ERWC 
Online Workshop 

If your region is full or is not conducting a workshop, you are welcome to join any online workshop that is available.

DESCRIPTION 

This 24-hour workshop series is intended for English language arts (ELA) and English language development (ELD) teachers teaching grades 9-12 in California public schools. The workshop series provides an introduction to the CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum (ERWC), including the following:  

• Full-year ELA courses at grade 11 and grade 12

• Curriculum modules with integrated and designated ELD at grades 9-12

The workshops are four weeks scheduled over several months, although the schedule may vary by region. The complete workshop schedule is listed at the bottom of this page.

The ERWC is an integrated reading, writing, and oral communication curriculum that employs an inquiry-based, rhetorical approach. It is designed to inculcate the strategies, abilities, and habits of mind of fluent academic readers and writers through rhetorical analysis of compelling issues and interesting texts. Building deep conceptual understandings that transform how students read, write, listen, speak, and think, the curriculum is intended to help students transfer their literacy skills to new situations and increase student agency. Developed by teachers for teachers in a continuing collaboration between high school and university faculty, the ERWC modules have been edited and revised according to feedback from practicing teachers in classrooms across CA, Washington (WA), and Hawaii. New emphases in the third edition are transfer of learning; greater variety of literary and informational texts and writing and speaking tasks; and the inclusion of integrated and designated English language development and features from Universal Design for Learning, including student goal setting and formative assessment.

This professional learning is intended to be an active experience providing hands-on practice with the ERWC curriculum. These rich, adaptable resources, developed by a collaborative group of CSU and high school faculty and specialists, are designed to help students develop the academic literacy skills necessary for success in college and the world of work. Aligned with the California Standards for ELA and ELD, both courses at grades 11 and 12 are approved to satisfy the “B” English subject requirement for UC and CSU admission. High schools may opt to offer the grade 11 course, the grade 12 course, or both. The modules for grades 9-12 with integrated and designated ELD may be integrated within existing ELA and ELD courses at those grades.

Teachers attending this workshop series will

• Receive access to online curriculum materials and professional books
• Identify features of effective ERWC classrooms as reflected in the ERWC assignment template and key principles
• Become familiar with ERWC pedagogy and key concepts, including integrated and designated ELD
• Investigate rhetorical reading, writing, and inquiry processes
• Explore ERWC course design—including module overviews that identify learning goals, rhetorical concepts, ELA and ELD standards, and culminating tasks—to make decisions about modules to teach in their classrooms
• Examine specific modules
• Select modules to teach and begin planning for implementation 

Workshop Dates

Week 1 - September 25, 2023 to October 1, 2023 
Week 2 - October 2, 2023 to October 8, 2023 

Break between week 2 and 3 for teachers to pilot materials and strategies.

Week 3 - November 6, 2023 to November 12, 2023
Week 4 - November 13, 2023 to November 19, 2023

Synchronous sessions are Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30 pm via Zoom.

Asynchronous participation via Canvas required to earn ERWC Certification. Participants must complete 80% of activities (includes Zoom meetings) in order to earn ERWC certification. Although some synchronous time will be scheduled, most of the work will be asynchronous. Please make the necessary arrangements to ensure your full participation.

Registration for this workshop will close on September 18, 2023 at 8:00 am.

Click HERE to register.

Confirmation email from your workshop contact may arrive within 24-72 hours after registration is submitted. Please make sure to check your junk/spam box for registration confirmation.

Please be aware that workshops may be canceled due to low enrollment. Should your workshop be canceled a notification from your workshop contact will be sent prior to the workshop start date. 

If you have any questions, please contact Denise Harshman at dharshman@ocde.us or 714-966-4446.