College and Career Readiness Standards for Individual Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening

Here's a report from the Gates Foundation about the importance of writing that's worth a read. Not only is writing a valuable skill unto itself, it's needed in all classes, and for college and career readiness.

This is what the foundation says about the report:

While the English classroom is typically seen as the proper site for students to learn literacy, teaching of this skill must extend to other fields of education. Students need to acquire the skills for comprehending challenging texts and developing knowledge in areas such as mathematics, the humanities, and social and natural sciences. This draft report from the Common Core State Standards Initiative defines the outcomes all students must reach to solve problems, share insights, and achieve college and career success.