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The Writing in Adult Secondary Education (W-ASE) Project was designed to address a two-fold challenge in adult education: how to help learners develop both digital writing skills and their ability to write effective argumentative essays. Drawing on an evidence-based curriculum originally designed for college students who struggled with writing, the W-ASE team adapted lessons for adult learners at the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) levels 2–6 (high beginning through advanced literacy skills). The intervention included 16 lessons delivered over two to three months by authentic teachers at adult education programs. Teachers were supported through professional development training on the curriculum and then coaching throughout the intervention. The curriculum and the professional development model were refined over a series of field trials. In the pilot study, writing gains of students in classes using the refined writing curriculum were compared to students in business-as-usual classrooms across multiple adult education programs in a Southeastern state.
