Two Teachers, One School: Higher Value-Added Instruction and Writing Development with African-American Middle School Students

• In Event: Investigating Best Practices in Teaching the Humanities

Abstract

This article investigates the writing instruction of two higher value-added middle school English Language Arts teachers. This qualitative analysis connects their practices to student writing development by documenting the classroom structures, instructional scaffolds, and tasks assigned. Both teachers supported students through a teacher-directed, modified writing workshop approach where instruction, scaffolds and tasks were tightly aligned. These findings reinforce calls for more explicit teaching to support African American students. Last, connecting actual classroom practice to value-added measures is important in understanding what value-added models capture and how to support teachers in becoming effective writing instructors in a variety of school contexts

Author

• Chandra L. Alston, University of Michigan