Responding to educational reports revealing that high school students are graduating with deficient writing skills and that colleges are expanding composition programs for remediation, Tidewater Community College (TCC) and Salem High School English teachers designed this model to align twelfth-grade writing instruction with requirements for satisfactory placement in college freshman composition. The model includes pre- and post-placement testing, professional development for high-school and college educators, exploration of innovative instructional strategies, portfolio assessment, a high school writing center, and ongoing collaboration.

To document the perceived strengths and weaknesses in the teaching of composition, teachers and students were initially surveyed. Their responses indicated the need for professional development of teachers and student engagement in the revision process. A study group (150 seniors) participated in the project. One college faculty member and five high-school teachers implemented strategies to develop and disseminate a model for staff development in writing instruction; to improve student writing and increase the percentage of students competent to take college level composition courses; and to validate a multiple-measures writing placement procedure.

Instructional activities included focused letter exchanges between high school and college students, metacognitive writing, dialogic assignments, and portfolio development. Special emphasis was placed on the portfolio as both a secondary instructional method and a postsecondary placement tool. Project personnel worked collaboratively to establish portfolio guidelines, content, and rubrics. In Year Two, outstanding student portfolios were showcased and presented in a program for students, parents, and teachers.

Collaborative workshops for area high schools and community college faculties focused on use of state standards in developing a writing curriculum, the composing process, teaching and learning through letters, portfolio instruction, and writing-to-learn strategies. High school and college teachers were trained as portfolio readers. In Year Two, a cooperative workshop to develop rubrics for writing samples brought high school and college teachers together to read and discuss samples.

Initially, the study group was evaluated by TCC's traditional placement testing tools, COMPASS (a computerized writing placement test) and timed-writing samples. These activities led to the development of an error analysis chart to communicate student writing weaknesses and strategies to remediate deficiencies. Students were re-tested at the end of the school year to evaluate the effects of the project. A control group at the same high school was tested for comparative data.

Data from the first and second years of the project have indicated improvement in writing skills of high school seniors participating in the project. Performance data in Year One revealed that the projected placement of students in freshman composition based on pre-test scores was 41.25 percent while data at the close of the senior year found 60 percent of the students placing into freshman composition. Of the students who originally placed into remedial composition, 33.75 percent made a positive change in end-of-the-year placement.

Similarly, comparative end-of-the-year performance data between the study and control groups in Year Two indicated a positive trend as a result of involvement in the project. Final placement of both groups using traditional assessment tools found project students placing into freshman composition at a rate of 52.3 percent while control group students placed into freshman composition at a rate of 34.16 percent. Using portfolio assessment, the project group placed into freshman composition at a rate of 70.11 percent.

Tracking the progress of graduating seniors in the study group further demonstrated positive effects of the project. Project students from Year One enrolled in four-year colleges at a rate of 50 percent while other graduates of the high school enrolled at a rate of 42 percent; the overall city rate from ten other schools was 48 percent. Project students enrolled in two-year colleges at a rate of 32 percent while other graduates of the same high school enrolled at a rate of 31 percent; the overall city rate was 27 percent.

A college-sponsored writing center was established in the high school to provide a writing community, an extended audience for student writing, and practice in self-assessment and reflection. Trained by college faculty, student consultants and teachers voluntarily assisted students in planning, editing, and revising compositions. The center expanded its offerings to students and teachers across the curriculum. In Year Two, the college and grant personnel sponsored a second writing center at an additional high school.

Collaboration opened channels of information and understanding among teachers and students from secondary and postsecondary institutions. Project personnel met weekly to plan, assess, and share instructional strategies. As teachers amassed a store of innovative instructional activities, they began mentoring other teachers and sharing activities from the model. Project activities filtered across the city and resulted in a series of citywide workshops on portfolio instruction.

Local and national dissemination has been ongoing through professional presentations and publications by project personnel. The college-placement process is under review, with multiple measures of assessment being considered. Project goals and activities continue to be refined as additional comparative data is collected in Year Three.