Success Stories!

The ultimate goal of The Writing Diner is to help students become strong, active thinkers while they are independently writing. The goal is not to help them pass state mandated standardized tests. However, when schools begin to focus on student thinking while writing, that thinking carries over into all situations—including standardized writing tests.

Glenwood Elementary (Kentwood, Michigan) began using writing lessons from The Writing Diner in 2005 after taking the MEAP, Michigan’s state standardized test. At that time, third grade students at Glenwood were way below the rest of the state in writing achievement. A year later, when the students were tested as fourth graders, state numbers dropped in Michigan, but Glenwood students’ scores rose dramatically. By fifth grade, in 2007, Glenwood scores were close to 25% above the state numbers.

Challenger Elementary (Kentwood, Michigan) experienced similar success. Challenger began using lessons from The Writing Diner in 2006. At that time, Challenger third graders were below the state average for writing achievement. Two years later, in 2008, more than 80% of Challenger fifth graders passed Michigan’s writing test, putting Challenger close to 20 points above the state average.