English Language Arts in Wisconsin

Professional Learning Webinar Series: Writing-Rich Classrooms

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), in partnership with The Greater Madison Writing Project (GMWP) and Wisconsin educators, have developed instructional resources informed by research-based practices promoted by the National Writing Project (NWP), which are now available on the DPI website. The Writing-Rich Classrooms units utilize high-impact instructional practices to provide a variety of regular opportunities for young people to develop their skills as writers and thinkers.

In addition to these units, a three-part professional learning webinar series has been developed to support the implementation of these resources by articulating how units can be integrated into classroom instruction to encourage students to “Write routinely for a range of culturally sustaining and rhetorically authentic tasks, purposes, and audiences over extended time frames (time for inquiry, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames.” (Wisconsin Standards for ELA, 2020)

These webinars will include writing project consultants from around WI and DPI ELA and Literacy Consultants. We welcome teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators supporting writing instruction in grades 3-8.

When: Wednesdays: October 15, & 29, November 12, 2025, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Please sign up for each webinar separately)

Session one (October 15, 2025)

Writing-Rich Classrooms: Session 1 Slide Deck

Session two (October 29, 2025)

Writing-Rich Classrooms: Session 2 Slide Deck

Session Three (November 12, 2025)

Writing-Rich Classrooms: Session 3 Slide Deck

Wisconsin's Vision for English Language Arts

Wisconsin's Vision for Student Success in English Language Arts

Wisconsin's Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning provide important guidance for approaching the discipline of English language arts.

Certain foundations of the discipline connect all standards across the four areas of reading, writing, speaking/listening, and language at a more conceptual level.

To further connect the standards, and to make explicit the underpinnings of the discipline of ELA, Wisconsin has developed several broad emphases to consider listed as the Wisconsin Foundations for English Language Arts.

Wisconsin Writes

Wisconsin Writes provides a glimpse into the writing processes of Wisconsin writers. Each video story captures the recursive, complex, often messy writing process from some of the best writers in the state. Visit the following link to the Wisconsin Writes website to access the videos and additional social media.