Case Study: Improving Student Outcomes Writing Student Voice
Students at Boston Collaborative spoke well, but struggled to express ideas clearly in writing. Teachers used empathy interviews, work reviews, and feedback sessions with students to co-design changes that made writing courses more accessible and engaging.
Quick Facts
Teachers listened to students’ writing challenges and reviewed their work. Together, they shared honest feedback and co-created new approaches, making writing more approachable and building a supportive, collaborative learning environment for everyone.
- Boston Public Schools
- Grade Level: High School
Overview
Opportunity
Boston Collaborative students spoke with confidence, but their writing didn’t reflect the same skill.
Insight
Many students struggled with structure, coherence, and getting started, revealing a need for more focused, supportive writing instruction.
Intervention
A cross-disciplinary team interviewed students, reviewed writing samples, and hosted a fishbowl discussion to better understand writing challenges. Teachers listened closely, asked thoughtful questions, and centered student voices in the process.
Supporting Students Starts With Listening
Engaging students in a collaborative approach renewed teacher commitment to culturally relevant instruction and deepened student investment in owning their growth and sharing their voice.
- Teachers uncovered key insights through empathy interviews, work reviews, and fishbowl discussions.
- Students voiced a clear desire to grow as writers, sparking more open dialogue and collaboration.
- Success with Visual Text Analysis inspired teachers to explore new supports like culturally relevant topics and claim-building.
- Teachers plan to continue co-designing and testing writing strategies alongside their students.
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