The Writing and Revising Interventions to Excel (WRITE) project provides high school teachers with a map-based instructional framework. The framework will improve writing instruction and student writing at all skill levels. WRITE project staff will also create quality resources and professional development for teachers. We want to boost confidence in teaching writing and increase teachers’ content knowledge.
Writing skills are the new harpoon — essential tools that can help our youth navigate their futures with clarity and purpose.
Patuk Glenn, Arctic Slope Community Foundation
Timeline
Project Goals
The goal of the WRITE Project was to:
- Help Career and Technical Education teachers incorporate real-world writing into their instruction.
- Develop learning map models for writing as an organizing model to show the relationship among the skills students need to get “from here to there” as effective writers.
- Provide high-quality professional development to improve teacher pedagogical content knowledge in teaching writing in areas such as science and career and technical education, formative assessment practices, and self-efficacy for argumentative writing instruction.
- Provide coaching and writing support for teachers to implement learning map models and resources in realistic, engaging ways. The anticipated outcome is students who are better writers, with the ability to reflect on and revise their own writing.
Theory of Action
WRITE addressed the gaps in current writing instruction by developing a series of learning map model neighborhoods. The maps combined empirical research on writing skill development and evidence-based practices in writing instruction for Career Technical Education students. These maps formed the basis of instructional materials, assessments, and online professional development.
We provided teachers with a coherent instructional framework that improved their writing instruction and the writing products of students at all ability levels. The learning map model neighborhoods and aligned instructional resources supported that goal.
WRITE incorporated the self-regulated strategy development framework (Graham & Perin, 2007). This approach engaged students in their own writing assessment. In doing so, students developed engagement and self-regulation (Heritage, 2013).
As a result of increased educator knowledge and skills about writing, as well as more intentional writing instruction and involvement of students in their own assessment, students improved their writing skills. Providing an instructional framework and engaging students in their own assessment supported improvements in student writing skills. Students will graduate from high school better prepared for career writing. This work addressed employer and industry need for better writing skills in job candidates.
Components & Outcomes
- Learning Maps with Resources and Instructional supports
- Professional Development
- Coaching
- Improved CTE writing pedagogical content knowledge
- Improved self-efficacy for writing instruction
- Higher expectations for student writing
- Better writing instruction
- Engagement
- Self-regulation
- Improved writing and editing skills
- Better preparation for career writing
Reports
The evaluation of the WRITE Project demonstrated significant positive outcomes. Teachers reported increased confidence and understanding in teaching argumentative writing, with 95-100% of participants valuing the professional development and coaching provided. Teachers appreciated the focus of the WRITE project on real-world and field-relevant topics, which supported student engagement and ownership in writing. The real-world prompts also provided a connection to writing expectations for the world of work. As a result of the professional development and coaching provided through the WRITE project participating teachers said they had a clearer understanding of argumentation as a form of writing.
During the course of the project, participating teachers collected pre- and post-writing samples and a survey from their students to help measure growth in argumentative writing skills. Student writing samples showed a marked improvement in quality, with a statistically significant increase in argumentative writing skills. Additionally, student surveys indicated high levels of engagement and perceived relevance of writing skills to future career goals. Since the teacher participation took place over one semester in the spring, many participants concluded the project eager to incorporate argumentative writing into their courses in the next year.