Resources for Educators
The Next Level:
Before it was a Web site, The Next Level was a print publication. Although not currently available in print, the booklet for high school classrooms and the related teacher's guide are available to download here.
- The Next Level — What Colleges Expect from Your Writing, 2nd ed. (PDF)
- The Next Level Teacher's Guide, 2nd ed. (PDF)
Online Courses
Texas higher education and secondary faculty collaborated to produce training materials for The Next Level Online, sharing classroom and writing program practices grounded in research.
The material is presented in two formats. 1) Registered users may enroll in the online courses for Continuing Professional Education credit. 2) The same content is available in easily downloaded PDF and PowerPoint formats (see the “Training Modules” tab below).
Beyond Grammar: Teaching Style in Context
Authors: Valerie M Balester, Ph.D., Texas A&M University and Courtney Wellmann, College Station ISD
Multiple Texts for Multiple Contexts
Authors: Carrie Leverenz, Ph.D., Texas Christian University and Jennifer Richardson, Ft. Worth ISD
Teaching Argument as Inquiry
Author: James E. Warren, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Click here to read more about courses and authors
Training Modules
Download Next Level materials here. Registration not required! PDF files contain the same text available in the online courses, and related PowerPoint slides are provided for use in training sessions.
- Beyond Grammar: Teaching Style in Context
Valerie M. Balester, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, & Courtney Wellmann, M.Ed., College Station ISD - Multiple Texts for Multiple Contexts
Carrie Leverenz, Ph.D., Texas Christian University, & Jennifer Richardson, Fort Worth ISD - Teaching Argument as Inquiry
James E. Warren, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Texas Campus Links
Colleges and universities often support writing faculty as well as students through writing centers, online writing labs (OWLs), and departmental Web sites. Faculty members may have access to resources ranging from classroom handouts to sources of information about current research and best practices in rhetoric and composition. Here are links to some Texas institutions that make their online offerings available to all.
Texas A&M University—
The University of Texas at Austin—
- Department of Rhetoric and Writing (DRW)
- DRW Resources for High School Teachers
- UT-Austin's First-Year Writing Program
Rice University—
Texas Christian University—
Texas State University-San Marcos—
University of Houston-Clear Lake—
Blinn College, Bryan Campus—
Additional Links:
Other links you may find helpful:
- Texas sites of the National Writing Project
- Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
- CREST, Coalition of Reading and English Supervisors of Texas
- Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS), English Language Arts & Reading, High School
- The College Board, Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing
- The National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools and Colleges
- Alliance for Excellent Education report, Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle & High School
- Arts & Letters Daily, a service of the Chronicle of Higher Education
- Dartmouth College Online Writing Materials for Students and Faculty
- Duke University Writing Studio Handouts
- Purdue University Online Writing Lab