The National Writing Project at West Virginia University, a site of the National Writing Project, was established in 1987 as a public school university partnership linking WVU with Marion and Monongalia County Schools. Preston and Wetzel Counties are now a part of that partnership.
Some 275 Teachers Consultants have been trained to work with teachers and administrators to promote writing and classroom research in sixty schools. A major emphasis includes training of teachers in using computers in the classroom. Starting in 2007, we are also integrating the goals of West Virginia’s Framework for 21st Century Schools to prepare both teachers and students for success.
Each year, the National Writing Project at WVU receives about $45,000 in federal grant fund, which depends on a dollar-for-dollar match. That match comes from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the College of HR&E, and from smaller funding supports from Monongalia, Marion, and Wetzel counties. The majority of the funding provides stipends and tuition waivers for the ongoing professional development of area teachers. The Writing Project is one of the best outreach efforts of the English Department sponsors in terms of K-12 partnerships. We currently have about 200 teachers K-12 in the northern WV network.
Leaders of the National Writing Project at WVU are Dr. Nathalie Singh-Corcoran, Director, and Dr. Laura Brady, co-director. Sally Manly (Marion County), Jo Ann Dadisman (Monongalia County), and Sarah Morris (Morgan County—and WV Teacher of the Year for 2006-07) co-direct the Summer Institute. Linda Spence (Tucker County) serves as Inservice Liaison; Tracy Chico is Technology Liaison (NBS, Monongalia County); and Dr. Sheila Benson (WVU) is the Teacher Research Coordinator.
The National Writing Project at WVU follows these basic assumptions:
1) Student writing can be improved by improving the teaching of writing.
2) The best teacher of teachers is another teacher.
3) Programs designed to improve the teaching of writing must involve teachers at all grade levels from all subject areas.
4) The writing problem can best be solved through co-operatively planned university-school programs.
5) Change can best be accomplished by those who work in the schools, not by transient consultants or by pre-packaged systems.
6) Meaningful change can only occur over time.
7) What is known about teaching writing comes not only from research but from the practice of those who teach writing.
8) Teachers of writing must write.