Illinois Writing Project
Nationally recognized staff development on literacy education with highly experienced teacher leaders.
PROVEN RESULTS
National Results
Research studies by the National Writing Project confirm that writing performance by students of Project-trained teachers was superior to that of students in classrooms where teachers had not received training. www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/results.csp
What Teachers Say
"Thank you for helping me gain confidence in my own writing and my ability to use it in my classroom."
"All teachers should invest time in taking this workshop. Reading and writing are so closely related and are used in all aspects of life. Anything that helps us prepare students to be lifelong learners is of value and should be stressed."
"I’m sure glad I attended. I had some pretty strong opinions before I even set foot in here. My friends laughed because I can be stubborn. But I wanted to keep an open mind. As an English major in college, I had some pre-formed ideas about how things should be done. I’m glad I kept an open mind because I’ve learned so much and want to try so many new things. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Seventeen years of workshops. This one has been the best. I have gotten more out of this one than all the others combined."
Research on what works
The following reports gather evidence from multiple studies that identify the instructional strategies most effective in improving students’ writing. They are available at http://carnegie.org/publications/search-publications/
“Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools.” Carnegie Corp., 2007.
“Writing to Read: Evidence of How Writing Can Improve Reading.” Carnegie Corp., 2010.
Authentic, interactive literacy activity improves test scores
Two large-scale studies by the Consortium on Chicago School Research show that students score higher on standardized tests when writing assignments involve authentic intellectual work, and when instruction is interactive, rather than presentational. Read the studies on their website:
"Authentic Intellectual Work and Standardized Tests: Conflict or Coexistence?"
http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/content/publications.php?pub_id=38
"Instruction and Achievement in Chicago Elementary Schools"
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