Vermont Writing Collaborative Inc.

“Expenses website design 600 travel reimbursement 5,457 conference building rental 30,967 class refunds 2,232 course materials 25,464 consulting 94,692 meeting meals 58 tuition 17,979 total 177,449”

“The vermont writing collaborative was founded in 2007 by five vermont public school teachers. At that time, the five had been working, individually and collectively and at all grade levels, with an approach to writing instruction we were developing. We call this approach writing for understanding, and it is premised on the idea that writing is all about meaning. If students are to write effectively, it is clear that 1) they need to have solid understanding of the ideas about which they are writing, 2) they need to have a clear structure to build that understanding so that orthers can follow their thinking. In writing for understanding, teachers "plan backward", with an outcome clearly in mind so that they are able to build in successful opportunities to learn for students - and then to show that understanding in effective writing.”

“Vermont writing collaborative non-profit narrative 2014 1) we again held a summer institute at lake morey resort that attracted about 125 participants. About 2/3 of these were vermont educators, and 1/3 were teams of educators from many other states (connecticut, massachusetts, rhode island, new york, ohio, california, louisiana, new jersey). We ran three courses at different levels concurrently to meet the range of needs. 2) we worked with student achievement partners (also a not-for-profit) to provide training around the country in a readaloud project and "text set" projects. All of these are designed to give teachers to help more students become effective readers and writers. 3) we presented for two days to the maine department of education teacher summit. Here we worked with 150 plus teachers, k-12, in principles of writing for understanding, the approach to writing instruction that we have developed. 4) we presented for two days at a writing conference for the council of the great city schools, this time in portland, oregon. The conference was designed to show teachers how they might integrate writing types. 5) we helped the achievement network of nearly 500 charter schools serving low income children redesign their writing instruction to align with writing for understanding principles. 6) we presented for two days to the hawaii department of education in principles of writing for understanding. 7) we have continued to make instructional sequences available to people free of charge from our website. 8) our newsletter now reaches nearly 1700 people.”