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College Preparation Partnership

The College Preparation Partnership (CPP) is a collaboration between REL West and the Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum (ERWC) Steering Committee to better prepare high school students for the rigors of college coursework. The ERWC is a grade 11 and grade 12 English curriculum that emphasizes rhetorical analysis of compelling issues and interesting texts, and it has been shown to positively impact students’ English language arts academic achievement. The ERWC was originally developed in 2004 by the California State University, and it has been adopted by over 950 schools in California as of 2017.

Through the CPP, REL West and the ERWC Steering Committee come together to identify and implement ways to 1) improve the curriculum, 2) better support ERWC teachers, and 3) encourage broader implementation of the curriculum. REL West and the ERWC Steering Committee are collaborating to collect and analyze data about curriculum implementation, and the two groups are also gathering and applying evidence about strategies for coaching teachers. The end goal will be fuller implementation of an improved curriculum across the state, thereby leading to improved rates of college readiness among graduating high school students.

Alliance Objectives

With support from REL West:

  • The ERWC Steering Committee will better understand which students are enrolling in the ERWC and use this information to revise the curriculum to best meet the needs of the students.
  • Through effective coaching, ERWC teachers will be better prepared to implement the curriculum with high levels of fidelity.
  • High school students in California will exhibit improved English language arts achievement in grades 11 and 12.

Resources

“The report of coaching models was particularly helpful.”

ERWC Steering Committee member

Projects

Partners

The primary partner is the ERWC Steering Committee, which consists of CSU professors, administrators from the CSU Chancellor’s Office, members of the Center for the Advancement of Reading and Writing at the CSU Chancellor’s Office, literacy specialists, literacy coaches, high school administrators, and high school English teachers. Other extended partners include organizations that work with the ERWC Steering Committee on the ERWC, including the CSU’s Early Assessment Program, which provides outreach and information to schools to support the implementation of the ERWC, and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, which supports the delivery of the ERWC professional learning throughout the state.