Although many models of effective ways to teach writing exist, both the teaching and practice of writing are increasingly shortchanged throughout the school and college years. Of the three "Rs," writing is clearly the most neglected. Writing, always time-consuming for student and teacher, is today hard-pressed in the American classroom. The nation's leaders must place writing squarely in the center of the school agenda, and policymakers at the state and local levels must provide the resources required to improve writing. To create a writing revolution, the National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges recommends: a writing agenda for the nation; increased time (at least doubled) spent on writing; results should be measured; use of new technologies for writing should be undertaken and researched; writing should be required in every curriculum area; and teachers should be trained in how to teach writing. To move this national writing agenda forward, the National Commission proposes a 5-year Writing Challenge for the nation and seeks the support of leaders from education, government, business, and the philanthropic world for this Challenge. The Challenge should issue progress reports, map the terrain ahead, and provide assistance educators on the many details that remain to be ironed out on the topics of writing assessment and the use of technology. (Contains 2 figures and 15 notes.) (NKA)