The 12-Paper Plunge
A Time-Tested, Proven Solution
The 12-Paper Plunge is a curriculum-free writing and thinking program that aims to get high school students writing at a college level by the end of a 12-paper cycle.
Benefits for Schools
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Be the school that actually expects your students to learn how to write and to write well.
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No schools should be simply “covering the material” and then testing on it.
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Students will know exactly what is expected of them.
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Allow students, parents, and teachers to track growth over time.
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Provide practical training and implement a system that will make their lives easier, while also helping to combat student use of AI.
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High school teachers don’t have time to teach grammar and the truth is they shouldn’t be expected to.
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Now seeking an incubator school for 2027.Your students don’t need more writing classes.
They need more writing coaches.
The 12-Paper Plunge turns humanities teachers into excellent writing coaches.
To grow as writers, students need…
√ To be taught (the knowledge)
The 12-Paper Plunge takes a minimalist approach, giving students only four hours of video-based writing instruction to maximize student learning objectives. The skills that are taught are easy to learn but difficult to master.
√ To be coached (the practice)
The 12-Paper Plunge framework trains teachers on the most effective coaching methods that foster transformational growth in your students. It also capitalizes on humanities teachers’ major strength: their subject-matter expertise.
√ To be held accountable (the grade)
The 12-Paper Plunge framework provides efficient rubrics to help teachers grade quickly and effectively in a way that facilitates rapid student improvement in the areas that really count.
The SecretThe 12-Paper Plunge turns high school humanities course into a writing “gym” and makes sure your students get their reps in!
Learn the story behind The 12-Paper Plunge.
Meet your facilitator
Hello, I’m Ellen Finnigan.
Teaching writing always came naturally to me, but it wasn’t until I was asked to teach a yearlong, freshman composition course, at a writing-intensive classical school, that I realized what a waste of time “teaching writing” can be! The curriculum I was required to use (for 32 weeks) in my composition class did almost nothing to help those same students to write better essays in my literature classes. So I took things into my own hands. Since then, I have developed, tried, and tested my own approach to teaching writing which I continue to refine to this day and am now sharing with schools. Parents often say to me:
“Thank you! You taught my child how to write.”
“Thank you. You taught my child how to think!”
The two go hand-in-hand when you teach writing alongside the humanities. Now I’m helping other teachers to do for their students what I’ve been doing for mine for over 14 years.
~ Ellen Finnigan
Founder, Teach to the Text
Components of the Program
√ Student Training
The 12-Paper Plunge takes a minimalist approach, giving students only four hours of video-based writing instruction to maximize student learning objectives. The skills that are taught are easy to learn but difficult to master.
√ Teacher Training
Humanities teachers are trained in a method of assigning and grading papers that has been proven to work.
√ Grammar Program
The 12-Paper Plunge includes a grammar program that correlates with grading methods to keep your students accountable.
If you want students writing, help teachers with the grading.
Grading papers is one of the most laborious and time-consuming things that teachers have to do, and now with the advent of ChatGPT, often futile. It’s no surprise that papers are getting replaced with multiple choice tests and group projects. If you want your teachers to start assigning essays again, you must provide the with practical training on how to do that efficiently and effectively.
How It Works
Participating teachers complete the first five hours of their training via self-paced video between semesters. Then, before the semester begins, they do one half day of training together, live with Ms. Finnigan, either online or in person.
Students watch the instructional videos when the semester begins, and the teachers start assigning the assignments. The students start writing their papers, and the teachers finish up a few more hours of training at key junctures, as the students are going through the program.
Pacing and implementation details are decided on by the teachers and school. Ms. Finnigan provides ongoing support and consulting remotely throughout the duration of the program. If you want Ms. Finnigan to implement this program for you in your school, apply below to be our incubator school and to hire her as your school’s Writing Specialist!
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Application deadline
Stakeholder meetings
Program scheduling
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Deposit due
Faculty enrollment
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Faculty self-paced training to be completed by end of month
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Live professional development training for participating faculty (3-4 hours)
Balance due
Students enrolled
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Writing instruction videos are assigned by teachers
Participating faculty and students complete the 12-Paper Plunge academic school year program
Teachers receive 3-4 more hours of training as phases of program are completed
Schools that took The 12-Paper Plunge!
What teachers are saying about The 12-Paper Plunge:
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"I've been writing (and teaching writing) for a long time but Ms. Finnigan made explicit so many things I've done intuitively or didn't know how to explain. [This program] is very detailed and goes step by step, so the process becomes very concrete -- such a rarity in writing instruction. Highly recommend!"
Julia Edwards, English Instructor, Sacred Heart Academy, Greenville, SC, 2025
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"I am not captain English by any means whatsoever so having this program informed by years of experience was desperately needed. It took a process that students get stuck in and straightens it out with elegance. I personally found it invaluable."
Benjamin Brown, Instructor, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, Denver, CO, 2025
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“…it was excellent training. The videos were clear and enjoyable and the website was easily navigable. I appreciated the chance to write my own paper (even in the midst of many tasks I have to do) because it gave me the chance to really enter into the process and see for myself that it not only worked but worked really well.”
Ms. Cutrell, Instructor of Philosophy and Theology, Our Lady of Victory, Littleton, CO, 2024
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“I was hesitant about the writing program at first, but I feel genuinely confident in my ability to use your program in my classes so that the students will know exactly what is expected of them and become stronger writers. The videos were engaging, the steps make sense and feel seriously thorough, and the rubric tools are a lifesaver.”
Ms. Grant, Head of Writing Department, Our Lady of Victory, Littleton, CO, 2024
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“I honestly loved the videos and getting to do a bit of reading, analyzing, and writing as a student again. I loved getting to meet [Ms. Finnigan] during the live training!”
Mrs. Reuter, Instructor of History and Philosophy, Our Lady of Victory, Littleton, CO, 2024
What students are saying about the 12-Paper Plunge:
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I really love how this program has made me able to write about things that interest me fluently and with a level of clarity that is surprising even to me!
Marie, 9th grade
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I think that this program is a great program and I truly believe that it is helping me!
Margaret, 10th grade
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The videos were pretty good, and engaging. Good job of tying in real world examples and making it feel like you were really going to need the content.
Eli, 10th grade
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..having specific steps to follow as a guide is extremely helpful! This course absolutely provided that for me and I was truly grateful...
Isabel G., 10th grade
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I have always preferred creative writing, but this program increased my interest in being able to write a good essay.
Caroline, 10th grade
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These instruction tutorials were very helpful...Thank you for creating a clear, easy to use, and efficient way to learn a complex principle. I look on future writing assignments with a greater confidence and understanding....
Mary Joy, 10th grade
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Too many papers.
Isaiah. 10th grade
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It's more work but easier in a way.
Analise, 9th grade
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Tortilla chips.
Miles, 9th grade
Writing Solutions for High Schools
You’re probably wondering, “But what about A.I."?” Subscribe here to receive 10 emails (also available as a mini podcast) in which I share best practices for “fighting robots” in the classroom. Learn more about the 12-Paper Plunge and how it can help you reduce student use of A.I. when it comes to writing.
SEEKING
ONE INCUBATOR SCHOOL (2027)
classical high school
well-established
academically rigorous
with bold and creative leadership
ready to get serious about writing
Ms. Finnigan is taking this program to the next level, namely by improving implementation and accountability. She has work to do and is looking for a workshop. An incubator school would hire her as a Writing Specialist in Residence, in an administrative capacity, to implement and oversee The 12-Paper Plunge over the course of 2-4 semesters. Your school would get: full access to her writing instruction for the entire student body (grades 9-12); professional development training for your humanities teachers, access to the grammar program for your entire student body, ongoing coaching, mentorship, and support for both teachers and students for the duration of incubation. The incubator school will also be able to test new products that are coming dow the pipeline, and will receive a sweet deal on future work products that come as the result of the collaboration. The goal would be to leave your school with a fully integrated, school-wide approach to writing, based on Ms. Finnigan’s time-tested, proven methodologies, as well as the tools to keep that system in place and working for your students and teachers long after she’s gone, and regardless of which teachers or administrators are cycling in and out of different employment positions. Compensation is negotiable.
Apply Below
Standard Program or Incubator Program
FAQs
How long does the 12PP take?
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The 12-Paper Plunge should be carried out over the course of 2-4 semesters, preferably in the freshman and sophomore years of high school.
If there is no curriculum, what are the components?
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The 12-Paper Plunge is both a program for schools and a methodology. As such, it consists of Ms. Finnigan’s time-tested student writing instruction (4 hours), combined with a method of assigning and grading papers (teacher training), plus a grammar program. Schools will also have limited access to ongoing coaching and consulting as the students move through the program.
Why the number 12?
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It takes about twelve attempts for 80% of students in a high school cohort to be writing at a college level.
Where can I learn more about Ms. Finnigan’s methodology?
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Check out her mini workshop for homeschooling parents and other educators: The Five Pillars of Writing Progress.
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How long has the 12PP been around?
Ms. Finnigan has been developing her methodology since she started teaching back in 2012. She refined her approach to teaching writing over the course of nine years, while working at a writing-intensive classical school. In 2023, she developed her popular 10-day writing camp, and a training course for homeschooling parents, which evolved into The 12-Paper Plunge, and was piloted at Our Lady of Victory in Littleton, CO, in the 2024-25 school year, with great success. The following year (2025-26) it was launched at two more high schools, and a grammar program was added. Ms. Finnigan is now working on improving deliverability, accountability, and ease of implementation, with some new and exciting features coming down the pipeline. She is seeking an incubator school where she can personally work as a Writing Specialist to implement and test the new and improved program in 2027.
Can’t you just teach our teachers how to teach writing?
No. It’s a waste of class time; it’s not efficient. Your humanities teachers shouldn’t have to learn how to teach writing, but they should have to assign and grade papers in such a way that helps their students to become better writers. With this program, what your humanities teachers “bring to the table” is not their expertise when it comes to teaching writing, but instead their subject matter expertise. Let them focus on what they do well. Plus, if I teach your teachers how to teach writing, when those teachers leave, your writing program goes with them. I can explain this more when we talk. If you want your teachers to teach writing, there are plenty of writing curriculum out there to choose from. Just select a curriculum and have your teachers walk the students through it. Just note: The more “teaching of writing” that goes on, the less actual writing students tend to do.
