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Standards and Instruction

NYS P-12 Learning Standards by Content Area

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ELA FAQ

  1. Is there a list of required texts for students to read in the Next Generation Learning Standards? 

There is no required reading list in the Next Generation Learning Standards. Text selection, as well as curriculum decisions, are decided at the local school district level in New York State. Although there is not a required reading list, there are reading expectations included within the standards, including the expectation that students read and interact with grade-level texts. These reading expectations can be found in the introduction section to each grade under the “Range of Reading Experiences and Text Complexity” sections. The P-12 Common Core Learning Standards (2011) referenced a few specific texts that were required at the high school level, such as reading one work of Shakespeare. Although the Next Generation Learning Standards (2017) do not include this specific expectation, it is still important, and highly recommended, to include classic works of literature in the classroom, to 2 ensure that all students have a wide range of reading experiences and a rich understanding of the timeless nature of certain classic literary works and how they provide insight into the human experience.  

  1. Do the ELA Standards represent what a student should know by the end of the school year? 

Yes, the State Learning Standards represent what a student should know and be able to do, as a result of instruction and experience, by the end of each school year. Language Standards 1 & 2 are organized within grade bands. Appendix A of the Standards details the grade band progressions.  

  1. Why are the Language Standards in grade bands in the standards? 

During the standards review, the ELA revision committee decided to include Language Standards 1 and 2 (located in Appendix A), which focus on grammar and conventions, in grade bands (Prekindergarten-Grade 2; Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; and Grades 9-12). These skills are depicted on a continuum because research suggests that Core Convention Skills and Core Punctuation and Spelling Skills develop along a progression. The grade banded standards are expected to be accomplished by the end of the grade band; for example, for the P-2 band, the student is expected to accomplish the standard by the end of 2nd grade. The forward arrow (à) is included throughout Language Standards 1 and 2 to indicate skills that connect and progress across the band. See Appendix A of the Next Generation English Language Arts Standards for more information. Please note Language Standards 3 and 4 are not banded. Knowledge of Language and Vocabulary Acquisition and Use include grade-specific standards.  

  1. Are the English Language Arts Learning Standards applicable to all content areas?

Reading, writing, listening, and speaking have connections to all content areas. Success in school and in life is determined in large part by competence in language. As a significant means for developing students' abilities to use their minds well, language is a central factor in learning for all students and in all disciplines. Thinking creatively, making informed and reasoned judgments, producing and inventing, critiquing and analyzing - all are facilitated through language. The Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards include standards for literacy across the content areas, with a separate Grades 6-12 Literacy document available