7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium one or more programming instructions for customizing an automated essay scoring system, the programming instructions when executed causing a processing system to carry out steps comprising: assigning relative weights to a plurality of features for a plurality of benchmark essay responses by using approximations calculated from performing regression analysis on essay responses responding to one or more essay prompts on other topics, wherein the one or more essay prompts on other topics comprise a group of related essay prompts, and wherein the regression analysis is performed once for the group of related essay prompts; determining, based on the relative weights, automated scores for one or more first essays responsive to a first prompt; transforming the automated scores into scaled automated scores based on comparing statistical information for both human rater scores and the automated scores, the scaled automated scores being representative of essay quality or writing competency; and assigning a scaled automated score for a second essay response to the first prompt based on the scaled automated scores for the one or more first essay responses; wherein transforming the automated scores into scaled automated scores comprises: receiving human rater scores for one or more benchmark essay responses; calculating human rater statistical information based on the human rater scores and automated statistical information based on the automated scores; and automatically adjusting the automated scores using a processor based on the human rater statistical information and the automated statistical information.
7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium one or more programming instructions for customizing an automated essay scoring system, the programming instructions when executed causing a processing system to carry out steps comprising: assigning relative weights to a plurality of features for a plurality of benchmark essay responses by using approximations calculated from performing regression analysis on essay responses responding to one or more essay prompts on other topics, wherein the one or more essay prompts on other topics comprise a group of related essay prompts, and wherein the regression analysis is performed once for the group of related essay prompts; determining, based on the relative weights, automated scores for one or more first essays responsive to a first prompt; transforming the automated scores into scaled automated scores based on comparing statistical information for both human rater scores and the automated scores, the scaled automated scores being representative of essay quality or writing competency; and assigning a scaled automated score for a second essay response to the first prompt based on the scaled automated scores for the one or more first essay responses; wherein transforming the automated scores into scaled automated scores comprises: receiving human rater scores for one or more benchmark essay responses; calculating human rater statistical information based on the human rater scores and automated statistical information based on the automated scores; and automatically adjusting the automated scores using a processor based on the human rater statistical information and the automated statistical information. 8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the relative weights reflect an importance of each of the plurality of features to the automated scores.