ABSTRACT
The expected growth in student writing ability is reflected both in the standards themselves and in the collection of annotated student writing samples. Administrators like Martha Taylor believe that the Writing Cycle framework for pacing writer's workshop has their schools on mark for effective writing. Two city schools in Valdosta and Columbus, Georgia, posted scores that moved them from the bottom to top-performing in their respective districts. Action research studies in Georgia elementary schools clearly show that the use of the Writing Cycle framework transfers the sound principles of teaching writing to student performance on independent tests of written expression. Southside Elementary is one of six rural schools with a record of respectable scores on state writing tests. The sibling schools noted what Southside was doing and are renewing their commitment to the Writing Cycle. Redan Elementary posted a similar rise in student performance, but with suburban African American students.
