Advanced writing skills are an important aspect of academic performance as well as
subsequent work-related performance. However, American students rarely attain
advanced scores on assessments of writing skills (National Assessment of Educational
Progress, 2002). In order to achieve higher levels of writing performance, the working
memory demands of writing processes should be reduced so that executive attention is
free to coordinate interactions among them. This can in theory be achieved through
deliberate practice that trains writers to develop executive control through repeated
opportunities to write and through timely and relevant feedback. Automated essay
scoring software may offer a way to alleviate the intensive grading demands placed on
instructors and, thereby, substantially increase the amount of writing practice that
students receive.