Promising Practices

Whitley County Middle School

Writing a Proficient Portfolio

The main focus of this guide is to provide a fun, consistent, across the grade guide to putting together a quality-writing portfolio. The entire school community had a vested interest in its development. We had students design the artwork for the covers, their favorite assignments, examples of their best work, and similar things from our faculty. We included fun pages to write and develop writing skills. It was a lengthy project with great results the first year of implementation. We reduced our novice rate 24% and followed that up the second year with a 4% drop in novice portfolios.

We take our 350 or so 7th graders and issue them a guide. We then distribute the students to an adult mentor, usually keeping the ratio to 5 or 6 students to one adult. These mentors meet with the students frequently and carry on a conversation about writing, their pieces, and expectations. Every available adult takes part in the mentoring process and the students are already talking about a revised edition.

Our writing specialist in the District took a very active role in the development of the guide with the numerous volunteered hours of her time to ensure a high class, useable document. We have trained all of our teachers to each section of the guide to remove barriers such as their knowledge and background on writing instruction. There are sections on Reflective Writing, Personal Expressive Writings, Personal Narratives, Memoirs, Personal Essays, Literary Writings, Short Stories, poems, scripts, and transactive writings. It has definitely increased the Knowledge Base for our faculty and students.

The guide first went to press a year or so ago and we have used it with two classes, but developed it with a third. We have had tons of positive public relations with our parents and they are more aware of what is expected of their children. Our teachers are more aware of what is expected of their children. Our teachers are a little more eager to mentor because they are more knowledgeable. Our novice rates have been clearly reduced and our apprentice, proficient, and distinguished writers have increased accordingly. We have brought some unity to the entire writing curriculum in the 7th grade. We have made outreach opportunities between our middle school, with a 7 - 8 configuration, and our feeder schools with their K - 6 configuration.

The work part of putting it together was part of normal assignments for both students and teachers. The expense came with either doing it in-house or sending it out for professional printing. We elected to have it professionally done due to the amount of labor involved in its development. It cost $1,433.00 for 800 copies that allowed us to distribute them for two years in a row and garner information as to whether we can continue printing for future classes.

Standards and Indicators for Success:

• Standard 1.1a There is evidence that the curriculum is aligned with Academic Expectations, Core Content for Assessment, Transformations, and the Program of Studies.
  
  
• Standard 1.1c The district initiates and facilitates discussions between schools in the district in order to eliminate unnecessary overlaps and close gaps.
  
  

Contact Information:

Richard E. Prewitt, Principal
Whitley County Middle School
351 Boulevard of Champions
Williamsburg, KY 40769
(606) 549-7050
rprewitt@whitley.k12.us