About this Section

Welcome to this special section of Northwest Education, focusing on the 6+1 Trait™ Writing Assessment and Instruction Model.

The model began to take shape nearly 20 years ago, sparked by the collaborative effort of dedicated teachers. These pioneers in writing assessment knew that there was more to teaching writing than simply grading grammar and other mechanics. They also knew that giving a student's paper a single score—a holistic grade—didn't provide much in the way of specific feedback that a young writer could use to revise and improve her work. Teachers wanted an analytic model that would assess specific aspects of student writing. But what might such a model look like?

These determined educators began by tackling a basic question: What is good writing? One group of teachers met regularly in Beaverton, Oregon. Another got together to brainstorm in Montana. They compared reams of student work and discussed the qualities or traits that all "good" writing samples shared. Six traits emerged as the cornerstones of quality writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Later, presentation was added to the list. Eventually, scoring guides, or rubrics, were developed to assess the level of proficiency in each of the traits.

Since those early days, the 6+1 Trait™ Writing Assessment and Instruction Model has gained popularity around the globe. Teachers in every state and in many nations use the traits to help their students become better writers, confident about their ability to improve their own writing through careful revision. Several states also draw on the model for statewide writing assessments.

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory has played a central role in supporting the effective use of the 6+1 Trait™ Writing Assessment and Instruction Model. NWREL publishes a growing collection of materials to support the effective use of the traits in the classroom. In addition, NWREL experts provide training institutes around the country, and sometimes far beyond our borders, to explain how to use 6+1 Trait™ rubrics and scoring criteria, integrate writing assessment into everyday instruction, and use teaching strategies that connect the model to the world of the developing writer.

Ruth Culham, NWREL's leading 6+1 Trait™ expert and author, has been helping to shape and refine the model since those early days, and has seen interest skyrocket in recent months. To meet rising demand, NWREL has entered into new partnerships to publish and distribute 6+1 Trait™ materials. Culham has written a comprehensive teacher's guide to the traits, released this fall by Scholastic Inc. (See On the Same Page for more details.) As the line of products continues to grow to meet demand, one thing hasn't changed. Promises Culham: "Teachers remain our inspiration."

This special section provides a behind-the-scenes look at the 6+1 Trait™ Writing Assessment and Instruction Model. We introduce you to the Vanguards, a group of veteran teachers who are invited to meet annually to share ideas, keep their message consistent, and maintain the grassroots spirit that has been part of this model since the beginning. We accompany Culham to a school in Alaska that is using the model as part of schoolwide improvement efforts. We describe a brand-new effort to modify the model for use at the Indiana School for the Deaf, an example of how the traits can be adapted to serve specific populations. And we highlight the newest products, all designed to help teachers, students, and parents share a common vocabulary to talk about the writing process.