Classroom writing practices revisited: The effects of statewide reform on writing instruction

This research was a replication of a study conducted in 1982 to determine the amount and type of writing in which elementary students in 1 district in Kentucky were engaged throughout the school day and the nature of writing instruction provided by teachers. Data were collected through surveys of all elementary teachers in the district and observations of the teachers' writing instruction and 2 target students' writing activities in 12 classrooms (2 classrooms at 3 grade levels in 2 schools). Findings indicated that teachers in 1995 spent twice as much time teaching writing as in 1982 and that students were engaged in writing 2-3 times as often. More important, in 1995 students were spending more time on higher-level writing activities involving the composition of extended text and less time on lower-level activities such as filling in workbooks and worksheets and copying from the board. Teachers reported that the increased emphasis on writing in 1995 was due primarily to new statewide assessments that use writing portfolios and open-ended response questions.