Registration Fee: $20.00
Registration fee must accompany application. No refunds for cancellation or nonattendance will be issued.

Registration Deadline: June 18, 2004–2006—Space is Limited!
Confirmation and site directions will be mailed to your home in mid-July.

In this three-day training, Ruth Culham will introduce you to the Six Traits of Writing... plus One... and the research behind the model. She'll show you how to use proven effective strategies to link writing assessment and instruction. You will learn the vital characteristics of the Traits of writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions... plus Presentation. You will actively engage in learning how to assess student writing, with accuracy and reliability, using a scoring guide. You'll see how assessment targets instructional needs and how to use engaging multilevel lessons and activities to teach the Traits. You will receive specific instructional strategies, lessons and activities for introducing the Traits to your students. Ruth will use lively "hands-on" activities and demonstra- tions to reinforce the material presented. She'll give you practical, teacher-tested plans, mini-lessons and skill-building activities to take back and use in your own classroom.

• Detailed descriptors of all seven of the Traits—so you can get started immediately

• Actual writing samples from students

• Ready-to-use Traits scoring guides that are teacher and student friendly

• Teacher-tested activities that will bring the Traits to life in your classroom

• Dozens of practical writing lessons and activities for whole-class, small-group and independent writing

• Powerful strategies and lessons to help your students master each of the Traits

• Classroom management techniques to handle grouping, conferencing and the "paper load"

Ruth Culham, Ed.D. is President of The Writing Traits Company and former Unit Manager of the Assessment Program at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in Portland, Oregon. She is the recognized expert in the 6+1 Traits of Writing assessment field. She creates teacher training videos and is the author of several books, including the textbook, 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide, Scholastic, Inc., 2003.

Ruth designs and conducts national and international institutes for writing assessment and instruction. She has a highly regarded reputation for lively and engaging workshops, depth and breadth of subject knowledge, sense of humor, volumes of practical and useful materials, and a deeply rooted commitment to classroom teachers and students—the hallmark of her training sessions. The highlight of her 19 years of classroom teaching was being named Teacher of the Year in Montana. Dr. Culham has specialty degrees and current certification in Library Science and Elementary, Middle, and Secondary English Education, including a doctorate in Educational Administration.

Description of Topics In this three-day session, participants will learn: How the research-based Writing Traits model improves writing and maximizes student achievement How to assess and benchmark student writing in your classroom How the Traits link assessment and instruction—you'll know what to teach next! How to use the Traits to make reading and writing connections across your curriculum How to use literature as a "springboard" and create effective writing prompts for all content areas How to create mini-lessons for the emerging, developing and advanced writers in your classroom How to motivate even the most reluctant writers "Sure-fire" revising and editing strategies that produce successful writers How to teach students to assess their own writing—and use what they learn! How to use conferences and feed-back to improve writing daily

To Qualify... To qualify as a participant, you must: Be a full-time administrator or grade K-8 teacher in a private non-profit school. Commit to all three days (please check your calendars before registering to avoid conflicts). Obtain, complete and return the registration form with required signatures. Enclose $20 per person registration fee along with your application.

Programs coordinated by the California Private School Advisory Committee, K-12, are made possible under provisions of Title V of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act.

For additional information, please contact Joyce Maksin: (916) 228-2218.