This article defines research centers as associative enterprises for solving scholarly and societal problems that cannot be adequately addressed by individuals. The authors identify more than fifty research centers in rhetoric and writing, past and present, and argue that they function as change agents by emphasizing collaboration and conducting…

The results of two large scale assessment efforts by the United States Department of Defense Office of Dependents Schools (DoDDS) are set forth in tabular form in this booklet. First described is the initial DoDDS assessment of composition skills--administered to several thousand eighth and eleventh grade students in the spring of 1978--that…

Describes a poetry group which encouraged the expression of memories and imagination among frail elderly residents of a nursing home over a period of nine months. Shows how it facilitated peer friendship formation, increased expression of affect, resulted in improved staff treatment of residents, and ended with the publication of an anthology. (SR)

It was hypothesized that teacher participation in the New Jersey Writing Project (NJWF) would improve student writing performance. Eight NJWP school districts and seven control school districts contributed data on 225 high school student writers. Postwriting sample scores served as the dependent variable, while type of group (NJWF/control),…

This study was conducted during the spring of 1999 school semester to examine the implementation of the University-Middle School E-mail Buddy Project. This project gave eighth grade and college students the opportunity to pair up electronically via e-mail and exchange discourse that focused on such issues as language arts activities and…

Materials pertinent to a study that surveyed and interviewed writing faculty and staff of the 19 campuses of The California State University are assembled in this volume. Various sections of the volume contain (1) a faculty questionnaire, (2) a campus fact sheet, (3) interview protocols for department chair and program coordinators, (4) a taxonomy…

To describe and evaluate current practices in college composition programs, a study was conducted of the 19 California State University campuses. English department chairs completed a short survey on courses, staffing, and special projects, and structured interviews were conducted with these chairs and various other program coordinators from a…