This report provides a first look at the results of the NAEP 1998 writing assessment. Each participating jurisdiction receives its own customized State Report similar in format. This overview provides basic information on NAEP and the overall results for public schools in tabular form, as well as comparisons of the state with that of other participating states and jurisdictions in graphic form. It describes the assessment, the sample of students assessed, the metrics for reporting student performance, and how the differences in student performance are reported.