Releasing Writers: Strategies
that Deliver Results!
Hear Mr. Robert Mitchell, Superintendent, Cumberland Schools, describe his district’s gains in both writing and student self-efficacy after adopting Releasing Writers. His schools rose over 20% in ELA proficiency on state assessments. Three of Cumberland’s five elementary schools won Blue Ribbons!
State Assessment ELA Proficiency Gains
in Releasing Writers’ Schools
Join the national community of schools, districts and full states!
See our new large scale peer-reviewed study gains.
Releasing Writers (formerly think SRSD) offers a set of evidence-based writing strategies with embedded deliberate skill practice that lift writing quality. It quickly enables teachers to see growth in broad, overall literacy outcomes, and student independence.
We draw on evidence-based practices from leading science of writing resarchers such as Dr. Donald Deshler’s Strategy Instruction (SIM) model, Dr. Karen Harris & colleagues SRSD model, Dr. Charles Haynes’ word and sentence level instruction. We also draw from and promote the work of current researchers such as Dr. Adrea Truckenmiller on writing assessment.
The integrative Releasing Writers approach is fueled by 50 years of research. We have spent decades researching how to make it easier for schools, districts and full states to adopt and sustain the most highly evidence-based strategies for teaching writing. Our team has won it’s own federal grants to support and study our efforts to carry these practices to schools with our gains in 98 schools reported in this new 2026 peer reviewed study.
e-Learning
Releasing Writers’ passion is bringing self-regulated strategy development for writing to schools. We serve schools across the nation and world through our unique eLearning modules, live web calls and national network of 200 schools.
In-Person PD
We excel through in-person professional development and school change consulting. Check out our EVENTS tab to see where we are headed. Contact us and bring our PD to your school, district or full state!
Get Involved!
Check out our YouTube and active Facebook community. Releasing Writers offers live and hybrid PDs, personalized mentoring and membership in our network of hundreds of schools using this approach. Reach out to [email protected].
Whole School Change Support
Releasing Writers’ POWeR Cycle model is best implemented within schools that are actively working on enhancing how your systems and structures can support adoption, implementation and sustaining this initiative. We see the greatest gains in schools actively engaged in this work as well. Our long time partnership with Hill for Literacy demonstrates this. Schools working with both of us see the greatest gains.
What People are Saying
“think SRSD writing just launched like crazy… Scores went up amazingly. Our entire district of 50 schools all saw success with this integrative, structured approach”
“I have turned these students, who were afraid of writing and nervous to write, into students who want to write every single day.”
We are grateful to the sponsors of Releasing Writers
About Us
Releasing Writers is the original and largest community of expert teachers and researchers who support and study the Science of Writing, including self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) use in schools across the nation. We offer in-person professional development and e-learning courses taught by classroom teachers and school-based coaches with decades of experience and proven school gains. We began offering the very first open enrollment course in SRSD in 2008, then expanded to include courses that address further areas of writing and a broader framework that integrates multiple evidence-based practices.