Projects

Evaluating the Development of Secondary Writing Teaching & Learning Solutions

2019 – 2023

Project Overview

Objective

Mathematica worked in close partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and their grantees to systematically collect and synthesize evidence on solutions for secondary writing teaching and learning. The evidence was used to (1) inform grantees’ program development and improvement, and (2) generate evidence about the effectiveness of secondary writing solutions in the portfolio.

Project Motivation

As part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Solutions portfolio, this project sought to dramatically improve secondary writing instruction, so that all students who are Black, Latino, and/or experiencing poverty would be engaged in writing and would be on track with college- and career-level competencies.

Partners in Progress

Grantees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  • CommonLit
  • Ecree
  • Educational Testing Service (ETS)
  • Measurement Incorporated
  • Mikva Challenge
  • Quill
  • Vantage Learning
Prepared For

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mathematica provided technical assistance to Secondary Writing grantees developing automated writing feedback tools, which are platforms that provide automated formative feedback on student writing, and grantees that are developing argumentative writing curricula and instructional supports.
The team helped build grantees’ capacity to develop and execute measurement and evaluation plans. Continuous improvement and diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks informed the measurement and evaluation work. To support the technical assistance work, Mathematica developed a suite of tools and templates and a menu of measures vetted by a panel of experts to promote use of high-quality and common measures for key student and teacher writing outcomes. Mathematica also served as the third-party evaluator for one grantee that sought to validate the effectiveness of its tool. Finally, Mathematica developed a series of briefs to highlight the evidence generated through studies of two automated writing feedback tools. 

Related Staff

Marykate  Zukiewicz

Marykate Zukiewicz

Senior Researcher

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Megan Shoji

Megan Shoji

Principal Researcher

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Lindsay Fox

Lindsay Fox

Senior Researcher

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Francesca Venezia

Francesca Venezia

Researcher

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Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn

Senior Researcher

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Kaleen Healey

Kaleen Healey

Senior Researcher

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Sarah Humpage  Liuzzi

Sarah Humpage Liuzzi

Senior Researcher

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Larissa  Campuzano

Larissa Campuzano

Principal Researcher

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Tareena Musaddiq

Tareena Musaddiq

Researcher

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Ijun Lai

Ijun Lai

Researcher

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Julieta  Lugo-Gil

Julieta Lugo-Gil

Principal Researcher

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Claire Smither Wulsin

Claire Smither Wulsin

Researcher

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Ryan Ruggiero

Ryan Ruggiero

Researcher

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Sonia Pace

Sonia Pace

Research Analyst

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Mayra Sandoval

Mayra Sandoval

Researcher

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Kathleen Feeney

Kathleen Feeney

Senior Survey Researcher

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Connor J. Rooney

Connor J. Rooney

Researcher

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Isabel Callaway

Isabel Callaway

Advisory Services Analyst

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