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Adult Ed/ English Language Arts Curriculum English Language Arts Adult Basic Education 3
Course Preface Course Preface
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Core Standards of the Course

Reading Standards
To become college and career ready, students need to grapple with works of exceptional craft and thought whose range extends across genres, cultures, and centuries. By engaging with increasingly complex readings, students gain the ability to evaluate intricate arguments and the capacity to surmount the challenges posed by complex texts. Standards 1 and 10 play a special role since they operate whenever students are reading: Standard 1 outlines the command of evidence required to support any analysis of text (e.g., analyzing structure, ideas, or the meaning of word as defined by Standards 2-9); Standard 10 defines the range and complexity of what students need to read.
Reading Strand
Key: The citation at the end of each standard in the following chart identifies the CCSS strand, grade, and number (or standard number and letter, where applicable).
For example, RI.4.3 stands for Reading, Informational Text, Grade 4, Standard 3.

RI: Reading Informational Text RH: Reading Historical/Social Studies Text
RL: Reading Literature RST: Reading Scientific and Technical Text

CCR Anchor 1:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)4

RI/RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

RI/RL.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.


CCR Anchor 2:
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.4.2
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.


CCR Anchor 3:
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.


CCR Anchor 4:
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.5.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a topic or subject area.

RL.5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.


CCR Anchor 5:
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.4.5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

RI.5.5
Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.


CCR Anchor 6:
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.


CCR Anchor 7:
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outline by Standard 10.)

RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

RI.5.7
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.


CCR Anchor 8:
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.5.8
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).


CCR Anchor 9:
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

RI.5.9
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.


CCR Anchor 10:
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.5

Associated Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity to B-E Levels of Learning

Common Core Band ATOS Degrees of Reading Power® Flesch-Kincaid The Lexile Framework® Reading Maturity SourceRater
2nd - 3rd (B) 2.75 - 5.14 42 - 54 1.98 - 5.34 420 - 820 3.53 - 6.13 0.05 - 2.48
4th - 5th (C) 4.97 - 7.03 52 - 60 4.51 - 7.73 740 - 1010 5.42 - 7.92 0.84 - 5.75
6th - 8th (D) 7.00 - 9.98 57 - 67 6.51 - 10.34 925 - 1185 7.04 - 9.57 4.11 - 10.66
9th - 10th (E) 9.67 - 12.01 62 - 72 8.32 - 12.12 1050 - 1335 8.41 - 10.81 9.02 - 13.93
11th - CCR (E) 11.20 - 14.10 67 - 74 10.34 - 14.2 1185 - 1385 9.57 - 12.00 12.30 - 14.50


Writing Standards
To be college and career ready writers, students must take task, purpose, and audience into careful consideration, choosing words, information, structures, and formats deliberately. The Writing Standards cultivate the development of three mutually reinforcing writing capacities: crafting arguments, writing to inform and explain, and fashioning narratives about real or imagined experiences. The overwhelming focus of writing throughout the levels is on arguments and informative/explanatory texts. Writing Standard 9 is a standout because it stresses the importance of the writing-reading connection by requiring students to draw upon and use evidence from literary and informational texts as they write arguments or inform/explain. Because of the centrality of writing to most forms of inquiry, research standards are prominently included in this strand as well.

Writing Strand
Key: The citation at the end of each standard in the following chart identifies the CCSS strand, grade, and number (or standard number and letter, where applicable).
For example, W.5.1a stands for Writing, Grade 5, Standard 1a.

W: Writing WHST: Writing for History/Social Studies, Scientific and Technical Subjects

CCR Anchor 1:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W.5.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.6

  1. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer's purpose.
  2. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
  3. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).
  4. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

CCR Anchor 2:
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

  1. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
  2. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
  3. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
  4. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
  5. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

CCR Anchor 4:
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.5.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.


CCR Anchor 5:
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

W.5.5
With guidance and support from peers and others, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 at this level.)


CCR Anchor 6:
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

W.4.6
With some guidance and support, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.


CCR Anchor 7:
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

W.5.7
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.


CCR Anchor 8:
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

W.5.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.


CCR Anchor 9:
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (Apply this standard to texts of appropriate complexity as outlined by Standard 10.)

W.5.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  1. Apply Reading standards from this level to literature (e.g., "Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text").
  2. Apply Reading standards from this level to informational text (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s)").

Speaking and Listening
Including, but not limited to, skills necessary for formal presentations, the Speaking and Listening Standards require students to develop a range of broadly useful oral communication and interpersonal skills. The standards ask students to learn to work together, express and listen carefully to ideas, integrate information from oral, visual, quantitative, and media sources, evaluate what they hear, use media and visual displays strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt speech to context and task.7

Speaking and Listening Strand
Key: The citation at the end of each standard in the following chart identifies the CCSS strand, grade, and number (or standard number and letter, where applicable).
For example, SL.K.2 stands for Speaking and Listening, Grade K, Standard 2.

SL: Speaking and Listening  

CCR Anchor 1:
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

SL.5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

  1. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
  2. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
  3. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
  4. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.

CCR Anchor 2:
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

SL.4.2
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

SL.5.2
Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.


CCR Anchor 3:
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

SL.5.3
Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.


CCR Anchor 4:
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.


CCR Anchor 5:
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

SL.5.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.


CCR Anchor 6:
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

SL.4.6
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See Language standards 1 and 3.)


Language Standards
The Language Standards include the essential "rules" of standard written and spoken English, but they also approach language as a matter of craft and informed choice among alternatives. The vocabulary standards focus on understanding words and phrases and their nuances and relationships, and on acquiring new vocabulary, particularly general academic and domain-specific words and phrases. Students advancing through the levels are expected to meet each level's specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understanding mastered in preceding levels.9

Language Strand
Key: The citation at the end of each standard in the following chart identifies the CCSS strand, grade, and number (or standard number and letter, where applicable).
For example, L.9-10.1 stands for Language, Grade 9-10, Standard 1.

L: Language  

CCR Anchor 1:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.4.1 and 5.1 merge10
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  1. Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.
  2. Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
  3. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
  4. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
  5. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.
  6. Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
  7. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
  8. Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
  9. Form and use prepositional phrases.
  10. Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
  11. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
  12. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).

CCR Anchor 2:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

L.4.2 and 5.2 merge
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  1. Use correct capitalization.
  2. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
  3. Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
  4. Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.
  5. Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It's true, isn't it?), and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
  6. Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
  7. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
  8. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

CCR Anchor 3:
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

L.4.3 and 5.3 merge
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  1. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
  2. Choose punctuation for effect.
  3. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small group discussion).
  4. Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
  5. Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.

CCR Anchor 4:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

L.4.4 and 5.4 merge
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  1. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, restatements, cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  2. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, autograph, photograph, photosynthesis).
  3. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

CCR Anchor 5:
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

L.5.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  1. Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.
  2. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
  3. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

CCR Anchor 6:
Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

L.4.6 and 5.6 merge
Acquire and use accurately level-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that:

  1. signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered).
  2. are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
  3. signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills K-5
The Reading Standards: Foundational Skills are directed toward fostering students’ understanding and working knowledge of concepts of print, the alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions of the English writing system. These foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves; rather, they are necessary and important components of an effective, comprehensive reading program designed to develop proficient readers with the capacity to comprehend texts across a range of types and disciplines.11

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills K-5
Key: The citation at the end of each standard in the following chart identifies the CCSS strand, grade, and number (or standard number and letter, where applicable).
For example, RF.4.4 stands for Reading Foundational Skills, Grade 4, Standard 4.

RF: Reading Foundational Skills  

RF.3.
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. (Phonics and Word Recognition)

RF.4.3 and 5.3 merge
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

  1. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

RF.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (Fluency)

RF.4.4 and 5.4 merge
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

  1. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
  2. Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
  3. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.


UEN logo http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Stephanie  Patton and see the Adult Ed/ English Language Arts website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Stephanie  Patton.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.