ABSTRACT
Writing matters—for what people learn, for how they grow and develop and for how they function in society. It also matters for society as a whole—for our position in the global marketplace and for the transmission and transformation of our culture. Writing is the active side of literacy, the side that allows us to contribute to change, to protect our rights, to take control of our lives. Clearly, what we know about writing development in our schools, our communities and our workplaces is essential to our individual and cultural well-being. Over the past 10 years the National Center for the Study of Writing and Literacy has focused its attention on how literacy, and in particular, writing, functions in our society and how it is taught, used, and learned in schools, communities, and workplaces. Our goal has been to contribute to higher levels of writing achievement for an increasing proportion of our population.
