The Formative Writing Framework for Literacy Teaching and Learning

Developed by WestEd in partnership with teachers in K–12 classrooms around the country, the Formative Writing Framework tackles modern communication challenges, clarifies writing instruction, calibrates consistent scoring, and provides user-friendly resources to address student challenges. This service equips participants to use the framework to restore a balance to reading and writing in literacy education, enhancing relevance and engagement for both teachers and students. 

How We Help

According to the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Time to Act report, extended writing produces greater reading comprehension gains than any other single reading intervention. Other research shows that writing ability is a leading indicator for college and career success. At the same time, many teacher preparation programs have limited focus on writing instruction, and many schools lack mechanisms to track data about the development of student writing. 

To address these challenges, we help teachers, coaches, and school and district administrators to use the Formative Writing Framework in a way that encourages continuous growth through four key routines: 

• Design—Educators design writing performance tasks that are rooted in an understanding of the cognitive demands of reading and writing across grades. 
• Write—Students explore and respond to the tasks by writing content that is appropriate to audience and purpose. 
• Investigate—Educator teams analyze student work, employing descriptors and metrics that yield actionable data.  
• Act—Teachers and students set goals for specific writing skills, employing research-based strategies to support growth. 

Service Delivery

• Onsite, virtual, or hybrid

Who Will Benefit

• Coaches 
• English language arts teachers, K–12 
• Teacher leaders and instructional coaches, K–12 
• School and district administrators 

Connecting Research With Practice

In recent years, a disproportionate emphasis on reading over writing has led to a notable gap in writing proficiency among students. Some research shows that educational policies and standardized testing approaches have prioritized reading comprehension, resulting in teachers receiving inadequate training in writing instruction during their education programs. This has translated into a lack of confidence among educators in teaching writing, subsequently affecting student performance. 

To address these challenges and support educators, the Formative Writing Framework enhances teacher competencies, supports auditing and improving curricula, and employs data-driven strategies to strengthen writing instruction and achieve literacy balance.