Writing, Technology and Teens

Created in partnership with the Pew Internet and American Life Project, this report talks to teens to see what they have to say about technology and the state of writing in their lives. The report looks at teens' basic definition of writing, explores the various kinds of writing they do, seeks their assessment about what impact e-communication has on their writing, and probes for their guidance about how writing instruction might be improved.

Download the report:
Writing, Technology and Teens (.pdf/566K)
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (latest version recommended).

Writing and School Reform

Writing and School Reform is the result of five hearings held around the country to discuss the importance of writing, how to improve teaching and learning in this critical domain, and the future work of the National Commission on Writing. Reflecting the advice and experience of several hundred parents, teachers, school administrators, university presidents, association heads, foundation representatives, and state and local officials, the group's fourth report to Congress lays out a series of recommendations to keep writing at the center of education reform. The new report is published with a reprint of The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution.

Download the report:
Writing and School Reform (.pdf/764K)
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (latest version recommended).

Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government

Despite the high value that state employers put on writing skills, a significant number of their employees do not meet states' expectations. Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government, the third report to Congress from the National Commission on Writing, is based on a state survey by the National Governors Association. The report estimates that providing writing training costs taxpayers nearly a quarter of a billion dollars annually.

Download the report of the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges:
Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government (.pdf/535K)

Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out

A survey of 120 major American corporations affiliated with Business Roundtable, employing nearly 8 million people, concludes that in today's workplace, writing is a "threshold skill" for hiring and promotion among salaried (i.e., professional) employees. Survey results indicate that writing is a ticket to professional opportunity, while poorly written job applications are a figurative kiss of death. Estimates based on the survey returns reveal that employers spend billions annually correcting writing deficiencies.

Download the report of the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges:
Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out, A Survey of Business Leaders (.pdf/204K)

The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution

"American education will never realize its potential as an engine of opportunity and economic growth until a writing revolution puts language and communication in their proper place in the classroom. Writing is how students connect the dots in their knowledge. Although many models of effective ways to teach writing exist, both the teaching and practice of writing are increasingly shortchanged throughout the school and college years. Writing, always time-consuming for student and teacher, is today hard-pressed in the American classroom. Of the three 'Rs,' writing is clearly the most neglected."

-- The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution

Download the report of the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges:
The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution (.pdf/204K)