State Superintendent Credits Wyoming Writing Project for Boost

Publication: Casper Star-Tribune
Date: April 4, 2008

Summary: Wyoming students outscored the U.S. national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress's 2007 writing test for the first time. The state superintendent said that professional development provided by Wyoming Writing Project teachers played a key role in improving student writing.

Excerpt from Article

"These scores reflect the hard work of Wyoming schools and educators have done and are doing," said Jim McBride, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. "They should be applauded."

McBride attributed the jump in NAEP scores to Wyoming's Writing Project and to a teaching method known as the 6 Traits of Writing.

The writing project puts teachers in charge of scoring student essays on the Proficiency Assessment of Wyoming Students. Teachers take what they've learned back to their students, which better prepares them for essay writing, McBride said.

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Read Wyoming Students Score Above National Average in Progress Assessment in The Casper Star-Tribune.