The National Writing Project

National Writing Project University of California 2105 Bancroft, #1042 Berkeley, CA 94720-1042	Telephone:	(510) 642-0963
	Fax:	(510) 642-4545
	E-mail:	nwp@writingproject.org
	Website:	www.writingproject.org

Program Description

Focus Area	Age Group
Language and Literacy. The mission of the National Writing Project (NWP) is to improve the teaching of writing across the curriculum and to improve learning in the nation's schools. Through its professional development model, the NWP meets teachers at local sites in all 50 states, by offering summer institutes, in-service programs, and continuity programs. An online interactive version is also available. As a result of these activities, teachers are better prepared for their own classrooms and for teaching other teachers.	Research reviewed here is for 3rd and 4th graders.

Focus Area

Age Group

Language and Literacy. The mission of the National Writing Project (NWP) is to improve the teaching of writing across the curriculum and to improve learning in the nation's schools. Through its professional development model, the NWP meets teachers at local sites in all 50 states, by offering summer institutes, in-service programs, and continuity programs. An online interactive version is also available. As a result of these activities, teachers are better prepared for their own classrooms and for teaching other teachers.

Research reviewed here is for 3rd and 4th graders.

Research Description

Outcomes where Tests were Significant

In a three-year independent evaluation, 89% of 3rd graders and 81% of 4th graders, whose teachers were in the NWP, improved their persuasive writing achievement, between baseline and follow-up timed writing prompts. These differences were significant when compared with students of teachers not in the NWP.

In the same multi-year study, 83% of 3rd graders and 73% of 4th graders whose teachers were in NWP, showed significantly stronger control of usage, mechanics, and spelling, than did their counterparts, whose teachers were not part of the NWP.

NWP 3rd and 4th grade teachers in self -contained classrooms, spent significantly more time on writing per week, than did a comparable group of teachers, not in the NWP.

*Research Category*	5	Independent evaluation studies were conducted.
*Design*	Quasi- Experimental	A matched group was used for comparison purposes.
*Multiple Studies*	Yes	3-year studies were conducted in five states.
*Sample Size*	>50	In the Academy for Educational Development study (AED), 175 experimental students were studied.
Valid/ Reliable Instrument	N/A	Reliability and validity information on the writing prompts was not available.
*Results*	Yes	Statistically significant findings were reported.
*Published*	No	The study has not been published.
*Follow-up Data*	No	No follow-up data were available.
*Award*	No	There is no mention of any awards.