________________________________________________________________________________________________________    
                                            |     Percent of students reporting the
          Statements about writing          |       statement is true more than
                                            |      half the time, by grade level
                                            |___________________________________________________________
                                            |   Grade 4         |    Grade 8        | Grade 11
                                            |___________________|___________________|___________________
                                            |1984|1990|1992|1994|1984|1990|1992|1994|1984|1990|1992|1994
____________________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____
                     1                      | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
____________________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____
Writing helps me think more clearly ........| ---| ---| ---| ---| 44 | 46 | 42 | 42 | 52 | 47 | 50 | 54
Writing helps me tell others what I think ..| ---| ---| ---| ---| 52 | 56 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 58 | 57 | 58
Writing helps tell others how I feel .......| ---| ---| ---| ---| 50 | 56 | 52 | 52 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 60
Writing helps me understand my own feelings | ---| ---| ---| ---| 40 | 47 | 44 | 45 | 47 | 50 | 49 | 54
People who write well have a better chance  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
  of getting good jobs .....................| ---| ---| ---| ---| 47 | 53 | 51 | 51 | 54 | 58 | 59 | 58
                                            |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
People who write well are more influential .| ---| ---| ---| ---| 49 | 55 | 52 | 51 | 54 | 60 | 60 | 57
I like to write ............................| 56 | 57 | 54 | 56 | 39 | 42 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 42
I am a good writer .........................| 60 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 42 | 44 | 44 | 49 | 39 | 44 | 49 | 46
People like what I write ...................| 53 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 38 | 39 | 44 | 44 | 36 | 42 | 46 | 44
I write on my own outside of school ........| 48 | 42 | 46 | 45 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 36 | 31 | 28 | 33 | 32
                                            |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
I don't like to write things that will      |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
  be graded ........................        | 38 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 33
If I didn't have to write for school,       |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
  I wouldn't write anything ................| 33 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17
____________________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Trends in Academic Progress, NAEP 1992 Trends in Academic Progress, and NAEP 1994 Trends in Academic Progress, by Educational Testing Service. (This table was prepared March 1997.)