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Reports
Teachers Are the Center of Education: Writing, Learning and Leading
in the Digital Age
In partnership with Phi Delta Kappa International and the National Writing Project, this new report profiles nine exemplary teachers using technology to teach writing across diverse subject and content areas. Writing, Learning and Leading in the Digital Age provides insight into the successes and challenges of integrating digital tools into the classroom. This report is the second in a series dedicated to bringing teacher voices into the debate on American education reform.
Download the report:
Teachers Are the Center of Education: Writing, Learning and Leading in the Digital Age (.pdf/4.4M)
Words Have No Borders: Student Voices on Immigration,
Language and Culture
Part 2 of a series celebrating the power of student writing. This report delivers moving and thoughtful reflections on immigrant and second language experiences.
Download the report:
Words Have No Borders: Student Voices on Immigration, Language and Culture (.pdf/2.1M)
Letters to the President: Students' Voices
Letters to the President: Students' Voices is the first report in a series celebrating the power of student writing. This report brings with it an important message of hope for the future: the voices of our young people speaking on a wide range of issues.
Download the report:
Letters to the President: Students' Voices (.pdf/2.1M)
Writing, Technology and Teens
Created in partnership with the Pew Internet and American Life Project, this report presents the results of talking to teens to see what they have to say about technology and the state of writing in their lives. The report looks at teens' basic definition of writing, explores the various kinds of writing they do, seeks their assessment about what impact e-communication has on their writing, and probes for their guidance as to how writing instruction might be improved.
Download the report:
Writing, Technology and Teens (.pdf/566K)
Writing and School Reform
Writing and School Reform is the result of five hearings held around the country to discuss the importance of writing, how to improve teaching and learning in this critical domain, and the future work of the National Commission on Writing. Reflecting the advice and experience of several hundred parents, teachers, school administrators, university presidents, association heads, foundation representatives, and state and local officials, the group's fourth report to Congress lays out a series of recommendations to keep writing at the center of education reform. The report was published with a reprint of The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution.
Download the report:
Writing and School Reform (.pdf/764K)
Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government
Despite the high value that state employers put on
writing skills, a significant number of their employees
do not meet state expectations. Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government, the third report to Congress from the National Commission on Writing, is based on a state survey by the National Governors Association. The report estimates that providing writing training costs taxpayers nearly a quarter of a billion dollars annually.
Download the report:
Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government (.pdf/535K)
Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out
A survey of 120 major American corporations affiliated with Business Roundtable, employing nearly eight million people, concludes that in today's workplace, writing is a "threshold skill" for hiring and promotion among salaried (i.e., professional) employees. Survey results indicate that writing is a ticket to professional opportunity, while poorly written job applications are a figurative kiss of death. Estimates based on the survey returns reveal that employers spend billions annually correcting writing deficiencies.
Download the report:
Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out, A Survey of Business Leaders (.pdf/204K)
The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution
"American education will never realize its potential as
an engine of opportunity and economic growth until
a writing revolution puts language and communication
in their proper place in the classroom. Writing is how
students connect the dots in their knowledge. Although
many models of effective ways to teach writing exist,
both the teaching and practice of writing are increasingly shortchanged throughout the school and college years.
Writing, always time-consuming for student and teacher,
is today hard-pressed in the American classroom. Of the three 'Rs,' writing is clearly
the most neglected."
Download the report:
The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution (.pdf/204K)
To order a printed version of the commission's reports, Writing: A Ticket to Work ... Or a Ticket Out, The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution, Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government, or Writing and School Reform, e-mail your request to info@writingcommission.org.
Our Book By Us! The New English/Spanish Activity Book
“It’s a special book, SugarLoaf,” said Mom. “It’s a blank
book. Who do you think can fill it up with words
and pictures?”
SugarLoaf thought about it, then said, “WE can!”
Mom answered, “Right! We can tell the story of our
family. Let’s start with you, SugarLoaf. What is your
favorite color?...”
The College Board’s National Commission on Writing joins the National Writing Project and Reading Is Fundamental to promote early childhood literacy.
Download Our Book By Us! now:
Our Book By Us! In English and Spanish... (.pdf/1.4mb)
Press Releases
June 11, 2008:
New English/Spanish Activity Book Makes Writing and Reading Fun
The College Board's National Commission on Writing Joins National Writing Project and Reading Is Fundamental to promote early childhood literacy.
April 24, 2008:
Teens Say Electronic Writing Is Different from Their Real Writing
In Pew Internet/College Board National Commission on Writing report, teens see benefits to using technology to write and say they would welcome even more writing instruction.