By doing this, writing instruction is based on students needs, not the next chapter in the textbook. While writing is a big focus for the school, the staff has used their imagination to make it fun and creative instead of a chore. The principal credits that as the reason students are interested in learning. Teamwork and a school-wide emphasis on writing made the difference said Principal Dr. Jan Stauffer. The focus on writing has been led by the school s English department with support from teachers in all other subject areas.
All classes require students to write.
Once every six weeks all students do a timed writing on a specific topic. Because of this team effort, LaVergne High s 11 th graders had the highest proficiency rate on the 1999-2000 writing assessment of all the high schools in the Rutherford County. The Rutherford County School system has supported these efforts with the training and tools teachers and administrators need to improve students writing skills. The school system recognized exceptional writing by students in the spring by publishing a book of their work titled Promise of a New Millennium. Even though writing scores have risen significantly, there is still room for improvement.