Prairie Lands Writing Project Participates in National Study
Four-year study will evaluate teacher professional development and student performance in writing
For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Jane Frick
816-271-4315
frick@missouriwestern.edu
St. Joseph, MO, October 18, 2007 – The Prairie Lands Writing Project (PLWP), located at Missouri Western State University, is part of a four-year study conducted by SRI International in collaboration with the National Writing Project (NWP). The study will examine the effectiveness of NWP professional development for teachers, and the extent to which engagement with the writing project improves teachers’ practices and the writing performance of their students in grades 7 and 8.
The Prairie Lands Writing Project is part of a national sample of 15 writing project sites across the country participating in the study. In total, 40 schools in proximity to these sites will be involved. The schools were randomly selected and randomly assigned either to work in partnership with a local site or to serve as a control group for the research.
“We are very pleased to be part of this effort,” said Jane Frick, PLWP director. “Our site has served local schools for twenty years. Now we have an opportunity to show that we make a difference for teachers and for students.”
Beginning summer 2008, Prairie Lands will partner with Platte City and Excelsior Springs Middle Schools through 2010-11, delivering in-services to improve writing/literacy in these schools. Maryville Middle School will be a control school for the national research project. Susan Garrison, PLWP teacher consultant and adjunct English instructor at Missouri Western, is the Local Site Coordinator for the project.
NWP executive director Richard Sterling believes this study can offer the most conclusive evidence to date on the effectiveness of writing project professional development. “Previous evaluations, including local site-based research in twelve states, have consistently demonstrated significant gains in student writing achievement when teachers participated in writing project programs. But this study, with its broad scope and rigorous methodology, will be the most convincing.”
The National Writing Project is the premier effort to improve writing in America. NWP sites, located on nearly 200 university campuses, serve more than 135,000 educators annually. NWP continues to add new sites each year with the goal of placing the writing project within reach of every teacher in America. Through its professional development model, NWP develops the leadership, programs, and research needed for teachers to help students become successful writers and learners.
Read more about the national evaluation project: “SRI International to Evaluate Effectiveness of Teacher Professional Development on Middle School Student Writing Performance” at
http://www.sri.com/news/releases/101707.html.
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