1. DUNLAP’S K-5 WRITING TEAM:
YEARLONG PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STUDY
FOCUSED ON EFFECTIVE WRITING INSTRUCTION
Facilitator:
Julie Rule – Dunlap Schools #323
Literacy Specialist/Coach

2. SMART GOAL
(SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RESULTS-ORIENTED,
TARGET DATE).
 During the 2010-2011 school year, the District
Literacy Specialist will facilitate professional
development and coaching for an elementary
writing team in order to develop writing leaders who
will model and share best practices in writing
instruction with their colleagues in their individual
buildings.
 This goal will be measured by:
1) completion of professional development/coaching
2) writing leaders will create an implementation plan for their
building describing how they will share and model new writing
strategies

3. ACTION PLAN – STEP #1
 Identify two teachers per elementary building (one
K-2 and one 3-5) to be a member of the writing
team. (Banner had 3 teachers)
 The District Writing Team will consist of 9 classroom
teachers, the district literacy specialist/coach, and
the executive curriculum director.

4. DUNLAP SCHOOL DISTRICT #323
K-5 WRITING TEAM
K-2 3-5
Banner Heather Rutherford – 2nd Shelley Hughes – 3rd
Becky Hansen – 5th
Dunlap Grade Stefanie Pitzer – 2nd Natalie Lanser – 3rd
Ridgeview Antonio Johnson – 2nd Teresa Marquis – 3rd
Wilder-Waite Rachelle McConaghie – 1st Sarah Urbanc – 3rd
Dr. Lonna Anderson – Executive Curriculum Director
Julie Rule – Literacy Specialist/Coach

5. BANNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Heather Rutherford – 2nd
Shelley Hughes – 3rd
Becky Hansen – 5th

6. DUNLAP GRADE SCHOOL
Stefanie Pitzer – 2nd
Natalie Lanser – 3rd

7. RIDGEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Antonio Johnson – 2nd
Teresa Marquis – 3rd

8. WILDER WAITE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Rachelle McConaghie – 1st
Sarah Urbanc – 3rd

9. ACTION PLAN – STEP #2
 The Literacy Specialist will teach, co-teach, or
observe with each of the 9 classroom teachers
using a two week on/off cycle.

10. ACTION PLAN – STEP #3
 The District Writing Team will collaborate monthly
and participate in professional development on
research based/best practices in writing instruction.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010 (Full Day)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 (Full Day)

11. ACTION PLAN – STEP #4
 The team will make connections between best
practices and current curricular resources.

12. ACTION PLAN – STEP #5
 Team members and principals will create an
implementation plan for sharing and modeling
research based writing strategies.

13. DUNLAP’S K-5 WRITING TEAM OFFERS
2-DAY WRITING WORKSHOP
Become energized about enhancing your teaching of writing!!!
When: August 1st & 2nd
Time: 8:30-3:30 Lunch will be on your own 11:30-12:30
Where: Ridgeview Elementary School
Overview: The District K-5 Team will give you an overview of our
yearlong study of writing. The workshop will be interactive and engage
you in instructional strategies you can incorporate in your classroom in
the fall! You may even want to become a member of Writing Team #2!
Contact Information: Julie Rule jrule@dunlapcusd.net or
Dr. Anderson landerson@dunlapcusd.net
As of right now we have 34 teachers signed up!!!

14. ACTION PLAN – STEP #6
 Formative and summative feedback will be
collected from the writing team to guide
professional development and coaching activities.
 Writing Team #2 – Beginning Fall 2011
 Building SMART goals for writing!
 Create a website for teachers with professional resources,
video, writing examples, etc…

15. TOPICS WRITING TEAM RESEARCHED:
 Gradual Release of Responsibility (OLM – Optimal
Learning Model)
 Examining our Writing Beliefs
 Genre Writing
 Demonstrating Writing (modeling for our students)
 Public Content Conferences
 Negotiating Editing Expectations
 Editing Conferences
 Assessment – Formative/Summative, High-Stakes
Testing

16. TEACHER INSIGHTS
 I hold my students more accountable for their
writing.
 I learned the importance of modeling writing for my
students.
 I feel that modeled writing is crucial to the
development of students’ writing.
 My instruction has changed from a teacher-
centered approach to a student-centered approach.
 It is important to celebrate student success.
 The importance of modeling my writing and thinking
with my students.

17. MY INSIGHTS:
 Transformation of my teaching –
 grounding my instructional practices in research
 shaping/defining instructional pedagogy
 We are in the midst of a “Literacy Revolution.”
 This kind of PD is CRITICAL to truly transforming
our teaching.