Write for Texas

Overview

Write for Texas is designed to help all teachers provide opportunities for students to read, write, and discuss a wide variety of genres throughout the school year. 

The following are the Big Ideas of Write for Texas:

• Reading and writing should be integrated into every class to support learning.
• Writing instruction includes explicit teaching and opportunities for students to practice daily.
• Purposeful teacher modeling supported with think-alouds helps students see and hear the process of writing.
• Students need to see and be able to access appropriate models of writing and to have opportunities to integrate what they learn from teaching and modeling, as well as reading, into their own writing.

A project overview is available for download here.

Click the video below for more information about Write for Texas.

Findings (Publications and Presentations)

• Write for Texas: Success Stories From a Literacy Initiative - Booklet/Guide
• Write for Texas Annual Report, 2015–2016 - Booklet/Guide
• The Write Stuff: How to Create a Strong Cadre of Readers and Writers in Texas - Journal Article/Book Chapter

Project Design

Purpose

The Write for Texas collection of resources is available to all secondary (grades 6–12) English language arts and reading and content area teachers to support effective writing instruction. The resources include critical background knowledge, activities, and videos that relate to the Write for Texas Guiding Principles of Effective Writing Instruction. Participants learn and apply teaching techniques to support all students in writing. Academic coaches provide selected Write for Texas schools with classroom support and schoolwide professional development opportunities aligned with the Guiding Principles of Effective Writing Instruction.

Participants

Write for Texas supports approximately 115 instructional coaches working in approximately 200 schools across the state. 

Project sites are based in all 20 regional service centers across the state (Education Service Centers 1–20) and the following university-based National Writing Project sites:

• Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi (Coastal Bend Writing Project)
• Texas State University (Central Texas Writing Project)
• The University of Texas at Austin (Heart of Texas Writing Project)
• University of North Texas (North Star Writing Project)
• The University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio Writing Project)
• Texas A&M International University (South Texas Writing Project)
• The University of Texas at El Paso (West Texas Writing Project) 

Write for Texas Sites