Building Teacher Capacity. Inspiring Deeper Learning.
We empower educators across all content areas with evidence-based instructional practices that foster a culture of literacy and critical thinking across Kentucky classrooms.
Leadership in Comprehensive Literacy
We inspire educators to:
✔️ lead with confidence
✔️ use writing as a tool to process thinking across content areas
✔️ promote student engagement through evidence-based instructional practices
✔️ transform classrooms into vibrant centers of literacy and discovery
KWP professional learning is rooted in the daily work of educators and directly connected to student learning.
KWP engages teachers in professional learning that is relevant, collaborative, and immediately applicable, equipping them with evidence-based practices to respond to the diverse needs of learners and create engaging, rigorous learning experiences.
Impact
Authentic, Job-Embedded Professional Learning
Philosophy
Teachers at the Center
Teachers Teaching Teachers: teachers are the primary experts on classroom practice.
Teachers as Writers: To teach writing effectively, teachers must engage in the act of writing themselves. By participating in the writing process, teachers gain empathy for their students and a deeper understanding of the craft.
Professional Agency: Teachers are change agents who have the expertise to improve their own schools and districts.
Community of Practice: A supportive community—where teachers share successes, challenges, and their own written work—is essential for sustaining professional growth.
High Quality Professional Learning
Proven effective: In a study of on-demand writing assessments, EPSB analyzed scores of 184,264 Kentucky students taught by 3,476 teachers. [The] "more effective teachers of writing were more likely to have participated in programs of the [Kentucky] Writing Project. National Writing Project activities were highly rated by both the teacher respondents and the institutional respondents, and it seems clear that participation in these activities may be the single most attractive mechanism for improving the quality of writing instruction, both for the teacher candidates and for teachers already in the classroom." - Excerpt from Status of Writing Instruction in Kentucky Public Schools
"I encourage all school leaders to seriously consider working with the Kentucky Writing Project! The directors of KWP have always been very flexible and considerate in supporting our district's needs and schedules. I have always appreciated their goal of "building teacher capacity."
Thomas Coffey, Coordinator of Teaching and Learning Rockcastle County Schools
"KWP's research-based data-driven strategies have impacted both teacher growth and student learning in our district. The facilitators are experts in their field and offer valuable supports and resources to equip our teachers with the tools they need to engage, challenge, and empower our students in literacy. "
Michelle Devine, Washington County District Literacy Coach
What People Say About Us
"The Kentucky Writing Project's professional development is better than any other training I have ever participated in as a teacher or leader. It is designed to be accessible for teachers and leads to better outcomes for students. KWP takes the fear out of writing instruction for both teachers and students."
Leslie A. Workman, Principal, Fairview Elementary