Creating a "Belief Contract" for Teaching Writing

Background/Overview

In June of 2021, a small committee of district leaders, teachers, professors from institutions of higher education, and CDE staff convened to begin work on this Framework for Writing Instruction. One of the initial tasks of the Committee was to identify a handful of beliefs toward writing and the teaching of writing. Again, school leadership should convene a team of both general and special education teachers, literacy and other content area instructional coaches, interventionists, paraprofessionals, and other school staff responsible for student learning to take on the similar task of creating belief statements. Belief statements about writing serve as the anchor of the framework, and allows school teams to adhere to and align their writing framework to something that goes beyond the work,of creating one, keepin the "why" at the forefront of future implementation. What is written below serves as a model. School teams are not required to adopt the belief statements of the June 2021 committee, but the option does exist to incorporate all, some, or few into your school's writing framework.

Belief Statements 

It is important to note that the Belief Statements composed by the Committee are grounded in research. The study of Stephen Graham (2019) begins with the argument that writing allows students to “learn new ideas, persuade others, record information, . . . heal psychological wounds, . . . explore the meaning of events and situations (Changing How Writing is Taught, 2019, pp. 278-281)” He goes on to say that in school, students write to enhance their understanding of reading and materials presented in class. In the workforce, people write to perform their jobs. In short, we cannot underestimate the value of writing in our everyday lives and the importance of learning this complex literacy. 

The Committee’s first three Belief Statements reflect the importance of developing skilled writers. We believe that writing instruction …

1. approaches writing as a unique and distinct literacy, equally as important as reading;
2. is foundational to all content areas;
3. offers students opportunities to

• write to think,
• write to learn, and
• write to demonstrate learning​

Graham (2019) contends that classroom writing practices are influenced by teachers’ beliefs and their knowledge of writing and writing instruction.  He argues that “good instruction requires rich and interconnected knowledge about subject matter and content, students’ learning and diversity, and subject-specific as well as general pedagogical methods (p. 284-285).”

He states that . . .

• writing enhances students’ performance in other important school subjects;
• writing and reading, writing and oral language are related;
• writing requires the development of specialized language;
• writing is not a single unitary skill;
• writing is a social activity;
• students need to develop a positive identity as a writer. 

The following three Belief Statements support building this knowledge about writing.  We believe that writing instruction . . .

4. emphasizes writing formats, structures, and modes that mirror those found in the real world;
5. empowers students to communicate and connect with the world;
6. equips students with the ability to apply and transfer the writing process strategically in new situations

Graham (2019) writes, “quality writing instruction cannot occur if sufficient time is not available” (p. 288). Schools cannot ignore the crucial element of time: time for professional learning; time for instruction; time for responding to student writing; and time for professional conversations between teachers in a building. He continues by arguing that goals, curriculum, and instructional practices are all in the mix for high quality instruction.  While there is no “single agreed-on set of skills, knowledge, processes, or dispositions for teaching writing,” it is important for districts and schools to align “goals, curriculum, instructional methods, and assessments” (p. 288).  In other words, in a school or district, it is important that “everyone is rowing together in the same direction.” In Colorado, local districts set that direction.

The final four Belief Statements support the idea of high quality writing instruction. We believe that writing instruction …

7. is a process, rather than a program;
8. fosters students’ growth in the writing process and treats the development of “student as writer” with emphasis given to both the writing process and the written product;
9. establishes a classroom community of writers;
10. supports the development of all students toward becoming effective writers (i.e. by attending to culturally responsive instruction, adapting writing tasks to meet students’ needs, providing multiple opportunities for feedback) with expectations that each child will write well.

Creating a "Belief Contract" for Teaching Writing: The Process the 

The CDE presentation found in this section walks school teams through the same process the June 2021 committee underwent to create the above belief statements. The presentation includes real-life examples of belief statements created by a local Colorado school. 

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