DETERMINING THE PROGRESSION FROM COMFORT TO CONFIDENCE - A LONGITUDINAL EVALUATION OF A NATIONAL WRITING PROJECT SITE BASED ON MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES

This study reports the results of a three-year longitudinal evaluation of a National Writing Project site and illustrates the value of using multiple sources of data to evaluate aspects of National Writing Proj ect sites. We examined the immediate effects of the Summer Institute b y looking at teachers' reactions to writing process Instruction both b efore and after the Summer Institute, We also examined long-range effe cts by looking at how teachers implemented the writing process in thei r classrooms over an extended period following Institute participation . Results indicate that during the Summer Institute teachers moved fro m self-oriented concerns about the writing process to concerns about h ow this approach would influence students and fellow teachers. Results also indicate how attendance at the Summer Institute affected classro om practice. We conclude with implications and questions further study .