The English Language Arts (ELA) Utah Core State Standards are the culmination of an extended, broad based effort to fulfill the charge issued by the states to create the next generation of K-12 standards in order to help ensure that all students have the opportunity to become college and/or career ready by the end of high school.
The Utah Core State Standards set requirements not only for English Language Arts, but also for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Just as students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, so too must the Standards specify the literacy skills and understanding required for college and/or career readiness in multiple disciplines.
Strengths of the ELA Common Core State Standards
1. The English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) incorporate:
A. K-12 Standards of what students should know and be able to do (performance) in reading, writing, speaking/listening, and language,
B. Expectations for College and Career Readiness,
C. Rigorous application content and knowledge through high-order skills,
D. Across the curriculum instruction,
E. The strengths and lessons of current state standards, and
F. Internationally benchmarked skills so that all students are prepared to succeed in the global economy and society.
2. The college and career readiness standards are the same in grades K through 12; however, text complexity and skill specificity differ at each level.
3. There are three genres of writing (narrative, informative/expository, and argument) implemented at each grade level.
4. The overall focus of the Common Core is on the depth of comprehension in reading and writing, not on the breadth of information covered.
5. Common Core instruction will be based on thematic content units not on strategies and sub-skills in isolation.
6. Students will be assessed through performance tasks, i.e., authentic reading and writing.
7. The ELA Common Core does not include scripted lessons; on the other hand, teachers will use their skills in determining how to teach the concepts.
8. Comprehensive Balanced Literacy will continue to be part of the curriculum in elementary grades, with shared reading, guided reading, and writing blocks.
Timelines for ELA Implementation
1. 2010-2011 Professional Development for Staff (PD)
2. 2011-2012 Begin Implementation for Grades K-5 and 7-12 and PD
3. 2012-2013 Continued Implementation for all grades plus Grade 6 and PD
4. 2013-2014 Full Implementation of ELA Standards, Pilot Assessments, and PD
5. 2014-2015 ELA Standards are fully operational with Adaptive Assessments and PD