Chippewa River Writing Project Application

              Chippewa River Writing Project Application
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Part I: Introduction................................................................................................................... .. 2
A. Cover Page......................................................................................................................... 2
B. Introduction................................................................................................................... .... 3
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 3
Who We Are ....................................................................................................................... 3
How We Will Serve the Region........................................................................................... 5
What We Will Do................................................................................................................ 6
CMU Faculty Information................................................................................................... 8
Working with the National Writing Projects of Michigan ( NWPM)................................... 12
Part II: Work of a Writing Project Site ...................................................................................... 15
A. Invitational Summer Institute ........................................................................................... 15
B. Continuity/ Teacher Leadership......................................................................................... 16
C. In- Service........................................................................................................................ 17
D. Evaluation..................................................................................................................... .. 18
Part III: Budget Narrative.......................................................................................................... 19
1. Salaries and 2. Benefits ..................................................................................................... 19
3. Supplies/ Printing/ Office Support....................................................................................... 20
4. Stipends and Tuition.......................................................................................................... 21
5. Travel......................................................................................................................... ...... 21
Part IV: Enclosures ................................................................................................................... 22
A. Proposed SI Schedule....................................................................................................... 23
B. Directors' Resumes ........................................................................................................... 24
C. Letters of Support -- Area Schools.................................................................................... 25
D. Letters of Support -- University Administrators and Faculty............................................. 26
D1. Letters of Support from Other NWP Sites....................................................................... 27
D2. Letters of Support from Other Community Organizations............................................... 28
E. Donor Letters.................................................................................................................... 29
F. Sign- Off Page ................................................................................................................... 30
G. Certificate of Compliance................................................................................................. 31
Chippewa River Writing Project Application
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Part I: Introduction
A. Cover Page
Chippewa River Writing Project Application
Department of English Language and Literature
College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
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B. Introduction
Executive Summary
The Chippewa River Writing Project ( CRWP), as a site of the National Writing Project ( NWP) at
Central Michigan University, will further the mission of both organizations by improving the
teaching and learning of writing in Michigan’s schools and local communities. Through an
intensive summer institute for K- 16 teachers of all subject areas, professional development
collaborations with local schools, and additional programs for youth and teachers, the CMU
faculty and local teachers involved in the CRWP will focus outreach activities in mid- Michigan
and the northeastern quadrant of the lower peninsula that support the teaching and learning of
writing. Over time, the site will develop relationships with teachers and schools that will support
quality writing instruction and, in turn, will better prepare our students for college, work, and
community service. Specific opportunities will vary based on faculty and teacher interests and
the site’s capacity, yet we see immediate potential to 1) strengthen CMU’s community outreach
efforts, 2) invite local teachers – many of whom are CMU alumni – back for graduate course
work, compete for additional grant and foundation monies, and 3) increase CMU presence in
local, state, and national conversations about the teaching of English language arts.
Specific benefits for all parties involved include:
• Numerous contact hours between CMU faculty and local teachers and students each year,
thus connecting CMU more closely with the local and state K- 12 community;
• Potential revenue generation through yearly continued funding applications to the
National Writing Project as well as writing project activities from credit hours,
professional development programs, and youth programs;
• Opportunities for local teachers and CMU students to work with faculty to develop and
lead programming on and off campus; and
• Opportunities for additional research and grant funding through NWP networks and
initiatives as well as Michigan Department of Education ( MDE) grants such as Title II.
Who We Are
Central Michigan University's Department of English Language and Literature submits this
application to begin a new site of the National Writing Project, the Chippewa River Writing
Project ( CRWP). Consisting of nearly 70 regular and temporary faculty members, and situated in
an institution of 28,000 students, our department has a rich tradition in English education. CMU
was founded in 1892 as a normal school and has held firm to its commitment in teacher
preparation since then, with the English Department providing leadership in that mission.
Specifically, we offer courses in English and language arts for both elementary and secondary
majors and minors, as well as master’s courses for in- service teachers.
As a faculty, we have a proven record of service to the profession in local, state, and national
professional organizations including the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, National
Council of Teachers of English, the Michigan Conference on English Education, the Conference
on English Education, College Composition and Communication, and the National Writing
Project. Our interests are as wide as they are deep, encompassing a variety of perspectives in
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English studies including composition and rhetoric, writing center pedagogy, children’s and
young adult literature, popular culture, and newer literacies and technologies.
CMU is situated in the heart of Mid- Michigan, drawing in commuter students as well as serving
the rest of the state and nation through off- campus programs. As we think about the broader
context for our potential site, we want to briefly reference our recent address to faculty by Dr.
Michael Rao, CMU’s president. He continues to support CMU’s commitment to outreach and
service through our university’s strategic plan, Vision 2010 ( http:// www. planning. cmich. edu/). In
particular, the plan calls for “ CMU to achieve national prominence in the areas of integrity,
academic excellence, research and creative activity, and public service.” In his address to faculty
at the beginning of the 2007- 08 school year, Rao specifically cited the need to turn research and
scholarship into service for the northern Michigan region in which our writing project would
work. Consistent with the university’s overall goals to “ design and develop innovative and
effective learning systems to meet contemporary educational needs,” “ provide an environment
that allows for broad- based community involvement and participation in democratic civic life,”
and “ offer graduate programs in niche areas of faculty strength that meet regional, state, national
and international needs,” we feel that CMU is prepared to support a thriving writing project site
( http:// www. cmich. edu/ mission- goals. htm).
The English Department, in particular, is well- positioned to do the work of a writing project site.
Our department maintains supervision over the language arts major and minor, a task typically
reserved for colleges of education. Because of these programs, we have a cohort of faculty
members in our English education and writing studies interest groups, most of whom come from
a background of K- 12 teaching: Marcy Taylor, Susan Steffel, Elizabeth Brockman, and Troy
Hicks, who would be directly involved in the site’s work, as well as Susan Griffith, Jan Dressel,
John Dinan, and Mary Ann Crawford all of whom would also lend their support to the site.
Furthermore, our history and future lends itself to the growth of a new site. As a related
component of the department’s work, a Writing Center was established in the mid- 1990s that
now includes three campus locations, online consulting, and hosts more than 10,000 peer
consultations per year. Mary Ann Crawford, Director of the Writing Center, has proposed that
the center evolve into a Center for Writing, which could collaborate with a new writing project
site. Also, as we look to the future, we have proposed a Ph. D. in English education and
children’s and young adult literature, a program that we feel could work in conjunction with a
writing project site to provide new opportunities to local teachers who might want to pursue an
advanced degree.
CMU, both institutionally and geographically, has a unique place in the state of Michigan and
around the country. Long recognized as a leader in off- campus programs, CMU has a tradition of
outreach and service beyond its region. That said, we also recognize that this site would be fitting
into the larger National Writing Projects of Michigan network, and would seek to serve the
middle to northeastern corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula, a region absent of any current
writing project site. We have already contacted local site leaders from Crossroads Writing
Project, Red Cedar Writing Project’s Top- of- the- Mitt Satellite, the Saginaw Bay Writing Project,
and the Upper Peninsula Writing Project as well as the entire board of directors of the National
Writing Projects of Michigan. Their response has been positive, and we understand that our site
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would need to fit into this strong, existing network. Thus, we have been seeking collaborations
already, and plan to continue to do so in the future.
The immediate service area for the CRWP would include the Gratiot- Isabella RESD and the
Clare- Gladwin RESD, our two local intermediate school districts that serve fourteen schools
districts, many of them rural. In our initial contact with the curriculum directors at each of these
intermediate districts, we found that these counties struggle in similar ways.
Median Incomes Average Free
and Reduced
Lunch Count
MEAP
Writing
Scores
( Grades 3- 8)
MME Writing
Exam
( High School)
Clare- Gladwin
Approximately
75% of Michigan
median income
( approximately
$ 44K in MI to
$ 34K in Clare-
Gladwin)
48% average in
local schools
( low of 29%,
high of 66%)
Typically
slightly lower
than state
averages in
grades 3- 7
Typically lower
to significantly
lower than state
averages ( except
Clare schools)
Gratiot- Isabella
Approximately
80% of Michigan
median income
( approximately
$ 44K in MI to
$ 35.5K in Gratiot-
Isabelle)
35% average in
local schools
Typically at
or slightly
above state
averages in
grades 3- 7
Typically at or
slightly above
state averages
As we review the characteristics of mid- Michigan, including the teachers, students, and
communities we will serve, we are enthusiastic about the possibility of starting a new writing
project site. Aware of our role in the state network, conscious of what our department can bring
with its background and research interests, and relying on the strength of our university as a
whole, we feel confident that the Chippewa River Writing Project will be a successful site of the
National Writing Project, thus furthering its mission to put a site within reach of every teacher in
the country.
How We Will Serve the Region
The CRWP would be uniquely poised to connect teachers and schools in our local communities
to the university and larger professional networks. For many years, our English faculty have been
building collaborations with teachers in these counties in many ways.
• Midtier Placements: The English department has developed a midtier placement program
for students in writing methods courses that has been adopted by the university in other
education classes. This program, developed in the late 1980s, places writing methods
students, typically one semester before their student teaching, with a local writing teacher
for two hours a week over the course of the semester. These relationships have developed
over time, and we place anywhere from 50 to 125 students per semester in local
elementary, middle and high schools.
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• Subject Matter Supervision: In addition to these midtier placements, English faculty also
serve as subject matter supervisors for students in the secondary English programs.
During their students teaching, the faculty member visits each student twice for a
classroom observation and follow- up meeting.
• Masters Programs: A large number of our masters degree students are classroom teachers
who have completed our Masters ( M. A.) in Language and Literature program. We also
offer a Masters ( M. A.) in Composition and Communication for Professional Writers.
Some of our students have participated in a writing project at other institutions, and we
regularly write in those credits as a part of their program, so we are well aware of the
strength that a writing project could bring to our own programs.
• Existing Local Collaborations: As an outreach effort, we have teamed with faculty at
Mid- Michigan Community College, staff at the Clare- Gladwin RESD, and local high
school teachers to offer, three times a year, a “ dinner and dialogue,” where secondary and
college teachers get together to discuss timely topics related to the teaching of writing,
including high- stakes assessment, the high school/ college transition, and rubrics.
• Additional Professional Development: Working in conjunction with the local RESDs
( Gratiot- Isabella and Clare- Gladwin), the Michigan Department of Education ( MDE),
and the Michigan Council of Teachers of English ( MCTE), faculty also present inservices
and local workshops on a variety of pedagogical and legislative topics. For example,
Troy Hicks and Susan Steffel recently presented with MDE personnel in Alma on the
topic of the new Michigan literature and writing genres in an inservice program
sponsored by MCTE for K- 12 teachers in the region. Previous to that, English faculty
worked with Mt. Pleasant schools to revise their ELA curriculum, especially at the high
school level.
What We Will Do
Like all writing project sites, we aim to engage local teachers, youth, and community members in
a variety of literacy- rich programs, especially those focused on writing. Our site is poised to
work well on three fronts, utilizing face- to- face sessions and information communication
technologies to support the core work of the site with rural outreach, youth programs, and the
Center for Writing.
1. Rural sites/ outreach
CMU has taken on as its goal the idea that we need to serve constituencies, especially those in
our local community and in mid- and northern Michigan, with the knowledge and experience of
a university in conjunction with recognition of local needs. The CRWP aims to engage teachers
as a primary constituency, and youth and community members as a secondary constituency.
Because our territory is almost entirely rural, we would immediately seek to join NWP’s Rural
Site Network and connect with other offices and departments at CMU that are engaged in Rural
outreach, such as the Center for Education Excellence— the College of Education and Human
Services outreach office. We would work to offer programs in local communities by supporting
key teacher leaders who would then set up their own outreach initiatives, including book clubs
and writing groups for teachers, as well as programs for students, parents, and the community at
large.
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Our goal would be to engage teachers in local work while combating the innate isolation that
such work typically involves. The CRWP would serve as a network of interested individuals who
share common understandings about the northeastern Michigan context and can develop
collaborations that connect students in meaningful writing tasks. Since we will serve a wider
community and we all recognize the need to help students and teachers develop twenty- first
century literacies, the CRWP will incorporate technology into all core aspects of its work.
During the summer institute, teachers will be provided with laptops to use while on campus, and
digital writing skills would be woven throughout the experience. Teachers would have the
opportunity to compose digital stories, websites, blogs, and other web- based forms of writing,
exploring pedagogical uses of these technologies for their own students.
In addition to face- to- face events that move from community to community, we would use
technology such as web conferencing, list servs, blogs, and wikis to provide continuity events for
teachers and other programs for youth. By working closely with teachers in the summer institute
and offering them experiences with technology that support collaborations, we would be
modeling the types of writing and learning that they could then support in their own school
context.
2. Youth Programs and Community Outreach
CMU has a rich set of summer offerings in sports, music, and leadership camps as well as other
outreach efforts such as Grandparents University and the King- Chavez- Parks programs. The
CRWP would seek to develop similar programs, especially summer youth camps for local
students that focus on writing. Recognizing our situation in a geographically dispersed region, as
well as the financial situation of many of our community’s families, we are seeking foundation
support to immediately begin our youth programs. Specifically, we have begun conversations
with CMU’s director of foundations and development, Cindy Hales, who is working to find
external funding from local private, philanthropic, and corporate funders to underwrite our youth
programming.
Modeled after the many other successful summer writing camps at CMU as well as other NWPM
sites, we would likely begin with a one week summer writing camp for elementary students and
continue to expand those offerings each year to include sessions for middle and high school
students as well. This program could dovetail with our summer sections of the midtier classes,
where we could team our undergraduates with experienced teacher consultants to team teach
during the youth camps. Another possibility, based on funding available in and to local
communities in northeastern Michigan, would be to go to local schools or community
organizations and have weekly sessions throughout northern Michigan, based on the location of
our teacher consultants and the need for such programs.
3. Writing Center/ Center for Writing
Our Writing Center, under the direction of Mary Ann Crawford, has developed significantly over
the past few years. While there are no specific plans right now for a writing project/ writing
center collaboration, we can imagine a casual relationship that might develop over time based on
proximity ( the summer institute would be held, in part, in one of the writing center locations at
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the university library) and collaboration between teacher consultants and local high school
writing centers. Both Crawford and Hicks did graduate work at the Michigan State University
Writing Center/ Red Cedar Writing Project, and that site’s symbiotic relationship between the
center and the project offers us a model for how we can grow our own work.
CMU Faculty Information
We are pleased that the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences and Central
Michigan University will support the follow faculty from the English Department to act as
leaders in the CRWP.
Director - Troy Hicks, Ph. D.
As a second- year faculty member, Troy brings his five years of experiences with the Red Cedar
Writing Project at Michigan State University to our English education program and our
application for the Chippewa River Writing Project. His work as a middle school teacher and
then at RCWP centered on teacher leadership and professional development, especially related to
writing across the curriculum and writing with technology. We have selected Troy to serve as the
director of our site because of his experience with the writing project model and his professional
commitment to collaborate with K- 12 teachers in our area. He also brings the unique perspective
of a scholar focused on writing with technology, an area that we feel could be developed in our
department and especially with courses for teachers. Troy serves a number of local, state, and
national roles including:
• Co- Director of the Red Cedar Writing Project at Michigan State University
• Technology Chair for the Michigan Reading Association
• Web Editor for the National Writing Projects of Michigan
• A facilitator for NWP’s Technology Matters in 2006 and 2007 and initial member of the
Technology Liaison Network Leadership Team
• Convener of the revitalized Michigan Literacy Consortium, a collaborative group with
members of Michigan’s literacy, English language arts, speech and communication
professional organizations
• Reviewer for professional journals including English Education, The CITE
( Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education) Journal, and Pedagogy:
Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture.
Troy would specifically be responsible for the day- to- day operations of the site, including:
• Recruiting teachers for and developing plans for the summer institute;
• Leading professional development sessions in local schools;
• Developing initial contact between CRWP and other local schools, NWPM sites, CMU
offices, and other constituencies;
• Establishing internal procedures for CRWP work including administrative tasks,
continued funding, and reporting; and
• Create continuity opportunities for CRWP teachers, especially through distance learning
opportunities.
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Co- Director – Susan Steffel, Ph. D.
Susan Steffel has been a professor at CMU since 1991 and teaches both undergraduate and
graduate courses in English education and young adult literature. Specialty areas include the
teaching of writing, the teaching of reading, teacher mentoring, and young adult literature.
As a former high school teacher in Vermontville, Michigan for 18 years, Steffel has maintained a
close connection with the public schools, working with teachers and providing in- services
throughout the state. She was selected for this project because of her 35- year involvement with
Michigan’s public schools, her expertise in English education and teacher mentoring, and her
leadership role in the State of Michigan. Steffel was one of the founding board members of the
Michigan Writing Project, a statewide organization formed in the early ' 80s, which was the
predecessor of the regional state writing projects.
Her commitment for helping others is demonstrated through her many professional
responsibilities including:
• Faculty mentor: Conference on English Education/ NCTE
• Faculty mentor: Michigan Council of Teachers of English
• English Language Arts consultant
• Judge: NCTE Promising Young Writers
• President, Michigan Conference on English Education
• Former co- editor, Language Arts Journal of Michigan
• Former president, Michigan Council of Teachers of English
• State representative: Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, NCTE
• CMU Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching Fellow
��� Reviewer of professional journals and manuscripts including English Education, English
Journal, and Pedagogy.
Dr. Steffel’s list of numerous professional awards and honors includes: CMU Excellence in
Teaching Awards in 1996 and 2006, the CMU College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral
Science Excellence in Teaching Award in 2005, and the Michigan Council of Teachers of
English 2006 Charles Carpenter Fries Award for teaching excellence, longtime service, and
distinguished leadership to the profession at both the state and national levels. Most recently, she
was named the Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year by the President’s Council of the
State Universities of Michigan.
Co- Director – Elizabeth Brockman, Ph. D.
Elizabeth Brockman came to the English Department at CMU in 1996. Before that time, she
taught middle and high school English ( grades 6- 12) in public schools for nearly a decade in
Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. As a public school teacher, Elizabeth mentored student teachers,
served as host teacher for field experiences, and worked with countless students from a broad
range of ethnic, religious, and socio- economic backgrounds. Since coming to CMU, Elizabeth
has taught primarily composition and composition methods courses at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels, and she has served as Director of Composition, supervising for three years
the ENG 101 graduate assistants who teach nearly half of the first- year composition courses at
CMU. Additionally, a significant aspect of Elizabeth’s teaching responsibilities require working
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in the public schools. More specifically, she supervises the English Department field experience
in local & area schools, and she mentors student teachers with English majors across the entire
Lower Peninsula. In both capacities, Elizabeth has worked with literally dozens of Michigan
public school teachers.
Elizabeth’s specialty area is composition. She is the author of The Blue Guide: Written
Communication for Leaders in Law Enforcement ( Pearson 2007), and she is associate editor of
Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture
( Duke UP). She has published articles in competitive national journals ( English Journal, The
Writing Instructor, Willa, and Journal of Business Communication) and substantive regional
journals ( Language Arts Journal of Michigan, The Ohio Journal of English Language Arts, and
In Command). Regardless of publishing venue, all of Elizabeth’s scholarly work focuses upon
pedagogy, primarily the teaching and importance of writing. Given her work in both
Composition Studies and English Education, one of Elizabeth more important research agendas
is bridging the long standing schism between the university and secondary- level composition
communities, a goal consistent with the mission of National Writing Project.
Elizabeth’s teaching and administrative experiences, as well as her research agenda and
scholarship record, help to qualify her for a co- directorship of the proposed Chippewa River
Writing Project. In addition, she offers the following achievements and experiences:
• Competitive Teaching Awards. Awarded the 2005 DKG Teacher of the Year and the
2007 CHSBS Teacher of the Year; nominated for the 2007 CMU Teaching Excellence
Award.
• Local/ National Leadership Roles. Chair a national interest group called English
Education/ Composition Studies Connection ( 2005- 2010); piloted a monthly “ Brown
Bag” discussion for composition faculty at CMU ( 07- 08); have chaired several
departmental and university- wide committees at CMU ( ongoing).
• Teacher Mentoring. Have worked with a number of public school teachers on thesis
committees, manuscript submissions, state/ national conference presentations, and other
professionalizing activities ( onging); encouraged ENG 101 graduate assistants with
teaching credentials to participate in teaching conferences, CMU field experiences, and
other relevant department/ university service opportunities ( 2005- 08).
• School Outreach. Presented “ Preparing Students for College Writing” to the Inland
Lakes Public Schools ( F 07), participated on a panel discussion about college standards at
Shepherd High School ( S 08), and served as a “ senior portfolio” judge at Ithaca High
School ( S 08); Work with local teachers through the Clare- Gladwin RESD ( ongoing).
• Professional Consulting. Lead full- day workshops on effective written communication
for over one hundred adult learners annually in the fields of law enforcement and fire
service ( ongoing).
• Manuscript Reviewing. Serve as a reviewer for English Journal, Language Arts Journal
of Michigan, and Pedagogy ( ongoing).
• Sabbatical Plans. Plan to attend a 2009 Summer Institute offered by the Red Cedar
Writing Project at MSU or the Crossroads Writing Projects at Ferris State during her 09-
10 sabbatical leave.
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The co- directors would rotate responsibilities for operations of the site from calendar year to
calendar year ( for instance, Steffel would co- direct in calendar year 2009, Brockman in 2010),
including:
• Recruiting teachers and supporting plans for the summer institute;
• Supporting professional development, as needed; and
• Planning continuity events, especially those related to teacher research.
Additional Faculty
• Marcy Taylor, Ph. D.; Chair, Department of English Language and Literature
• Mary Ann Crawford, Ph. D.; Director of CMU Writing Center
• Susan Griffith, Ph. D.; Associate Professor of English with emphasis on Children’s
Literature
Local Teacher Leaders/ Associate Directors – Penny Lew, Farwell Schools
Penny Lew has been with Farwell Middle School since 2000, teaching primarily 8th grade
English Language Arts, with experience in 5th grade Health Education, 7th grade Careers, 7th &
8th grade Diversity Education, and High School Alternative ELA. Her teaching focus is on
literacy with an emphasis on young adult lit, and she recently participated in the Red Cedar
Writing Project 2008 summer institute. She received the MCTE teacher leadership award in
2004, and is her school’s department chair, building union rep, and yearbook advisor.
The associate directors would specifically be responsible for contributing to summer
programming, professional development, and long- term planning of the site, including:
• Recruiting teachers for and developing plans for the summer institute;
• Developing youth programs, including a summer camp for elementary students;
• Leading professional development sessions in local schools; and
• Creating continuity opportunities for CRWP teachers, especially in their own local areas.
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Working with the National Writing Projects of Michigan ( NWPM)
We recognize that our site would be situated in a strong state network and, specifically, amongst
three sites in northern Michigan as well as another in the Upper Peninsula. While we know that
one of these sites is relatively new, and that others have had some problems with recruiting for
the summer institute, we believe that the CRWP would fill a new niche. In particular, we are
interested in potentially pursuing a model of a rotating summer institute, where CMU faculty
could work with local teacher leaders to have our initial institutes in Mt. Pleasant and then, after
we have established our presence, move to other locations in northeastern Michigan that are
historically underserved by universities in general and CMU in particular. For instance, we could
imagine a rotation of summer institutes that goes from Mt. Pleasant in mid- Michigan, to
Gaylord, located in the heart of northern Michigan off of I- 75, to Cheboygan or Alpena in the
northeast corner of the state. This would require, of course, a great deal of coordination with
local ISDs and schools, but it is a challenge that we feel we can meet over the years ahead.
Thus, we have already begun preliminary conversations with other sites in the state network that
currently do work in this proposed service area, including Crossroads WP at Ferris State,
Saginaw Bay WP at Saginaw Valley State, the Red Cedar WP’s satellite, the Top- of- the- Mitt
WP at Northern Michigan College in Petoskey, and the Upper Peninsula WP in Marquette. In
particular, in our talks with Lynn Chrenka at Crossroads, we recognize how our sites
( approximately 40 miles apart) would need to collaborate closely so as to meet the needs of local
teachers, many of them rural, without competing for their time and attention. Currently,
Crossroads alternates the site of its summer institute from Big Rapids to Traverse City, and we
would be interested in thinking about ways to alternate our summer institute as well.
Moreover, we have discussed various other collaborations for open and advanced institutes, as
well as continuity and professional development. Potential ideas include writing retreats at
CMU- owned properties such as the Biological Station on Beaver Island or the Nethercutt
Zibiwing Center as well as open institutes sponsored with other NWPM sites in other areas of
northern Michigan ( such as Alpena, Cheboygan, and Gaylord). Given NWPM’s focus for the
next year in writing- across- the- curriculum through the Michigan Department of Education, we
feel that we could begin contributing immediately to that work and recruiting teachers for next
summer’s invitational.
In short, we realize that there are many reasons why NWP may choose not to locate another site
in northern Michigan, yet we feel that we are submitting this site application with our eyes open
to the possibilities and pitfalls of our service area and we are willing to collaborate with other
NWPM sites to continue each site’s programming and growth.
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C. Chippewa River Writing Project Timeline
Date Action Personnel
By January 31, 2008
• Secure initial support
from CHSBS Dean,
Provost, and President
• Secure initial support
from Clare- Gladwin,
Gratiot- Isabella, Mid-
Michigan, and local
schools
• Secure initial support
from NWPM and local
sites in northern
Michigan
• Contact potential site
leaders
Troy, Marcy, Sue, Liz, Mary
Ann
By April 30, 2008
• Secure letters of support
from all parties listed
above
• Key personnel submit
applications for summer
institute participation
( RCWP, CWP)
Troy, Marcy, Sue, Liz, Mary
Ann
Local school leaders and CMU
administration
By August 1, 2008
• Full draft of NWP Site
Application complete
and sent to NWPM
colleagues for review
Troy, Marcy, Sue, Liz, Mary
Ann
CMU’s Office of Research and
Sponsored Programs
September 15, 2008
• Submit Chippewa River
Writing Project new site
application
Troy, Marcy, Sue, Liz, Mary
Ann
November 20- 22, 2008
• Attend NWP Annual
Meeting in San
Antonio, TX
Troy, Sue, Liz, and Penny
January 2009 • Initial recruitment effort Troy, Sue, Liz, and Penny
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for first invitational
summer institute
March 2009
• New site meeting with
NWP staff
• Summer institute
applications due
Troy, Marcy, Sue, Liz, Mary
Ann, and Penny
April 2009
• CRWP Leadership
Team meeting for
application review and
summer institute
planning
• Notification to SI
participants
Troy, Sue, Liz, and Penny
May 2009 • Pre- SI meeting for
participants Troy, Sue, Liz, and Penny
June 22 - July 17, 2009 • CRWP Invitational
Summer Institute Troy, Sue, and Penny
September 2009
• Begin 2009- 10 school
year continuity and
professional
development activities
Troy, Sue, Liz, and Penny
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Part II: Work of a Writing Project Site
The Chippewa River Writing Project, like all writing project sites, will center its work on three
key areas: the invitational summer institute, continuity and teacher leadership, and in- service in
local schools. As noted above, CRWP will be situated within a strong state network and in a
geographical area that has teachers widely distributed. Thus, we see ourselves as filling two
niches. First, a local niche in the mid- Michigan area, which will be especially for teachers who
choose to complete their master’s degrees at CMU as well as those who need continuing
professional development credit. Second, a state niche, in which we will collaborate closely with
our NWPM neighbors to support K- 12 teachers in mid- and northeastern Michigan.
In this respect, we have many role models to follow, colleagues to collaborate with, and teachers
who we can serve.
The sections below describe our initial vision for our site, and the unique aspects of our work,
including:
• having an untenured director working with two tenured co- directors;
• working as a new site with writing project neighbors who are attempting to serve a
distributed geographic area; and
• integrating technology as a core component of site development and communication.
We state these unique characteristics to both name them and seek assistance from our fellow
state network sites as well as the NWP site development team.
A. Invitational Summer Institute
Our summer invitational institute will be based on a model that many other sites in the state
follow:
• A one- day pre- institute orientation in May where teachers receive subs for the day
• A four week invitational, with the first week being morning to evening sessions, followed
by three, four- day weeks of 9: 00 – 4: 00 sessions. This would occur during the last week
of June and first three weeks of July.
• A follow- up of at least one meeting in the fall, with the option of continuing teacher
research projects for additional credits.
Initial invitees for the summer 2009 invitational would be drawn specifically from the pool of
teachers in our region that we have relationships with through the midtier and subject matter
supervision programs. Like Will Banks and Todd Finley who at the Tar River Writing Project
invited a number of other TCs from their state to lead teaching demos the first week of their
inaugural institute, we would seek similar collaborations with other NWPM sites, especially
Crossroads, Red Cedar’s Top of the Mitt, Saginaw Bay, and Upper Peninsula Writing Projects.
We intend to hold true to the NWP SI model that has teaching demonstrations ( including the
prerequisite coaching and reflective follow- up), writing response groups, and teacher
research/ reading groups at the core of the summer work. Our institute would adhere to the
principles that teachers explore their work as writers and teachers of writing. We would choose
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texts and activities that would support their own personal inquiry as well as their understanding
of how to teach writing.
First, in terms of activities, we would generally follow the daily pattern of sacred writing time, a
teaching demonstration, collaborative response to that demonstration, peer writing groups, and
reading/ research groups. Within that structure, we would offer flexibility to have special events
such as poetry slams, writing marathons, and work with multimedia. The culmination of the
institute would be a celebratory dinner, in which teachers would share one significant piece of
writing and we would plan for continuity events.
Second, the texts. While we do not have particular titles in mind for our summer’s reading, we
can imagine choosing from the following genres in order to support our goals:
• A text that focuses on the broad state of writing instruction such as NWP’s Because
Writing Matters or the recent Writing Next report;
• A text that focuses on the “ teacher as writer,” such as Fletcher’s What A Writer Needs or
Spandel’s Nine Rights of Every Writer;
• A text that focuses on the teaching of writing, such as Strong’s Coaching Writing or
Burke’s Writing Reminders;
• A text that focuses on teacher research such as Lankshear and Knobel’s Handbook for
Teacher Research or Hubbard and Power’s Living the Questions; and
• A text based on topical or grade level interest ( such as technology and literacy, early
literacy, student inquiry, etc).
Our institute will be held at he Writing Center of Central Michigan University, located in CMU’s
Park Library. This modern facility would offer us access to the space and resources of the
Writing Center itself, as well as access to the Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching ( FaCIT),
which has a laptop computer lab, and the entire library for research purposes. With immediate
access to technology, we could support both traditional and digital writing processes, allowing us
to work with teachers to model the types of writing that they can do with their students and
across classrooms. With Crawford as the Director of the Writing Center, we will be able
coordinate facilities and resources, as well as invite undergraduate and graduate writing
consultants into various portions of the institute, as appropriate.
B. Continuity/ Teacher Leadership
CRWP begins its work as a writing project having had a number of successful collaborations
with local teachers from which to grow. First, a group of secondary English language arts
teachers and faculty from Mid- Michigan Community College, the Clare- Gladwin RESD, and
CMU have been participating in quarterly “ Dinner and Dialogue” meetings for the last few
years. Topics of conversation include transitions from high school to college writing courses,
writing- on- demand, sharing of lesson plans and ideas, and working with rubrics. These meetings
have been fairly well attended ( 15- 25 people per session) and rotate to different mid- Michigan
locations each quarter. We believe that these meetings have laid the groundwork for our
continued collaboration through the formation of CRWP. We have now a large pool of teachers
throughout our target area who have participated in these ongoing discussions who are ready and
eager for continued professional development on this scale, and CRWP would support that work.
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We can imagine a number of other opportunities for teacher leadership and continuity with
opportunities to present their work at CMU for future teachers. For instance, we could;
• Create a Teachers as Writers institute on Beaver Island at CMU’s Biological Station;
• Create connections to local history ( and, ideally, history teachers) such as Mackinac
Island;
• Develop networks of teachers and students across rural sites in northern Michigan that
could also connect with the larger NWP Rural Sites Network;
• Create youth camps in teachers’ local communities; and/ or
• Collaborate on these types events with Crossroads WP, Saginaw Bay WP, Top- of- the-
Mitt WP, and the Upper Peninsula WP.
C. In- Service
Michigan, as well as the entire nation, continues to expect more and more of its teachers. CMU
and the department of English are uniquely positioned to contribute to the professional growth of
teachers in our service area. First, many CMU faculty already have relationships with the local
schools. For instance, CMU faculty are often invited to serve on local curriculum committees
and offer professional development. Since many CMU teacher alumni remain in the area,
relationships that were developed as undergrads extend to professional collaborations over many
years. Moreover, CMU’s history as a teacher preparation institution has resulted in many K- 12
partnerships, most notably the Center for Excellence in Education
( http:// www. centerforexcellence. cmich. edu). We have begun conversations with the center’s
director, Pat Benson, and she is very supportive of our site application and the potential for
future collaborations.
In years past, we created a professional development school ( PDS) model between CMU and Mt.
Pleasant schools where faculty from the university met with faculty from the local schools. This
was a grant- driven model that supported in- service and curriculum development. As with many
programs, when the grants dried up, so did the program. Given the strong relationships that we
have already developed with many local teachers through our midtier placements and
enrollments in our master’s degree, we feel that PDS models such as this could be reinvigorated,
especially if we have the infrastructure of a writing project to support that work.
We also plan a strong relationship with our local RESDs, as indicated by the letters of support in
our appendixes. By working with the RESDs, we will be able to develop in- service programs
that meet the needs of many districts and can be offered to many teachers at once. Since most of
the districts in our service area are small and struggling to provide professional development for
their staff, coordinating efforts at the RESD level is a smart move in terms time, energy, and
potential impact.
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D. Evaluation
Evaluation on the CRWP will be conducted internally through the director’s, co- directors’, and
teacher leaders’ research, at the department, college, and university level, and finally through
NWP/ Inverness Research Associates.
• CRWP Internal
o Hicks, Steffel, and Brockman’s research
 Continuing IRB application to collect data from summer institute
participants about effectiveness of SI and follow- up in the school year;
 Individual teachers working on their own classroom inquiry, supported by
the director and co- directors;
 Various on- going projects supported by NWP mini- grants, CMU internal
grants, and other sources; and
 Hicks – work on NWP’s Because Digital Writing Matters book.
o Data collected about site work, including contact hours for PD and follow- up
materials
o Annual survey updates from CRWP participants that outline professional
accomplishments including leadership, publications, presentations, and in-services
• CMU/ English Department/ CHSBS/ ORSP
o Data from SI Student Opinion Surveys ( SOS)
o Additional CMU/ outside NWPM reviewer
 Observation of one day in SI and review of site data/ interview with TCs
o ORSP
 Statistical consulting on CRWP teachers’ school test data
• NWP/ Inverness
o Annual report
o Additional NWP communities, including Teacher Inquiry Community and Rural
Sites Network ( work supported through minigrants and reported directly to NWP)
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Part III: Budget Narrative
1. Salaries and 2. Benefits
Central Michigan University has conditionally offered in- kind support for the release time,
summer stipend, and benefits for the director as well as a summer stipend for co- directors, as
noted in the letter attached in our appendix. Teacher leaders will be paid through NWP monies or
additional monies that the site generates through grants or professional development work in
local schools. We anticipate the stipends to be paid as per the attached budget, yet we know that
funding can change. Ideally, we want to offer CMU faculty the equivalent of what they would
earn teaching a summer course ( even though the SI is much more intensive than a typical course)
and the teacher leaders a rate comparable to other SI’s in the state. If we are unable to work the
budget out exactly as planned, we will give preference to the stipends of the teacher leaders so as
to honor their time commitment and support their professional growth before that of the faculty
members.
Through the support of a one course per semester release and a stipend for summer work, the
Director of the CRWP will perform a number of specific duties related to the day- to- day tasks
that support the site, including but not limited to:
• Recruiting and developing a cohort of teachers for each summer institute;
• Facilitating the four week invitational summer institute;
• Creating and implementing outreach programs such as writing groups and book clubs for
teachers, camps and school- year programming for youth, and additional professional
development for local schools working in conjunction with ISDs;
• Attending state and national meetings related to writing project work such as the National
Writing Projects of Michigan ( NWPM) quarterly meetings and summer retreat, NWP
spring meeting in Washington DC, and annual meeting each November;
• Aggregating data and reporting on the work of the writing project to CMU, NWPM, and
NWP constituencies;
• Managing the NWP site grant and writing the annual funding request to NWP;
• Act as principal investigator for the site’s research initiatives, including supervision of
teacher research;
• Securing funds through foundation grants, income from professional development, and
other program registrations; and
• Maintaining relationships and developing collaborations with additional CMU faculty
and local school leaders.
Additionally, the English Department will provide the director with a single office.
Through the support of a stipend for summer work, the Co- Directors of the CRWP will perform
a number of specific duties related to supporting the summer institute and school year-professional
development, including but not limited to:
• Assisting in recruitment and planning for the summer institute;
• On a rotating basis, co- facilitating the summer institute;
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• Acting as a liaison to CMU offices such as Media Relations, Development, Research
Sponsored Programs, and FaCIT;
• Acting as a liaison to other state literacy organizations such as the Michigan Council of
Teachers of English, Michigan Reading Association, Michigan Conference on English
Education, and other related groups; and
• Supporting the director in additional tasks listed above, until internal funding
opportunities allow for a course release to engage in more direct work during the school
year.
Through the support of a stipend to be paid periodically throughout the school year, the
Associate Directors will perform a number of specific duties related to supporting the summer
institute and school year- professional development by acting as teacher leaders, including but not
limited to:
• Assisting in recruitment and planning for the summer institute;
• On a rotating basis, co- facilitating the summer institute;
• Leading professional development in local schools;
• Supporting continuity programming for CRWP teachers such as book clubs, writing
groups, and other events; and
• Additional teacher leadership roles will be developed over time, including but not limited
to: Technology Liaison, Youth Program Leaders, and Professional Development
Coordinator
Through the support of the English department, a graduate student will work for the CRWP with
a half time appointment ( 20 hours a week per semester) with one quarter of time spent on CRWP
work, the other quarter will be shared by the Writing Center. The CRWP Graduate Assistant will
assist the director, co- directors, and clerical staff by performing a number of specific duties:
• Assisting in recruitment and planning for the summer institute, including development of
a CRWP website and advertising;
• Scheduling continuity programming for CRWP teachers such as book clubs, writing
groups, and other events;
• Maintaining records related to CRWP for internal and external research and reporting
purposes; and
• Performing other duties as necessary.
3. Supplies/ Printing/ Office Support
Central Michigan University will offer in- kind support for one tenth of support time of an office
professional’s salary and benefits based on existing English office staff being reassigned to
CRWP work. Basic functions will be to coordinate CRWP communications to local schools and
teachers, maintain records on applicants for the summer institute, manage the day- to- day budget
operations, respond to email and phone queries about CRWP events, update the CRWP website,
and other duties as assigned by the director. Additionally, student workers will be provided by
the English Department for routine copying, scanning, and tabulating of research.
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The English department will also support CRWP operations through use of office supplies,
printers, and other miscellaneous costs associated with the project’s work. As the project gains
additional revenues, these funds can be used to supplement or replace English department
funding for office supplies and printing.
4. Stipends and Tuition
Teachers participating in the CRWP summer institute will be offered three options for tuition
waivers or a stipend, all supported through NWP funds.
• 3 credit tuition waiver for ENG 513 ( summer institute)
• 6 credit tuition waiver for ENG 513 ( summer institute) and ENG 697 ( teacher research
independent study)
• $ 500 stipend or equivalent in technology/ equipment for classroom research
5. Travel
Travel for Director, Co- Director, and Associate Directors to the NWP Annual Meeting in
November and Spring Meeting in April will be jointly covered through CMU and NWP funds.
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Part IV: Enclosures
A. Proposed SI Schedule
B. Directors' Resumes
C. Letters of Support – Area Schools
D. Letters of Support – University Administrators and Faculty
D1. Letters of Support from Other NWP Sites
E. Donor Letters
F. Sign- Off Page
G. Certificate of Compliance
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A. Proposed SI Schedule
Initial Summer Invitational Orientation Day: Monday, May 11, 2009
Typical SI Days will follow the same pattern:
• 9: 00 – 9: 30 – Writing Into the Day
• 9: 30 – 11: 00 – Teaching Demonstration
• 11: 00 – 12: 00 – Collaborative Responses to Teaching Demonstration ( CRTD)
• 12: 00 – 1: 00 – Lunch
• 1: 00 – 3: 00 – Various activities including writing response groups, professional reading
groups, additional demonstrations, and week- ending events
• 3: 00 – 4: 00 – Reflecting on the Day, Community Building, Read- Arounds, etc.
• Week 1 Only: 5: 00 – 8: 00 – Various activities including writing response groups,
professional reading groups, additional demonstrations, and other community- building
programming
Total Contact Hours ( 120):
• 108 contact hours in the summer institute
• 6 contact hours in spring pre- meeting in May
• 6 contact hours in fall follow- up meeting in September/ October
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Week One –
Extended Days
Monday June 22 –
Friday 26, 2009
Guest Demo 1
CRTD Demo
Intro to Writing
Groups
Guest Demo 2
Intro to
Professional
Reading
Groups
CRWP Demo 1
Writing and
Reading
Groups
CRWP Demo 2
Writing and
Reading
Groups
Week Two
Monday June 29 –
Thursday July 2,
2009
CRWP Demo 3
CRWP Demo 4
CRWP Demo 5
CRWP Demo 6
CRWP Demo 7
Week Three
Monday July 8 –
Thursday 11, 2009
CRWP Demo 8
CRWP Demo 9
CRWP Demo
10
CRWP Demo
11
CRWP Demo
12
Week Four
Monday July 15 –
Thursday 19, 2009
CRWP Demo
13
CRWP Demo
14
CRWP Demo
15
CRWP Demo
16
Final Day
Activities
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B. Directors' Resumes
• Troy Hicks
• Sue Steffel
• Elizabeth Brockman
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C. Letters of Support -- Area Schools
• Gratiot- Isabella RESD
• Clare- Gladwin RESD
• Letters from teachers interested in SI 2009
o Penny Lew
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D. Letters of Support -- University Administrators and Faculty
• Dean – Gary Shaprio
• Department Chair – Marcy Taylor
• Center for Excellence in Education – Pat Benson
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D1. Letters of Support from Other NWP Sites
• NWPM Director – Sarah Lorenz
• Local Sites in Northern Michigan
o Crossroads WP– Lynn Chrenka
o Saginaw Bay WP– Diane Boehme/ Elaine Hunyadi
o Upper Peninsula WP – Suzanne Standerford/ Mark Smith
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D2. Letters of Support from Other Community Organizations
• The Great Waters Center for Lifelong Learning – Elizabeth Eustis Turf and Cheryl
Schlehuber
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E. Donor Letters
No donor letters to report at this time.
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F. Sign- Off Page
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G. Certificate of Compliance