers have tried to deal with high production costs is by increasing production sharply so that the farmer will recieve more money.

With all the other problems facing them, agricultural researchers must still work their way around today's dwindling energy supplies. They have captured the rays of the sun to dry crops and heat livestock facilities. They have used the wind to power machines such as windmills, which pump water from the ground. They have invented tractors and machines that are more fuel efficient or run off of alternate forms of fuel. The work still goes on.

Agricultural researchers have done much to improve our production methods. Improvement is a necessity if the world is to survive. Our old agricultural production practices are a thing of the past, the world's needs can only be met with new and improved methods. The sky is the limit for agricultural researchers.

Rating - 2: What characteristics do you regard as important in a person you would choose as a friend?

When I look for honesty in a friend I, of course, look for someone who does not cheat or steal. For example, I would not like to cover up for a friend I saw stealing from a store or from someone else. Although this I do consider important, I also want a friend who is honest about his emotions or feelings on a subject. I want a friend who will tell me how he feels even if it might hurt my feelings.

Another important quality that I look for is loyalty. The term loyalty, to me, means someone who would stick by me when my convictions were on the line even if it meant he would also be rediculed by the majority. This I believe shows a person of great inner strength.

The characteristic that I consider most important is kindness. A person who would go well out of his way to see a sick friend is a person that I would consider kind. Kindness, to me, is also someone who would go to comfort a friend who had a relative die or care for a sick animal even though it was not his own.

Although there are many more characteristics that I look for in a friend these are the ones that I consider most important. These qualities show to me a well rounded person.

Rating - 2: "As we grow older, our toys cost more". Discuss.
"As we get older, our toys begin to cost more." It seems in this day and age people are relying more and more on material things. It is very important to some people to gain prestige by owning a new sportscar or an expensive home. People do this when they get older for the same reasons they did as children, because they have a sense of competitiveness that tells them to be the best. Only as children their toys were not priced so high.

As children our sense of competition shines through at a very early age. It becomes important to us when we begin to play with the other children on the block that our barbie dolls or toy guns are as nice as theirs. This "competitive sense" continues as we grow. We move on to wanting even better things such as ten-speed bikes, designer clothes, and even at the early age of 16 we begin to dream of having that new Corvett.

Once we are adults we try to become a bit more subtle about our wanting things. We want the 165,000 home in Martha's Vineyard because it would be a good investment, but not because our friends from college are living in expensive homes. We also want to belong to the country club because we need a good workout on the golf course now and then, but not because our neighbor belongs to it.

All in all people grow-up and end up just spending more on their toys. It is no longer money on toy cars now it is sports cars. It is not money for a big new doll house but money for that expensive new home in the best subdivision. None of us really ever outgrow our sense of wanting to have the best things, we just find better ways of making what we want seem practical.

Rating - 2: "The current generation is lazy and lacks discipline". Defend or attack this statement.
Each generation has been accused of being lazy and lacking discipline at one time or another. Eventually each generation becomes productive, despite previous predictions to the contrary.

The "Roaring Twenties" era is a good example of a generation of people wrongly accused as lazy and undisciplined. The great "Prohibition" of 1919 did little to stop the consumption of alcohol. Speakeasy saloons became easily accessible -- And what mother did not gasp at the revolutionary styles so-called "Flappers" donned? However, this very same generation faced a great depression just ten years later. Many families were ruined financially and the poor were even poorer. Somehow they survived and became a better people for it. I doubt if the outcome had anything to do with being "lazy" or "lacking discipline."

An even more recent example of a generation "gone bad" is the "sixties." On every campus students wore ragged blue jeans with at least one patch, usually a peace sign. Music of that generation was acid rock and anti-war. Girls wore short hair, men wore long hair. The older people wondered what to think of this new "lazy" generation that "lacked" discipline. This generation grew-up, too, many of them whizzing us into the computer age and forging the fields of technology.

Surely there will be more generations in the future prematurely judged, and unjustly labeled "lazy", "undisciplined." Do not be so quick to stereotype and find fault with generations yet to come. Someone once said "For every time there is a season". I believe this is to be true. What a better world this would be if everyone would revel in another persons' "spring."

Rating - 3: The "living will" directs a person's family and physicians not to keep that person alive by artificial means if that person were to suffer a totally incapacitating disease or illness. Would you consider signing such a document and giving to to your own family? Why or why not?
Beyond a shadow of doubt I would sign a "Living Will" document and give it to my parents. I have very strong feelings for this issue based upon personal experiences. To me the choice is an easy one that I made several years ago because of an incident that involved my best friend.

Four years ago there was a terrible car wreck that took place in a small town in Southeast Georgia. On a rainy day two kids were out joy riding when their car skidded beneath a tractor trailer rig. The impact killed the driver instantly and sent the passenger at the age of seventeen into a coma.

When I went to the hospital with my best friend we saw her brother hooked up to some kind of machine that had tubes running everywhere. There were some in his nose, some on his arms and there were even a few in his legs. My friend and I stood there for hours staring in disbelief, sometimes crying and sometimes trying to laugh.

It has been almost five years since that horrible day but none of us are over the shock of it. For my friend's brother is still hooked up to that cold machine and he always will be. Some vital organs had been smashed and he cannot function on his own. He will never speak to any of us or hear or see us. I have watched that family suffer more than any one family ever deserves too. I have witnessed their daily visits turn into weekly ones and their weekly ones into monthly ones. All this family wants is for their son and loved one to die so that he may go to heaven.

Based upon this personal experience it is an easy choice for me to sign the "Living Will" document and give it to my family. For I would never want them to have to suffer every day like my friends family. I would much rather my family remember me as a human being as opposed to a vegetable.

Rating - 3: How do you expect your college education to change the rest of your life? Discuss.
Having a college education can be beneficial to anyone regardless of his/her chosen profession. Because I began my college education in mid-life and am happy with my job situation, I do not expect to make a major career change. I do however expect my college education to change the rest of my life as a secretary, a wife and mother, and as a member of my community.

An essential part of being a good secretary is having good communication skills. The knowledge I have gained through English 101 and English 102 has already improved my skill in written communication. Quite often I am tasked to write letters for my organization but more often I am expected to change or rearrange a letter, a presentation or other material written by a co-worker. This task requires not only skill in correct writing procedures but that and good oral communication as well. I am learning to better communicate orally through interaction with other students as well as with college professors. Through my college education I am gaining more self-confidence and higher self-esteem which contribute to good oral communication. My co-workers have learned to trust my ability more (even those with Masters Degrees and Ph.D's) and are assigning me additional responsibilities as a result. I feel confident that with these added skills and the college education I am working toward that there will be promotions in my job future.

As a mother my college education will help me to better understand my children and the various problems they will encounter growing up and working on their own college educations. I will be able to advise them on curriculum choices, when to seek advise from a counselor and other problems than can be overwhelming to a new college student. As a wife I have already begun to see the effects of gaining a college education. My husband is also an evening college student. We have begun to communicate better and to understand each others problems in regards to attending college and working. Our interest in music and art has broadened and we now enjoy attending plays, museums and art shows together.

In a community and in a church there is always more work to be done than there are workers. Many times there are workers who seem to be waiting for a leader. I expect that speech classes taken in college will help tremendously in this area as well as assertiveness training and economics. As a representative of our neighborhood organization it is often necessary to speak with government officials and representatives in order to get an ordinance passed or to get other desired neighborhood projects approved. Here again I am sure knowledge gained in communication, government and economics will be helpful.

Although I do not plan a major job change as a result of my college education I am sure I will reap the benefits of this education in all walks of life but especially in my present job as a secretary, as a wife and mother, and as a community member. College thus far has broadened my outlook, made me a better communicator, and given me a better understanding of the world around me.

Rating - 3: Analyze the qualifications in a person who wishes to be a leader
Marlene Rubenstein would lose a beauty contest to an army boot. With her flatnose and thick glasses, she was the ugliest member of my highschool class, including the goat used as team mascot. But Marlene was chosen president during her sophomore, junior, and senior years; and in college she led student government for three years. Marlene's success is not a mystery: she wins because she possesses the qualities of a good leader. Although many qualities contribute to leadership, Marlene's major assets are her ability to accept responsibility and her resourcefulness.

Accepting responsibility means being able to carry a project through to completion. In the tenth grade, Harvey Williams, the boy in charge of the Sophomore Class Float, had an appendectomy. Marlene took over as float chairman. She organized two teams of workers to build frames after school and divided the whole class into three groups who took turns on weekends. We completed the float four days ahead of schedule and had plenty of time to make changes in the final form. As a result we won First Place. What I didn't know at the time was that Marlene had promised Mr. Stevens, the chemistry teacher, that she would build a Vandegraf generator for the science fair. I later discovered that Marlene got up each morning at 6:00 to work on her science project. Needless to say, she also won first place in the fair competition.

In addition to accepting responsibility and completing the obligations required, Marlene could always be counted on to solve problems through her resourcefulness. For example, when the paper mache walls on our tenth grade float fell over, Marlene had us dip pillow cases in wet flour and hang them on ropes stretched horizontally between the wooden pillars. This gave us a perfect textured wall! Just before the parade, we discovered a flat tire on the float wagon. Marlene immediately turned a wheelbarrow upside down as a fulcrum and had three boys use an extra four by four as a Jack while two of the others quickly changed tires! Marlene's resourcefulness, like her willingness to accept responsibility, made us respect her and want her as a leader. It is not surprising that Marlene is now running for the U.S. Senate.

Rating - 4: Should college students be required to take physical education classes? Why or why not?
For the average college student, formal physical education courses may prove to be too much of a good thing. Oh no, I'm not knocking physical fitness, but for sheer physical endurance both required and acquired, consider one day in the life of a commuting college student -- me.

Rolling out of bed is my first warm-up exercise. At the breakfast table, I exercise great restraint -- no butter, dry toast. I stretch my imagination as I creatively pair yet another T-shirt with my old reliable jeans. Having given my teeth a brush and a promise, I leap into my Honda Civic and race to the Kiss-Ride parking lot. With amazing dexterity I run up a down escalator, fingers clutching a moist little pile of coins. With incredible manual dexterity I manage to exert sufficient force to move the turnstile one notch. With moments to spare, I leap onto the platform, and from there into the train. Once in my seat, the now demure Pavlova, I enjoy my ten minute break.

The trip from train into classroom is much the same -- same muscles, same exercises, same inherent obstacles. The classroom, however, offers exercise of a different sort. There are certain core curriculum courses which, if allowed the full power of their existence, will bore one to extinction. One must exercise great restraint in such a situation. Then, of course, we have the intense isotonic exercise for the buttocks of sitting on them, relieved only by the occasional squirm for a two hour lecture on "The Curiously Erotic Art of Chinese Footbinding." (I love these new ethnic studies!) And no class would be complete without having to cope with a full bladder and an absolute necessity to take furious and copious notes. My sphincter muscle has acquired a tone here-to-fore only written up in the medical literature.

I now have only to sprint back to the transit station to qualify for a Presidential Sports Award. Woe be unto the unsuspecting mugger who attempts to mug my mug, for I am poised, ready and aware. My bulging eyeballs rotate quickly in a muscular peripheral sweep of the station. Anyone who dares to monkey with my inner city paranoia risks a sound thrashing. I don't usually brag, but my umbrella thwack got me to the Olympic trials. Test me if you dare.

So, you see, physical fitness is already inherent in the commuting college student. From home to train to class and back again, a person must be in shape. I've got the biceps to prove it.

At the scoring session the Scoring Coordinator circulates an Honorarium List for each rater to sign. Raters who have been to previous scoring sessions have their names and rater numbers preprinted on the Honorarium List. New raters refer to the last pages of the Honorarium List to find rater numbers which have not been assigned to other raters. A new rater records his or her name and address next to one of these numbers and uses that number for the current and all subsequent scoring sessions.

Raters who have not attended a scoring session since Spring, 1990, must also complete a W-9 form. The honorarium will not be paid if the W-9 Form is not completed. However, the W-9 Form needs to be completed only once by each rater because the Regents' Testing Program office keeps the W-9 Forms on file.

Expense statements are included in the rater packets that are provided to raters prior to scoring sessions. Raters are reimbursed according to the rules of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Any expense reported that is above the maximum will be disallowed; a rater can be reimbursed only for the allowable maximum.

On the expense form, a rater must record:

1. Name, social security number, and institution;

2. Allowable expenses (lunch, bus or train, parking, mileage) if any.

3. The license number of the car driven and the odometer readings if mileage is claimed.

4. Signature.

The reimbursement for mileage is .21 per mile; the maximum reimbursement for lunch is $4.50.

Incomplete or inaccurate expense forms will be returned to raters for completion or correction. In particular, raters should make sure that the expense statement is signed and that the car license number and odometer readings are recorded if mileage expense is claimed. If the expense form must be returned to the rater, reimbursement will be delayed.

Raters cannot receive the honorarium payment unless a W-9 form is on file with the Regents' Testing Program office. The W-9 Form needs to be completed only once by each rater because the Regents' Testing Program office keeps the W-9 Forms on file. A rater who has rated and received an honorarium for rating at a scoring session beginning with Summer Quarter, 1990, should have a W-9 on file and does not need to complete another W-9 form. Raters who are uncertain about whether they have completed W-9 forms in the past should complete the form.

Completed expense statements and W-9 forms should be returned to the Scoring Coordinator by the end of the scoring session.

A check for $80.00 and allowable expenses will be sent to the rater at the address shown on the Honorarium List circulated by the Scoring Coordinator. Address changes should be indicated on the Honorarium List.

Replace this page with the rater expense statement. Replace this page with the W-9 form.

The rater sheets are designed so that the scanning machine can determine the ratings given to the essay, but raters cannot see the rating given by other raters. There are 16 different forms of the rater sheet with the numbers indicating the ratings in a different order on each form. After a rater records a rating on the sheet, he or she marks through the numbers indicating the ratings so that the next rater cannot tell what rating was given.

Instructions for using the rater sheets and a sample of a completed rater sheet follow.

Instructions:

• Obtain your rater number from the Honorarium List that is circulated at the beginning of the scoring session. Write this number down. If you lose your number later, ask the coordinator for the list.

• Handle the essays carefully so that the rater sheets do not become separated from the essays. The pre-printed code on the sheet will be used by the computer to determine which student wrote the essay. Therefore, it is crucial that the rater sheet remain with the essay to which it belongs. (Social security numbers will not be used to identify students. However, the social security number is written on the back of the rater sheet so that raters can verify that the correct sheet is inserted into the essay.)

• Follow the procedures indicated on the attached photocopy of the rater sheet and illustrated by the example of a completed rater sheet. Note that the procedures differ slightly depending on whether the essay is being rated by the first, second or third rater.

The following directions must be used for marking the rater sheets:

• Use only the pencil provided by the coordinator. Pens or other pencils may not be read by the scanning machine.

• When "bubbling in" circles, make each mark heavy and black enough to completely fill in the circle.

• Erase completely any mark you wish to change.

• Make no marks on the sheet (front or back) other than in the designated areas. Stray marks could interfere with accurate reading by the scanning machine.

• When "bubbling in" the rater number or topic number, right justify the number. (If the number has fewer digits than the spaces available, leave the blanks on left side.)

• The essay does not have a rater sheet.

• The previous rater has not completely marked through the ratings (i.e., you can tell what rating was given by another rater).

• The topic number of the essay does not match the topic number recorded by the first rater .

• The essay is written in pencil.

List of Approved Essay Topics

Development of Instructions to Raters The current version of the instructions to raters, which includes the 1987 revision of the "Description of Essay Scoring Procedures," the model essays and analyses, and the "Questions and Answers on the Rating of Regents' Test Essays," was developed by the Testing Subcommittee and Scoring Coordinators. The "Description of Essay Scoring Procedures" and the model essays and analyses were approved by the Academic Committee on English.

Selection of Practice Essays The members of the Testing Subcommittee meet with the Scoring Coordinators each quarter before the first essay scoring session. At the meeting, the group selects practice essays for use at the scoring sessions. The ratings assigned to the practice essays are based on unanimous agreement of the group members. At the scoring sessions, Scoring Coordinators discuss the practice essays with essay raters.

Selection of Topics: Proposed topics for the Essay Test are solicited periodically through the president of each institution, who is asked to obtain suggestions for topics from students, faculty, and administrators. These topics are reviewed by the members of the Testing Subcommittee and by Scoring Coordinators, who attempt to select topics narrow enough to elicit an essay in 60 minutes but broad enough to reflect common student knowledge and experience rather than specialized knowledge. Proposed topics are rejected or revised when they 1) contain difficult vocabulary, 2) require specialized knowledge, 3) appear to have rural-urban or ethnic bias, 4) are too similar to topics used previously, 5) involve highly controversial or emotional subjects, or 6) seem to encourage students to identify their institutions in essays. To ensure that topics are appropriate for students at all institutions, each topic must then be approved unanimously by the members of the Academic Committee on English.

The topics are then put in pairs by the Regents' Testing Program staff for use on test forms. In general, each pair is composed of one topic bearing on a contemporary idea or event and another topic bearing on more personal issues and experiences. The Testing Subcommittee and Scoring Coordinators review and revise the pairs of topics to ensure that the two topics on each form are sufficiently different from each other to offer students a reasonable choice of topics.

Because students' essays must be returned to their institutions, the Regents' Testing Program office assigns institutional identification numbers to essays before they are scored. After each administration of the Regents' Test, a number that has been randomly assigned to an institution is stamped on the back of each essay received from that institution. At no time does anyone outside the Regents' Testing Program office know what number has been assigned to an institution, and the numbers are changed each quarter. The only time a rater can identify an institution is when a student mentions in an essay the institution he or she attends. Although topics that encourage institutional identification (e.g., Discuss the advantages of attending your college.) are not used, some essays may contain references to a particular institution or city. When large numbers of students from one institution are tested, more than one number is assigned to the institution in order to reduce the chance that a rater might learn the identity of numerous essay writers' institutions from a reference made to the institution in one essay.

After they have been stamped, the essays from all of the institutions are mixed together and put into stacks of15 for distribution to scoring centers. Some stacks may have more than one essay from the same institution; this situation cannot be avoided because some institutions test many more students than do others. However, the mixing of essays does ensure that each institution's essays will be distributed among all six scoring centers.

Each institution's raters are assigned to the most convenient center. The number of raters from each institution is determined by the ratio of its number of students tested the previous year to the number of students tested in the System. The selection of raters is generally delegated to the institution's Academic Committee on English member.

0	0	1		0		1	69	69.0	81.0	27.54	46.38	24.64	1.45
0	0	1		0		1	84	84.0	82.0	34.52	46.43	19.05	0.00
0	0	1		0		1	68	68.0	97.0	13.24	67.65	17.65	1.47
0	0	1		0		1	77	77.0	96.0	14.29	58.44	25.97	1.30
0	1	0		0		1	96	96.0	89.0	38.54	45.83	13.54	2.08
0	0	1		0		1	84	84.0	87.0	27.38	47.62	22.62	2.38
0	0	0		1		1	96	96.0	78.0	38.54	51.04	9.38	1.04
0	0	1		0		1	74	74.0	86.0	27.03	47.30	22.97	2.70
0	0	0		1		1	54	54.0	87.0	24.07	51.85	24.07	0.00
0	0	1		0		1	92	92.0	80.0	36.96	47.83	13.04	2.17
0	0	1		1		2	317	158.5	87.0	26.81	64.35	7.89	0.95
0	0	1		0		1	91	91.0	93.0	14.29	62.64	23.08	0.00
0	0	2		1		3	268	89.3	88.0	19.78	59.70	19.78	0.75
0	0	1		1		2	149	74.5	89.0	16.11	58.39	22.82	2.68

Policy

Each institution of the University System of Georgia shall assure the other institutions, and the system as a whole, that students obtaining a degree from that institution possess certain minimum skills of reading and writing. The Regents' Testing Program has been developed to help in the attainment of this goal. The objectives of the Testing Program are:

1. To provide Systemwide information on the status of student competence in the areas of reading and writing

2. To provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain the minimum levels of competence in the areas of reading and writing.

The Regents' Test is not a requirement for an Associate of Applied Science degree or an Associate of Science degree in an allied health field, although institutions may choose to require the Test for these degrees.

A student holding a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education will not be required to complete the Regents' Test in order to receive a degree from a University System institution.

The Chancellor will issue administrative procedures for the operation of the Regents' Testing Program.

I. Testing and Remediation Requirements:

A. Students in programs leading to the baccalaureate degree who have not taken the Regents' Test must be required to take the Test during the quarter of enrollment immediately following the completion of 60 college-level quarter credit hours. (College-level credit hours include all credit with the exception of institutional credit.) This requirement applies regardless of whether the student has taken or passed specific courses, including English courses, or completed any other institutional requirements.

B. Passing the Regents' Test is defined as having passed both components of the Test by scoring at or above the cutoff score specified for each component. If one component of the Test has been passed, that component need not be retaken.

C. Students who have earned 75 college-level quarter credit hours and who have not passed the Regents' Test shall take the appropriate nondegree credit courses(s) in remedial reading and/or remedial writing in each quarter of attendance until they have passed all components of the Test. (At some institutions, students take required remediation one quarter and take the Test the following quarter. This procedure is permissible; however, institutions using this procedure should carefully evaluate the progress of students to ensure that this procedure is not delaying students' completion of Regents' Testing requirements.)

D. Students with 75 college-level credit hours who have not passed either part of the Test are required to take remediation in both reading and writing each quarter. The only exception that may be made is for part-time students taking one remedial course and no college-level credit courses.

E. Students with fewer than 75 quarter hours of college-level credit are not required to take remediation and may be permitted to retake the Test without remediation.

F. First-time examinees must take both parts of the Test. A student who has failed both parts of the Regents' Test may be allowed, at the discretion of the institution, to take the reading and essay portions of the Test in separate quarters.

G. Having passed the Regents' Test shall not be a condition of transfer into an institution. All transferring students from programs leading to the baccalaureate degree within the System shall be subject to all provisions of this policy. Students with 60 or more college-level credit hours transferring from System programs that do not require the Regents' Test or from institutions outside the System shall take the Test no later than the second quarter of enrollment in the program leading to the baccalaureate degree and in subsequent quarters shall be subject to all provisions of this policy.

H. The Regents' Test is not a requirement for an Associate of Applied Science degree or an Associate of Science degree in an allied health field, although institutions may choose to require the Test for these degrees.

I. The Regents' Test is to be administered in accordance with the instructions provided in the program's administration manual.

J. Institutions are responsible for enforcing the requirements related to the Regents' Testing Program. Institutions may increase these requirements provided that such increased requirements are authorized by the Chancellor and provided further that such requirements are published in the official catalog of the institution prior to implementation. Such additional requirements shall in no way affect the transferof students from one institution to another or the readmission of students to University System institutions.

II. Guidelines for Remedial Courses

A. Required remedial work shall be in keeping with regulations in satisfaction of federal and state student financial assistance and other such eligibility programs.

B. Separate courses in remediation for the reading and the essay portions of the Test are to be provided. Courses developed for other purposes, such as those for Developmental Studies students or for regular credit English, may not be used to fulfill the Regents' Test remediation requirement.

C. Each required Regents' Test remedial course is to consist of a minimum of 25 hours of classroom/laboratory instruction provided before students retake the Test.

D. Regents' Test remediation courses are to be classified as a regular part of the student's academic load, resulting in institutional credit, and should be handled as part of the regular registration procedure.

III. Special Categories of Students

A. A student holding a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher educationwill not be required to complete the Regents' Test in order to receive a degree from a University System institution.

B. Students whose mother tongue is not English may be exempted from taking the Regents' Test by the institution provided that appropriate local procedures are employed to certify the equivalent competence of these students in reading and writing.

C. If any accommodations in the Test administration are to be made because a student has a learning disability, the attached approved procedures must be followed. Each institution shall develop special procedures for certifying the competence of other handicapped students. A written description of these procedures shall be submitted to the Chancellor for approval. Such procedures shall include provision for remediation if needed and formal examination prior to certifying competency. Such examination shall equal or exceed the standards of the Regents' Test Program.

D. Students who took the Regents' Test before Fall Quarter, 1980, and who failed the reading portion of the Regents' Test shall not be held to a higher passing standard at a subsequent retaking of the Test than was in effect at the time of their original attempt. This interpretation is retroactive.

E. Students who have moved out of state after completing all requirements for graduation with the exception of the Regents' Test requirement may be permitted to have the Regents' Test administered out of state if they have fulfilled remediation requirements and follow the procedures outlined in the Regents' Testing Program Administration Manual.

IV. Essay Review

A student may request a formal review of his or her failure on the essay component of the Regents' Test if that student's essay received at least one passing score among the three scores awarded. The review procedures shall be as follows:

A. A student must initiate the review procedure by mid-term of his/her first quarter of enrollment after the quarter in which the essay was failed. The review must be initiated, however, within one calendar year from the quarter in which the failure occurred.

B. All applicable regulations of the Regents' Test Policy remain in effect for those students whose essays are under review, including those regulations relating to remediation and to retaking the Test.

C. The review will be initiated at the campus level, with procedural matters to be determined by the institution. The on-campus review, however, will be conducted by the three faculty members designated by the institution as a review panel. The on-campus review panel may (1) sustain, by majority opinion, the essay's failing score, thus terminating the review process, or (2) recommend, by majority opinion, the re-scoring of the essay by the Regents' Testing Program central office. The student will be notified concerning the results of the on-campus review. A decision by the on-campus review panel to terminate the review process is final.

D. If the on-campus panel recommends re-scoring of the essay, that recommendation will be transmitted in writing, along with the essay, to the office of the System Director of the Regents' Testing Program. The Director will utilize the services of three experienced Regents' essay scorers other than those involved in the original scoring of the essay to review the essay, following normal scoring procedures for the essay component of the Regents' Test. The decision of the panel on the merits of the essay will be final, thus terminating the review process. The student will be notified through the institution concerning the results of the review.

Procedure

Each student requesting any of the allowable accommodations listed below because of a learning disability or because of severe test anxiety must be evaluated by a team of persons associated with an institution of the University System of Georgia. The team must consist of at least three persons, including a specialist in learning disabilities with a doctorate or equivalent experience in special education or a school, clinical, or counseling psychologist with appropriate experience.

Students' disabilities will be evaluated by the team members. Those students with previous documentation of disabilities may submit such documentation to the team. The team members may use the existing documentation in making decisions but may also require further evaluation. Students should not assume that a previous diagnosis of disabilities from another source will be confirmed by the team.

If the team approves one of the accommodations listed below, the attached form must be completed and returned to the Regents' Testing Program office at least one week before testing.

Allowable Accomodations and Restrictions

The accommodations that may be made for learning disabled students through the use of the procedure described above are limited to the following:

• Extended time

• Extended use of dictionary or electronic dictionary for the essay test

• Use of word processor, typewriter, or scratch paper for composing the essay (The student must handwrite the essay on the regular essay form for grading, or, if the student's diagnosis indicates an inability to copy the essay, the test administrator or proctor must copy the essay as written by the student with no changes and send both the original and copied essay to the Regents' Testing Program office).

• Reading of the essay to the student (If the student's diagnosis indicates a visual processing deficit that prevents the student from reading his or her own essay accurately, the proctor may read the essay aloud exactly as written while the student makes corrections to the essay).

The only accommodation that may be made for students with severe test anxiety is the provision of extended time.

All Test administrations must meet the following conditions:

1. The essay and reading test responses must be submitted to the Regents' Testing Program office for scoring.

2. The product submitted must be in the standard format for grading: the essay must be handwritten on the regular essay form with no extra paper, and the reading test responses must be recorded on the student's scanner sheet.

3. Except as indicated above under allowable exceptions for students who are unable to copy or read their own essays, the product submitted for grading must be produced by the student with no assistance provided or changes made by any other person.

4. The test must be administered under secure conditions, and all work must be completed under supervision.

The procedures described above do not need to be followed if the only accommodation required is a separate supervised room for test administration or a large-print version of the reading test. (Large-print tests may be ordered from the Regents' Testing Program office.)

If accommodations other than those described above are recommended by the team, approval must be received from the System Committee on Learning Disabilities. The documentation submitted to the Committee must be consistent with the definition and criteria for evaluation provided in Section 2.22 of the Academic Affairs Handbook. Documentation must be sent to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at least one full quarter in advance of the test administration. The Committee may request additional information in its consideration of the recommendation.

Remediation Requirement:

The remediation requirement may not be waived for students with learning disabilities or test anxiety. However, the team will determine whether the regular Regents' Test remediation course or another remedial experience is needed to accommodate the student. The student must complete the remediation requirement prescribed by the team prior to retaking the Test.

NAME:______________________________________________
SOC. SEC. NUMBER:_________________________________
INSTITUTION:_______________________________________
QUARTER:__________________________________________
Problem diagnosed:
Basis for diagnosis (Summary of evidence on which the decision was based):
Number of quarters enrolled in Regents' Test remediation:
Essay _____	Reading _____
Approved accommodations: (Check those that apply.)
Essay Test:
	___ extended time
	___ extended use of dictionary or electronic dictionary
	___ use of word processor, typewriter, or scratch paper (Check a. or b. below.)
	a. The student will handwrite the essay on the regular essay form for grading ___
	b. The student's diagnosis indicates an inability to copy the essay. The test administrator or proctor will copy the essay as written by the student with no changes and send both the original and copied essay to the Regents' Testing Program office
	___ reading of essay to the student (If the student's diagnosis indicates a visual processing deficit that prevents the student from reading his or her own essay accurately, the proctor may read the essay aloud exactly as written while the student makes corrections to the essay.)
Reading Test:
	___ extended time
Team Members:
________________________________________________________________________________Signature Title
________________________________________________________________________________Signature Title
________________________________________________________________________________Signature Title

The use of dictionaries as described above was recommended by the Academic Committee on English and the Administrative Committee on Academic Affairs, and was subsequently approved for implementation by the Chancellor on May 19, 1986.

1. The formal review process should not be considered to be automatically open to all students who meet the "eligibility" requirement (lack of rater unanimity). The purpose of the process is to correct errors in the rating of essays. It should be emphasized to students and faculty that the review is intended to deal with perceived errors and that few rating errors occur.

2. The review procedures should be publicized, but with a clear statement that a failure on the essay is not itself a sufficient reason to support a formal review. Students should understand that they do not automatically have the right to request review simply because there was lack of rater unanimity in the scoring of the essay. There must be substantial question concerning the accuracy of the scoring.

3. To determine if there is some basis for a formal review, the student should be requested to meet with a designated person on campus for initial review of the failed essay. This conference, in most cases, will answer the "why" of the failure.

4. If after this conference, there remain questions about the accuracy of the scoring of the essay, the formal review process may be initiated.

5. The three members of the on-campus review panel should be experienced essay raters; if not, each should have access to the Essay Scoring Manual and be thoroughly familiar with the rating process.

6. The Regents' Test itself and the scoring criteria are not subject to review; the same method of scoring should be used during the review process as that used in the original scoring. Scoring should follow the normal holistic procedure. However, if the on-campus panel sustains the essay's failure, reasons for that failure should be provided to the student.

1. To provide Systemwide information on the status of student competence in the areas of reading and writing; and

2. To provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain the minimum levels of competence in the areas of reading and writing.

According to the Regents' policy, students must take the test in the quarter after they have completed 60 quarter credit hours if they have not taken it previously. Students who have earned 75 quarter credit hours and have not passed both parts of the test must enroll in remedial courses until they pass both parts. There is no limit on the number of times a student may take remediation and retake the test.

Provided in the paragraphs that follow is a brief description of the content of both the reading and the essay components of the Regents' Test. Also described is the manner in which these tests are administered and scored and the manner in which students' scores are reported. Further information about the Regents' Test is provided in Regents' Testing Program: Description and Documentation, available from the Regents' Testing Program office.