NAEP Writing Framework and Publishing’s Benefits The National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP), also known as “the Nation’s Report Card” has been the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of American students’ writing since 1969. In its Writing Framework and Specifications for the 1998 NAEP, the National Assessment Governing Board recognizes the benefits of student publishing:

Developing student writers are expected to achieve an
increasingly broad and deep knowledge and understanding
of the value of writing in their lives, of their own individual
writing processes, of the range of writing strategies available to them, and of the benefits of sharing and publishing their writing for a wider audience.

(The Publication Stage in) the Writing Process —More Effective than Traditional Approach

In “Teaching Composition: Research on Effective Practices” (1988), Kathleen Cotton concludes: “The major finding from the research on teaching writing is that student achievement is higher when the teaching approach emphasizes writing as a PROCESS rather than teaching using the traditional approach (Parson, 1985; Holdzkom, et al., 1982; Hillocks, 1984, 1986; Wesdorp, 1983; Amiran 1982; Keech & Thomas, 1979; ERIC Clearinghouse, 1984).” According to research and practice, students write more effectively when teachers focus on what students do as writers and help them understand and learn to write in the writing process composed of interactive and recursive stages (NAEP Framework, 1998; Thomas, 2000).

Teachers have found that the writer’s workshop approach—one which is widely accepted—is a highly effective strategy for teaching writing as a process (Smith, 2000).  Teachers’ and students’ understanding of the writing process lies at the foundation of each and every writing workshop (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001). In writing workshops, teachers work to create a writerly environment (e.g., minilessons, sustained writing time, conferencing, sharing, publishing, and so on) for their students.

Knowing that writing is a complex, recursive process, experts (Graves, 1983, 1994; Calkins, 1991; Harwayne, 2000; Murray, 1993; Fountas & Pinnell, 2001 and Atwell, 1985, 1999) have described and outlined the writing process in stages that reflect the true nature of the act of writing. Publication is a vital stage of this process when the students’ writing is delivered to their intended audience (e.g., peers, classmates, friends, family members, and so on) (Zemelman, 1998).

Cotton (1988) states that “Sommers & Collins (1984), Smith (1982), Glattorn (1981), and Wesdorp (1983) have found that student motivation and writing achievement are enhanced when student work is ‘published’ for a larger audience other than the teacher.” The vast majority of students’ published works are self-published classroom or school booklets, magazines, newspapers, calendars, and so forth.

Ensio & Boxeth (2000) comment on the enormous value of publishing to any writing program saying that “While many methods can be used to improve writing instruction, research repeatedly points to publication as a beneficial and integral addition to any writing program. Not only does publication encourage students to write by creating purpose and vision, but it also serves to improve writing skills. This is accomplished by encouraging students to revise and put forth greater overall effort.”

Research Shows that Journalism Students Do Better

As this review of the literature was being compiled and written, one expert was referred to the author time and time again by both national organizations and individuals:  Jack Dvorak, Professor of Journalism and Director of the High School Journalism Institute at Indiana since 1986. He is in his 29th year of teaching at the college level, (his first six years of teaching were at the high school level), and his research interests include journalism student performance in language arts, especially compared with non journalism students.

He has written articles about the publications experience as a predictor of college success (Dvorak, 1989) and high school publications experience as a factor in college level writing (Dvorak, 1988).
Professor Dvorak coauthored the book Journalism Kids Do Better: What Research Tells Us About High School Journalism. Tens of thousands of students work on high school newspapers, and the research in this book shows that journalism students do better on grades, ACT tests and AP exams(Dvorak, Lain, & Dickson, 1994). It also reported that students who had worked on a newspaper or yearbook staff in high school did better in high school and college than students who had had no journalism experience.

Journalism Kids Do Better contains a large body of evidence that offers statistical proof of the validity of the claims summarized next:

• High school students who were members of a journalism staff had higher grade-point-averages in English, social studies, math, and science than students who were not members of a journalism staff.

• High school students who were members of a journalism staff scored in the 81st percentile in the English portion of the ACT test. High school students who were not members of a journalism staff scored in the 69th percentile. Students with journalism staff experience also did better on the social studies portion of the test. They scored about the same in science and were significantly lower in mathematics than non journalism students.

• High school students who were members of a journalism staff were more involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs, student government and were elected captain of a team more often than students who were not members of a journalism staff. They were also more likely to take an advanced English placement course and to volunteer in the community.

• College students who were members of a high school journalism staff had higher grade-point averages in their first college English courses than students who were not members of a high school journalism staff.

• College students who were members of a high school journalism staff had higher overall grade-point averages than students who were not members of a high school journalism staff.

• College students who were members of a high school journalism staff wrote better on the ACT COMP (College Outcome Measures Test) than students who were not members of a high school journalism staff.

• Journalism kids do better in 10 of 12 major academic areas.

•  Journalism kids write better in 17 of 20 comparisons of collegiate writing.

• Journalism kids value high school journalism more highly than required English courses in fulfilling major language arts competencies.

• Journalism kids are ‘doers’ in schools—they’re more involved in co-curricular and community activities.

• Journalism students make better high school and college grades than their peers with no newspaper or yearbook staff experience. They earn higher scores than their peers on the ACT standardized examinations. Their writing is better. And they are more involved in their schools and off-campus communities.

Students who work on High School Newspapers Perform Higher in Language Arts

Professor Dvorak’s article “Journalism Student Performance in Language Arts” (1999) reports on major studies in this area.

• “A 1988 study of college freshmen divided them into four groups, according to American College Testing (ACT) English Assessment scores in order to equalize abilities in language arts competencies. Those with high school newspaper or yearbook experience had higher writing scores than did non-publications students in 13 of 16 test comparisons. All essays were graded by English professors under the guidance of ACT personnel (Dvorak, 1988). . . .

• . . . Another study compared students who had completed one year of college and who had been on the staff of a high school yearbook or newspaper with those who had not been involved with school publications. In 10 of 12 statistical academic comparisons, journalism students earned significantly higher scores than their non publications counterparts: cumulative freshman college grade point average; first collegiate English course; ACT Composite score; ACT English score; ACT Social Studies score; mean score of the final four high school courses taken prior to the ACT Assessments in English, social studies, mathematics and natural science; final high school English grade; final high school social studies grade; final high school mathematics grade; and final high school natural science grade. ACT Mathematics Assessment was significantly lower among journalism students, and ACT Natural Science Assessment scores were nearly identical between publications and non publications students (Dvorak, 1989). . . .”
[If you would like to talk with Jack Dvorak, he would be happy to talk with you. His E-mail address is <dvorakj@indiana.edu>, his office phone is (812) 855-0865 and home phone is (812) 339-9770.]

School Newspapers Sharpen other student skills: Critical thinking, test scores higher among student journalists

The following newspaper article summarizes the academic benefits for high
school students in working on their school newspapers.

School Newspapers Sharpen other student skills: Critical thinking, test scores higher among student journalists

Kevin Harter
St. Paul (Minn) Pioneer Press
December 27, 2000

Forget football, marching band, chess club and debate. Beyond going to class and studying hard, the most important high school activity—some experts believe—is working on the student newspaper.

Local and national scholastic press experts said working on a student newspaper is beneficial not only for students, but also for the school and community. “I think the opportunity to participate does so much for students and is the reason, I believe, if all other programs were cut, it would be the one to keep,” said Linda Putney, director of the Journalism Education Association. “In publishing a newspaper, students put social skills, time management, writing, design, and technology to use in a product that serves the community.”

Students also practice critical thinking, learn responsibility, tend to be more involved and score higher on ACT and SAT college placement exams, Putney said.

Her view is supported in the 1994 book Journalism Kids Do Better: What Research Tells Us About High School Journalism, by Jack Dvorak, Larry Lain and Tom Dickson.

While the majority of student scribes will never become professional journalists, they not only will have done better in school, they are better prepared for life after, including interpreting the ever-increasing flow of information, Putney said.

“A student newspaper is really a healthy and positive thing,” said Julie Wikelius, Mounds View High School principal, a former high school journalist and the mother of a former high school journalist.

“It is a chance to try out a real world experience,” she said.

In these days of standards and proficiency testing, the student newspaper is the best learning lab possible for developing writing, communication and critical thinking skills, said Tom Rolinicki, director of the National Scholastic Press Association in Minneapolis.

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