NVWP Professional Development Programs

Proactive Professional Development in Reactive Times

Traditionally, professional development in our educational system tries to act as a quick fix to problems, problems far too complex to be “solved” with an out of the box, off the shelf, cookie cutter model of inservice.  At the Northern Virginia Writing Project, because we are teachers who have experienced this kind of inservice, we know that  “one shot” professional development is ineffective at best and destructive at worst.   What we know does work is sustained professional development that hinges on the collective participation of educators rather than the top-down professional development model that is “done to” teachers instead of engaging them as co-creators of knowledge and solutions. In designing tailored staff development programs, the NVWP utilizes its thirty plus years of experience in working with, honoring, activating, and making visible teacher knowledge. We pride ourselves on creating proactive programs, ones that help develop teacher leaders, rather than reactionary programs that try to Band-Aid whatever has been deemed as the latest crisis in education.  We do so by starting with the needs of students and teachers and working to design specific and strategic programs catered to the particulars of the district or school we are serving.  Our proactive model sustains discussion, inquiry, and change in a context of immersion, participation, and research.

Let the NVWP design an exciting, enriching program that will deepen the practice of your classroom teachers and help develop teacher leaders in your school!

Results

NWP’s latest research results demonstrate that professional development programs designed and delivered by NWP sites have a positive effect on the writing achievement of students across grade levels, schools, and contexts.

Key Findings
  • In 16 studies conducted in seven states, 103 of 112 comparisons show positive results in writing achievement favoring students in classrooms of NWP participants.
  • Student results are strong and favorable in those aspects of writing that the NWP is best known for, such as development of ideas, organization, and stance.
  • Students in Writing Project classrooms gained more often than their peers in the area of conventions as well, suggesting that basic skills also benefit from the NWP approach to teaching writing.
  • In the overall or holistic measure, in every case the improvement of students taught by teachers who participated in NWP programs exceeded that of students whose teachers were not participants.

DOWNLOAD THE RESEARCH BRIEF

Writing Project Professional Development Continues to Yield Gains in Student Writing Achievement (PDF)

NVWP Program Models

English/Education 695 Writing Across the Curriculum: 

  • a trained Teacher-Consultant Coordinator
  • seven peer-reviewed, hands-on demonstration lessons presented by NVWP Teacher-Consultants, chosen based on the needs and wants of the 695 participants
  • opportunity to receive 3 graduate level credits in English or Education from George Mason University that may used towards an advanced degree, recertification, or pay increase in some districts
  • research review that responds to the inquiry needs of the participants
  • immersion in a writer’s workshop model enabling teachers of writing to write in an authentic context
  • time to reflect and think critically about writing, research, and practice in a collaborative and supportive environment
  • thirty plus years of experience serving Northern Virginia’s area educators
  • option for a special focus course (eg:  writing with technology, the reading and writing connection, writing with special population, etc)

NVWP Staff Development Series include:

  • consultation with NVWP’s Professional Development Coordinator in order to help design a focused Professional Development series catered to the specific needs of a district, school, or team
  • peer-reviewed, hands-on demonstration lessons presented by NVWP Teacher-Consultants
  • opportunity for participants to receive recertification credits while receiving high-quality professional development
  • writing research review linked with the practical needs of participants
  • continuity between presentations to provide integration into practice
  • time to reflect and think critically about writing, research, and practice in a collaborative and supportive environment

Language and Learning Conference: A yearly event featuring nationally recognized leaders in English education and exemplary demonstration lessons from Northern Virginia Writing Project Teacher Consultants.  Learn more …

The Invitational Summer Institute: A five week intensive professional development program. Learn more …

A Letter to School Leaders from NVWP Professional Development Coordinator Kim Sloan 

For more information or to setup a custom program for your department, school, or district please contact NVWP Administrative Specialist Sara Duval sduval1@gmu.edu

Coming soon … List of the NVWP Current Programs