2005-06 Evaluation Summary & Final Report

The mission of Writers in the Schools is to celebrate and inspire student and teacher excellence in reading and writing, and to establish the foundation for a lifelong commitment to the language arts.

Through opportunities for students, teachers, writers, and the community, Writers in the Schools works to:

Goal 1) Inspire and improve the reading and writing skills of middle and high school students.

a. In 2005-06, WITS writers-in-residence worked in nineteen public middle and high schools in three King County school districts, providing over 1,600 hours of in-class writing instruction to 7,500 students and 200 teachers. By working in the classroom, WITS reaches every student—from those who already enjoy writing to reluctant writers who would never self-select an after-school writing program.

"The greatest success from our year working with WITS was watching all students develop and improve their writing confidence and quality. I enjoyed seeing certain students who already had an interest in writing really try to take advantage of the opportunity to write more, and write better. And perhaps the most wonderful success story was seeing one of my students (a student who has spent a lot of time in special education rooms, and for whom writing is a difficult skill to acquire) really engage, try, and blossom as a writer with powerful voice, humor, and emotion."
—Rob Rose-Leigh, Meany Middle

b. WITS provided arts opportunities to students who need it most.

WITS has successfully served diverse and disadvantaged students since 1994. In 2005-06, 45% of students participating in WITS were enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program, indicating they live in poverty. WITS students ranged from ages 10 to 18 and included hundreds of new immigrants who benefited from English-language studies.

Arts programs demonstrate particular success with at-risk youth and offer communities an economically effective way to steer these young people toward better paths.

"Two of my students have been close to failing language arts all year. Because of their poetry work with Jourdan they improved their grade and in the process became more confident students. After Jourdan's residency they seemed more confident in tackling academic challenges that would have previously been too daunting for them to even try. Both of them will now pass my class."
—Victoria Bernstein, Cleveland High School

c. WITS exposed 7,500 students to talented writers who are also qualified, creative teachers.

In 2005-06, ten of nineteen WITS writers held or were working toward M.F.A. degrees in creative writing; have collectively published sixteen books of poetry, fiction, and essays; have appeared in numerous publications; and have won many prestigious awards.

"Matt really brought poetry to life for my students—they suddenly wanted to take on a new voice and perform!"
—Amy Young, teacher, McClure Middle School

d. WITS positively influenced the writing, motivation, and lives of students. Through WITS, students achieved more sophisticated self-expression and Grade Level Expectations.

In our extensive evaluations, conducted before students work with writers-in-residence and at the end of residencies, WITS documents significant improvements and increases in three outcome areas:

• self-confidence
• interest in and appreciation of writing
• quality of student writing

In 2005-06, all WITS writers crafted lessons in collaboration with their classroom teachers with learning outcomes in mind:

• 71% of teachers "agreed" or "strongly agreed" at the end of the program that "most of the students in my class met the learning outcomes." 89% of teachers said, "Most of my students' self-confidence increased as a result of having the writer in my classroom."

• 79% of teachers said, "Most of my students' interest in writing increased as a result of having the writer in my classroom." After WITS, significantly more middle school students said, "I understand how to revise my writing," "I spend the time to revise my writing," and "my writing reflects who I am and how I view the world."

• 76% of middle school students said "I think I am a good writer" after WITS, compared with just 66% before the program, and high school students reported a similar increase in their sense of competence. In high school, data showed a substantial increase in students who, after WITS, said, "It is important to me to be a good writer" and "I express myself best when I am writing."

  In a 2004-05 evaluation of WITS students' writing, professional writers judged random student writing samples from the beginning and the end of the year. Judges used the Seattle Public Schools writing assessment rubric: Six Plus One Traits of Writing. According to the evaluation of over forty writing samples from two schools: Student writing improved 16% on average after working with the WITS writer-in-residence for one year, the equivalent of rising from a C-minus to a solid B.

  Anecdotally, students elucidate the reasons why writing becomes easier for them after working with a writer-in-residence: they are more confident, more inspired, have more tools with which to brainstorm ideas, know more techniques and styles, want to express themselves, have a role model, and see the ways in which writing can be fun.

  In the students' own words:

  "I never really cared much for reading or writing poems but then I met Jourdan and she changed all that. She showed me how to express myself without violence."
  —11th grade student, Cleveland High School

  "I believe that the WITS program helped me grow into a better writer and it taught me how to use my words and make art with them. I just wish that maybe, just maybe, we had more time because the more I came into class and wrote, the more I grew inside."
  —9th grade student, Foster High School

  Goal 2) Bring systemic change to the teaching of reading and writing by providing teachers with professional development and resources to enhance their teaching skills.

• In 2005-06, 82% of teachers surveyed said "I have already adopted some of the writer's lessons in my other classes, or plan to in years to come."

  "She was a wonderful role model for me to watch. I gleaned many methods for teaching poetry and feel more confident in this area having had her in my class."
  —Anna White, teacher, Hutch School

• More than two-thirds of teachers surveyed in 2005-06 said "I feel more comfortable teaching in the genre(s) the writer taught as a result of working with the writer."

  "I became an English teacher because I loved reading so much, and rarely named myself as a writer. This experience forced me - in a good way! - to revisit writing and to take it on as a personal challenge. After the WITS program I am reminded that it is an art in, of, and for itself."
  —Emily DeJulio, teacher, Foster High School

• Teachers have the opportunity to apply for a fellowship to the Puget Sound Writing Project (PSWP), an accredited writing program at the University of Washington. In 2005-06, eight teachers received fellowships.

  "I consider PSWP one of the most valuable professional development opportunities I've ever had."
  —Victoria Bernstein, teacher, Cleveland High School

  Goal 3) Foster a culture of reading and writing at each school by offering a variety of program components in addition to the writer-in-residence.