Language to Include in Title II Funding Applications:
Goal:
In (fill in school year here), (fill in name of school) identified improved student writing skills in its School Improvement Plan. The Common Core Standards emphasize strong writing skills at the foundational level, starting in kindergarten. This is one of the most challenging subjects for our K-5 teachers to address effectively. We need a strategy that helps all our teachers provide effective writing instruction, even those teachers who do not believe they are effective writers themselves.
Strategy:
We have selected the WriteSteps to provide PD for our teachers for X days in the coming school year. WriteSteps staff have given professional development workshops for the Bureau of Education Research and provided district level coaching with strong results. Their approach frames best practices including writer’s workshop and 6 Traits in a format that is highly accessible to teachers. Schools receiving WriteSteps PD have raised test scores by 30 percent in only a few years. Our teachers will receive grade-level coaching that develops their skills as writing instructors so they can effectively implement the Common Core Standards for writing and grammar.
Funding:
Funding covers the cost of PD staff time and a one-time materials fee per teacher (comprehensive binders – one for each teacher). The binders are required to complete the professional development program.
Funding requested: X kits and X PD days for a total of __________.
(Optional: schools may also need to include some background, such as what they have done to teach writing before, if anything, or past test scores, if available.)