NWP Research Reports

Read the most recent research reports about the effectiveness of the National Writing Project.

Teachers' Assessments of Professional Development Quality, Value, and Benefits: Results From Seven Annual Surveys of Summer Institue Participants (2008)
This report by Inverness Research Inc. presents the results of seven years of studies in which teachers judged the quality of NWP professional development institutes and assessed the benefits they, and ultimately their students, gained from participation. More ›

Local Site Research Initiative: Year 3 Continues to Show Impact of NWP Programs (2007)
Sites that participate in the LSRI are developing their capacity to conduct research, using the information they gather to improve their own programs; and contribute to the body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of NWP. More ›

A Cognitive Strategies Approach to Reading and Writing Instruction for English Language Learners (2007)
This article by Carol Booth Olson and Robert Land appeared in NCTE's journal Research in the Teaching of English. It describes a study conducted by members of the UC Irvine Writing Project site in partnership with a large urban school district primarily serving families of low socioeconomic status. More ›

2006 Client Satisfaction Report (PDF) (2006)
More than 98 percent of participants rate the quality of the summer institute as excellent. Learn more about how participants rated their experiences in these survey results from Inverness Research Associates. More ›

Summary Report of National Research Results (2006)
Rigorous comparative studies from five NWP sites (located in California, Missouri, Mississippi, Nevada, and New York) indicate positive effects on student writing based upon independent national scoring. Students of teachers who participate in writing project programs demonstrated statistically significant differences on at least one measure of student writing performance in four of the studies. More ›

The Process Approach to Writing Instruction: Examining Its Effectiveness (2005)
In an article from Handbook of Writing Research, authors Ruie J. Pritchard and Ronald L. Honeycutt review theory and researchonthe writing process model, as well as research concerning the NWP's influence on teacher professional development and on advancing the pedagogical principles associated with the writing process. More ›

LSRI Cohort I Summary (2005)
A report on the activities and results of the first year of the research initiative. More ›

AED Report (PDF) (2002)
The final report from a three-year Academy for Educational Development study of the National Writing Project. More ›