Examining College Writing Readiness

Abstract

Increasing postsecondary access depends in large part on enhancing underrepresented students’ writing ability, or college writing readiness. However, what exactly constitutes college-level writing is not clear-cut, complicating efforts to improve secondary preparation. This article examines recent efforts to define postsecondary writing, suggesting that existing definitions and assessments overwhelmingly focus on cognitive skills. Drawing from sociocultural theory, the authors advocate for broadening conceptions of college-level writing to consider the role of social, cultural, and institutional contexts.

Key words:

• college-level writing
• sociocultural theory
• writing remediation