Our Results
At Releasing Writers, we post gains from every district implementing the framework fully. We guarantee that if you implement, you will see empowered, confident writers and significant gains. While many specific programs show gains in controlled research studies, they often face barriers in real-world schools. Releasing Writers takes the next step of ensuring you see those gains translate to your unique setting. A 2025 cohort analysis research study found that schools and districts who received our professional development and ongoing support saw an average ELA proficiency boost on state assessments of 7.3%.
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Average State Assessment Gains with Releasing Writers, according to a peer reviewed study.
West Virginia Department of Education
Releasing Writers launched hundreds of coaches from all districts across the state of WV in 2017. They then brought the approach back to their schools. We also returned to support over 50 schools with ongoing embedded learning support. With our support, a significant number of counties in WV now implement the Science of Writing in classrooms, and have reported some of the highest gains on the state assessment in WV. We are proud to continue our partnership with WV DE and Marshall University, begun nearly a decade ago.
State of Massachusetts
Releasing Writers currently supports dozens of schools in adopting all across MA state. Every school that implemented and sustained the approach has seen gains on MCAS – that state assessment given. See the spotlight on Worcester, MA below. We continue to form new partnerships each year with a growing number of schools in MA who are active in our Releasing Writers Facebook Group posting successes nearly daily.
Colorado Springs, D49
Colorado Springs rolled out Releasing Writers to 140 early pilot teachers during the 2019-20 school year, then brought another 100 during 2020-21 because of the significant gains teachers reported seeing in student writing in Year 1. D49 continues to partner with us now, with several schools expanding from piloting the approach to using a full school adoption now.
Worcester, MA
Worcester, New England’s 2nd largest urban district, has partnered with us since 2012, starting from one initial pilot school to all schools. All implementing schools made significant gains on state assessments. When the full city adopted the approach in 2018, they raised the scores of over 3,000 students on the state assessments, and saw the highest gains of all equivalent major MA urban districts in the state.
Tennessee State
Our team supported 200 core coaches in learning the Science of Writing and Releasing Writers. They then re-delivered this learning to literacy specialists across the state, who then each brought the framework back to their schools. With our support, the full state of TN now uses the approach in 40,000 classrooms and has maintained being the “fastest improving” state on NAEP.
Read about TN complete turn around after rolling out thinkSRSD’s professional learning in 2014: Click here
Rhode Island Department of Education
RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education) currently offers Releasing Writers (formerly think SRSD) learning to all schools across the state at no cost, due to the significant gains achieved in Cumberland, RI and the schools (i.e. Goff Middle School) in Pawtucket that have seen extraordinary growth.
Connecticut State Department of Education
Through the Hill for Literacy partnership with University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, Releasing Writers has supported 90 core coaches in learning the Science of Writing and the Releasing Writers framework. They then re-delivered this learning to teachers in their schools.
New Hampshire Department of Education
Releasing Writers supports a growing number of state departments of education with learning evidence-based practices in writing instruction and making school change happen at scale. After many large districts in NH found success with Releasing Writers, they sponsored a statewide roll out in combination with LETRS. More information here.
Michigan State
Releasing Writers currently supports, through blended ‘in-person’ workshops and online support, dozens of schools in Michigan in rolling out the Science of Writing. Initial classroom data shows improvements of over 200% gains.
New York City D.O.E., NY
Following significant gains in schools using Releasing Writers over the past few years in NYC, NYC DOE schools continue to partner to bring the Science of Writing to their schools, and throughout the city. Jason Borges, Director of Literacy for all schools and who spearheaded the initiative, calls this framework “invigorating and inspiring”.
A Global Community
Releasing Writers is proud to offer its services to a rapidly growing number of schools across the globe!
COUNTRIES
DISTRICTS
SCHOOLS
Groups We Serve
Originally created for struggling students, research quickly demonstrated that the Science of Writing lifts the quality of all student writing. We offer courses that support both general education and special education teachers so colleagues can collaborate and students can receive beautifully aligned instruction.
Special Education Schools
- Cove School, IL
- Laurel School, CA
- Prentice Hollow, TX
- Currey Ingram Academy, TN
- Lang School, NYC
- Putney School, VT
- Charles Armstrong School, CA
General & Special Education
Partnership Projects
- ABRSD, MA
- NYC DOE Inclusion Networks
- Worcester Schools, MA
- Michigan TBA-ISD
"Children of all capabilities are able to be successful. students on IEP's succeed. stronger writers are challenged."
"I turned these children who were afraid of writing into students who wanted to write every day!"
"I've seen the good writers become better, and the reluctant writers attempt writing more..."
About Us
Releasing Writers is the original and largest community of expert teachers and researchers who support and study self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) use in schools across the nation. We offer SRSD in-person professional development and e-learning courses taught by classroom teachers and school-based coaches with decades of experience using SRSD. We began offering the very first open enrollment course in SRSD in 2008, then offered online courses in 2011 and now offer blended support.
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