Reflections of Understandings of ELA Instruction

There are five main components to the standards for ELA Instruction.  These standards include, reading, writing, speaking, listening and language.  There are two categories of teachers who are responsible for implementing these standards, ELA teachers, as well as other content area teachers, which include social studies/history, science and technical subjects.  In addition to the five specific ELA standards, two other standards, Common Core and NCTE/IRA also provide a framework for how ELA should be taught in terms of scope and sequence, performance, strategies, and technology integration.  These include, but are not limited to a focus on the results rather than the means of ELA standards, preparing students who are college and career ready, establishing an integrated model of literacy, the inclusion of research and media as a component driven through all models of instruction, shared responsibility to address ELA standards amongst school faculty, a focus on instruction and assessment, and the implementation of accommodations for students who require them when necessary either through assistive devices, time extensions, and other technological resources.  Theses standards do not dictate the way in which a teacher covers the material and curriculum, it is a guide for what should be covered over a period of time with a strong emphasis on what should be achieved within the given time period to ensure students are career and college ready.