Program helps Alaska students WRITE paths to success
In Alaskan villages so remote, the only connection to the outside world is by airplane, teaching teenagers to hunt can be as crucial as helping them with a homework assignment.
In this challenging environment, the Arctic Slope Community Foundation, dedicated to improving life in Alaska's northernmost region, recognized a critical need to strengthen students' argumentative writing skills. The foundation joined forces in 2021 with Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS) at the University of Kansas to launch the Writing and Revising Interventions to Excel (WRITE) project.
WRITE tackles a widespread problem, not just in Alaska, but across the United States. Many high school teachers, especially those in career and technical education, lack the formal training to effectively teach argumentative writing.
Patuk Glenn, a native of rural Alaska, witnessed these challenges firsthand. Glenn graduated high school as a top student in her class and was confident that she was prepared for the challenges of college.
“My first year at university brought a harsh reality. I found myself enrolled in remedial courses, and it took perseverance to navigate my way to a bachelor’s degree,” Glenn said. “That experience ignited a passion in me to advocate for the next generation of rural Alaskan youth.”
Today, as executive director of the Arctic Slope Community Foundation, Glenn works to preserve the unique lifestyle and traditions of her childhood home, with the goal of ensuring these traditions thrive without compromising opportunities for upcoming generations.
Backed by a $1.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Glenn and fellow Alaskan Dale Cope, ATLAS research project director and WRITE's principal investigator, combined their expertise to make that vision a reality. Based in Anchorage, Cope is the most remote of ATLAS employees.
WRITE was created on the belief that argumentative writing is not just for English class and college-bound students. "It's a skill needed in every workplace, regardless of your profession," Cope said. "Whether you are trades-bound or college-bound, the ability to construct a compelling argument is essential.”
A key component of WRITE is the development of three learning maps based on argumentative writing standards. Learning maps illustrate the connections among the knowledge, skills and understandings necessary to meet learning goals. Although students may share a common destination, they often begin their journeys from different points on the map. Learning maps help educators guide students to success by showing them where a student is now, where the student has been and where the student is going.
WRITE has exceeded its original reach of Alaska Native students in the most remote locations to become a statewide resource for all Alaska teachers.
“We are building something that is applicable for students at all developmental levels, including students with specific support needs, those who are trades-bound and those who are heading to college,” Cope said. “That’s why it resonated with teachers the way it did. We cast the net wide when we recruited, and our teachers came from across the state.”
The development of WRITE resources is drawing to a close, but the project will leave an indelible mark on Alaska's educational landscape. The tools and strategies created through WRITE will become a part of the Alaska Education Exchange, a digital collection of learning resources for schools, districts and leadership agencies across the state.
For rural Alaskans, WRITE bridges a gap between valuable traditions and the demands of today’s world, providing young people with the tools they need to become effective advocates for themselves, their communities and their futures.
“Writing skills are the new harpoon — essential tools that can help our youth navigate their futures with clarity and purpose,” Glenn said.
About ATLAS
ATLAS, a center within the Achievement & Assessment Institute at KU, promotes learning and improved outcomes by creating accessible and academically rigorous technology-based learning and assessment systems. Visit the ATLAS website to learn more.