The information below was submitted by a sampling of the schools and districts who have been trained in the Empowering Writers methodology in North Carolina.

1. Name of source and his/her position:

1. Darlene Carrigan (Director of Student Services and Elementary Curriculum – Alexander County)
2. Myra Cox (Director of Elementary Schools – Stokes County)
3. Sandy Kinzel (Director of Elem Ed and Communications – Currituck County)
4. Wendy Iokoku (Literacy Facilitator, Providence Springs Elementary, Chalotte/Mecklenberg County)
5. Beverly Boyette (Principal – Rock Ridge Elementary, Wilson County)
6. Dr. Kay Allen (Principal, Helena Elementary, Person County)
7. Sabre Robinson (Principal – Eastlawn Elementary School)
8. Connie Shay (Instructional Resource Teacher, Apex Elementary, Wake County)
9. Judy Hornbeck (Director of Elementary Instruction) & Susan Burgess (Superintendent – Dare County Schools)

2. Date(s) information was reported:

1. May 16, 2008
2. May 15, 2008
3. May 13, 2009
4. May 24, 2007
5. June 19, 2007
6. May, 2008
7. June 5, 2007
8. June, 2007
9. June 2, 2008 & August 15, 2008

3. Training information – dates, workshop genre, number of teachers)

1. 8/05 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 62 3^rd & 4^th grade teachers were trained.
2. 9/07 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 60 3^rd & 4^th grade teachers were trained; 9/07 – Narrative II Writing Workshop – 40 teachers were trained.  
3. 8/04 – K-1 Writing Workshop – 35 K & 1^st grade teachers were trained:  8/04 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 35 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th grade teachers were trained. 
4. 9/06 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 2^nd, 3^rd, & 4^th grade teachers (total of 35; 1^st & 2^nd grade teachers (12) trained in K-1 Writing Workshop. 
5. 2005 
6. 8/06 – Narrative Writing Workshop - 45 3^rd & 4th grade teachers were trained. 
7. 11/06 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 30 3^rd & 4^th grade teachers were trained; 1/07 – K1 Writing Workshop – 30 Kindergarten and first grade teachers were trained. 
8. 8/06 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 60 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th grade teachers were trained; 8/06 – K-1 Writing Workshop – 41 kindergarten & first grade teachers were trained.   
9. 8/07 – Narrative Writing Workshop – 60 2^nd – 4^th grade teachers were trained; K-1 Writing Workshop – 32 kindergarten & first grade teachers were trained; 8/07 Persuasive Writing Workshop – 28 6^th  & 7^th grade teachers were trained; 8/07 – Narrative in Writing Workshop – 20 4^th grade teachers were trained.

4. Specific results that were reported:

1. County proficiency rate for writing increased from 55.1% to 69.1% (14%) in 2008 test results.
2. 2008 test scores increased by 21% over 2007
3. Preliminary calculations for 2008 district writing scores show significant gains in 4^th, 7^th, & 10^th grades.  10^th grade shows an increase of 36% over 2007 (from 42% to 78%).
4. School wide writing scores increased from 57.7% to 66.3%
5. School wide writing scores increased from 49% passing to 73% passing.  Rock Elem writing scores for last 5 years:  43.4  52.9  48.9  73.2  70.0
6. 2007 4^th grade writing test scores increased 12% from 2006 scores.
7. School wide writing scores increased by 15.7%.  15.7% increase was the highest increase in the district for elementary schools.
8. 20.2% increase in 2007 from 2006 on 4^th Grade Writing Test.
9. 2007 4^th grade-writing scores increased; 68.9 percent of students scored at or above grade level, compared to 51.2 percent previous year countywide. Countywide, 75 percent of seventh graders were at or above grade level, up 18.7 percentage points from three years ago.

5.  "Quotable Quotes":

1. “I have 3 instructional coaches and we focused heavily on model lessons, workshops, and support to the teachers in every school in writing instruction last school year.  I feel like that is part of the reason for the increase in scores.  The model lessons and support were mainly utilizing the Empowering Writer’s approach to instruction…Generally, we’ve hung our writing hats on the Empowering Writers’ platform and it seems to be working for us.”
2. “Our scores increased about 21 percent county-wide over last year!!!!!  Yeah!!!!! I will have school successes to share with you.”
3. “We just received our preliminary writing scores—the news is WONDERFUL!!!   I attribute much of our progress to the consistency in writing instruction that EW has enable us to achieve…we are feeling VERY good about the progress that you’ve helped us to achieve!”
4. “Overall, our score for our school went from 57.7% to 66.3%.  We are thrilled!!!”  “Just wanted to let you know that 22 out of 29 students in my class passed the writing test this year.  Thanks to your workshop!!!!:-)
5. “Our scores improved significantly this year.  I am interested in the Clayton workshop in September.  Please keep me updated on this one.”  “…we do attribute much of the success to Empowering Writers” 
6. “Our teachers love Empowering Writers.  I do hope there is another training I can offer to my staff next year.  It is working great!”
7. 
     
8. “I’m really proud of our teachers and students,” said Superintendent Sue Burgess.  “Despite the trouble experienced statewide with fluctuating scores on the writing tests over the years, our teachers never gave up.  Their hard work has been rewarded.”  “It took everyone working together,” said Cape Hatteras Elementary School Principal Ray Gray.  “All of the teachers in the whole school teach writing.” “Our use of a writing rubric, Writers’ Workshop, The Empowering Writers Program, and Writing-Across-the Curriculum paid off,” continued Burgess. 

6. Other useful data:

1. Continues to train teachers (new hires) in Narrative Writing Workshop; several schools have trained kindergarten and first grade teachers in the K-1 Writing Workshop; 3 schools have sent 4^th & 5^th teachers to Expository Writing Workshop.
2. Has continued district training in Narrative Writing for new hires; The majority of individual schools have sent kindergarten and first grade teachers to K-1 Writing Workshop; several schools have sent 4^th & 5^th grade teachers to the Expository Writing Workshop.  Has scheduled Expository training district wide for 8/09. 
3. Continues to train teachers in all genres (K-1, narrative, Expository and Persuasive Writing) 
4. Has continued to train all new hires as well as trained 4^th & 5^th grade teachers in Expository Writing Workshop this year (2008). 
5. Continues to train new hires in K-1, Narrative and Expository Writing Workshops; 3 additional schools have trained K-5^th grade teachers as a result of the success this school has had. 
6. Continues to train all new hires; As a result of their success, 3 additional schools have trained 3^rd & 4^th grade teachers in Narrative Writing. 
7. As a result of their success we have trained an additional 60, 3^rd & 4^th grade teachers district wide in the Narrative Writing Workshop. 
8. Continues to train all new hires in the appropriate genre (K-1 or Narrative or Expository); as a result of their success, we have trained over 150 2^nd – 5^th grade teachers throughout this district.
9. Continues to train all new hires in the appropriate genre.