| Step
up to writing
Good writing shouldn’t be a secret. Believing in the power of the pen, 32 teachers and teaching assistants from Clearwater  Valley
Elementary School, Prairie Elementary School, and Prairie Middle School
attended a training session for the Step Up to Writing Program in order
to discover ways to let students in on the secrets of good writing.
The training sessions were held in Cottonwood, Idaho in the Elementary
gym. Malia Collins, from Sopris West, presented a two day program
on August 18 and 19 introducing the teachers to the program and providing
guidance for incorporating the program into their classrooms.
Step Up to Writing features research-based, validated strategies and activities that help students understand and write narrative, personal narrative, and expository papers. It is a collection of writing strategies that are aligned to the standards and will meet the needs of a diverse student population. The Step Up to Writing strategies lead to increased writing proficiency across all grade levels. The program has also been shown to improve comprehension and study skills. Both the Mountain View School District and the Cottonwood School District have been looking for ways to improve their curriculum and raise test scores. Greg Bailey, Superintendent Mountain View School District, and Gary Blaz, Superintendent Cottonwood School District, worked together to bring the training for this program to the area so that their staffs would be able to attend. Clearwater Valley Elementary School is piloting the program for the Mountain View School District. Those that attended were excited to start implementing the strategies and believe that the program will have a positive impact in their classrooms. Many also believe that time spent in collaboration with teachers from other districts was valuable as well. They were grateful to be able to attend the training and look forward to partnering with neighboring school districts again in the future. |
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