Developmental Writing

Students are placed in one of the Developmental Writing courses because of their score on the CUNY Assessment Test in Writing (CATW). The Developmental Writing courses buttress students' foundational writing skills, including organization, development, and argumentation, in addition to providing instruction in grammar and mechanics. Students move on to English 1101 once they re-take and pass the CATW exam at the end of the semester.

Those taking ENG 090W or 092W should not be discouraged; although these courses are non-credit-bearing, Developmental Writing students often go on to excel in English 1101 as they begin the course already familiar with intensive writing demands.

This site includes links to the faculty and student guides to the CATW, sample reading passages, testing procedural information, Learning Center workshops, and contact information for the Learning Center, Testing Office, and all Developmental Writing faculty. Many thanks to Profs. Barbara Guinan and Jennifer Sears for assembling materials for this site.

I welcome conversation from faculty and students alike regarding the continued improvement of curriculum and pedagogy. Please feel free to contact me at chellman@citytech.cuny.edu.