Teachers—in both explicit and subtle ways—play a key role in engaging their students in writing and, in turn, improving writing outcomes. Teachers shape students' educational experiences overtly through their instructional practices, but also in less obvious ways as they engage with students, provide support, and offer feedback. This brief summarizes instructional skills and practices that support improvements in writing for students in grades 6-12.

The findings and conclusions presented are based on an academic literature scan that Mathematica conducted in partnership with teacher development and writing instruction experts. The goal of the brief is to help school district leaders, teachers, and researchers understand what factors enhance or hinder writing interventions. This work was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.