Welcome to the second issue of the Media and Information Services Home Page. The "Success Express" depends on riders--customers as you who are commuting to "Destination Education." Thanks for riding with us as we turn our bus around to be part of reinventing government.

In recent years, the federal government has been charged with the responsibility of changing the way it does business. We are looking at the private sector and adopting those practices that make business a success. One of the practices is to listen to customers. The U.S. Department of Education, along with other government agencies, is conducting "conversations with America" to find out what our customers want and have to say.

Media and Information Services has developed a conversation about writing through an electronic discussion group. The discussion group is an opportunity for our primary customers--teachers--to exchange ideas and comments around effective strategies for teaching writing We hope that this dialogue will shape a booklet that other teachers can use. The booklet will support the Education Department's emphasis on writing as a complement to the Reading Excellence Act.

The discussion group starts with a research base of tips developed by the National Writing Project leaders. The tips are also drawn from the principles behind the National Assessment of Educational Progress writing framework.

We invite you to be part of this electronic conversation with America as we seek to serve our customers better. Please lend your voice of experience to the discussion.