Case Study: Empowering 5th Grade Students at Russell Elementary School
When Amy Materne, a 5th-grade gifted teacher at Russell Elementary School, looked closely at her school’s writing instruction, she noticed a problem that went beyond one classroom.
Teachers were working hard, but writing instruction looked different from grade level to grade level. Each teacher had their own approach, pacing, and resources, which meant students weren’t always building on the skills they learned the year before.
Without a consistent plan in place, teachers spent valuable time filling gaps, and students struggled to develop confidence as writers. Amy knew they needed a better system.
Another challenge was student engagement.
Many students viewed writing as overwhelming, confusing, and time-consuming. They struggled with organizing their ideas, adding meaningful details, staying focused, and applying basic writing conventions.
When teachers reviewed data from the Georgia Milestones Assessment, they noticed a clear pattern: students were performing much stronger in reading than they were in writing.
To find a solution, Amy helped create and lead a Writing Task Force at Russell Elementary School. The team included teachers from multiple grade levels who came together with one goal: create a more consistent and effective approach to writing instruction.
Their first priority was finding a curriculum that could support every teacher and create alignment across the school.
That’s when they chose Simplify Writing®.
With its structured lessons, ready-to-use resources, and clear progression of skills, Simplify Writing® provided the foundation teachers needed to build a cohesive writing program from grade to grade.
The Writing Task Force implemented the curriculum school-wide, giving teachers a shared roadmap while still allowing them to support the unique needs of their students.
As students began using Simplify Writing®, teachers saw noticeable growth.
The team tracked progress through common formative assessments that focused on specific writing standards. These smaller checkpoints allowed teachers to identify where students needed extra support and celebrate improvements along the way.
The results spoke for themselves. After implementing Simplify Writing®, Russell Elementary saw significant growth on the Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS). In 5th grade, 72% of students passed the ELA section, with 50% earning a score of 3 or 4 — some of the highest achievement levels the school had seen in years.
Amy’s own students saw incredible success as well. Nearly half earned perfect scores on the writing portion of the assessment, and many others were only 1–2 points away. The growth confirmed what Amy and her team had hoped: when students receive consistent, explicit writing instruction, they can thrive.
Through Amy’s leadership and the support of the Writing Task Force, Simplify Writing® helped create lasting change at Russell Elementary School. Teachers gained a clear, aligned plan for writing instruction. Students became more engaged, confident, and capable writers.
