Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC)¶
Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 5 claims (2 for, 3 against) · 2 studies (1 causal, 1 qualitative),q2· 0 of 2 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study
Description¶
The Expository Reading and Writing Course is a college-preparatory English language arts curriculum developed by the California State University system for secondary students, with modules that integrate rhetorical reading, writing, revision, and language study.
Components¶
- ERWC Assignment Template: scaffolded module structure with six strands across three domains: The ERWC curriculum's 12 modules all follow the Assignment Template, "which presents a scaffolded process to help students read, comprehend, and respond to nonfiction and literary texts." Each module spans three domains — Reading Rhetorically (Prereading, Reading, Postreading strands), Connecting Reading to Writing (Discovering What You Think), and Writing Rhetorically (Entering the Conversation, Revising and Editing). Strands contain elements with activities, such as Surveying the Text and Making Predictions and Asking Questions. The template also embeds formative assessment recommendations and rhetorical grammar activities using curriculum readings and students' own writings. (Anthony B. Fong et al. (2015))
- ERWC logic model: curriculum, professional learning, and materials as inputs leading to rhetorical classroom practices and improved college readiness: The ERWC theory holds that three inputs — curriculum, professional learning, and curriculum materials — produce classroom practices such as "extended discussion of text meaning and interpretation" to develop critical-thinking skills, interactive discussion to build oral language, and extended writing for varied tasks, purposes, and audiences. These practices are expected to yield improved outcomes measured by the EPT. The course rests on seven principles, including "A rhetorical approach that fosters critical thinking and engagement through a relentless focus on the text" and integration of interactive reading and writing processes. (Anthony B. Fong et al. (2015))
- ERWC Assignment Template arc: a recursive scaffold from Reading Rhetorically through Preparing to Respond to Writing Rhetorically: The ERWC theory of action posits that the curriculum and professional learning enable grades 11-12 teachers to support students' communication across genres, increasing literacy learning opportunities and college, career, and civic readiness. Its core structure, the Assignment Template, "progresses along what its developers call an 'arc'" through three phases: Reading Rhetorically, Preparing to Respond, and Writing Rhetorically. The Template "outlines a scaffolded process for helping students read, comprehend, and respond to nonfiction and literary texts" and guides module writers, with reading and writing interwoven throughout the modules. (Fong et al. (2022))
Claims¶
- Only 17.9 percent of study ERWC teachers taught at least 8 modules with fidelity under the strand criterion, versus 62.5 percent under an activity-count criterion [+W]
- Teachers reported pacing demands, student struggles with rigor, and technology impediments as factors hindering ERWC implementation [-W]
- Most study teachers received all ERWC materials and sufficient professional learning: 82.1 percent met professional-learning thresholds and all 56 received materials [+W]
- Teachers least often taught the aspects of the ERWC curriculum associated with writing and metacognition [-W]
- Teachers reported that insufficient instructional minutes during the school year prevented them from teaching all required ERWC modules with fidelity [-W]
Related Products and Programmes¶
Key Sources¶
- Anthony B. Fong, Neal D. Finkelstein, Laura M. Jaeger, Rebeca Diaz, Marie E. Broek. (2015). Evaluation of the Expository Reading and Writing Course: Findings from the Investing in Innovation Development Grant. WestEd. http://www.WestEd.org
- Fong, A., Porterfield, A., Skjoldhorne, S., & Hadley, L. (2022). Expanding the Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum: An evaluation of an Investing in Innovation Validation grant. WestEd. https://www.wested.org/resources/expanding-the-erwc-evaluation/
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
product |
id |
expository-reading-and-writing-course-erwc |
aliases |
expository-reading-and-writing-curriculum-erwc |
title |
Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC) |
description |
The Expository Reading and Writing Course is a college-preparatory English language arts curriculum developed by the California State University system for secondary students, with modules that integrate rhetorical reading, writing, revision, and language study. |
status |
review |
product_kind |
curriculum |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-09 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
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