Contact: Maridith Geuder
Legislation introduced earlier this week by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) would continue five years of funding for the National Writing Project.
With project sites in Mississippi and 47 other states and Puerto Rico, the National Writing Project focuses on developing teacher collaborations to improve student writing and the teaching of writing. The program includes instructional levels from primary through university.
Headquartered at Mississippi State University, Mississippi's project has seven sites based at most state universities. Coordinated by the MSU College of Education, the project offers such activities as "The Wonder of Learning," "Writing as Art and Craft," various portfolios for assessment and learning, and a summer program that prepares teachers to teach their peers.
"The Mississippi institute began in 1984 and currently serves 5,000 teachers each year through 200 programs," said director Sherry S. Swain. Ongoing research demonstrates the project's success in increasing teacher expertise and improving student achievement in reading and mathematics, she added.
Swain praised Cochran, who has been the project's primary sponsor since Congress authorized funding in 1990. "Through his leadership, the educational experience has been improved for thousands of students, teachers and parents," she said.
Alma Turner, assistant superintendent for West Point Schools, agreed. The writing project "has been one of the greatest influences for teachers' professional growth and student achievement we have had," she said.
In Lawrence County, veteran teacher Connie Buckley said Wonder of Learning "gave me the renewal that I needed to enrich my students' learning experiences by using writing as a tool to teach reading. It has allowed my students to express themselves and grow as learners."