The Writing Trait Model: Research Proven

A definitive five-year study on the traits of writing was conducted by Education Northwest, Portland, Oregon, and published by the Department of Education, IES (Institute of Education Science) in December 2011. The study provides high-quality evidence of the effectiveness of the analytical trait-based model for increasing student achievement in writing.

The Writing Framework for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress defines writing as "A purposeful act of thinking and expression used to accomplish many different goals." For those entrusted with fostering new generations of capable and confident writers, we want to make sure that every instructional moment is grounded in sound research and NAEP and Common Core State Standards.

To this end, we can turn with confidence to more than two decades of research and data based on the Trait Model of Writing, now widely regarded as the gold standard of classroom-based analytic writing assessment and targeted writing instruction.