Seventh grade students, varying in their literacy skills, from a suburban middle school in the United States were taught an expository writing strategy using the Self-Regulated Strategy Development approach. Using an AB design, the students participated in an eight-session expository writing intervention that taught the writing process. The quality of the students plans for their writing and their written essays were evaluated. The results indicate that the pre-placement of the students in school identified intervention groups did not indicate which students would benefit from a writing intervention.