for more information

For More Information

Susie [email protected] [email protected]

Margaret Buckton515-251-5970 x 1515-201-3755 [email protected]

ISFIS Webinar May 5, 2014

WritetoLearn®

mailto:[email protected]



Webinar Protocols• PPT is available on ISFIS webinar site. Email

[email protected] for a copy if you need help finding it

• Use the chat or question pane – To express your thinking anytime or as we pose questions

(chat is confidential unless you select chat to all)– To ask questions or provide examples of how things might

work in your school– To let us know you are still there– To let us know of technical difficulties

• We will get back to you soon if we don’t answer your question during the webinar 2


Agenda• Data on writing in American schools• Writing to Read meta-analysis of writing

practices that enhance student’s reading• Some information from the Iowa Core• Research findings about the teaching of writing?• Can we do it all without help?• WritetoLearn® Demo: from student and teacher view• The Effectiveness of WritetoLearn® • Pricing• Wrap Up and Questions

Please jot answers.1. Is reading comprehension at the level we want it to

be?2. Are students receiving the kind of instruction they need to

become proficient writers? 3. Are students writing enough in both language arts and

across the curriculum?4. Are students receiving sufficient feedback to become

proficient writers? 5. Does our staff have the energy, capacity and time to

respond to all the writing assignments needed for students to become proficient writers?

(Launch the poll)

Data on Writing Performance

• 70% of students in grades 4–12 are low-achieving writers (Persky et al., 2003).

• 73% of 8th and 12th graders on 2011 NAEP performed below proficient on writing. (NAEP 2011)

• Nearly 1/3 of high school graduates are not ready for college-level English composition courses (ACT, 2005).

More Data on Writing Performance

• About half of private employers and more than 60% of state government employers say writing skills impact promotion decisions (National Commission on Writing, 2004, 2005).

• “Poorly written applications are likely to doom candidates’ chances for employment” (National Commission on Writing, 2005, p. 4).

• Writing remediation costs American businesses as much as $3.1 billion annually (National Commission on Writing, 2004).

Given this sobering data, do you think we’re putting enough focus on writing in Iowa schools?

WRITING PRACTICES THAT ENHANCE STUDENTS’ READING

Writing to ReadCarnegie Corporation of New YorkMeta-Analysishttp://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/WritingToRead_01.pdf

Have students write about the texts they read

• Respond to a Text in Writing (Writing Personal Reactions, Analyzing and Interpreting the Text)

• Write Summaries of a Text• Write Notes About a Text• Answer Questions About a Text in

Writing, or Create and Answer Written Questions About a Text

Teach students the writing skills and processes that go into creating text

• Teach the Process of Writing, Text Structures for Writing, Paragraph or Sentence Construction Skills (Improves Reading Comprehension)

• Teach Spelling and Sentence Construction Skills (Improves Reading Fluency)

• Teach Spelling Skills (Improves Word Reading Skills)

Increase how much students write

Students’ reading comprehension is improved by having them increase how often they produce their own texts.

Doug Reeves, “High Performance in High Poverty Schools: 90/90/90 and Beyond”

WHAT DOES THE CORE SAY ABOUT WRITING? LOOK AT THESE PROGRESSIONS. . .

Grade 4 and Grade 11-12

Text Type and Purposes

Grades 4 and 11

W.4.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

– Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

– Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

– Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).

– Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

– Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

W.11-12 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

• Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

• Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.

• Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.

• Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.

• Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

Production and Distribution of Writing

Grades 4 and 11

Grade 4• W.4.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

• W.4.5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

• W.4.6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Grade 11-12• W.11-12.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in

which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

• W.11-12.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

• W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Research to Build and Present KnowledgeGrades 4 and 11

Grade 4:• W.4.7. Conduct short research projects that build

knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

• W.4.8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

• W.4.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grades 11-12• W.11-12.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained

research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

• W.11-12.8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

• W.11-12.9.Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Range of Writing

Grades 4 and 11

Grades 4

• W.4.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Grades 11-12

• W.12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

So what will need to happen to meet these writing standards and ensure kids are college and career ready upon graduation?

In General • Explicit instruction by teachers in writing focused

on the grade level standards• More writing by students• More feedback on writing to students• Serious analysis of student writing by teachers and

then instructional response to what they see in the data (formative assessment), so students become proficient writers.

Evidence-based practices for teaching writing include (Johns Hopkins):

• Teaching strategies for planning, revising, and editing• Having students write summaries of texts• Permitting students to write collaboratively with peers• Setting goals for student writing• Allowing students to use a word processor• Teaching sentence combining skills• Using the process writing approach• Having students participate in inquiry activities for writing• Involving students in prewriting activities• Providing models of good writing

http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Better/articles/Winter2011.html




So here’s the reality of teaching writing. We talked to a teacher the other day. She…

• teaches 7 of 8 periods• coaches speech and drama each night after

school, sometimes before school, and in the evenings. (You remember play practice, right?)

• says the Core demands more writing and she agrees students should write more

• NEEDS HELP!

Pearson Learning

• Summary Writing to develop reading comprehension and writing skills

• Vocabulary exercises to expand word knowledge

• Essay Writing prompts to build writing skills• Tools galore to support writing instruction• Training and Support

Scoring for Essays• Overall holistic essay score• Scores and feedback on six traits

– ideas, – organization, – conventions, – sentence fluency, – word choice, and – voice

• Feedback on spelling, grammar, and repeated information

Scoring for Summaries

Section-by-section coverage and feedback on • appropriate length, • unimportant and redundant content, • and copying from text, along with

revision hints

More…• Over 1000 reading passages to read and summarize

from Pearson (cross curricular)• Four-trait scoring and some translation for English

learners• Automated scoring that saves teachers time in scoring

and provides students with immediate feedback• Adjustable scoring parameters and the ability to turn

support tools on or off based on student needs• Alignment to Common Core State Standards with

activities that develop key college and career readiness skill

Students….

• write more• increase reading skills• enhance vocabulary

acquisition• use technology to write• expand writing skills• engage in cross-curricular writing with

consistent feedback

Teachers….

• have more tools to teach reading and writing• use well-written, cross-curricular prompts with

supporting reading materials • become the recipients of the students’ best efforts and

focus on the important personalized human insights and comments that bring students to a higher level of writing performance

• use reports to drive instruction• have flexibility to hone in on areas of focus or concern• can have a life!

So instead of this. . .

Teachers Using WritetoLearn®

Could WritetoLearn® help you with these issues?

1. Is reading comprehension at the level we want it to be?

2. Are students receiving the kind of instruction they need to become proficient writers?

3. Are students writing enough in both language arts and across the curriculum?

4. Are students receiving sufficient feedback to become proficient writers?

5. Does our staff have the energy, capacity and time to respond to all the writing assignments needed for students to become proficient writers?

Most effective teaching strategies for reading and writing

Best strategies for teaching reading and writing from RN and WN…

• Teaching students strategies for planning, revising, and editing their compositions (Writing Next, effect size .82)

• Explicitly and systematically teaching students how to summarize texts (Writing Next, effect size .82)

• Direct, explicit comprehension instruction (Reading Next)

• Effective instructional principles embedded in content (Reading Next)

Study on WTL Summary Writing(Caccamise, Snyder, Allen, DeHart, E. Kintsch, Wl, Kintsch, and Oliver)

• 2 year study with U of Colorado in 9 Colorado districts with 2,851 students in grades 5-9

• Two groups: Write to Learn summary writing or traditional summarization instruction from teacher

• WTL groups summarized 5-6 different texts throughout the year

• Tested on both summary writing and reading comprehension

• Write to Learn group superior in both• Highly dependent on number of texts summarized and

amount on time spent using WTL• Students using WTL spent twice as much time writing

Study on WriteToLearn Essay Writing

• Iredell-Statesville, NC School District, Troutman MS, January 2009

• 85 students used WTL, 80 did not• Of the students who used WTL, percentage that

performed at the proficient level or above went from 67% in previous year to over 95% in 2009

• Control group remained relative stable from year to year with 70% attaining proficient or above

Benefits Reported in Iredell Statesville Study:

• Increase in sentence fluency• Increase in length of written response• Increase in judged quality of the writing

product adding details, organization, and style• Immediate feedback, allowing students to

make instant revisions, instead of waiting weeks for graded drafts

• Greater interest/motivation in writing process

Results in Cherokee County, Georgia, 6th Grade

Proven Results

Teacher Perspective

Mr. Jeff Pence

Dean Rusk Middle SchoolCherokee County School District; Canton, GA

7th Grade English Language Arts Teacher

www.mrjpence.com [email protected]

http://www.mrjpence.com/

Student: How do I get to Carnegie Hall?

Teacher: Practice, practice, practice.

Benefits of WritetoLearn:• gives students the opportunity to practice writing. The only way to learn to

write is to practice with informative feedback. The same goes for reading; the two are inseparable. Learn to read and you learn to write, learn to write and you learn to read.

• is time efficient. WTL allows teachers to assign many more writing and reading comprehension assignments to students without additional grading time.

• helps to focus teaching. By observing students and using the Teacher Reports, teachers can discover both individual and class strengths and weaknesses to help guide teaching.

• is flexible and easy to use. Teachers use tools to set scoring thresholds, manage and evaluate student progress easily and adjust the class roster and make assignments.

• tutors students to improve subject knowledge as well as reading comprehension, word knowledge and writing skills by providing detailed feedback on content.

• allows students to tackle more difficult reading assignments by boosting their understanding and performance through automated evaluation.

What have you seen today that you are most excited about?

• Type in the chat or question pane. . . .

Pricing

Standard 19.95 195.00

ISFIS Subscriber Rate 17.95 179.50

Skills Iowa/Volume 16.95 169.50

Professional Development is $1,000 per onsite training site (typically, per building or overall if the staff is small and everyone trains together) plus the following individual student or seat (shared) annual license rates:

Write to Learn Webinars

• Superintendents, principals, curriculum directors, teachers

• Recording will be posted on ISFIS public site and emailed to participants (OK to shared link and PPT with anyone in your district)

• http://www.isfis.net/WritetoLearn• Contact Susie Olesen for a demo or with questions

http://www.isfis.net/WritetoLearn

http://www.isfis.net/WritetoLearn

For More Information

Susie [email protected] [email protected]

Margaret Buckton515-251-5970 x [email protected]

What questions do you have today?




Text excerpt for summary writing…

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Documents

writing performance70

teaching of writing

process of writing

writing assignments

students readingwriting

students writestudents

questions chat

proficient writers