The National Study of Writing Instruction - University at Albany

Year 2: Year-long Case Studies of 6 New York Schools
The second year of data gathering consisted of a series of year-long case studies of middle
and high school instruction in core content areas (English, social science, science, and
math), as well as the writing students did for all of their coursework (including courses
beyond the core content areas). These studies focused on the contextual factors that shape
students’ experiences with writing, including factors that lead to differential instruction
and experience in writing, and the impact of new technologies on writing instruction and
writing processes.
Methods
Sample of Schools
The year-long case studies were conducted in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in a middle and a high
school in 3 contrasting districts (one urban, one suburban, and one rural). The urban and
rural districts are both categorized by the state as “high need,” with 37 to 65% of the
students eligible for free or reduced price lunch. The suburban district, on the other hand,
serves a stable middle class community and has abundant resources available for
instruction. The urban district is about 40% minority; the other two districts are 92% or
more white. At grade 8, for example, only 31% of students in the urban district meet state
standards in English language arts, compared to 60% in the rural district and 76% in the
suburban district. Tables 1 and 2 summarize demographic and achievement data for the 3
middle and 3 high schools, respectively.
Participants
Participants included the district superintendent or assistant superintendent for curriculum and
instruction, the principal of each school, other school or district administrators responsible for
curriculum and instruction in the core academic areas, and at least 1 teacher of each of the core
academic subjects at each of the target grades: 6, 8, 10, and 12. In addition, 4 focal students at
each of the target grades in each school were chosen in consultation with the English
department leader, to represent higher- and lower-achievement according to school norms.
Where possible, two of the four students were English learners, as designated by state or
district screening procedures, and two spoke English as their mother tongue. Skansen Middle
School, in the urban district, did not include Grade 6, and therefore no Grade 6 teachers or
students participated. However, 4 Grade 8 English learners were included in the sample.
Across the 3 districts and 6 schools, 18 individuals with administrative responsibilities, 42
teachers, and 45 students participated in interviews or observations.
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