WEX: Results based on a strong research pedigree

Classroom Teaching

A group of teachers discovers that they are each facing an opportunity and a problem: they have noticed the power of writing, but despite studying the research and working alongside veteran teachers in elementary, middle and high schools, they have no reliable system for reaching each and every student.

The Experiment Begins

The questions:

1. Which skills do students need to master in order to write powerfully and clearly?

2. Which habits and routines can teachers establish that will drive the greatest progress in their students’ writing?

Patterns Emerge

During WEX summer and after-school programs, investigating teachers look at student work 2x/day and spot patterns. All students, both high achieving and struggling, thrive on Deliberate Practice: setting specific goals, getting immediate feedback, and concentrating as much on process as on product.

Answers Tested

WEX initiates formal teacher training and curriculum development process. Teachers thrive with just the right combination of structure and room to personalize. Student results are immediate and lasting in schools in Boston, New York, and San Francisco.

Curriculum and PD Formalized and Released

Results are so promising that Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) wins coveted multi-million dollar Institute of Education Studies (IES) grant to study efficacy of WEX. WEX merges with Wireless Generation, Inc. amid intensifying demand for WEX curriculum and professional development.