CCRS: English Language Arts / Literacy

Interpreting the Standards

We will now briefly review the key features of the CCRS. Please download or open your copy of the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education report, and skim the report through page 8. Note: There is a lot of material covered in this document, and in far more detail than we need for our purposes. Therefore, we will highlight the key elements that will be important as you design your instructional materials.

College and Career Readiness Standards

Let's begin with a review of the standards for English Language Arts / Literacy (ELA/Literacy).

English Language Arts: An Overview

Please skim pages 9 - 14 of the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education report. This section offers a review of the key aspects of the English Language Arts / Literacy (ELA/Literacy) standards.

This section of the document describes the adult education standards for the earliest levels of of learning and continues through adult secondary education for the four ELA/Literacy strands (i.e. domains) of:

  1. Reading,
  2. Writing,
  3. Speaking and Listening, and
  4. Language.

ELA/Literacy: Grade-Level Groups

As described on page 10 of the CCRS document, the ELA/Literacy standards are bundled into five grade-level groupings based on learning levels. The five grade level groupings (A - E) represent the following K-12 grade equivalents and adult learning levels:

  1. Grade Level A (K–1): Beginning Adult Basic Education Literacy
  2. Grade Level B (2–3): Beginning Basic Education
  3. Grade Level C (4–5): Low Intermediate Basic Education
  4. Grade Level D (6–8): High Intermediate Basic Education
  5. Grade Level E (9–12): Low Adult Secondary and High Adult Secondary Education

ELA/Literacy: Strands

As noted, the ELA/Literacy standards are divided into four primary strands of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. However, as outlined on page 12 of the CCRS document and shown in the table below, supporting standards are provided for Reading and Writing. The key below differentiates the standards for Reading of (a) Informational Text, (b) Literature, (c) History/Social Studies Text, or (d) Scientific and Technical text, as well as for Writing of History/Social Studies, or Scientific and Technical subjects.

English Language Arts / Literacy Standards Key
RI

Reading Informational Text

W

Writing

RL

Reading Literature

WHST

Writing for History/ Social Studies, Scientific,
and Technical Subjects

RH

Reading Historical/Social Studies Text

SL

Speaking and Listening

RST

Reading Scientific and Technical Text

L

Language

ELA/Literacy: Anchor Standards

Each of the four ELA/Literacy strands contains a set of anchor standards. While each anchor standard is the same for each grade-level group (i.e. learning level), the college and career readiness expectation for each anchor standard varies for each learning level. Therefore, each anchor standard has a corresponding level-specific supporting standard that sets appropriate expectations for that learning level.

For example, the chart below depicts the first ELA/Literacy anchor standard for the Reading strand (i.e. CCR Anchor 1). Below the anchor standard and within each column, you will find the supporting standards (or benchmark application of skills) specific to each learning level.

ELA Standard.png

CCSS Standard Citation Cross-Reference

At the end of each supporting standard description you will see a combination of letters and numbers (for example, RI/RL.9-10.1). Note that this citation is a cross-reference to the K12 Common Core State Standard (CCSS) strand, grade, and number (or standard number and letter, where applicable). For example:

  • RI/RL.9-10.1 stands for Reading/Informational Text, Reading/Language, Grade 9-10, Standard 1.
  • W/WHST.11-12.9a stands for Writing/Writing for History/Social Studies, Science or Technical, Grade 11-12, Standard 9a.