Resources and Management

One of the biggest obstacles to starting a high school writing center is, well, starting it. Teachers, parents, or administrators who wish to create a center must have administrative support, school board approval, faculty cooperation, and a solid accountability system. Some guidance from those who have been there:

Tom Brandt, http://www.berkeleyprep.org/wc/index.htm Center for Writing , Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa, FL

Judy Hogan, http://district.kmsd.edu/~writing/writeplace.htm The Write Place, Kettle Morain HS, Wales, WI

Jeanette Jordan, http://gbn.glenbrook.k12.il.us/academics/english/WritingCenter/GBNWritePlace.htm The Write Place, Glenbrook North HS, Northbrook, IL

Drew Mullen, Write on Time, Wauwatosa East HS, Wauwatosa, WI

Lee Ann Spillane, http://www.laspillane.org/rwc.html The Reading Writing Center, University HS, Orlando, FL

(These directors corresponded by email with insights on their experiences.)

• How much does this whole thing cost? Money doesn�t just grow on trees, you know!

The cost of a new writing center will vary depending on the size of the institution and the administration�s willingness to invest. Several mentioned that their budgets, like those of school systems as a whole, variable and often on the verge of being cut, but they persevere.

Mullen: I received a $1,350 grant from a local foundation called the http://tosa2.wauwatosa.k12.wi.us/efw/ EFW. This mainly covered tracking software ($660) from WCOnline <http: _moz-userdefined="">, initial advertising, a sign, some books, two stamps, and a couple of miscellaneous costs to be determined at the end of the year�The cost of that is somewhat debatable, but essentially it cost the district $17,000. </http:>

Hogan: We have a budget of $531 which I use for 3 magazines, food for the peer consultants, a peer consultant celebration (lunch) each semester, and supplies. All of our handouts, papers etc. are part of the high school copying budget. The main cost of the center is 1 [full-time equivalent], a teacher.

Jordan: [Writing centers] can pretty much operate with minimal budgets. We're fortunate because we have a WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum) program & do staff development and work throughout the school so we are given a 4/5 teaching position to the writing center. This time is split among 3 teachers. We have $500 for supplies, $500 for books & $1000 for professional development, but those numbers will be trimmed next year. I collect money from the kids & donate a lot myself to keep us stocked with candy & treats.

• How should I approach administration about starting a center?

Outside support is crucial to garnering start-up capital and long-term support. Ellen Kolba and Sheila Crowell, two New Jersey parent-educators that set up a writing center in their children�s school in 1993, took pains to clarify the purpose of their writing center before starting in order to keep administration, faculty, parents and students on the same page. Writing out and publicizing a clear purpose is crucial for keeping the center on a productive track and avoiding misunderstandings that lead to destructive criticism or intervention.

Hogan: We started our writing center six years ago. It was a good time because the money crunch did not seem as drastic as it now does. I am not sure we could get a Writing Center through the School Board today. The key is for those in power -- some of the School Board members and the administration -- to be extremely in favor of a writing center. Our principal definitely advocated for our writing center.

A http://owl.english.purdue.edu/wln/Volume14/v1403.pdf summary of Cedarburg HS's proposal says its initial packet included an agenda, and sections on a justification, benefits, staffing, and budget, plus the center's newsletter, handouts, evaluation sheet, record keeping forms, and statistics.

It also helps to have a mentor or model -- namely, a local university writing center. University staff and students can provide guidance and may be willing to partner with a high school to start the center, provide some funding, and assist with training.

• What do I do as manager, and what's my compensation? What are some key managerial strategies?

The first year, it seems the director is primarily paid with satisfaction. After that, full-time employees can be negotiated and a teacher rotation can be more firmly established.

Mullen: This is the first year of operation. Next year, I get a .2 contract to direct the center, so that will cost the district about $9,000.

Hogan: I am the Director. We used to have co-directors, but that was changed this year. It had to do with needing to put teachers to help in the Writing Center by using a period that is considered their Duty period. In other words, it was a financial decision. Next year we go back to co-directors. � I am in the Writing Center four hours of the day, my co-director will be here 3 periods, another English teacher is here during lunch, and another English teacher has his duty in the Writing Center before & after school. (We have a 7 period day.) I do the budget, bills, buy the food for the peer consultants, keep track of numbers, hours served by peer consultants, documents, present yearly to school board, etc.

Despite financial pressures and a barrage of responsibility, a director can keep a center running if s/he integrates the writing center into the school culture and state curriculum.

Jordan: Our HS writing center began around 1987 and we added peer tutoring in 1992. We have had a primarily student-staffed center since that time. In fact, we have at least 4 high schools within 20 minutes of us that have similar setups with their peer tutors.

As for sustaining a WC, it's never easy. Despite our proven track record, our continued existence and staffing is questionable each year. Making WAC part of the equation helps the writing center become part of the school & not just an English center. Cross-curricular staffing (maybe with hall duty/study hall time exchanged) is great so that students can see writing is valued across the school. I can go on FOREVER about the importance of WAC in the HS writing center.

• How should I train student tutors?

[[http://writing2.richmond.edu/training/tough/index2.html] University of Richmond's "Training for Tough Tutorials" sample videos]]

• How do I get students and teachers interested in this center?

Hogan: Again, the key, key, key is support from the principal, School Board, parents, students, staff. So far, all have been supportive of this Writing Center. But, it is important to maintain good public relations as much as possible--visits to classes with peer consultants, articles in the local Laser News quarterly, etc. The writing center is now part of the culture of the school, and our students take it for granted. It has become a "cool" thing to do.

Jordan: Students get .25 pass/fail credit for working in the writing center, but nobody does it for the credit. They're in there because they want to be.

Spillane: The student-staffed side of the center has been a challenge in terms of keeping the coaches busy with clients. We have however developed long term relationships with our TMH (trainable mentally handicapped) teacher and my students do buddy reading and writing with hers twice a week.

Brandt: I can tell you some of the things we do to promote our services. We have performances about every other month--called Eat 'n Speaks. Right now the tutors are working on promoting the current one with a carnival theme. These performances don't have a lot to do with tutoring, but it does help create a positive impression of our organization.

Several of our high school English teachers require visits on certain papers or for certain students. We try to make the first visit a student has to our center a positive experience because we have historically lost students on the first visit. They form a bad impression and won't come back.

In terms of economically disadvantaged students, we bring the kids to school for two mornings each semester. We put on presentations about writing skills in addition to performing a mini tutorial for each student. We are trying to get these students on our OWL program, but it doesn't look like that will happen until next year.

• How do I prove the writing center�s merit to the powers that be?

For the sake of attracting positive attention to the center -- especially in light of No Child Left Behind mandates -- accountability is a crucial component of writing center management. Kolba and Crowell, for example, created carbonless carbon forms on which tutors wrote responses, photocopied first and second drafts, and kept all papers in a file to show the evolution of each student�s writing.

Hogan: Our school district also has a writing requirement as a graduation requirement�Our students have their portfolios assessed second semester of their junior year. The portfolio must be considered proficient (at least a 3 on a 6-point Writing Traits scale) for a student to graduate from KMHS. The effectiveness of all our writing practices are shown in the level we, as English teachers, see in our students' writing from year to year. The Writing Center is just one factor in all of that. We keep records to show the numbers of students using the Writing Center each quarter, each year, and so far our numbers have increased. We have more peer consultants each year as well. � It helps to have School Board members with students in the school who have regularly used the Center, and often have been peer consultants. It is always a tenuous thing and we try to work to keep the Writing Center in front of people.

Links:

See list of existing high school writing centers

http://writingcenters.org/directors.htm#Secondary IWCA Writing Center Director resources -- see especially the SSWC-L mailing list (Secondary School Writing Centers listserv)

http://www.writingproject.org The National Writing Project

Software:

http://users.adelphia.net/~jeffjung/StudentHours.htm �Campus Clock� trial download

http://www.therichco.com/wconline/ WCOnline

Additional reading:

Kent, Richard. A Guide to Creating Student Staffed Writing Centers: Grades 6-12 (read a review here)

Ellen D. Kolba and Sheila C. Crowell, "The Writers' Room: The Story of a Writing Center," English Journal, Volume 85, Number 6, October 1996

Jeanette Jordan, Pamela Childers & Dawn Fels, Fall 2004 Praxis, "The Secondary School Writing Center: A Place to Build Confident, Competent Writers."