7 MAC Pt. 197
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Cite as 7 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 197
Mississippi
Alternate
Academic
Achievement
Standards for
English Language
Arts
Effective Date: 2019-2020 School Year
7 Miss. Admin. Code, Part 197
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
2019 Mississippi
Alternate Academic Achievement
Standards for English Language Arts
Carey M. Wright, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Education
Nathan Oakley, Ph.D., Chief Academic Officer
Robin Lemonis, State Director of Special Education
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Mississippi Department of Education
Post Office Box 771
Jackson, Mississippi
39205-0771
Office of Special Education
601-359-3498
www.mdek12.org/OSE
The Mississippi State Board of Education, the Mississippi Department of Education, the
Mississippi School for the Arts, the Mississippi School for the Blind, the Mississippi School for the
Deaf, and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science do not discriminate on the basis of
race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability in the provision of educational programs
and services or employment opportunities and benefits. The following office has been designated
to handle inquiries and complaints regarding the nondiscrimination policies of the above-
mentioned entities:
Director, Office of Human Resources
Mississippi Department of Education
359 North West Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
(601) 359 - 3511
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (MS AAAS) for English Language Arts Overview 10
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
COMMITTEE MEMBERS (2019)
The Mississippi Department of Education gratefully acknowledges the following individuals who
provided feedback in developing the 2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards.
Suzanne Bean
Mississippi State University RCU
Judy Cayson
Itawamba School District
Dayna Clark
Pass Christian School District
Millie Drewa
Starkville Oktibbeha County School District
Alicia Dunigan
Senatobia School District
Doris Flettrich
Pass Christian School District
Kellie Fondren
Mississippi State University RCU
Pasteia Garth
Nettleton School District
Denise Harrison
University of Mississippi
Jordan Helton
Madison School District
Jan Houston
Starkville Oktibbeha School District
Kelly Huber
George County
Karen John
Petal School District
Lauren Johnson
Forest Municipal School District
Rhonda Jones
Alcorn County School District
Ashley Kazery
Mississippi Department of Education
Cyndi Keene
Louisville School District
LaNell Kellum
Mississippi State University RCU
Wanda Kirkwood
Starkville Oktibbeha County School District
Teresa Laney
Mississippi Department of Education
Lydia Lankford
Madison School District
Gidget Hill Mansell
South Tippah School District
Misty McMahon
Ocean Springs School District
Judy Middleton
Mississippi State University RCU
Bonnie Owen
Mississippi State University RCU
Myra Pannell
Mississippi State University RCU
Ashley Privett
Desoto County School District
Keri Rankin
Grenada School District
Brittany Raybon
North Pike School District
Bobby L. Richardson
Mississippi Department of Education
Amye Rowan
Pearl School District
Denise Sibley
Mississippi State University RCU
Connie Smith
Laurel School District
Taye Smith
Clinton School District
Gwen Stallworth
Pascagoula Gautier School District
Susan Stampley
Senatobia School District
Eric Sumrall
Hazlehurst School District
Elizabeth Testa
Vicksburg-Warren School District
Stacey Todd
Ocean Springs School District
Tiffany Withers
Rankin County School District
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Introduction
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is dedicated to student success, which includes
improving student achievement in English and Language Arts and establishing communication
skills within a technological environment. The 2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic
Achievement Standards (MS AAAS) provides a consistent, clear understanding of what students
are expected to know and be able to do by the end of each grade level or course. The purpose
of alternate standards is to build a bridge from the content in the general education science
framework to academic expectations for students with the most significant cognitive
disabilities. The standards are designed to be rigorous and relevant to the real world, reflecting
the knowledge and skills that students need for success in postsecondary settings.
In special education, prompting is often used to mean a system of structured cues to elicit
desired behaviors that otherwise would not occur. In order to clearly communicate that teacher
assistance is permitted during instruction of the MS AAAS and is not limited to structured
prompting procedures. Guidance and support during instruction should be interpreted as
teacher encouragement, general assistance, and informative feedback to support the student.
In an effort to closely align instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are
progressing toward individualized postsecondary settings, the 2019 Mississippi Alternate
Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts includes grade- and course-specific
standards for K-12 English Language Arts. These standards are intended solely for students who
have met the criteria for a significant cognitive disability as documented in each student’s
individualized education program (IEP).
This document is designed to provide special education teachers with a basis for curriculum
development. As such, this set of alternate standards addresses a small number of English
Language Arts standards, representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire
standards framework. In order to prepare students for postsecondary settings, it outlines what
knowledge students should obtain and the types of skills students should demonstrate upon
completion of each grade level. The 2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement
Standards document is aligned to the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards (MS
CCRS). The MS CCRS reflects national expectations while focusing on postsecondary success,
but it is unique to Mississippi in addressing the needs of our students and teachers.
The following resources served as a foundation for the development of the 2019 MS AAAS for
English Language Arts:
 Mississippi’s College and Career Readiness Standards (MS CCRS) for ELA
ď‚· Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium. (2013). Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements
for English language arts. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
The Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards are based on the Dynamic
Learning Maps Essential Elements (DLM EE), with additional edits and clarifications to better
support the needs of Mississippi teachers and students. Standards language in italicized font
indicates Mississippi-specific standards or adjustments to the DLM EE.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Organization of the 2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement
Standards
The 2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (MS AAAS) are aligned to the
MS CCRS Standards. The MS AAAS are divided into five sections. The first section includes an
introduction to the document and an overview of the Mississippi Alternate Academic
Achievement Standards for English Language Arts. The second section includes the MS AAAS for
ELA for kindergarten through second grade. The third section includes the MS AAAS for ELA for
grades 3 through 5. The fourth section includes MS AAAS for grades 6 through 8. The final
section includes MS AAAS for English Language Arts Grades 9 through 12.
Structure of the Standards Document
Content strand: Domains into which ELA fields can be divided based on relative content. The
four strands identified in the MS AAAS to English Language Arts include reading, writing,
speaking and listening, and language.
Disciplinary core ideas: The core ideas are the key organizing principles for the development of
emphasis on each of the content strands in each grade level. All content strands will be found in
each grade level, but all disciplinary core ideas will not be found in every grade level.
Mississippi College and Career Readiness content standard: Each MS AAAS for English Language
Arts is aligned to a specific MS CCRS for English Language Arts. The alignment is displayed in
this document as pictured in the image below.
Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement content standard: The MS AAAS for English
Language Arts is a general statement of what students with significant cognitive disabilities
should know and be able to do as a result of instruction.
Kindergarten
Mississippi
College- and
Career-
Readiness
Standards
Disciplinary Core Idea
Grade-level Content Strand
Mississippi
Alternate
Academic
Achievement
Standard (MS
AAAS)
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Implementation
The 2019 MS AAAS for English Language Arts will be implemented during the 2019-2020 school year.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Mississippi Alternate Academic
Achievement Standards (MS AAAS) for
English Language Arts Overview
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Strategies for Content Area Reading
Though strategies utilized in reading and language arts classes provide the framework that
students need to comprehend content-specific texts, students must also be equipped with
transferable skills and strategies that can be used across grade levels and curricula. The
following are suggestions for content area reading that can be incorporated in all classrooms.
Suggestions for Teaching Content-Specific Vocabulary and Facilitating Comprehension
ď‚· Establish goals and purposes for reading.
ď‚· Plan pre-reading activities that allow students to develop prerequisite knowledge and
vocabulary about content-specific topics. Activities may include reading materials,
videos, websites, and field trips.
ď‚· Plan post-reading activities that allow students to demonstrate mastery of skills and
concepts through visual, kinesthetic, oral, and/or written products. Comprehension is
often aided when linked to the creation of a product.
ď‚· Create mental or visual images associated with technical vocabulary words.
ď‚· Link new vocabulary with background knowledge.
ď‚· Focus on the semantic relationships of new and familiar words.
ď‚· Use synonyms, antonyms, and dictionary definitions to understand the meaning of
specialized and technical vocabulary.
ď‚· Analyze the structure of new words (e.g., affixes, compound words, etc.) to determine
word meaning.
ď‚· Maintain word banks and word walls for new words (Note: Word banks and word walls
should be interactive; students must regularly interact with words banks and word walls
to fully expand their vocabulary and analyze how words and concepts aid in reading
comprehension).
ď‚· Use semantic gradients (vocabulary continuums) to illustrate a continuum of words by
degree. Semantic gradients often feature antonyms or opposites on each end of the
continuum. This strategy broadens students’ knowledge of related and opposite words.
ď‚· Develop activities that allow students to work collaboratively to figure out the meaning
of new words.
ď‚· Encourage students to generate and ask questions of texts.
ď‚· Design activities that allow students to make inferences, predict, summarize, and
visualize concepts.
ď‚· Examine physical features of texts.
Many of the suggested strategies (e.g., prediction, summarizing, analyzing text features) must
be directly taught (explicit instruction) and practiced, while other strategies (e.g., creating visual
or mental images) can be components of incidental (implicit) instruction.
Additionally, students must engage in reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities that are
authentic and content-specific. Textbooks and discipline-specific texts, such as primary and
secondary source documents, articles, tables, and graphs, must be cornerstones in social
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
studies, science, and technical subjects to aid students in using reading strategies that are
discipline specific.
(Adapted from Research-Based Content Area Reading Instruction, Texas Reading Initiative, Guidance for Literacy in
the Content Areas, Engage NY, and Vocabulary Filters: A Framework for Choosing Which Words to Teach)
Key Features of the Standards
Reading: Text Complexity and the Growth of Comprehension
The reading standards place equal emphasis on the sophistication of what students read and
the skill with which they read. Standard 10 defines a grade-by-grade “staircase” of increasing
text complexity that rises from beginning reading to the college and career readiness level.
Whatever they are reading, students must also show a steadily growing ability to discern more
from and make fuller use of texts, including making an increasing number of connections
among ideas and between texts, considering a wider range of textual evidence, and becoming
more sensitive to inconsistencies, ambiguities, and poor reasoning in texts.
The following link provides a rubric for determining text complexity of informational and
literary texts:
https://www.mdek12.org/sites/default/files/Offices/Secondary%20Ed/ELA/qualitative-rubrics-
for-measuring-text-complexity-informational-and-literary.pdf
Writing: Text types, Responding to Reading, and Research
The standards acknowledge the fact that whereas some writing skills, such as the ability to plan,
revise, edit, and publish, are applicable to many types of writing, other skills are more properly
defined in terms of specific writing types: arguments, informative/explanatory texts, and
narratives. Standard 9 stresses the importance of the writing-reading connection by requiring
students to draw upon and write about evidence from literary and informational texts. Because
of the centrality of writing to most forms of inquiry, research standards are prominently
included in this strand, though skills important to research are infused throughout the
document.
Speaking and Listening: Flexible Communication and Collaboration
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. Students must 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.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Language: Conventions, Effective Use, and Vocabulary
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, their relationships, their
nuances, and on acquiring new vocabulary, particularly general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
MS AAAS for English Language Arts
Grades K-2
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Kindergarten
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and
answer questions about key details in a text.
A.RL.K.1 With guidance and support, identify
details in familiar stories.
RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell
familiar stories, including key details.
A.RL.K.2 With guidance and support, identify
major events in familiar stories.
RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify
characters, settings, and major events in a
story.
A.RL.K.3 With guidance and support, identify
characters and settings in a familiar story.
Craft and Structure
RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about
unknown words in a text.
A.RL.K.4.1 Indicate when an unknown word is
used in a text.
A.RL.K.4.2 Ask and answer questions about
unknown words in a text.
RL.K.5 Recognize common types of texts (e.g.,
storybooks, poems).
A.RL.K.5 Recognize familiar texts (e.g.,
storybooks and poems).
RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the
author and illustrator of a story and define the
role of both in telling the story.
A.RL.K.6 With guidance and support,
distinguish between words and illustrations in
a story.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe
the relationship between illustrations and the
story in which they appear (e.g., what
moment in a story an illustration depicts).
A.RL.K.7 With guidance and support, identify
illustrations or object information found
within a familiar story.
RL.K.8 Not applicable
A.RL.K.8 Not applicable
RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare
and contrast the adventures and experiences
of characters in familiar stories.
A.RL.K.9 With guidance and support, identify
the adventures or experiences of a character
in a familiar story.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.K.10 Actively engage in group reading
activities with purpose and understanding.
A.RL.K.10 Actively engage in shared reading.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask
and answer questions about key details in
a text.
A.RI.K.1 With guidance and support, identify
a detail in a familiar text.
RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify
the main topic and retell key details of a
text.
A.RI.K.2 With guidance and support,
identify the topic of a familiar text.
RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe
the connection between two individuals,
events, ideas, or pieces of information in a
text.
A.RI.K.3 With guidance and support,
identify individuals, events, or details in a
familiar informational text.
Craft and Structure
RI.K.4 With prompting and support, ask and
answer questions about unknown words in
a text.
A.RI.K.4 With guidance and support, ask
and answer questions about unknown
words in a text.
RI.K.5 Identify the front cover, back cover,
and title page of a book.
A.RI.K.5 Identify the front cover of a book.
RI.K.6 Name the author and illustrator of a
text and define the role of both in
presenting the ideas or information in a text.
A.RI.K.6 Distinguish between words and
illustrations in an informational text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe
the relationship between illustrations and
the text in which they appear (e.g., what
person, place, thing, or idea in the text an
illustration depicts).
A.RI.K.7 With guidance and support,
identify illustrations or object information
found within a familiar text.
RI.K.8 With prompting and support, identify
the reasons an author gives to support
points in a text.
A.RI.K.8 With guidance and support,
identify the author’s purpose in an
informational text.
RI.K.9 With prompting and support, identify
basic similarities in and differences between
two texts on the same topic (e.g., in
illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
A.RI.K.9 With guidance and support, match
similar parts of two familiar texts on the
same topic (e.g., in illustrations,
descriptions, procedures).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading
activities with purpose and understanding.
A.RI.K.10 Actively engage in shared reading
of informational text.
These standards 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
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
proficient readers with the capacity to comprehend texts across a range of types and disciplines.
Instruction should be differentiated: Good readers will need much less practice with these
concepts than will struggling readers. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and
not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less
attention.
Reading Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
RF.K.1 Demonstrate understanding of the
organization and basic features of print.
a. Follow words from left to right, top to
bottom, and page by page.
b. Recognize that spoken words are
represented in written language by
specific sequences of letters.
c. Understand that words are separated
by spaces in print.
d. Recognize and name all upper- and
lowercase letters of the alphabet.
A.RF.K.1 Demonstrate emerging
understanding of the organization of print.
a. During shared reading,
demonstrate understanding that
books are read one page at a time
from beginning to end.
b. Not applicable
c. Demonstrate appropriate finger
spacing between words.
d. Demonstrate knowledge of letters
of the alphabet (e.g., letter of their
name).
Phonological Awareness
RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken
words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
a. Recognize and produce rhyming words.
b. Count, pronounce, blend, and segment
syllables in spoken words.
c. Blend and segment onsets and rhymes
of single-syllable spoken words.
d. Isolate and pronounce the initial,
medial vowel, and final sounds
(phonemes) in three-phoneme
(consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC)
words. (This does not include CVCs
ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)
e. Add or substitute individual sounds
(phonemes) in simple, one-syllable
words to make new words.
A.RF.K.2 Demonstrate emerging
understanding of spoken words, syllables,
and sounds (phonemes).
a. Recognize rhyming words.
b. Recognize the number of words in a
spoken message.
c. Identify single-syllable spoken
words with the same onset
(beginning sound) as a familiar
word.
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics
and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-
to-one letter-sound correspondences
by producing the primary or many of
the most frequent sound for each
consonant.
A.RF.K.3 Demonstrate emerging awareness
of print.
a. Recognize first letter of own
name in print.
b. Not applicable
c. Recognize environmental print.
d. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
b. Associate the long and short sounds
with common spellings (graphemes) for
the five major vowels.
c. Read common high-frequency words
by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my,
is, are, do, does).
d. Distinguish between similarly spelled
words by identifying the sounds of
the letters that differ.
Fluency
RF.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with
purpose and understanding.
A.RF.K.4 Engage in purposeful shared
reading of familiar text.
The following standards for kindergarten offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is
reflected in the standards themselves.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing,
dictating, and writing to compose opinion
pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or
the name of the book they are writing about
and state an opinion or preference about the
topic or book (e.g., “My favorite book is . . .”).
A.W.K.1 With guidance and support, select
a familiar book and use drawing, dictation,
or writing to state an opinion about it.
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing,
dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply
some information about the topic.
A.W.K.2 With guidance and support, select
a familiar topic and use drawing, dictation,
or writing to share information about the
topic.
W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing,
dictating, and writing to narrate a single
event or several loosely linked events, tell
about the events in the order in which they
occurred, and provide a reaction to what
happened.
A.W.K.3 With guidance and support, select
an event and use drawing, dictation, or
writing to share information about the
selected event.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.K.4 (Begins in Grade 3)
A.W.K.4 (Begins in Grade 3)
W.K.5 With guidance and support from
adults, respond to questions and suggestions
A.W.K.5 (Begins in grade 1)
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
from peers and add details to strengthen
writing as needed.
W.K.6 With guidance and support from
adults, explore a variety of digital tools to
produce and publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.
A.W.K.6 With guidance and support
from adults, explore a variety of digital
tools to produce individual or group
writing.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.K.7 Participate in shared research and
writing projects (e.g., explore a number of
books by a favorite author and express
opinions about them).
A.W.K.7 Participate in shared research and
writing projects.
W.K.8 With guidance and support from
adults, recall information from experiences or
gather information from provided sources to
answer a question.
A.W.K.8 With guidance and support from
adults, identify information, objects, or
events that relate to personal experiences.
W.K.9 (Begins in grade 4)
A.W.K.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.K.10 (Begins in Grade 3)
A.W.K.10 (Begins in Grade 3)
The following standards for kindergarten offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners about
kindergarten topics and texts with peers and
adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., listening to others
and taking turns speaking about the
topics and texts under discussion).
b. Continue a conversation through
multiple exchanges.
A.SL.K.1 Participate in conversations with
others.
a. Communicate directly with
supportive adults or peers.
b. Participate in multiple-turn
communication exchanges with
support from adults.
SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read
aloud or information presented orally or
through other media by asking and answering
questions about key details and requesting
clarification if something is not understood.
A.SL.K.2 Demonstrate an emerging
understanding of a familiar text read aloud
or information presented orally or through
other media by answering questions.
SL.K.3 Ask and answer questions in order to
seek help, get information, or clarify
something that is not understood.
A.SL.K.3 Ask for help when needed.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things,
and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
A.SL.K.4 Identify familiar people, places,
things, and events.
SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to
descriptions as desired to provide additional
detail.
A.SL.K.5 Add or select drawings or other
visual or tactual displays that relate to
familiar people, places, things, and events.
SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts,
feelings, and ideas clearly.
A.SL.K.6 Communicate thoughts, feelings,
and ideas.
The following standards for grades kindergarten offer a focus for instruction each year to help
ensure that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing (printing or keyboarding)
or speaking.
a. Print many upper- and lowercase
letters.
b. Use frequently occurring nouns and
verbs.
c. Form regular plural nouns orally by
adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs;
wish, wishes).
d. Understand and use question words
(interrogatives) (e.g., who, what,
where, when, why, how).
e. Use the most frequently occurring
prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on,
off, for, of, by, with).
f. Produce and expand complete
sentences in shared language activities.
A.L.K.1 Demonstrate emerging
understanding of letter and word use (e.g.
draw, dictate, write, trace or identify)
a. Distinguish between letters and
other symbols or shapes.
b. Use frequently occurring nouns in
communication.
c. Use frequently occurring plural
nouns.
d. Identify answers to simple questions
(e.g., who, what) from an array of
choices.
e. Demonstrate understanding of
common prepositions such as on,
off, in, out.
f. Link two or more words together in
communication.
L.K.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Capitalize the first word in a sentence
and the pronoun.
b. Recognize and name end punctuation.
c. Write a letter or letters for most
consonant and short-vowel sounds
(phonemes).
d. Spell simple words phonetically,
drawing on knowledge of sound-letter
relationships.
A.L.K.2 Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Knowledge and Language
L.K.3 (Begins in grade 2)
A.L.K.3 (Begins in grade 2)
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.K.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on kindergarten reading and
content.
a. Identify new meanings for familiar
words and apply them accurately
(e.g., knowing that “duck” is a bird
and learning the verb “to duck”).
b. Use the most frequently
occurring inflections and affixes
(e.g., -ed, -s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -
less) as a clue to the meaning of
an unknown word.
A.L.K.4 Demonstrate emerging knowledge
of word meanings.
a. Demonstrate understanding of
words used in every day routines.
b. Not applicable
L.K.5 With guidance and support from adults,
explore word relationships and nuances in
word meanings.
a. Sort common objects into categories
(e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of
the concepts the categories represent.
b. Demonstrate understanding of
frequently occurring verbs and
adjectives by relating them to their
opposites (antonyms).
c. Identify real-life connections between
words and their use (e.g., note places
at school that are “colorful”).
d. Distinguish shades of meaning among
verbs describing the same general
action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance)
by acting out the meanings.
A.L.K.5 With guidance and support,
demonstrate emerging understanding of
word relationships.
a. Sort common objects into familiar
categories.
b. Demonstrate understanding of
frequently occurring opposites.
c. Use words to communicate in real-
life situations.
d. Demonstrate an understanding of
common verbs.
L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired
through conversations, reading and being
read to, and responding to texts.
A.L.K.6 Use words acquired through
conversations, being read to, and during
shared reading activities.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Grade 1
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key
details in a text.
A.RL.1.1 Identify details in familiar stories.
RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and
demonstrate understanding of their central
message or lesson.
A.RL.1.2 Recount major events in familiar
stories.
RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major
events in a story using key details.
A.RL.1.3 Identify characters and settings in a
familiar story.
Craft and Structure
RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or
poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the
senses.
A.RL.1.4 Identify sensory or feeling words in a
familiar story.
RL.1.5 Explain major differences between
books that tell stories and books that give
information, drawing on a wide reading of a
range of text types.
A.RL.1.5 Identify a text telling a story or text
giving information.
RL.1.6 Identify who is telling the story at
various points in a text.
A.RL.1.6 Identify a speaker within a familiar
story.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story
to describe its characters, setting, or events.
A.RL.1.7 Use illustrations, details, or objects in
a story to describe its characters, setting, or
events.
RL.1.8 Not applicable
A.RL.1.8 Not applicable
RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures
and experiences of characters in stories.
A.RL.1.9 Identify adventures or experiences of
characters in a story as same or different.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.1.10 With prompting and support, read
prose and poetry of appropriate complexity
for grade 1.
A.RL.1.10 With guidance and support, actively
engage in shared reading for a clearly stated
purpose.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key
details in a text.
A.RI.1.1 Identify details in familiar text.
RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key
details of a text.
A.RI.1.2 Identify the topic of a text.
RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two
individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of
information in a text.
A.RI.1.3 Identify individuals, events, or
details in a familiar informational text.
Craft and Structure
RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help
determine or clarify the meaning of words
and phrases in a text.
A.RI.1.4 Ask a reader to determine the
meaning of a word in a text.
RI.1.5 Know and use various text features
(e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries,
electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts
or information in a text.
A.RI.1.5 Locate the front cover, back cover,
and title page of a book.
RI.1.6 Distinguish between information
provided by pictures or other illustrations
and information provided by the words in a
text.
A.RI.1.6 Distinguish between words and
illustrations in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a
text to describe its key ideas.
A.RI.1.7 Identify illustrations, objects or
details information that go with a text
RI.1.8 Identify the reasons an author gives to
support points in a text.
A.RI.1.8 Identify points the author
makes in a familiar informational
text.
RI.1.9 Identify basic similarities in and
differences between two texts on the same
topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or
procedures).
A.RI.1.9 Match similar parts of two texts on
the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.1.10 With prompting and support read
informational texts appropriately complex
for grade 1.
A.RI.1.10 Actively engage in shared reading of
informational text.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
These standards 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.
Instruction should be differentiated: Good readers will need much less practice with these
concepts than struggling readers will. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and
not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less
attention.
Reading Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
RF.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of the
organization and basic features of print.
a. Recognize the distinguishing features
of a sentence (e.g., first word,
capitalization, ending punctuation).
A.RF.1.1 Demonstrate emerging
understanding of the organization of print.
a. Demonstrate understanding of the
organization and basic features of print
(e.g., left-to-right, top-to-bottom
orientation of print, one-to-one
correspondence between written and
spoken word).
Phonological Awareness
RF.1.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken
words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
a. Distinguish long from short vowel
sounds in spoken single-syllable
words.
b. Orally produce single-syllable
words by blending sounds
(phonemes), including
consonant blends.
c. Isolate and pronounce initial,
medial vowel, and final sounds
(phonemes) in spoken single-
syllable words.
d. Segment spoken single-syllable
words into their complete sequence
of individual sounds (phonemes).
A.RF.1.2 Demonstrate understanding of
spoken words, syllables, and sounds
(phonemes).
a. Recognize rhyming words.
b. Match orally presented segmented
phonemes (e.g., C-A-T) to pictures or
words illustrating the corresponding
word.
c. Identify a single syllable
spoken word with the same
onset (beginning sound) as a
familiar word.
d. Substitute individual sounds
(phonemes) in simple, one-
syllable words to make new
words.
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level
phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words.
a. Know the spelling-sound
correspondences for common
consonant digraphs.
A.RF.1.3 Demonstrate emerging letter and
word identification skills.
a. Identify upper- and
lowercase letters of the
alphabet.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
b. Decode regularly spelled one-
syllable words.
c. Know final -e and common
vowel team conventions for
representing long vowel
sounds.
d. Use knowledge that every
syllable must have a vowel
sound to determine the
number of syllables in a
printed word.
e. Decode two-syllable words
following basic patterns by
breaking the words into
syllables.
f. Read words with inflectional
endings.
g. Recognize and read grade-
appropriate irregularly
spelled words.
b. Recognize familiar
words that are used in
every day routines.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
g. Not applicable
Fluency
RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and
fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and
understanding.
b. Read on-level text orally with
accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct
word recognition and understanding,
rereading as necessary.
A.RF.1.4 Begin to attend to words in print.
a. Engage in sustained, independent
study of books.
b. Participate in shared reading of a
variety of reading materials
reflecting a variety of text genre.
c. Not applicable
The following standards for Grade 1 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is
reflected in the standards themselves.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they
introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, reason for the opinion, and
provide some sense of closure.
A.W.1.1 With guidance and support, select a
familiar book and use drawing, dictating, or
writing to state an opinion about it.
W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in
which they name a topic, supply some facts
about the topic, and provide some sense of
closure.
A.W.1.2 With guidance and support, select a
familiar topic and use drawing, dictating, or
writing to share information about it.
W.1.3 Write narratives in which they recount
two or more appropriately sequenced events,
include some details regarding what
happened, use temporal words to signal event
order, and provide some sense of closure.
A.W.1.3 With guidance and support, select an
event and use drawing, dictating, or writing to
share information about it.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.1.4 (Begins in Grade 3)
A.W.1.4 (Begins in Grade 3)
W.1.5 With guidance and support from adults,
focus on a topic, respond to questions and
suggestions from peers, and add details to
strengthen writing as needed.
A.W.1.5 With guidance and support from
adults, add more information to personal
drawing, dictation, or writing to strengthen it.
W.1.6 With guidance and support from adults,
use a variety of digital tools to produce and
publish writing, including in collaboration with
peers.
A.W.1.6 With guidance and support from
adults, explore a variety of digital tools to
produce individual or group writing.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.1.7 Participate in shared research and
writing projects (e.g., explore a number of
how-to books on a given topic and use them
to write a sequence of instructions).
A.W.1.7 Participate in shared research and
writing projects.
W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults,
recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer
a question.
A.W.1.8 With guidance and support from
adults, identify information related to
personal experiences and answer simple
questions about those experiences.
W.1.9 (Begins in grade 4)
A.W.1.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.1.10 (Begins in Grade 3)
A.W.1.10 (Begins in Grade 3)
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
The following standards for Grade 1 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners about
grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults
in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., listening to others
with care and speaking one at a time
about the topics and texts under
discussion).
b. Build on others’ talk in conversations
by responding to the comments of
others through multiple exchanges.
c. Ask questions to clear up any
confusion about the topics and texts
under discussion.
A.SL.1.1 Participate in conversations with
adults.
a. Engage in multiple-turn
exchanges with supportive
adults.
b. Build on comments or topics
initiated by an adult.
c. Uses one or two words to ask
questions related to
personally relevant topics.
SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key
details in a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media.
A.SL.1.2 During shared reading activities,
answer questions about details presented
orally or through other media.
SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about
what a speaker says in order to gather
additional information or clarify
something that is not understood.
A.SL.1.3 Communicate confusion or lack of
understanding (e.g., by saying "I don't know").
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things,
and events with relevant details,
expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
A.SL.1.4 Identify familiar people, places,
things, and events.
SL.1.5 Add drawings or other visual
displays to descriptions when appropriate
to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
A.SL.1.5 Add or select drawings or
other visual or tactual displays that
relate to familiar people, places,
things, and events.
SL.1.6 Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation.
A.SL.1.6 Provide more information to clarify
ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
The following standards for Grade 1 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.1.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing (printing or keyboarding)
or speaking.
a. Print all upper- and lowercase letters.
b. Use common, proper, and possessive
nouns.
c. Use singular and plural nouns with
matching verbs in basic sentences
(e.g., he hops and we hop).
d. Use personal, possessive, and
indefinite pronouns (e.g., I, me, my;
they, them, their; anyone,
everything).
e. Use verbs to convey a sense of past,
present, and future (e.g., “yesterday I
walked home, today I walk home, and
tomorrow I will walk home”).
f. Use frequently occurring adjectives.
g. Use frequently occurring conjunctions
(e.g., and, but, or, so, because).
h. Use determiners (e.g., articles and
demonstratives).
i. Use frequently occurring prepositions
(e.g., during, beyond, and toward).
j. Produce and expand complete simple
and compound declarative,
interrogative, imperative, and
exclamatory sentences in response to
prompts.
A.L.1.1 Demonstrate emerging understanding of
letter and word use.
a. Write letters from their own name.
b. Use frequently occurring nouns in
communication.
c. Use frequently occurring plural nouns in
communication.
d. Use familiar personal pronouns (e.g., I, me,
and you).
e. Use familiar present tense verbs.
f. Use familiar frequently occurring
adjectives (e.g., big and hot).
g. Not applicable
h. Not applicable
i. Use common prepositions (e.g., on, off, in,
and out).
j. Use simple question words (interrogatives)
(e.g., who and what).
Knowledge of Language
L.1.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize dates and names of people.
b. Use end punctuation for sentences.
c. Use commas in dates and to separate
single words in a series.
d. Use conventional spelling for words
with common spelling patterns and
A.L.1.2 Demonstrate emerging understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. During shared writing, capitalize the first
letter of familiar names.
b. During shared writing, put a period at the
end of a sentence.
c. Not applicable
d. Use letters to create words.
e. During shared writing, identify the letters
that represent sounds needed to spell
words.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
for frequently occurring irregular
words.
e. Spell untaught words phonetically,
drawing on phonemic awareness and
spelling conventions.
Knowledge of Language
L.1.3 (Begins in grade 2)
A.L.1.3 (Begins in grade 2)
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.1.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 1 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from an array of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Use frequently occurring affixes as a
clue to the meaning of a word.
c. Identify frequently occurring root
words (e.g., look) and their
inflectional forms (e.g., looks, looked,
looking).
A.L.1.4 Demonstrate emerging knowledge of
word meanings.
a. Demonstrate understanding of words used
in every day routines.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
L.1.5 With guidance and support from
adults, demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and nuances in word meanings.
a. Sort words into categories (e.g.,
colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the
concepts the categories represent.
b. Define words by category and by
one or more key attributes (e.g., a
duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is a
large cat with stripes).
c. Identify real-life connections
between words and their use (e.g.,
note places at home that are cozy).
d. Distinguish shades of meaning
among verbs differing in manner
(e.g., look, peek, glance, stare,
glare, scowl) and adjectives
differing in intensity (e.g., large,
gigantic) by defining or choosing
them or by acting out the
meanings.
A.L.1.5 With guidance and support from adults,
demonstrate emerging understanding of word
relationships.
a. Sort common objects into familiar
categories.
b. Identify attributes of familiar words.
c. Demonstrate understanding of words by
identifying real-life connections between
words and their use.
d. Not applicable
L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired
through conversations, reading and being
read to, and responding to texts, including
A.L.1.6 Use words acquired through
conversations, being read to, and during shared
reading activities.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
using frequently occurring conjunctions to
signal simple relationships (e.g., because).
Grade 2
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who,
what, where, when, why, and how to
demonstrate understanding of key details in a
text.
A.RL.2.1 Answer who and where questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a
familiar text.
RL.2.2 Recount stories, including fables and
folktales from diverse cultures, and determine
their central message, lesson, or moral.
A.RL.2.2 Using details from the text, recount
events from familiar stories from diverse
cultures.
RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story
respond to major events and challenges.
A.RL.2.3 Identify the actions of the characters
in a story.
Craft and Structure
RL.2.4 Describe how words and phrases
(e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes,
repeated lines) supply rhythm and
meaning in a story, poem, or song.
A.RL.2.4 Identify rhyming or repetition
words that meaningfully complete a
familiar story, poem, or song.
RL.2.5 Describe the overall structure of a
story, including describing how the
beginning introduces the story and the
ending concludes the action.
A.RL.2.5 Determine the beginning and
ending of a familiar story with a logical
order.
RL.2.6 Acknowledge differences in the
points of view of characters, including by
speaking in a different voice for each
character when reading dialogue aloud.
A.RL.2.6 Identify the speakers in a dialogue.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.2.7 Use information gained from the
illustrations and words in a print or digital
A.RL.2.7 Identify illustrations or objects
information in print or digital text that
depict characters.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
text to demonstrate understanding of its
characters, setting, or plot.
RL.2.8 Not applicable
A.RL.2.8 Not applicable
RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more
versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella
stories) by different authors or from
different cultures.
A.RL.2.9 Identify similarities between two
versions of a story.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.2.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories and
poetry, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the
high end of the range.
A.RL.2.10 By the end of the year, actively
engage in shared reading for a clearly stated
purpose.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who,
what, where, when, why, and how to
demonstrate understanding of key details in
a text.
A.RI.2.1 Answer who and what questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a
familiar text.
RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multi-
paragraph text as well as the focus of
specific paragraphs within the text.
A.RI.2.2 Identify the topic of the text.
RI.2.3 Describe the connection between
a series of historical events, scientific
ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text.
A.RI.2.3 Identify individuals, events, or details
in an informational text.
Craft and Structure
RI.2.4 Determine the meaning of words
and phrases in a text relevant to a grade
2 topic or subject area.
A.RI.2.4 Identify words related to a topic of a
text.
RI.2.5 Know and use various text features
(e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings,
glossaries, indexes, electronic menus,
icons) to locate key facts or information in
a text efficiently.
A.RI.2.5 Identify details in informational
text or its graphic representations.
RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a
text, including what the author wants to
answer, explain, or describe.
A.RI.2.6 Identify the author’s purpose of a text
(e.g., to answer, to explain, or to describe).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
RI.2.7 Explain how specific images (e.g., a
diagram showing how a machine works)
contribute to and clarify a text.
A.RI.2.7 Identify illustrations or objects/tactual
information found within a text.
RI.2.8 Describe how reasons support
specific points the author makes in a
text.
A.RI.2.8 Identify points the author makes in
an informational text.
RI.2.9 Compare and contrast the most
important points presented by two
texts on the same topic.
A.RI.2.9 Identify a common point between two
texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.2.10 By the end of year, read and
comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts, in the grades 2–3 text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
A.RI.2.10 Actively engage in shared reading
of informational text including history/SS,
science, and technical texts.
These standards 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.
Instruction should be differentiated: Good readers will need much less practice with these
concepts than struggling readers will. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and
not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less
attention.
Reading Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
Not applicable to Grade 2
Phonological Awareness
Not applicable to Grade 2
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.2.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics
and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Distinguish long and short vowels
when reading regularly spelled one-
syllable words.
b. Know spelling-sound correspondences
for additional common vowel teams.
c. Decode regularly spelled two-syllable
words with long vowels.
A.RF.2.3 Demonstrate emerging use of letter-
sound knowledge to read words.
a. Identify the vowels of the
alphabet and introduce
short and long vowels.
b. Identify and demonstrate
letter sound
correspondence for single
consonants.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
d. Decode words with common prefixes
and suffixes.
e. Identify words with inconsistent but
common spelling-sound
correspondences.
f. Recognize and read grade-appropriate
irregularly spelled words.
c.1. Decode 10 or more CVC
words (e.g., mom, dad, cat,
dog).
c.2. Introduce multisyllabic
words
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
f. Recognize 10 or more
written words.
Fluency
RF.2.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and
fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and
understanding.
b. Read on-level text orally with
accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-
correct word recognition and
understanding, rereading as
necessary.
A.RF.2.4 Attend to words in print.
a. Read familiar text
comprised of known words.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
The following standards for Grade 1 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is
reflected in the standards themselves.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they
introduce the topic or book they are writing
about, state an opinion, supply reasons that
support the opinion, use linking words (e.g.,
because, and, also) to connect opinion and
reasons, and provide a concluding statement
or section.
A.W.2.1 With guidance and support, select
a book and write, draw, or dictate to state
an opinion about the topic or book.
W.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in
which they introduce a topic, use facts and
definitions to develop points, and provide a
concluding statement or section.
A.W.2.2 With guidance and support, select
a topic and use drawing, dictation, or
writing to compose a message with one
fact about the topic.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount
a well- elaborated event or short sequence of
events, include details to describe actions,
thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to
signal event order, and provide a sense of
closure.
A.W.2.3 With guidance and support, select
an event or personal experience and use
drawing, writing, or dictating to compose a
message about the experience.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.2.4 (Begins in Grade 3)
A.W.2.4 (Begins in Grade 3)
W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults
and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen
writing as needed by revising and editing.
A.W.2.5 With guidance and support from
adults and peers, add more information to
personal drawing, dictation, or writing to
strengthen the message.
W.2.6 With guidance and support from adults,
use a variety of digital tools to produce and
publish writing, including in collaboration with
peers.
A.W.2.6 With guidance and support from
adults and peers, use technology (including
assistive technologies) to produce and publish
writing.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.2.7 Participate in shared research and
writing projects (e.g., read a number of books
on a single topic to produce a report; record
science observations).
A.W.2.7 Participate in shared research and
writing projects.
W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or
gather information from provided sources to
answer a question.
A.W.2.8 Identify information related to
personal experiences and answer simple
questions about those experiences.
W.2.9 (Begins in grade 4)
A.W.2.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.2.10 (Begins in Grade 3)
A.W.2.10 (Begins in Grade 3)
The following standards for Grade 2 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners about
grade 2 topics and texts with peers and
adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in
respectful ways, listening to others
with care, speaking one at a time
A.SL.2.1 Participate in conversations with
adults and peers.
a. Engage in multiple-turn exchanges
with peers with support from an
adult.
b. Build on others’ talk in
conversations by linking their
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
about the topics and texts under
discussion).
b. Build on others’ talk in conversations
by linking their comments to the
remarks of others.
c. Ask for clarification and further
explanation as needed about the
topics and texts under discussion.
comments to the remarks of
others.
c. Ask for clarification and further
explanation as needed about the
topics and texts under discussion.
SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media.
A.SL.2.2 During shared reading activities, ask
and answer questions about details
presented orally or through other media.
SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what
a speaker says in order to clarify
comprehension, gather additional
information, or deepen understanding of a
topic or issue.
A.SL.2.3 Answer questions about the details
provided by the speaker.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience
with appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details, speaking audibly in
coherent sentences.
A.SL.2.4 Identify a photograph or object that
reflects a personal experience and tell one
detail about it.
SL.2.5 Create audio recordings of stories or
poems; add drawings or other visual displays
to stories or recounts of experiences when
appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and
feelings.
A.SL.2.5 Select visual, audio, or tactual
representations to depict a personal
experience.
SL.2.6 Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in order to
provide requested detail or clarification.
A.SL.2.6 Combine words when communicating
to provide clarification.
The following standards for Grade 2 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing (printing, cursive,
or keyboarding) or speaking
a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group).
A.L.2.1 Demonstrate understanding of letter
and word use.
a. Identify all uppercase letters.
b. Use common nouns (e.g., mom, dad,
boy, girl) in communication.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
b. Form and use frequently occurring
irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet,
children, teeth, mice, fish).
c. Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself,
ourselves).
d. Form and use the past tense of
frequently occurring irregular verbs
(e.g., sat, hid, told).
e. Use adjectives and adverbs, and
choose between them depending on
what is to be modified.
f. Produce, expand, and rearrange
complete simple and compound
sentences (e.g., The boy watched the
movie; The little boy watched the
movie; The action movie was watched
by the little boy).
c. Use frequently occurring pronouns to
refer to self and others (e.g., we, they,
her, them).
d. Use frequently occurring verbs.
e. Use frequently occurring adjectives.
f. Combine two or more words together
in communication.
L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize holidays, product names,
and geographic names.
b. Use commas in greetings and closings
of letters.
c. Use an apostrophe to form
contractions and frequently occurring
possessives.
d. Generalize learned spelling patterns
when writing words (e.g., cage →
badge; boy → boil).
e. Consult reference materials, including
beginning dictionaries, as needed to
check and correct spellings.
A.L.2.2 Demonstrate emerging understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Capitalize the first letter of familiar
names.
b. Use commas in dates.
c. Not applicable
d. Identify printed rhyming words with
the same spelling pattern.
e. Consult print in the environment to
support reading and spelling.
Knowledge of Language
L.2.3. Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.
a. Compare formal and informal uses of
English.
A.L.2.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Non applicable
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.2.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 2 reading and
A.L.2.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Identify new vocabulary from reading and
content areas.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
content, choosing flexibly from an array of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Determine the meaning of the new
word formed when a known prefix
is added to a known word (e.g.,
happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
c. Use a known root word as a clue to
the meaning of an unknown word
with the same root (e.g., addition,
additional).
d. Use knowledge of the meaning of
individual words to predict the
meaning of compound words (e.g.,
birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly;
bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).
e. Use glossaries and beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital,
to determine or clarify the meaning
of words and phrases.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Identify the words comprising compound
words. (e.g., cupcake, notebook,
bookshelf)
e. Not applicable
L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and nuances in word
meanings.
a. Identify real-life connections
between words and their use (e.g.,
describe foods that are spicy or
juicy).
b. Distinguish shades of meaning
among closely related verbs (e.g.,
toss, throw, hurl) and closely related
adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny,
scrawny).
A.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify real-life connections between
words and their use (e.g., happy: “I am
happy.”).
b. Demonstrate understanding of the
meaning of common verbs.
L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired
through conversations, reading and being
read to, and responding to texts, including
using adjectives and adverbs to describe
(e.g., When other kids are happy that makes
me happy).
A.L.2.6 Use words acquired through
conversations, being read to, and during shared
reading activities.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
MS AAAS for English Language Arts
Grades 3-5
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Grade 3
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for
the answers.
A.RL.3.1 Answer who and what questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a
text.
RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables,
folktales, and myths from diverse cultures;
determine the central message, lesson, or
moral and explain how it is conveyed through
key details in the text.
A.RL.3.2 Associate details with events in
stories from diverse cultures.
RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g.,
their traits, motivations, or feelings) and
explain how their actions contribute to the
sequence of events.
A.RL.3.3 Identify the feelings of characters in
a story.
Craft and Structure
RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from non-literal
language.
A.RL.3.4 Determine words and phrases that
complete sentences in a text.
RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and
poems when writing or speaking about a text,
using terms such as chapter, scene, and
stanza; describe how each successive part
builds on earlier sections.
A.RL.3.5 Determine the beginning, middle,
and end of a familiar story with a logical
order.
RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view
from that of the narrator or those of the
characters.
A.RL.3.6 Identify personal point of view about
a text.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s
illustrations contribute to what is conveyed
by the words in a story (e.g., create mood,
emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
A.RL.3.7 Identify parts of illustrations or
information that depict a particular setting or
event.
RL.3.8 Not applicable
A.RL.3.8 Not applicable
RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes,
settings, and plots of stories written by the
same author about the same or similar
characters (e.g., in books from a series).
A.RL.3.9 Identify common points in two
stories in a series.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the
grades 2–3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
A.RL.3.10 Demonstrate understanding while
actively engaged in shared reading of stories,
dramas, and poetry.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for
the answers.
A.RI.3.1 Answer who and what questions
to demonstrate understanding of details
in a text.
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text;
recount the key details and explain how they
support the main idea.
A.RI.3.2 Identify details in a text.
RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a
series of historical events, scientific ideas or
concepts, or steps in technical procedures in
a text, using language that pertains to time,
sequence, and cause/effect.
A.RI.3.3 Order two events from a text as “first”
and “next.”
Craft and Structure
RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general
academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a Grade 3 topics
or subject area.
A.RI.3.4 Determine words and phrases that
complete sentences in a text.
RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools
(e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to
locate information relevant to a given topic
efficiently.
A.RI.3.5 Identify text features including
headings and key words.
RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view
from that of the author of a text.
A.RI.3.6 Identify personal point of view about a
text.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.3.7 Use information gained from
illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and
the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where, when,
why, and how key events occur).
A.RI.3.7 Use information gained from
illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs,
drawings) and words in the text to answer who
and what questions.
RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection
between particular sentences and
paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison,
cause/effect, first/second/third in a
sequence).
A.RI.3.8 Identify two related points the author
makes in an informational text.
RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most
important points and key details presented
in two texts on the same topic.
A.RI.3.9 Identify similarities between two texts
on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.3.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehends informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts, at the high end of the Grades 2–3 text
complexity band independently and
proficiently.
A.RI.3.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while actively engaged in shared reading of
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts.
These standards 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.
Instruction should be differentiated: Good readers will need much less practice with these
concepts than will struggling readers. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and
not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less
attention.
Reading Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
Not applicable in Grade 3.
Phonological Awareness
Not applicable in Grade 3.
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level
phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words.
A.RF.3.3 Use letter-sound knowledge to read
words.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
a. Identify and know the meaning of
the most common prefixes and
derivational suffixes.
b. Decode words with common Latin
suffixes.
c. Decode multi-syllable words.
d. Read grade-appropriate irregularly
spelled words.
a. In context, demonstrate basic
knowledge of letter-sound
correspondences.
b. Sort long and short vowel words.
c. With models and supports, decode
single-syllable words with common
spelling patterns (consonant-vowel-
consonant [CVC] or high-frequency
rhymes).
d. Decode two-syllable words.
e. Recognize 40 or more written words.
Fluency
RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and
fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and
understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally
with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct
word recognition and understanding,
rereading as necessary.
A.RF.3.4 Read words in text.
a. Read familiar text
comprised of known words.
b. Not applicable
c. Use context to determine
missing words in familiar
texts.
The following standards for Grade 3 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is
reflected in the standards themselves.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or
texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons.
a. Introduce the topic or text they are
writing about, state an opinion, and
create an organizational structure
that lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the
opinion.
A.W.3.1 With guidance and support, write
opinions about topics or text.
a. Select a text and write an opinion
about it.
b. Provide one reason to support an
opinion about a text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g.,
because, therefore, since, for
example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
d. Provide a concluding statement or
section.
W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related
information together; include
illustrations when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts,
definitions, and details.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g.,
also, another, and, more, but) to
connect ideas within categories of
information.
d. Provide a concluding statement or
section.
A.W.3.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Select a topic and provide one fact or
detail.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event sequences.
a. Establish a situation and introduce a
narrator and/or characters; organize
an event sequence that unfolds
naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of
actions, thoughts, and feelings to
develop experiences and events or
show the response of characters to
situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to
signal event order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
A.W.3.3 With guidance and support, write about
events or personal experiences.
a. Select an event or personal experience
and provide information about it
including the names of people involved.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.3.4 With guidance and support from
adults, produce writing in which the
development and appropriate to task and
purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3
above.)
A.W.3.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that expresses more than one idea.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers
and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, and editing.
(Editing for conventions should demonstrate
command of Language standards 1–3 up to
and including Grade 3.)
A.W.3.5 With guidance and support, revise their
own writing.
W.3.6 With guidance and support from
adults, use technology to produce and
publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as
well as to interact and collaborate with
others.
A.W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults,
use technology to produce writing while
interacting and collaborating with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that
build knowledge about a topic.
A.W.3.7 With guidance and support, identify
information about a topic for a research project.
W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or
gather information from print and digital
sources; take brief notes on sources and sort
evidence into provided categories.
A.W.3.8 Sort information on a topic or personal
experience into two provided categories about
each one.
W.3.9 (Begins in Grade 4)
A.W.3.9 (Begins in Grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.3.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline- specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
A.W.3.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
The following standards for Grade 3 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on Grade 3 topics and texts, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. 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.
A.SL.3.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Engage in collaborative interactions
about texts.
b. Listen to others’ ideas before
responding.
c. Indicate confusion or lack of
understanding about information
presented.
d. Express ideas.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in
respectful ways, listening to others
with care, speaking one at a time about
the topics and texts under discussion).
c. Ask questions to check understanding
of information presented, stay on
topic, and link their comments to the
remarks of others.
d. Explain their own ideas and
understanding in light of the
discussion.
SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and
supporting details of a text read aloud or
information presented in diverse media and
formats, including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
A.SL.3.2 Identify details in a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other
media.
SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about
information from a speaker, offering
appropriate elaboration and detail.
A.SL.3.3 Ask or answer questions about the
details provided by the speaker.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or
recount an experience with appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details, speaking
clearly at an understandable pace.
A.SL.3.4 Recount a personal experience,
story, or topic including details.
SL.3.5 Create engaging audio recordings of
stories or poems that demonstrate fluid
reading at an understandable pace; add visual
displays when appropriate to emphasize or
enhance certain facts or details.
A.SL.3.5 Create a multimedia presentation of
a story or poem.
SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in order to
provide requested detail or clarification.
A.SL.3.6 Combine words for effective
communication to clarify thoughts, feelings,
and ideas in various contexts.
The following standards for Grade 3 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
A.L.3.1 Demonstrate standard English
grammar and usage when communicating.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
and usage when writing (printing, cursive, or
keyboarding) or speaking.
a. Explain the function of nouns,
pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs in general and their functions
in particular sentences.
b. Form and use regular and irregular
plural nouns.
c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
d. Form and use regular and irregular
verbs.
e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I
walked; I walk; I will walk) verb
tenses.
f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-
antecedent agreement.
g. Form and use comparative and
superlative adjectives and adverbs,
and choose between them depending
on what is to be modified.
h. Use coordinating and subordinating
conjunctions.
i. Produce simple, compound, and
complex sentences.
a. Uses noun + verb, noun + adjective, and
subject + verb + object combinations in
communication.
b. Use regular plural nouns in
communication.
c. Not applicable
d. Use present and past tense verbs.
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
g. Use common adjectives.
h. Not applicable (see A.L.3.1.a)
i. Ask simple questions.
Knowledge of Language
L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
b. Use commas in addresses.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in
dialogue.
d. Form and use possessives.
e. Use conventional spelling for high-
frequency and other studied words
and for adding suffixes to base words
(e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
f. Use spelling patterns and
generalizations (e.g., word families,
position-based spellings, syllable
patterns, ending rules, meaningful
word parts) in writing words.
g. Consult reference materials,
including beginning dictionaries, as
needed to check and correct
spellings.
A.L.3.2 Demonstrate an understanding
of conventions of standard English.
a. Capitalize the first letter of appropriate
words and titles (e.g., Dr., Mrs., Ms.,
Mr.)
b. During shared writing, indicate the need
to add a punctuation at the end of a
sentence.
c. Use commas in a series of words.
d. Introduce possessive nouns and
pronouns.
e. Use resources as needed to spell
common high-frequency words
accurately.
f. Use spelling patterns in familiar words
with common spelling patterns to spell
words with the same spelling pattern.
g. Consult print in the environment to
support reading and spelling.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Knowledge of Language
L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for
effect.*
b. Recognize and observe differences
between the conventions of spoken
and written standard English.
A.L.3.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Use language to make simple requests,
comment, or share information.
b. Not applicable
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning word and
phrases based on Grade 3 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Determine the meaning of the new
word formed when a known affix is
added to a known word (e.g.,
agreeable/disagreeable,
comfortable/uncomfortable,
care/careless, heat/preheat).
c. Use a known root word as a clue to
the meaning of an unknown word
with the same root (e.g., company,
companion).
d. Use glossaries or beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital, to
determine or clarify the precise
meaning of key words and phrases.
A.L.3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use sentence level context to determine
what word is missing from a sentence
read aloud.
b. Identify the temporal meaning of words
when common affixes (e.g., -ing, -ed) are
added to common verbs.
c. Introduce root words
d. Demonstrate resources to find meaning of
unknown words.
L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of
word relationships and nuances in word
meanings.
a. Distinguish the literal and
nonliteral meanings of words
and phrases in context (e.g., take
steps).
b. Identify real-life connections
between words and their use
(e.g., describe people who are
friendly or helpful).
c. Distinguish shades of meaning
among related words that
describe states of mind or
A.L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Determine the meaning of words and
phrases in context.
b. Identify real-life connections between
words and their use (e.g., happy: “I am
happy.”).
c. Identify words that describe personal
emotional states.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
degrees of certainty (e.g., knew,
believed, suspected, heard,
wondered).
L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-
appropriate conversational, general
academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, including those that signal spatial
and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner
that night we went looking for them).
A.L.3.6 Demonstrate understanding of words
that signal spatial and temporal relationships
(e.g., behind, under, after, soon, next, later).
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Grade 4
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
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.
A.RL.4.1 Use details from the text to recount
what the text says.
RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama,
or poem from details in the text; summarize
the text.
A.RL.4.2 Identify the central idea of a familiar
story, drama or poem.
RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting,
or event in a story or drama, drawing on
specific detail in the text (e.g., a character’s
thoughts, words, or actions).
A.RL.4.3 Use details from the text to describe
characters in the story.
Craft and Structure
RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
those that allude to significant characters
found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
A.RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words in a
text.
RL.4.5 Explain major differences between
poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the
structural elements of poems (e.g., verse,
rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of
characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue,
stage directions) when writing or speaking
about a text.
A.RL.4.5 Identify elements in a story (e.g.,
characters, settings, plot, etc.)
RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view
from which different stories are narrated,
including the difference between first- and
third-person narrations.
A.RL.4.6 Identify the narrator of a story.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of
a story or drama and a visual or oral
presentation of the text, identifying where
each version reflects specific descriptions and
directions in the text.
A.RL.4.7 Make connections between the text
representation of a story and a visual, or oral
version of a story.
RL.4.8 Not applicable
A.RL.4.8 Not applicable
RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of
similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of
good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g.,
the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional
literature from different cultures.
A.RL.4.9 Compare characters, settings, or
events in stories, myths, or texts from
different cultures.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.4.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poetry, in the Grades 4–5 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding
as needed at the high end of the range.
A.RL.4.10 Demonstrate an understanding of
text while actively engaging in shared reading
of stories, dramas, and poetry.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text
when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
A.RI.4.1 Identify details in an informational
text.
RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and
explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
A.RI.4.2 Identify the main idea of a text when it
is explicitly stated.
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.
A.RI.4.3 Identify a detail that is related to an
individual, event, or idea in a historical,
scientific, or technical text.
Craft and Structure
RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general
academic and domain-specific words or
phrases in a text relevant to a Grade 4 topic
or subject area.
A.RI.4.4 Determine meaning of words in text.
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.
A.RI.4.5 Identify elements that are
characteristic of informational texts.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and
secondhand account of the same event or
topic; describe the differences in focus and
the information provided.
A.RI.4.6 Compare one’s own experience with a
written account of the experience.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
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.
A.RI.4.7 Answer questions about information
presented visually or orally.
RI.4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons
and evidence to support particular points in
a text.
A.RI.4.8 Identify one or more reasons
supporting a specific point in an informational
text.
RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts
on the same topic in order to write or speak
about the subject knowledgeably.
A.RI.4.9 Compare details presented in two
texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.4.10 By the end of year, read and
comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts, in the Grades 4–5 text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
A.RI.4.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while actively engaged in shared reading of
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts.
These standards 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.
Instruction should be differentiated: Good readers will need much less practice with these
concepts than struggling readers will. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and
not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less
attention.
Reading Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
Not applicable in Grade 3.
Phonological Awareness
Not applicable in Grade 3.
Phonics and Word Recognition
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
RF.4.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics
and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. 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.
A.RF.4.3 Use letter-sound knowledge to read
words.
a. Apply letter-sound knowledge to use
first letter plus context to identify
unfamiliar words.
b. Decode single-syllable words with
common spelling patterns (consonant-
vowel-consonant [CVC] or high-
frequency rhymes).
Fluency
RF.4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and
fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and
understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally
with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct
word recognition and understanding,
rereading as necessary.
A.RF.4.4 Read words in text.
a. Read text comprised of familiar words
with accuracy and understanding.
b. Not applicable
c. Use letter knowledge and context to
support word recognition when
reading.
The following standards for Grade 4 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is
reflected in the standards themselves.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or
texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state
an opinion, and create an
organizational structure in which
related ideas are grouped to support
the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide reasons that are supported
by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words
and phrases (e.g., for instance, in
order to, in addition).
A.W.4.1 With guidance and support, write
opinions about topics or text.
a. Select a topic or text and w an opinion
about it.
b. List reasons to support the opinion.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
d. Provide a concluding statement or
section related to the opinion
presented.
W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
a. 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.
b. Develop the topic with facts,
definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within categories of
information using words and phrases
(e.g., another, for example, also
because).
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to inform about
or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section related to the information or
explanation presented.
A.W.4.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Select a topic and present about it
including related visual, or multimedia
information as appropriate.
b. List words, facts, or details related to the
topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a
situation and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and description to
develop experiences and events or
show the responses of characters to
situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words
and phrases to manage the sequence
of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and
sensory details to convey experiences
and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from the narrated experiences or
events.
A.W.4.3 With guidance and support, write
about events or personal experiences.
a. Write about a personal experience
including two events in sequence.
b. List words that describe an event or
personal experience to use when writing
about it.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent
writing in which the development and
organization are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
A.W.4.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that expresses more than one idea.
W.4.5 With guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
and editing.
A.W.4.5 With guidance and support, plan
before writing and revise own writing.
W.4.6 With some guidance and support
from adults, 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.
A.W.4.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to
produce writing while interacting and
collaborating with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that
build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
A.W.4.7 With guidance and support, gather
information about a topic from two or more
sources for a research project.
W.4.8 Recall relevant information from
experiences or gather relevant information
from print and digital sources; take notes
and categorize information, and provide a
list of sources.
A.W.4.8 Recall and sort information from
personal experiences or a topic into given
categories.
W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grade 4 Reading standards to
literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a
character, setting, or event in a story
or drama, drawing on specific details
in the text [e.g., a character’s
thoughts, words, or actions].”).
b. Apply Grade 4 Reading standards to
informational texts (e.g., “Explain
how an author uses reasons and
evidence to support particular points
in a text”).
A.W.4.9 With guidance and support, recall
information from literary and informational text
to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 4 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Use details
from text to describe a character in a
story”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 4 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Use reasons and evidence supporting
point in an informational text”).
Range of Writing
W.4.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
A.W.4.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline- specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
The following standards for Grade 4 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher- led) with diverse
partners on Grade 4 topics and texts, building
on others’ ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having
read or studied required material;
explicitly draw on that preparation
and other known about the topic to
explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions and carry out assigned
roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific
questions to clarify or follow up on
information, and make comments that
contribute to the discussion and link
to the remarks of others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and
explain their own ideas and
understanding in light of the
discussion.
A.SL.4.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Contribute ideas from prior
knowledge of a text during discussions
about the same text.
b. Carry out an assigned role in a
discussion.
c. Answer specific questions related to
information in a discussion.
d. Identify the key ideas in a discussion.
SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read
aloud or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
A.SL.4.2 Ask and answer questions about
details from a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media.
SL.4.3 Identify the reasons and evidence a
speaker provides to support particular points.
A.SL.4.3 Identify a point that the speaker
makes.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story,
or recount an experience with appropriate
A.SL.4.4 Retell a story or personal experience
or recount a topic with supporting details.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
facts and relevant, descriptive details,
speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
SL.4.5 Create engaging audio recordings of
stories or poems that demonstrate fluid
reading at an understandable pace; add visual
displays when appropriate to emphasize or
enhance certain facts or details.
A.SL.4.5 Add audio recordings or visuals to a
presentation about a personally relevant
topic.
SL.4.6 Speak in complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in order to
provide requested detail or clarification.
A.SL.4.6 Differentiate between
communication partners and contexts that
call for formal and informal communication.
The following standards for Grade 4 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3, skills and
understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they
are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing (printing, cursive, or
keyboarding) or speaking.
a. Use relative pronouns (who, whose,
whom, which, that) and relative
adverbs (where, when, why).
b. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I
was walking; I am walking; I will be
walking) verb tenses.
c. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may,
must) to convey various conditions.
d. Order adjectives within sentences
according to conventional patterns
(e.g., a small red bag rather than a
red small bag).
e. Form and use prepositional phrases.
f. Produce complete sentences,
recognizing and correcting
inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
g. Correctly use frequently confused
words (e.g., to, too, two; there,
their).*
A.L.4.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Use pronouns.
b. Combine common nouns with verbs,
nouns, or pronouns in communication.
c. Not applicable
d. Use adjectives to describe people or
objects.
e. Use common prepositions (e.g., to, from,
in, out, on, off, by, with)
f. With support, produce simple sentence.
g. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
L.4.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use correct capitalization.
b. Use commas and quotation marks
to mark direct speech and
quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a
coordinating conjunction in a
compound sentence.
d. Spell grade-appropriate words
correctly, consulting references as
needed.
A.L.4.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Capitalize the first word in a
sentence.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Spell words phonetically,
drawing on knowledge of letter-
sound relationships, and/or
common spelling patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.4.3 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases to convey
ideas precisely.*
b. Choose punctuation for effect.*
c. Differentiate between contexts that
call for formal English (e.g.,
presenting ideas) and situations
where informal discourse is
appropriate (e.g., small-group
discussion).
A.L.4.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Use language to express emotion.
b. Not applicable
c. Communicate effectively with peers and
adults.
Knowledge of Language
L.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning
of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on Grade 4
reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., definitions,
examples, or restatements in text) as
a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate
Greek and Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
telegraph, photograph, autograph).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation and determine or
A.L.4.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context as a clue to guide selection of
a word that completes a sentence read
aloud by an adult.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g.,
talk) and the words that result when word
endings are added (e.g., talked, talking,
talks).
c. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
clarify the precise meaning of key
words and phrases.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
a. Explain the meaning of simple
similes and metaphors (e.g., as
pretty as a picture) in context.
b. Recognize and explain the
meaning of common idioms,
adages, and proverbs.
c. Demonstrate understanding of
words by relating them to their
opposites (antonyms) and to
words with similar but not
identical meanings (synonyms).
A.L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Not applicable
b. Identify common idioms (e.g., no way,
not a chance, you bet).
c. Demonstrate understanding of opposites.
L.4.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-
appropriate general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases, including those
that signal precise actions, emotions, or
states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined,
stammered) and that are basic to a particular
topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and
endangered when discussing animal
preservation).
A.L.4.6 Use words acquired through
conversations, being read to, and during shared
reading activities including domain-specific
words.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Grade 5
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
A.RL.5.1 Identify words in the text to answer
a question about explicit information.
RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama,
or poem from details in the text, including
how characters in a story or drama respond
to challenges or how the speaker in a poem
reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
A.RL.5.2 Identify the central idea or theme of
a story, drama or poem.
RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more
characters, settings, or events in a story or
drama, drawing on specific details in the text
(e.g., how characters interact).
A.RL.5.3 Compare two characters in a familiar
story.
Craft and Structure
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.
A.RL.5.4 Determine the intended meaning of
multi-meaning words in a text (e.g. bare,
bear, their, there, to, two).
RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters,
scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the
overall structure of a particular story, drama,
or poem.
A.RL.5.5 Identify a story element that
undergoes change from beginning to end.
RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s
point of view influences how events are
described.
A.RL.5.6 Determine the point of view of the
narrator.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia
elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or
beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel,
A.RL.5.7 Identify illustrations, or multimedia
elements that add to understanding of a text.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale,
myth, poem).
RL.5.8 Not applicable
A.RL.5.8 Not applicable
RL.5.9 Compare and contrast stories in the
same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure
stories) on their approaches to similar
themes and topics.
A.RL.5.9 Compare stories in the same genre.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.5.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the
Grades 4–5 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
A.RL.5.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while engaged in individual or group reading
of stories, dramas, and poems.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
A.RI.5.1 Identify words in the text to answer a
question about explicit information.
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of
a text and explain how they are supported
by key details; summarize the text.
A.RI.5.2 Identify the main idea of a text when
it is not explicitly stated.
RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or
interactions between two or more
individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a
historical, scientific, or technical text based
on specific information in the text.
A.RI.5.3 Compare two individuals, events, or
ideas in a text.
Craft and Structure
RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general
academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a Grade 5 topic
or subject area.
A.RI.5.4 Determine the meanings of domain-
specific words and phrases.
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.
A.RI.5.5 Determine if a text tells about events,
gives directions, or provides information on a
topic.
RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the
same event or topic, noting important
similarities and differences in the point of
view they represent.
A.RI.5.6 Compare two books on the same topic.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
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.
A.RI.5.7 Locate information in print or digital
sources.
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).
A.RI.5.8 Identify the relationship between a
specific point and supporting reasons in an
informational text.
RI.5.9 Integrate information from several
texts on the same topic in order to write or
speak about the subject knowledgeably.
A.RI.5.9 Compare and contrast details gained
from two texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.5.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text
complexity band independently and
proficiently.
A.RI.5.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while actively engaged in shared reading of
history/social studies, science, and technical
texts.
These standards 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.
Instruction should be differentiated: Good readers will need much less practice with these
concepts than struggling readers will. The point is to teach students what they need to learn and
not what they already know—to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or
less attention.
Reading Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
Not applicable in Grade 3.
Phonological Awareness
Not applicable in Grade 3.
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.5.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics
and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Use combined knowledge of all
letter-sound correspondences,
syllabication patterns, and
morphology (e.g., roots and affixes)
A.RF.5.3 Use letter-sound knowledge to read
words.
a. Read common sight words, decode
single syllable words and introduce
multisyllabic words.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
to read accurately unfamiliar
multisyllabic words in context and
out of context.
Fluency
RF.5.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and
fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and
understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally
with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct
word recognition and understanding,
rereading as necessary.
A.RF.5.4 Read words in text.
a. Read text comprised of familiar words
with accuracy and understanding.
b. Not applicable
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct
word recognition when reading.
The following standards for Grade 5 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is
reflected in the standards themselves.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or
texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
and information.
a. 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.
b. Provide logically ordered reasons that
are supported by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words,
phrases, and clauses (e.g.,
consequently, specifically).
d. Provide a concluding statement or
section related to the opinion
presented.
A.W.5.1 With guidance and support, write
opinions about topics or text.
a. Introduce a topic or text and state an
opinion about it.
b. Provide reasons to support the opinion.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a
general observation and focus, and
group related information logically;
include formatting (e.g., headings),
illustrations, and multimedia when
useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts,
definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within and across
categories of information using
words, phrases, and (e.g., in contrast,
especially).
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section related to the information or
explanation presented.
A.W.5.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic and write to convey
information about it including visual, or
multimedia information as appropriate.
b. Provide facts, details, or other
information related to the topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a
situation and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, description, and pacing, to
develop experiences and events or
show the responses of characters to
situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words,
phrases, and clauses to manage the
sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and
sensory details to convey experiences
and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from
the narrated experiences or events.
A.W.5.3 With guidance and support, write
about events or personal experiences.
a. Write about an experience or event
including three or more events in
sequence.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types
are defined in standards1–3 above.)
A.W.5.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate for a stated task or
purpose.
W.5.5 With guidance and support from peers
and adults, develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach.
A.W.5.5 With guidance and support, plan before
writing and revise own writing.
W.5.6 With some guidance and support
from adults, 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.
A.W.5.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to produce
writing while interacting and collaborating with
others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that
use several sources to build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of
a topic.
A.W.5.7 With guidance and support, conduct
short research projects using two or more
sources.
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.
A.W.5.8 Gather and sort relevant information
on a topic from print or digital sources into given
categories.
W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grade 5 Reading standards to
literature (e.g., “Compare and
contrast two or more characters,
settings, or events in a story or a
drama, drawing on specific details in
the text [e.g., how characters
interact]”).
b. Apply Grade 5 Reading standards to
informational texts (e.g., “Explain how
an author uses reasons and evidence
to support particular points in a text,
identifying which reasons and
evidence support which points]”).
A.W.5.9 With guidance and support, use
information from literary and informational text
to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 5 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare
and contrast two characters in the
story”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 5 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Identify specific reasons and evidence
for supporting specific points in an
informational text.”).
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
Range of Writing
W.5.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline- specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
A.W.5.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
The following standards for Grade 5 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher- led) with diverse
partners on Grade 5 topics and texts,
building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly.
a. 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.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions and carry out assigned
roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific
questions by making comments
that contribute to the discussion
and elaborate on the remarks of
others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and
draw conclusions in light of
information and knowledge gained
from the discussions.
A.SL.5.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussion prepared to
share information.
b. Carry out assigned role in a
discussion.
c. Ask questions related to
information in a discussion.
d. Make comments that
contribute to the discussion
and link to the remarks of
others.
SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud
or information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
A.SL.5.2 Identify the explicitly stated
main idea of a text presented orally or
through other media.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
SL.5.3 Summarize the points a speaker
makes and explain how each claim is
supported by reasons and evidence.
A.SL.5.3 Identify the reasons and
evidence supporting a specific point.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
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.
A.SL.5.4 Report on a familiar topic or
text or present an opinion including
related facts.
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.
A.SL.5.5 Select or create audio recordings
and visual displays to enhance a
presentation.
SL.5.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, using formal English when
appropriate to task and situation.
A.SL.5.6 Differentiate between contexts
that require formal and informal
communication.
The following standards for Grade 5 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3, skills and
understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they
are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.5.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing (printing, cursive, or
keyboarding) or speaking.
a. Explain the function of conjunctions,
prepositions, and interjections in
general and their function in
particular sentences.
b. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had
walked; I have walked; I will have
walked) verb tenses.
c. Use verb tense to convey various
times, sequences, states, and
conditions.
d. Recognize and correct inappropriate
shifts in verb tense.*
A.L.5.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Explain the function of a conjunction and
interjections.
b. Form and use the past tense of frequently
occurring words.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Use frequently occurring conjunctions,
such as and, but, or, for, and because.
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
e. Use correlative conjunctions (e.g.,
either/or, neither/nor).
L.5.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use punctuation to separate items in
a series.*
b. Use a comma to separate an
introductory element from the rest
of the sentence.
c. 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?).
d. Use underlining, quotation marks, or
italics to indicate titles of works.
e. Spell grade-appropriate words
correctly, consulting references as
needed.
A.L.5.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Use ending punctuation in sentences (i.e.,
question marks, period, exclamation
points).
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Identify quotation marks to mark direct
speech and quotations in a text.
e. Spell unfamiliar words phonetically,
drawing on letter-sound relationships and
common spelling patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.5.3 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.
b. Recognize and observe differences
between the conventions of spoken
and written standard English.
A.L.5.3 Use language to achieve desired
meaning when communicating.
a. Communicate using complete
sentences.
b. Not applicable
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.5.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grade 5 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., cause/effect
relationships and comparisons in text)
as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate
Greek and Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
photograph, photosynthesis).
A.L.5.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use sentence level context to determine
which word is missing from a content area
text.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g.,
talk) and the words that result when word
endings are added (e.g., talked, talking,
talks).
c. Not applicable
2019 Mississippi Alternate Academic Achievement Standards for English Language Arts
c. 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.
L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figurative language,
including similes and metaphors, in
context.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning
of common idioms, adages, and
proverbs.
c. Use the relationship between
particular words (e.g., synonyms,
antonyms, homographs) to better
understand each of the words.
A.L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationship and use.
a. Use simple, common idioms (e.g., you
bet, it’s a deal, we’re cool).
b. Not applicable
c. Demonstrate understanding of words that
have similar meanings.
L.5.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-
appropriate general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases, including those
that signal contrast, addition, and other
logical relationships (e.g., however,
although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover,
in addition).
A.L.5.6 Use words acquired through
conversations, being read to, and during shared
reading activities including domain-specific
words.
MS AAAS for English Language Arts
Grades 6-8
Grade 6
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards,
representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework.
Teaching strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their
individual learning goals as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students
gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the
requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
A.RL.6.1 Determine what a text says explicitly
as well as what simple inferences can be
drawn.
RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of
a text and how it is conveyed through
particular details; provide a summary of the
text based upon this determination.
A.RL.6.2 Identify details in a text that are
related to the theme or central idea.
RL.6.3 Describe how the plot of a literary
text unfolds in a series of episodes as well
as how the characters respond or change
as the plot moves toward a resolution.
A.RL.6.3 Identify how a character
responds to a challenge in a story.
Craft and Structure
RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of a specific
word choice on meaning and tone.
A.RL.6.4 Determine how word choice changes
the meaning in a text.
RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence,
chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the
overall structure of a text and contributes
to the development of the theme, setting,
or plot.
A.RL.6.5 Determine the structure of a text
(e.g., story, poem, or drama).
RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the
point of view of the narrator or speaker in a
text.
A.RL.6.6 Identify words or phrases in the text
that describe or show what the narrator or
speaker is thinking or feeling.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.6.7 Compare and contrast the experience
of reading a story, drama, or poem to
A.RL.6.7 Compare the experience of reading or
listening to a written story, drama, or poem
listening to or viewing an audio, video, or
live version of the text, including contrasting
what they “see” and “hear” when reading
the text to what they perceive when they
listen or watch.
with the experience of watching video or live
performance of the same text.
RL.6.8 Not applicable
A.RL.6.8 Not applicable
RL.6.9 Compare and contrast texts in
different forms or genres (e.g., stories and
poems; historical novels and fantasy stories)
in terms of their approaches to similar
themes and topics.
A.RL.6.9 Compare and contrast stories, myths,
or texts with similar topics or themes.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.6.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text
complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RL.6.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while actively reading or listening to stories,
dramas, or poetry.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
A.RI.6.1 Analyze a text to determine what it
says explicitly as well as what inferences should
be drawn.
RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and
how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from
personal opinions or judgments.
A.RI.6.2 Determine the main idea of a passage
and details or facts related to it.
RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual,
event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and
elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples
or anecdotes).
A.RI.6.3 Identify a detail that elaborates upon
individuals, events, or ideas introduced in a
text.
Craft and Structure
RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative,
connotative,
and
technical
meanings.
A.RI.6.4 Determine how word choice changes
the meaning of a text.
RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence,
paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the
overall structure of a text and contributes to
the development of the ideas.
A.RI.6.5 Determine how the title fits the
structure of the text.
RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view
or purpose in a text and explain how it is
conveyed in the text.
A.RI.6.6 Identify words or phrases in the text
that describe or show the author’s point of
view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words to
develop a coherent understanding of a topic
or issue.
A.RI.6.7 Find similarities in information
presented in different media or formats as
well as in text.
RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims
that are supported by reasons and evidence
from claims that are not.
A.RI.6.8 Identify claims in a text supported by
reason.
RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one author’s
presentation of events with that of another
(e.g., a memoir written by and a biography
on the same person).
A.RI.6.9 Compare and contrast how two
texts describe the same event.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades
6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RI.6.10 Demonstrate understanding of
literary nonfiction that has been read aloud.
The following standards for Grade 6 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are
expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims
with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the
reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons
and relevant evidence, using credible
sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
A.W.6.1 With guidance and support, write
claims about topics or text.
a. Write a claim about a topic or text.
b. Write one or more reasons to support a
claim about a topic or text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
clarify the relationships among
claim(s) and reasons.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from the
argument presented.
W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize ideas,
concepts, and information, using
strategies such as definition,
classification, comparison/contrast,
and cause/effect; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful
to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts,
definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and
examples.
c. Use appropriate transitions to clarify
the relationships among ideas and
concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to inform about
or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from the
information or explanation
presented.
A.W.6.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic and write to convey
ideas and information about it including
visual, tactual, or multimedia
information as appropriate.
b. Provide facts, details, or other
information related to the topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive
details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and introducing
a narrator and/or characters; organize
an event sequence that unfolds
naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, and description, to
A.W.6.3 With guidance and support, write about
events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a real or
imagined experience introducing the
experience and including two or more
events.
b. Not applicable
c. Use words that establish the time frame.
d. Use words that convey specific details
about the experience or event.
e. Not applicable
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words,
phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence and signal shifts from one
time frame or setting to another.
d. Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to convey
experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from
the narrated experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3
above.)
A.W.6.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate for the task, purpose,
or audience.
W.6.5 With some guidance and support
from peers and adults, 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 up
to and including Grade 6.)
A.W.6.5 With guidance and support from adults
and peers, plan before writing and revise own
writing.
W.6.6 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.
A.W.6.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to produce
writing while interacting and collaborating with
others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to
answer a question, drawing on several
sources and refocusing the inquiry when
appropriate.
EE W.6.7 With guidance and support, conduct
short research projects to answer a question.
W.6.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources; assess the
credibility of each source; and quote or
paraphrase the data and conclusions of
others while avoiding plagiarism and
providing basic bibliographic information for
sources.
A.W.6.8 Gather information from multiple print
and digital sources that relates to a given topic.
W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grade 6 Reading standards to
literary texts (e.g., “Compare and
contrast texts in different forms or
genres [e.g., stories and poems;
historical novels and fantasy stories]
in terms of their approaches to
similar themes and topics”).
b. Apply Grade 6 Reading standards to
literary nonfiction and/or
informational texts (e.g., “Trace and
evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, distinguishing claims
that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not”).
A.W.6.9 With guidance and support, use
information from literary and informational text
to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 6 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare a
text version of a story, drama, or poem
with an audio, video, or live version of
the text”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 6 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Can produce an argument by logically
organizing the claims and the supporting
reasons and evidence”).
Range of Writing
W.6.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline- specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
A.W.6.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
The following standards for Grade 6 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on Grade 6 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having
read or studied required material;
explicitly draw on that preparation by
referring to evidence on the topic,
text, or issue to probe and reflect on
ideas under discussion.
A.SL.6.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussions prepared to
share information.
b. Follow simple, agreed-upon rules for
discussions and contribute
information.
c. Ask and answer questions specific to
the topic, text, or issue under
discussion.
d. Restate key ideas expressed in the
discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions,
set specific goals and deadlines, and
define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose and respond to specific
questions with elaboration and detail
by making comments that contribute
to the topic, text, or issue under
discussion.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and
demonstrate understanding of
multiple perspectives through
reflection and paraphrasing.
SL.6.2 Interpret information presented in
diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) and explain how it
contributes to a topic, text, or issue under
study.
A.SL.6.2 Identify information presented in
diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) that relates to a topic,
text, or issue under study.
SL.6.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and
specific claims, distinguishing claims that are
supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.
A.SL.6.3 Identify the reasons and evidence
supporting the claims made by the speaker.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.6.4 Present claims and findings,
sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent
descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate
main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye
contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation.
A.SL.6.4 Present findings on a topic including
descriptions, facts, or details.
SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g.,
graphics, images, music, sound) and visual
displays in presentations to clarify
information.
A.SL.6.5 Select an auditory, visual, or tactual
display to clarify the information in
presentations.
SL.6.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate. (See
Grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 for
specific expectations.)
A.SL.6.6 Use formal and informal language as
appropriate to the communication partner.
The following standards for Grades 6–12 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3,
skills and understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher
grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with
an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.6.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing (printing, cursive, or
keyboarding) or speaking.
a. Ensure that pronouns are in the
proper case (subjective, objective,
possessive).
b. Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself,
ourselves).
c. Recognize and correct inappropriate
shifts in pronoun number and
person.*
d. Recognize and correct vague
pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or
ambiguous antecedents).*
e. Recognize variations from standard
English in their own and others’
writing and speaking, and identify and
use strategies to improve expression
in conventional language.*
A.L.6.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Use personal pronouns (e.g., he, she, they)
correctly.
b. Use indefinite pronouns.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
L.6.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use punctuation (commas,
parentheses, dashes) to set off
nonrestrictive/parenthetical
elements.
b. Spell correctly.
A.L.6.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Use question marks at the end of written
questions.
b. Spell unknown words phonetically,
drawing on letter sound relationships and
common spelling patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.6.3 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.
A.L.6.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Vary sentence patterns for meaning,
reader/ listener interest, and style.*
b. Maintain consistency in style and
tone.*
a. Vary use of language when the listener or
reader does not understand the initial
attempt.
b. Not applicable
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.6.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grade 6 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence or paragraph;
a word’s position or function in a
sentence) as a clue to the meaning of
a word or phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate
Greek or Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
audience, auditory, audible).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise
meaning or its part of speech.
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking
the inferred meaning in context or in
a dictionary).
A.L.6.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine which word is
missing from a content area text.
b. Not applicable
c. Seek clarification and meaning support
when unfamiliar words are encountered
while reading or communicating.
d. Not applicable
L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
personification) in context.
b. Use the relationship between
particular words (e.g., cause/effect,
part/whole, item/category) to better
understand each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations
(associations) of words with similar
denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy,
scrimping, economical, unwasteful,
thrifty).
A.L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify the meaning of simple similes
(e.g., the man was as big as a tree).
b. Demonstrate understanding of words by
identifying other words with similar and
different meanings.
c. Not applicable
L.6.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-
appropriate general academic and domain-
A.L.6.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
specific words and phrases; gather
vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word or phrase important to comprehension
or expression.
Grade 7
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students
gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the
requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards,
representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework.
Teaching strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their
individual learning goals as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual
evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
A.RL.7.1 Analyze text to identify where
information is explicitly stated and where
inferences must be drawn.
RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of
a text and analyze in detail its development
over the course of the text, including how it
emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an accurate
summary of the text based upon this
analysis
A.RL.7.2 With support from adults, identify the
theme.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a
literary text interact (e.g., how setting shapes
the characters or plot).
A.RL.7.3 Determine how two or more story
elements are related.
Craft and Structure
RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative and connotative meanings;
analyze the impact of specific word choice
(e.g., alliteration) on meaning and tone.
A.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of simple
idioms and figures of speech as they are used
in a text.
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s
form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet)
contributes to its meaning.
A.RL.7.5 Compare the structure of two or more
texts (e.g., stories, poems, or dramas).
RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and
contrasts the points of view of different
characters or narrators in a text.
A.RL.7.6 Compare the points of view of two or
more characters or narrators in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.7.7 Compare and contrast a written story,
drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged,
or multimedia version, analyzing the effects
of techniques unique to each medium (e.g.,
lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and
angles in a film).
A.RL.7.7 Compare a text version of a story,
drama, or poem with an audio, video, or live
version of the same text.
RL.7.8 Not applicable
A.RL.7.8 Not applicable
RL.7.9 Compare and contrast a fictional
portrayal of a time, place, or character and
a historical account of the same period as a
means of understanding how authors of
fiction use or alter history.
A.RL.7.9 Compare a fictional time, place, or
character in one text with the same time,
place, or character portrayed in a historical
account.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the Grades 6–8 text
complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RL.7.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while actively engaged in reading or listening to
stories, dramas, and poetry.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence
to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
A.RI.7.1 Identify where information is
explicitly stated and where inferences must
be drawn in text.
RI.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a
text and analyze in detail its development over
the course of the text, including how it emerges
and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an accurate summary of the text based
upon this analysis.
A.RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas
in a text.
RI.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a
literary text interact (e.g., how setting shapes
the characters or plot).
A.RI.7.3 Determine how two individuals,
events, or ideas in a text are related.
Craft and Structure
RI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative and connotative meanings; analyze
the impact of specific word choice (e.g.,
alliteration) on meaning and tone.
A.RI.7.4 Determine how words or phrases are
used to persuade or inform a text.
RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to
organize a text, including how the major
sections contribute to the whole and to the
development of the ideas.
A.RI.7.5 Determine how a fact, step, or event
fits into the overall structure of the text.
RI.7.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how the author
distinguishes his or her position from that of
others.
A.RI.7.6 Determine an author’s purpose or
point of view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an
audio, video, or multimedia version of the
text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the
subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech
affects the impact of the words).
A.RI.7.7 Compare a text to an audio, video, or
multimedia version of the same text.
RI.7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant
and sufficient to support the claims.
A.RI.7.8 Determine how a claim or reason fits
into the overall structure of an informational
text.
RI.7.9 Analyze how two or more authors
writing about the same topic shape their
presentations of key information by
emphasizing different evidence or advancing
different interpretations of facts.
A.RI.7.9 Compare and contrast how different
texts on the same topic present the details.
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.7.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades
6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RI.7.10 Demonstrate understanding while
actively reading or listening to literary
nonfiction.
The following standards for Grade 7 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are
expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims
with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge
alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence
logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical
reasoning and relevant evidence,
using accurate, credible sources
and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
create cohesion and clarify the
relationships among claim(s),
reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal
style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
A.W.7.1 With guidance and support, write claims
about topics or texts.
a. Given a topic or text, write one claim
about it.
b. Write one or more reasons to support a
claim about a topic or text.
c. Use temporal words (e.g., first, next, also)
to create cohesion.
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly,
previewing what is to follow;
organize ideas, concepts, and
information, using strategies such
as definition, classification,
comparison/contrast, and
cause/effect; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
charts, tables), and multimedia
when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant
facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information
and examples.
c. Use appropriate transitions to
create cohesion and clarify the
A.W.7.2 With guidance and support, write to share
information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic and write to convey
ideas and information about it including
visual, tactual, or multimedia information
as appropriate.
b. Provide facts, details, or other
information related to the topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Select domain-specific vocabulary to use
in writing about the topic.
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
relationships among ideas and
concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to inform about
or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal
style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the information or
explanation presented.
W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive
details, and well-structured event
sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and point of
view and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; organize an
event sequence that unfolds
naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, and description, to
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words,
phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence and signal shifts from one
time frame or setting to another.
d. Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to capture the
action and convey experiences and
events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on the narrated
experiences or events.
A.W.7.3 With guidance and support, write about
events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a real or imagined
experience introducing the experience, at
least one character, and two or more
events.
b. Not applicable
c. Use temporal words (e.g., first, then, next)
to signal order.
d. Use words that describe feelings of people
or characters in the narrative.
e. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards
1–3 above.)
A.W.7.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate for the task, purpose,
or audience.
W.7.5 With some guidance and support
from peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on how well purpose
and audience have been addressed.
A.W.7.5 With guidance and support from adults
and peers, plan before writing and revise own
writing.
W.7.6 Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce and publish writing
and link to and cite source to interact and
collaborate with others, including linking to
and citing sources.
A.W.7.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce
writing to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.7.7 Conduct short research projects to
answer a question, drawing on several
sources and generating additional related,
focused questions for further research and
investigation.
A.W.7.7 With guidance and support, conduct
research to answer a question based on multiple
sources of information.
W.7.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources, using
search terms effectively; assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source;
and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and following a standard format
for citation.
A.W.7.8 With guidance and support, identify
quotes providing relevant information about a
topic from multiple print or digital sources.
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grade 7 Reading standards
to literary texts (e.g., “Compare
and contrast a fictional portrayal of
a time, place, or character and a
historical account of the same
period as a means of
understanding how authors of
b. Apply Grade 7 Reading standards
to literary nonfiction and/or
informational texts (e.g. “Trace and
evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether
the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient
to support the claims”).
A.W.7.9 With guidance and support, use
information from literary and informational text
to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 7 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Recognize
the difference between fictional
characters and nonfictional characters”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 7 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Use relevant and sufficient evidence for
supporting the claims and argument”).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline- specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
A.W.7.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
The following standards for Grade 7 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on Grade 7 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having
read or researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
on the topic, text, or issue to probe
and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions,
track progress toward specific goals
and deadlines, and define individual
roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration
and respond to others’ questions and
comments with relevant observations
and ideas that bring the discussion
back on topic as needed.
d. Acknowledge new information
expressed by others and, when
warranted, modify their own views.
A.SL.7.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussions prepared to
share information.
b. Follow simple, agreed-upon rules for
discussions and carry out assigned
roles.
c. Remain on the topic of the discussion
when answering questions or making
other contributions to a discussion.
d. Acknowledge new information
expressed by others in a discussion.
SL.7.2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting
details presented in diverse media and
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally)
and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text,
or issue under study.
A.SL.7.2 Identify details related to the main
idea of a text presented orally or through
other media.
SL.7.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and
specific claims, evaluating the soundness of
the reasoning and the relevance and
sufficiency of the evidence.
A.SL.7.3 Determine whether the claims made
by a speaker are fact or opinion.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.7.4 Present claims and findings,
emphasizing salient points in a focused,
coherent manner with pertinent descriptions,
facts, details, and examples; use appropriate
eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation.
A.SL.7.4 Present findings on a topic including
relevant descriptions, facts, or details.
SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and
visual displays in presentations to clarify
claims and findings and emphasize salient
points.
A.SL.7.5 Select or create audio recordings and
visual/tactile displays to emphasize specific
points in a presentation.
SL.7.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate.
A.SL.7.6 Communicate precisely (i.e., provide
complete information) or efficiently (i.e.,
provide concise information) as required by
the context, task, and communication
partner.
The following standards for Grade 7 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3,
skills and understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher
grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with
an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing (printing, cursive, or
keyboarding) or speaking.
a. Explain the function of phrases and
clauses in general and their function
in specific sentences.
b. Choose among simple, compound,
complex, and compound-complex
sentences to signal differing
relationships among ideas.
A.L.7.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Produce complete simple sentences when
writing or communicating.
c. Not applicable
c. Place phrases and clauses within a
sentence, recognizing and correcting
misplaced and dangling modifiers.
L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use a comma to separate coordinate
adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating,
enjoyable movie but not He wore an
old [,] green shirt).
b. Spell correctly.
A.L.7.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Use end punctuation when writing a
sentence or question.
b. Spell words phonetically, drawing on
knowledge of letter-sound relationships
and/or common spelling patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.
a. Choose language that expresses ideas
precisely and concisely, recognizing
and eliminating wordiness and
redundancy.*
A.L.7.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Use precise language as required to
achieve desired meaning.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grade 7 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning
of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s
position or function in a sentence) as
a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate
Greek or Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
c. Consult general and specialized
reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print
and digital, to find the pronunciation
of a word or determine or clarify its
precise meaning or its part of speech.
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking
A.L.7.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine which word is
missing from a text.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g.,
like) and the words that result when
affixes are added (e.g., liked, disliked,
liking).
c. Seek clarification and meaning support
when unfamiliar words are encountered
while reading or communicating.
d. Not applicable
the inferred meaning in context or in
a dictionary).
L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
literary, biblical, and mythological
allusions) in context.
b. Use the relationship between
particular words (e.g.,
synonym/antonym, analogy) to
better understand each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations
(associations) of words with similar
denotations (definitions) (e.g.,
refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic,
condescending).
A.L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify the literal and nonliteral
meanings of words in context.
b. Demonstrate understanding of synonyms
and antonyms.
c. Not applicable
L.7.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-
appropriate general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases; gather
vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word or phrase important to comprehension
or expression.
A.L.7.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
Grade 8
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students
gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the
requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards,
representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework.
Teaching strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their
individual learning goals as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most
strongly supports an analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
A.RL.8.1 Cite text to support inferences from
stories and poems.
RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of
a text and analyze in detail its development
over the course of the text, including how it
emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an accurate
summary of the text based upon this
analysis.
A.RL.8.2 Recount an event related to the
theme or central idea, including details about
character and setting.
RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of
dialogue or incidents in a literary text propel
the action, reveal aspects of a character, or
provoke a decision
A.RL.8.3 Identify which incidents in a story or
drama lead to subsequent action.
Craft and Structure
RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative and connotative meanings;
analyze the impact of specific word choices
on meaning and tone, including analogies or
allusions to other texts.
A.RL.8.4 Determine connotative meanings of
words and phrases in a text.
RL.8.5 Compare and contrast the structure
of two or more texts and analyze how the
differing structure of each text contributes
to its meaning and style.
A.RL.8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of
two or more texts.
RL.8.6 Analyze how differences in the points
of view of the characters and the audience
or reader (e.g., created through the use of
dramatic irony) create such effects as
suspense or humor.
A.RL.8.6 Determine the difference in the points
of view of a character and the audience or
reader in a text with suspense or humor.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.8.7 Analyze the extent to which a filmed
or live production of a story or drama stays
faithful to or departs from the text or script,
evaluating the choices made by the director
or actors.
A.RL.8.7 Compare and contrast a text version
of a story, drama, or poem with an audio,
video, or live version of the same text.
RL.8.8 Not applicable
A.RL.8.8 Not applicable
RL.8.9 Analyze how myths, traditional
stories, or religious works such as the Bible
influence themes, patterns of events, or
character types in a modern work, including
how the material is rendered new.
A.RL.8.9 Compare and contrast themes,
patterns of events, or characters across two or
more stories or dramas.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, at the high end of
Grades 6–8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
A.RL.8.10 Demonstrate understanding of text
while actively engaged in reading or listening
to stories, dramas, and poetry.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most
strongly supports an analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
A.RI.8.1 Cite text to support inferences from
informational text.
RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges
and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an accurate summary of the text based
upon this analysis.
A.RI.8.2 Provide a summary of a familiar
informational text.
RI.8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections
among and distinctions between individuals,
ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons,
analogies, or categories).
A.RI.8.3 Recount events in the order they
were presented in the text.
Craft and Structure
RI.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including
analogies or allusions to other texts.
A.RI.8.4 Determine connotative meanings of
words and phrases in a text.
RI.8.5 Analyze the structure of a specific
paragraph in a text, including the role of
particular sentences in developing and
refining a key concept.
A.RI.8.5 Locate the topic sentence and
supporting details in a paragraph.
RI.8.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how the author
acknowledges and responds to conflicting
evidence or viewpoints.
A.RI.8.6 Determine an author’s purpose or
point of view and identify examples from text
that describe or support it.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.8.7 Evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of using different mediums
(e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia)
to present a particular topic or idea.
A.RI.8.7 Determine whether a topic is best
presented as audio, video, multimedia, or
text.
RI.8.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument
and specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize
when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
A.RI.8.8 Determine the argument made by an
author in an informational text.
RI.8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more
texts provide conflicting information on the
same topic and identify where the texts
disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
A.RI.8.9 Identify where two different texts on
the same topic differ in their interpretation of
the details.
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.8.10 By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction at the high
end of the Grades 6–8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
A.RI.8.10 Demonstrate understanding while
actively reading or listening to literary
nonfiction.
The following standards for Grade 8 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are
expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims
with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and
distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence
logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical
reasoning and relevant evidence,
using accurate, credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of
the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
create cohesion and clarify the
relationships among claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal
style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
A.W.8.1 With guidance and support, write claims
about topics or texts.
a. Introduce the claim and provide reasons
or pieces of evidence to support it.
b. Write reasons to support a claim about a
topic or text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
W.8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing
what is to follow; organize ideas,
concepts, and information into
broader categories; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia
when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant,
well-chosen facts, definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied
transitions to create cohesion and
clarify the relationships among ideas
and concepts.
A.W.8.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and write to
convey ideas and information about it
including visual, tactual, or multimedia
information as appropriate.
b. Write one or more facts or details
related to the topic.
c. Write complete thoughts as appropriate.
d. Use domain-specific vocabulary related
to the topic.
e. Not applicable
f. Provide a closing.
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to inform about
or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal
style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the information or
explanation presented.
W.8.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive
details, and well-structured event
sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and point of
view and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally and
logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, description, and
reflection, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words,
phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence, signal shifts from one time
frame or setting to another, and
show the relationships among
experiences and events.
d. Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to capture the
action and convey experiences and
events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on the narrated
experiences or events.
A.W.8.3 With guidance and support, write about
events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a real or
imagined experience introducing the
experience, at least one character, and
two or more events.
b. Not applicable
c. Use temporal words (e.g., first, then,
next) to signal order.
d. Use words that describe the feelings of
characters or provide other sensory
information about the setting,
experiences, or events.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
A.W.8.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate for the task,
purpose, or audience.
W.8.5 With some guidance and support
from peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on how well purpose
and audience have been addressed.
A.W.8.5 With guidance and support from
adults and peers, plan before writing and revise
own writing.
W.8.6 Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce and publish writing
and present the relationships between
information and ideas efficiently as well as
to interact and collaborate with others.
A.W.8.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to produce
writing to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to
answer a question (including a self-
generated question), drawing on several
sources and generating additional related,
focused questions that allow for multiple
avenues of exploration.
A.W.8.7 With guidance and support, conduct
short research projects to answer and pose
questions based on one source of information.
W.8.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources, using
search terms effectively; assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source;
and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and following a standard
format for citation.
A.W.8.8 Select quotes providing relevant
information about a topic from multiple print
or digital sources.
W.8.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grade 8 Reading standards
to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a
modern work of fiction draws on
themes, patterns of events, or
character types from myths,
traditional stories, or religious
works such as the Bible, including
describing how the material is
rendered new.”).
b. Apply Grade 8 Reading standards
to literary nonfiction (e.g.,
“Delineate and evaluate the
argument and specific claims in a
text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the
A.W.8.9 With guidance and support, use
information from literary and informational
text to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 8 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare
and contrast themes, patterns of
events, or characters across two or
more stories or dramas”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 8 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Use relevant and sufficient evidence
for supporting the claims and
argument”).
evidence is relevant and sufficient;
recognize when irrelevant evidence
is introduced.”).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
W.8.10 Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline- specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
A.W.8.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
The following standards for Grade 8 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher- led) with diverse
partners on Grade 8 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having
read or researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
on the topic, text, or issue to probe
and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions
and decision- making, track progress
toward specific goals and deadlines,
and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas
of several speakers and respond to
others’ questions and comments with
relevant evidence, observations, and
ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information
expressed by others, and, when
warranted, qualify or justify their own
views in light of the evidence
presented.
A.SL.8.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussions prepared to
share information previously studied.
b. Follow simple rules and carry out
assigned roles during discussions.
c. Remain on the topic of the discussion
when asking or answering questions
or making other contributions to a
discussion.
d. Acknowledge new information
expressed by others in a discussion
and relate it to own ideas.
SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information
presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate
the motives (e.g., social, commercial,
political) behind its presentation.
A.SL.8.2 Determine the purpose of
information presented in graphic, oral, visual,
or multimodal formats.
SL.8.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and
specific claims, evaluating the soundness of
the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency
of the evidence and identifying when
irrelevant evidence is introduced.\
A.SL.8.3 Determine the argument made by a
speaker on a topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.8.4 Present claims and findings,
emphasizing salient points in a focused,
coherent manner with relevant evidence,
sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen
details; use appropriate eye contact,
adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
A.SL.8.4 Present descriptions, facts, or
details supporting specific points made on a
topic.
SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual
displays into presentations to clarify
information, strengthen claims and
evidence, and add interest.
A.SL.8.5 Include multimedia and visual
information into presentations.
SL.8.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
A.SL.8.6 Adapt communication to a variety
of contexts and tasks.
The following standards for Grade 8 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3,
skills and understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher
grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with
an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing (printing, cursive,
or keyboarding) or speaking.
a. Explain the function of verbals
(gerunds, participles, infinitives) in
general and their function in
particular sentences.
b. Form and use verbs in the active and
passive voice.
c. Form and use verbs in the indicative,
imperative, interrogative,
conditional, and subjunctive mood.
d. Recognize and correct inappropriate
shifts in verb voice and mood.
A.L.8.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Form and use the simple verb tenses
(e.g., I walked, I walk, I will walk).
c. Use appropriate verbs to match nouns.
d. Not applicable
L.8.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis,
dash) to indicate a pause or break.
b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an
omission.
c. Spell correctly.
A.L.8.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Use end punctuation and capitalization
when writing a sentence or question.
b. Not applicable
c. Spell words phonetically, drawing on
knowledge of letter-sound relationships
and/or common spelling patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.8.3 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.
a. Use verbs in the active and passive
voice and in the conditional and
subjunctive mood to achieve
particular effects (e.g., emphasizing
the actor or the action; expressing
uncertainty or describing a state
contrary to fact).
A.L.8.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Use to-be verbs (e.g., am, are, is, was,
were, be, become, became) accurately
when writing and communicating.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.8.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words or
phrases based on Grade 8 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
A.L.8.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine which word is
missing from a content area text.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence or
paragraph; a word’s position or
function in a sentence) as a clue to
the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate
Greek or Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
precede, recede, secede).
c. Consult general and specialized
reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries,
thesauruses), both print and digital,
to find the pronunciation of a word
or determine or clarify its precise
meaning or its part of speech.
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
b. Use frequently occurring root words
(e.g., like) and the words that result
when affixes are added (e.g., liked,
disliked, liking).
c. Seek clarification and meaning support
when unfamiliar words are encountered
while reading or communicating.
d. Not applicable
L.8.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.
verbal irony, puns) in context.
b. Use the relationship between
particular words to better
understand each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations
(associations) of words with similar
denotations (definitions) (e.g.,
bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent,
resolute).
A.L.8.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Demonstrate understanding of the use of
multiple meaning words.
b. Use knowledge of common words to
understand the meaning of compound
and complex words in which they appear
(e.g., birdhouse and household).
c. Use descriptive words to add meaning
when writing and communicating.
L.8.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-
appropriate general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases; gather
vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
A.L.8.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
MS AAAS for English Language Arts
Grades 9-12
Alternate English Elements 9
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards,
representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework.
Teaching strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their
individual learning goals as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students
gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the
requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.9.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
A.RL.9.1 Determine which citations (or quotes)
demonstrate what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9.2 Determine the theme(s) or central
idea(s) of a text and analyze in detail the
development over the course of the text,
including how details of a text interact and
build on one another to shape and refine the
theme(s) or central idea(s); provide an
accurate summary of the text based upon this
analysis.
A.RL.9.2 Recount events related to the theme
or central idea, including details about
character and setting.
RL.9.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g.,
those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a
text, interact with other characters, and
advance the plot or develop the theme.
A.RL.9.3 Determine how characters change or
develop over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
RL.9.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone
(e.g., how the language evokes a sense of
time and place; how it sets a formal or
informal tone).
A.RL.9.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
idioms, analogies, and figures of speech.
RL.9.5 Analyze how an author’s choices
concerning how to structure a text, order
A.RL.9.5 Identify where a text deviates from a
chronological presentation of events.
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and
manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks)
create such effects as mystery, tension, or
surprise.
RL.9.6 Analyze a particular point of view or
cultural experience reflected in a work of
literature from outside the United States,
drawing on a wide reading of world
literature.
A.RL.9.6 Determine a point of view or cultural
experience in a work of literature from outside
the United States and compare it with own
point of view or experience.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.9.7 Analyze the representation of a
subject or a key scene in two different
artistic mediums, including what is
emphasized or absent in each treatment
(e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and
Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of
Icarus).
A.RL.9.7 Compare the representation of a
subject or topic in two different artistic
mediums (e.g., poetry and illustration).
RL.9.8 Not applicable
A.RL.9.8 Not applicable
RL.9.9 Analyze how an author draws on and
transforms source material in a specific
work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme
or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a
later author draws on a play by
Shakespeare).
A.RL.9.9 Identify when an author draws upon
or references a different text.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.9.10 By the end of Grade 9, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the Grades 9 text
complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RL.9.10 Demonstrate understanding of a
text while actively engaged in reading or
listening to stories, dramas, or poems.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.9.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
A.RI.9.1 Determine which citations
demonstrate what the text says explicitly as
well as inferentially.
RI.9.2 Determine central idea(s) of a text and
analyze in detail the development over the
course of the text, including how details of a
text interact and build on one another to
A.RI.9.2 Determine the central idea of the
text and select details to support it.
shape and refine the central idea(s); provide
an accurate summary of the text based upon
this analysis.
RI.9.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an
analysis or series of ideas or events, including
the order in which the points are made, how
they are introduced and developed, and the
connections that are drawn between them.
A.RI.9.3 Determine logical connections
between individuals, ideas, or events in a
text.
Craft and Structure
RI.9.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone
(e.g., how the language of a court opinion
differs from that of a newspaper).
A.RI.9.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in text, including
common idioms, analogies, and figures of
speech.
RI.9.5 Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas
or claims are developed and refined by
particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger
portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
A.RI.9.5 Locate sentences that support an
author’s central idea or claim.
RI.9.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how an author
uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or
purpose.
A.RI.9.6 Determine author’s point of view and
compare with own point of view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.9.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject
told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life
story in both print and multimedia),
determining which details are emphasized in
each account.
A.RI.9.7 Analyze two accounts of a subject
told in different mediums to determine how
they are the same and different.
RI.9.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument
and specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is valid and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify
false statements and fallacious reasoning.
A.RI.9.8 Determine how the specific claims
support the argument made in an
informational text.
RI.9.9 Analyze seminal U.S. documents of
historical and literary significance (e.g.,
Washington’s Farewell Address, the
Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four
Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from
Birmingham Jail”), including how they
address related themes and concepts.
A.RI.9.9 Make connections between texts
with related themes and concepts.
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.9.10 By the end of Grade 10, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in the
Grades 9–10 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
A.RI.9.10 Demonstrate
understanding while actively engaged
in reading or listening to literary
nonfiction.
The following standards for Grade 9 and 10 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings
mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.9.1 Write arguments to support claims in
an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s),
distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims, and
create an organization that
establishes clear relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims
fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience’s
knowledge level and concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships between claim(s) and
reasons, between reasons and
evidence, and between claim(s) and
counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending
A.W.9.1 Write claims about topics or texts.
a. Introduce a topic or text and write one
claim and one counterclaim about it.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
W.9.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex
ideas, concepts, and information to
make important connections and
distinctions; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., figures,
tables), and multimedia when useful
to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with well-chosen,
relevant, and sufficient facts,
extended definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other
information and examples
appropriate to the audience’s
knowledge of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied
transitions to link the major sections
of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships among
complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to manage the
complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending
to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g.,
articulating implications or the
significance of the topic).
A.W.9.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and use a clear
organization to write about it including
visual, tactual, or multimedia information as
appropriate.
b. Develop the topic with facts or details.
c. Use complete, simple sentences as
appropriate.
d. Use domain-specific vocabulary when
writing claims related to a topic of study or
text.
e. Not applicable
f. Providing a closing or concluding statement.
W.9.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well- chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.
A.W.9.3 With guidance and support, write about
events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a problem,
situation, or observation including at least
a. Engage and orient the reader by
setting out a problem, situation, or
observation, establishing one or
multiple point(s) of view, and
introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or
events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines,
to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to
sequence events so that they build
on one another to create a
coherent whole.
d. Use precise words and phrases,
telling details, and sensory
language to convey a vivid picture
of the experiences, events, setting,
and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved
over the course of the narrative.
one character, details, and clearly
sequenced events.
b. Not applicable
c. Organize the events in the narrative using
temporal words to signal order as
appropriate.
d. Use descriptive words and phrases to
convey a vivid picture of experiences,
events, setting, or characters.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.9.4 Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are defined
in standards 1–3 above.)
A.W.9.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate for the task,
purpose, and audience.
W.9.5 Develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and
audience.
A.W.9.5 With guidance and support,
develop writing by planning and revising
own writing.
W.9.6 Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products,
taking advantage of technology’s capacity
to link to other information and to
A.W.9.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to
produce, publish, and update individual
or shared writing products.
display information flexibly and
dynamically.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.9.7 Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self- generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
A.W.9.7 With guidance and support, conduct
research projects to answer questions posed by
self and others using multiple sources of
information.
W.9.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the usefulness of each
source in answering the research question;
integrate information into the text
selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
A.W.9.8 With guidance and support, write
answers to research questions by selecting
relevant information from multiple resources.
W.9.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grades 9–10 Reading
standards to literature (e.g.,
“Analyze how an author draws on
and transforms source material in a
specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or
the Bible or how a later author
draws on a play by Shakespeare.]”).
b. Apply Grades 9–10 Reading
standards to literary nonfiction (e.g.,
“Delineate and evaluate the
argument and specific claims in a
text, assessing whether the
reasoning is valid and the evidence
is relevant and sufficient; identify
false statements and fallacious
reasoning.”).
A.W.9.9 With guidance and support, use
information from literary and informational text
to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS Grade 9 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Identify
when an author has drawn upon or
included references to another text”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 9 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Use sound reasons for supporting the
claims and argument”).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
W.9.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
A.W.9.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely over time for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
The following standards for Grade 9 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.9.1 Initiate and participate effectively in
a range of collaborative discussions (one-
on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on
Grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared,
having read and researched material
under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on
the topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange
of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for
collegial discussions and decision-
making (e.g., informal consensus,
taking votes on key issues,
presentation of alternate views),
clear goals and deadlines, and
individual roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and
responding to questions that relate
the current discussion to broader
themes or larger ideas; actively
incorporate others into the
discussion; and clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse
perspectives, summarize points of
agreement and disagreement, and,
when warranted, qualify or justify
their own views and understanding
and make new connections in light
A.SL.9.1 Engage in collaborative
discussions.
a. Prepare for discussions by collecting
information on the topic.
b. Work with adults and peers to set
rules for discussions.
c. Relate the topic of discussion to
broader themes or ideas.
d. Indicate agreement or disagreement
with others during discussions.
of the evidence and reasoning
presented.
SL.9.2 Integrate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse media or
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally)
evaluating the credibility and accuracy of
each source.
A.SL.9.2 Determine the accuracy of
information presented in diverse media or
formats.
SL.9.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view,
reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning
or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
A.SL.9.3 Determine the speaker's point of
view on a topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.9.4 Present information, findings, and
supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and
logically such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
A.SL.9.4 Present an argument on a topic
with logically organized claims, reasons, and
evidence.
SL.9.5 Make strategic use of digital media
(e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to
enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
A.SL.9.5 Use digital media (e.g., textual,
graphical, audio, visual, and interactive
elements) in presentations to support
understanding.
SL.9.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
A.SL.9.6 Adapt communication to a variety
of contexts and tasks using complete
sentences when indicated or appropriate.
The following standards for Grade 9 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3, skills and
understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they
are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.9.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Use parallel structure.*
b. Use various types of phrases (noun,
verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial,
A.L.9.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Use a variety of parts of speech (nouns,
verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and
prepositional, absolute) and clauses
(independent, dependent; noun,
relative, adverbial) to convey specific
meanings and add variety and
interest to writing or presentations.
prepositions) in writing or
communication to convey information.
L.9.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a
conjunctive adverb) to link two or
more closely related independent
clauses.
b. Use a colon to introduce a list or
quotation.
c. Spell correctly.
A.L.9.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Use a comma and conjunction to
combine two simple sentences.
b. Not applicable
c. Spell most high-frequency words
correctly and apply knowledge of word
chunks in spelling longer words.
Knowledge of Language
L.9.3 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.
a. Write and edit work so that it
conforms to the guidelines in a style
manual (e.g., MLA Handbook,
Turabian’s Manual for Writers)
appropriate for the discipline and
writing type.
A.L.9.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Vary syntax when writing and
communicating.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.9.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grades 9–10 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence, paragraph,
or text; a word’s position or function
in a sentence) as a clue to the
meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of
word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g.,
A.L.9.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine the meaning of
unknown.
b. Not applicable
c. Consult reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, online vocabulary supports)
to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar
words encountered when reading.
d. Not applicable (See A.L.9- 10.4.c. above.)
analyze, analysis, analytical;
advocate, advocacy).
c. Consult general and specialized
reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise
meaning, its part of speech, or its
etymology.
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
L.9.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
euphemism, oxymoron) in context
and analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of
words with similar denotations.
A.L.9.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Interpret common figures of speech.
b. Determine the intended meaning of
multiple meaning words.
L.9.6 Acquire and use accurately 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 considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
A.L.9.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
.
Alternate English Elements 10
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards,
representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework.
Teaching strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their
individual learning goals as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students
gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the
requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
A.RL.10.1 Determine which citations (or
quotes) demonstrate what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
RL.10.2 Determine the theme(s) or central
idea(s) of a text and analyze in detail the
development over the course of the text,
including how details of a text interact and
build on one another to shape and refine the
theme(s) or central idea(s); provide an
accurate summary of the text based upon this
analysis.
A.RL.10.2 Recount events related to the theme
or central idea, including details about
character and setting.
RL.10.3 Analyze how complex characters
(e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a
text, interact with other characters, and
advance the plot or develop the theme.
A.RL.10.3 Determine how characters change or
develop over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
RL.10.4 Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone
(e.g., how the language evokes a sense of
time and place; how it sets a formal or
informal tone).
A.RL.10.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
idioms, analogies, and figures of speech.
RL.10.5 Analyze how an author’s choices
concerning how to structure a text, order
A.RL.10.5 Identify where a text deviates from a
chronological presentation of events.
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and
manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks)
create such effects as mystery, tension, or
surprise.
RL.10.6 Analyze a particular point of view or
cultural experience reflected in a work of
literature from outside the United States,
drawing on a wide reading of world
literature.
A.RL.10.6 When given a point of view or cultural
experience in a work of literature from outside
the United States. Compare it with own point of
view or experience.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.10.7 Analyze the representation of a
subject or a key scene in two different
artistic mediums, including what is
emphasized or absent in each treatment
(e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and
Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of
Icarus).
A.RL.10.7 Compare the representation of a
subject or topic in two different artistic
mediums (e.g., poetry and illustration).
RL.10.8 Not applicable
A.RL.10.8 Not applicable
RL.10.9 Analyze how an author draws on
and transforms source material in a specific
work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme
or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a
later author draws on a play by
Shakespeare).
A.RL.10.9 Identify when an author draws upon
or references a different text.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.10.10 By the end of Grade 10, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the Grades 10 text
complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RL.10.10 Demonstrate understanding of a
text while actively engaged in reading or
listening to stories, dramas, or poems.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
A.RI.10.1 Determine which citations
demonstrate what the text says explicitly as
well as inferentially.
RI.10.2 Determine central idea(s) of a text
and analyze in detail the development over
the course of the text, including how details
of a text interact and build on one another to
A.RI.10.2 Determine the central idea of the
text and select details to support it.
shape and refine the central idea(s); provide
an accurate summary of the text based upon
this analysis.
RI.10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an
analysis or series of ideas or events, including
the order in which the points are made, how
they are introduced and developed, and the
connections that are drawn between them.
A.RI.10.3 Determine logical connections
between individuals, ideas, or events in a
text.
Craft and Structure
RI.10.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone
(e.g., how the language of a court opinion
differs from that of a newspaper).
A.RI.10.4 Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in text, including
common idioms, analogies, and figures of
speech.
RI.10.5 Analyze in detail how an author’s
ideas or claims are developed and refined by
particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger
portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
A.RI.10.5 Locate sentences that support an
author’s central idea or claim.
RI.10.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how an author
uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or
purpose.
A.RI.10.6 Determine author’s point of view
and compare with own point of view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject
told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life
story in both print and multimedia),
determining which details are emphasized in
each account.
A.RI.10.7 Analyze two accounts of a subject
told in different mediums to determine how
they are the same and different.
RI.10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument
and specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is valid and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify
false statements and fallacious reasoning.
A.RI.10.8 Determine how the specific claims
support the argument made in an
informational text.
RI.10.9 Analyze seminal U.S. documents of
historical and literary significance (e.g.,
Washington’s Farewell Address, the
Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four
Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from
Birmingham Jail”), including how they
address related themes and concepts.
A.RI.10.9 Make connections between texts
with related themes and concepts.
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.10.10 By the end of Grade 10, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in the
Grade 10 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
A.RI.10.10 Demonstrate
understanding while actively engaged
in reading or listening to literary
nonfiction.
The following standards for Grade 10 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings
mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.10.1 Write arguments to support claims
in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s),
distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims, and
create an organization that
establishes clear relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims
fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience’s
knowledge level and concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships between claim(s) and
reasons, between reasons and
evidence, and between claim(s) and
counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending
A.W.10.1 With guidance and support, write claims
about topics or texts.
a. Introduce a topic or text and write one
claim and one counterclaim about it.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
W.10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex
ideas, concepts, and information to
make important connections and
distinctions; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., figures,
tables), and multimedia when useful
to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with well-chosen,
relevant, and sufficient facts,
extended definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other
information and examples
appropriate to the audience’s
knowledge of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied
transitions to link the major sections
of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships among
complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-
specific vocabulary to manage the
complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending
to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g.,
articulating implications or the
significance of the topic).
A.W.10.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and use a clear
organization to write about it including
visual, tactual, or multimedia
information as appropriate.
b. Develop the topic with facts or details.
c. Use complete, simple sentences as
appropriate.
d. Use domain-specific vocabulary when
writing claims related to a topic of study
or text.
e. Not applicable
f. Providing a closing or concluding
statement.
W.10.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well- chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.
A.W.10.3 With guidance and support, write
about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a problem,
situation, or observation including at
a. Engage and orient the reader by
setting out a problem, situation, or
observation, establishing one or
multiple point(s) of view, and
introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or
events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines,
to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to
sequence events so that they build
on one another to create a
coherent whole.
d. Use precise words and phrases,
telling details, and sensory
language to convey a vivid picture
of the experiences, events, setting,
and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved
over the course of the narrative.
least one character, details, and clearly
sequenced events.
b. Not applicable
c. Organize the events in the narrative
using temporal words to signal order as
appropriate.
d. Use descriptive words and phrases to
convey a vivid picture of experiences,
events, setting, or characters.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.10.4 Produce clear and coherent
writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-
specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
A.W.10.4 With guidance and support,
produce writing that is appropriate for the
task, purpose, and audience.
W.10.5 Develop and strengthen writing
as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and
audience.
A.W.10.5 With guidance and support,
develop writing by planning and revising
own writing.
W.10.6 Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products,
taking advantage of technology’s capacity
to link to other information and to
A.W.10.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to
produce, publish, and update individual
or shared writing products.
display information flexibly and
dynamically.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.10.7 Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self- generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
A.W.10.7 With guidance and support, conduct
research projects to answer questions posed by
self and others using multiple sources of
information.
W.10.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the usefulness of each
source in answering the research question;
integrate information into the text
selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
A.W.10.8 With guidance and support, write
answers to research questions by selecting
relevant information from multiple resources.
W.10.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grades 9–10 Reading
standards to literature (e.g.,
“Analyze how an author draws on
and transforms source material in a
specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or
the Bible or how a later author
draws on a play by Shakespeare.]”).
b. Apply Grades 9–10 Reading
standards to literary nonfiction (e.g.,
“Delineate and evaluate the
argument and specific claims in a
text, assessing whether the
reasoning is valid and the evidence
is relevant and sufficient; identify
false statements and fallacious
reasoning.”).
A.W.10.9 With guidance and support, use
information from literary and informational text
to support writing.
a. Apply MS AAAS Grade 10 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Identify
when an author has drawn upon or
included references to another text”).
b. Apply MS AAAS of Grade 10 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Use sound reasons for supporting the
claims and argument”).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
W.10.10 Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
A.W.10.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely over time for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
The following standards for Grade 10 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in
a range of collaborative discussions (one-
on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on
Grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared,
having read and researched material
under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on
the topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange
of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for
collegial discussions and decision-
making (e.g., informal consensus,
taking votes on key issues,
presentation of alternate views),
clear goals and deadlines, and
individual roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and
responding to questions that relate
the current discussion to broader
themes or larger ideas; actively
incorporate others into the
discussion; and clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse
perspectives, summarize points of
agreement and disagreement, and,
when warranted, qualify or justify
their own views and understanding
and make new connections in light
of the evidence and reasoning
presented.
A.SL.10.1 Engage in collaborative
discussions.
a. Prepare for discussions by collecting
information on the topic.
b. Work with adults and peers to set
rules for discussions.
c. Relate the topic of discussion to
broader themes or ideas.
d. Indicate agreement or disagreement
with others during discussions.
SL.10.2 Integrate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse media or
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally)
evaluating the credibility and accuracy of
each source.
A.SL.10.2 Determine the credibility of
information presented in diverse media or
formats.
SL.10.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view,
reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning
or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
A.SL.10.3 Determine the speaker's point of
view on a topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.10.4 Present information, findings, and
supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and
logically such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
A.SL.10.4 Present an argument on a topic
with logically organized claims, reasons, and
evidence.
SL.10.5 Make strategic use of digital media
(e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to
enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
A.SL.10.5 Use digital media (e.g., textual,
graphical, audio, visual, and interactive
elements) in presentations to support
understanding.
SL.10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
A.SL.10.6 Adapt communication to a variety
of contexts and tasks using complete
sentences when indicated or appropriate.
The following standards for Grade 10 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3, skills and
understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they
are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.10.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Use parallel structure.*
b. Use various types of phrases (noun,
verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial,
prepositional, absolute) and clauses
(independent, dependent; noun,
A.L.10.1 Demonstrate standard English
grammar and usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Use a variety of parts of speech (e.g.,
nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and
prepositions) in writing or
communication to convey information.
relative, adverbial) to convey specific
meanings and add variety and
interest to writing or presentations.
L.10.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a
conjunctive adverb) to link two or
more closely related independent
clauses.
b. Use a colon to introduce a list or
quotation.
c. Spell correctly.
A.L.10.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Use a comma and conjunction to
combine two simple sentences.
b. Not applicable
c. Spell most high-frequency words
correctly and apply knowledge of word
chunks in spelling longer words.
Knowledge of Language
L.10.3 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.
a. Write and edit work so that it
conforms to the guidelines in a style
manual (e.g., MLA Handbook,
Turabian’s Manual for Writers)
appropriate for the discipline and
writing type.
A.L.10.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Vary syntax when writing and
communicating.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grades 9–10 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence, paragraph,
or text; a word’s position or function
in a sentence) as a clue to the
meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of
word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g.,
analyze, analysis, analytical;
advocate, advocacy).
A.L.10.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine the meaning of
unknown.
b. Not applicable
c. Consult reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries and online vocabulary
supports) to clarify the meaning of
unfamiliar words encountered when
reading.
d. Not applicable (See A.L.9- 10.4.c. above.)
c. Consult general and specialized
reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise
meaning, its part of speech, or its
etymology.
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
L.10.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
euphemism, oxymoron) in context
and analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of
words with similar denotations.
A.L.10.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Interpret common figures of speech.
b. Determine the intended meaning of
multiple meaning words.
L.10.6 Acquire and use accurately 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 considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
A.L.10.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
Alternate English Elements 11
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards,
representing a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework.
Teaching strategies for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their
individual learning goals as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students
gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the
requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students
advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and
retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.11.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
A.RL.11.1 Determine the meaning of the text
and cite textual evidence to support explicit
and implicit understandings.
RL.11.2 Determine themes or central ideas
of a text and analyze in detail their
development over the course of the text,
including how details of a text interact and
build on one another to produce a complex
account; provide an accurate summary of
the text based upon this analysis.
A.RL.11.2 Recount the main events of the text
which are related to the theme or central idea.
RL.11.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a literary text (e.g., where a story
is set, how the action is ordered, how the
characters are introduced and developed).
A.RL.11.3 Determine how characters, the
setting or events change over the course of the
story or drama.
Craft and Structure
RL.11.4 Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone,
including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging,
A.RL.11.4 Determine how words or phrases in a
text, including words with multiple meanings
and figurative language, impact the meaning.
or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as
other authors.)
RL.11.5 Analyze how an author’s choices
concerning how to structure specific parts of
a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or
end a story, the choice to provide a comedic
or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as its
aesthetic impact.
A.RL.11.5 Determine how the author’s choice of
where to end the story contributes to the
meaning.
RL.11.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a
point of view requires distinguishing what is
directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
A.RL.11.6 Determine the point of view when
there is a difference between the author’s
actual language and intended meaning.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.11.7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a
story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live
production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by an
American dramatist.)
A.RL.11.7 Compare two or more
interpretations (e.g., recorded or live
production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry) of a story, drama, or poem.
RL.11.8 Not applicable
A.RL.11.8 Not applicable
RL.11.9 Demonstrate knowledge of
eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early-
twentieth-century foundational works of
American literature, including how two or
more texts from the same period treat
similar themes or topics.
A.RL.11.9 Demonstrate explicit understanding
of recounted versions of foundational works of
American literature.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.11.10 By the end of Grade 11, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR
text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RL.11.10 Demonstrate understanding while
actively engaged in reading or listening to
stories, dramas, and poems.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.11.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
A.RI.11.1 Determine the meaning of the text
and cite textual evidence to support explicit
and implicit understandings.
RI.11.2 Determine central ideas of a text and
analyze in detail their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact
and build on one another to provide a
complex analysis; provide an accurate
summary of the text based upon this analysis.
A.RI.11.2 Determine the central idea of a text;
recount the text.
RI.11.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or
sequence of events and explain how specific
individuals, ideas, or events interact and
develop over the course of the text.
A.RI.11.3 Determine how individuals, ideas, or
events change over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure
RI.11.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze how an author uses and
refines the meaning of a key term or terms
over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison
defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
A.RI.11.4 Determine how words or phrases in
a text, including words with multiple meanings
and figurative language, impact the meaning
of the text.
RI.11.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness
of the structure an author uses in his or her
exposition or argument, including whether the
structure makes points clear, convincing, and
engaging.
A.RI.11.5 Determine whether the structure of
a text enhances an author’s claim.
RI.11.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and
content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
A.RI.11.6 Determine author’s point of view
and compare and contrast it with own point of
view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.11.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple
sources of information presented in different
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively)
A.RI.11.7 Analyze information presented in
different media on related topics to answer
questions or solve problems.
as well as in words in order to address a
question or solve a problem.
RI.11.8 Delineate and evaluate the reasoning
in seminal U.S. texts, including the application
of constitutional principles and use of legal
reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court
majority opinions and dissents) and the
premises, purposes, and arguments in works
of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist,
presidential addresses).
A.RI.11.8 Determine whether the claims and
reasoning enhance the author’s argument in
an informational text.
RI.11.9 Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-,
and nineteenth-century foundational U.S.
documents of historical and literary
significance for their themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features. Such documents might
include The Declaration of Independence, the
Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of
Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
Address.
A.RI.11.9 Compare and contrast arguments
made by two different texts on the same
topic.
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.11.10 By the end of Grade 11, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in the
Grades 11–CCR text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
A.RI.11.10 Demonstrate understanding
while actively engaged in reading or
listening to literary non-fiction.
The following standards for Grade 11 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are
expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.11.1 Write arguments to support claims in
an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
A.W.11.1 With guidance and support, write
arguments to support claims.
a. Write an argument to support a claim
that results from studying a topic or
reading a text.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable
claim(s), establish the significance of
the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s)
from alternate or opposing claims,
and create an organization that
logically sequences claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims
fairly and thoroughly, supplying the
most relevant evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience’s knowledge
level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as
well as varied syntax to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion,
and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between
reasons and evidence, and between
claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
b. Support claims with reasons and
evidence drawn from text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
W.11.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex
ideas, concepts, and information so
that which precedes it to create a
unified whole; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures,
tables), and multimedia when useful
to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by
selecting the most significant and
relevant facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other
A.W.11.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and write an
informative or explanatory text that
conveys ideas, concepts, and
information including visual, tactual, or
multimedia information as appropriate.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts,
details, or quotes.
c. Use complete, simple sentences as well
as compound and other complex
sentences as appropriate.
d. Use domain-specific vocabulary when
writing claims related to a topic of study
or text.
e. Not applicable
information and examples appropriate
to the audience’s knowledge of the
topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions
and syntax to link the major sections
of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships among
complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language, domain-specific
vocabulary, and techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to
manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation
presented (e.g., articulating
implications or the significance of the
topic).
f. Provide a closing or concluding
statement.
W.11.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well- chosen details, and
well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by
setting out a problem, situation, or
observation and its significance,
establishing one or multiple point(s)
of view, and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines, to
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to
sequence events so that they build
on one another to create a coherent
whole and build toward a particular
tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of
mystery, suspense, growth, or
resolution).
A.W.11.3 With guidance and support, write
about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a problem,
situation, or observation including at
least one character, details, and clearly
sequenced events.
b. Not applicable
c. Organize the events in the narrative
using temporal words to signal order
and add cohesion.
d. Use descriptive words and phrases to
convey a vivid picture of experiences,
events, setting, or characters.
e. Provide a closing.
d. Use precise words and phrases,
telling details, and sensory language
to convey a vivid picture of the
experiences, events, setting, and/or
characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved
over the course of the narrative.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.11.4 Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
A.W.11.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate to a particular task,
purpose, and audience.
W.11.5 Develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and
audience.
A.W.11.5 With guidance and support, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, and rewriting.
W.11.6 Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in
response to ongoing feedback, including
new arguments or information.
A.W.11.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to produce,
publish, and update an individual or shared
writing project.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.11.7 Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self- generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
A.W.11.7 With guidance and support, conduct
research projects to answer questions posed
by self and others using multiple sources of
information.
W.11.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the strengths and
limitations of each source in terms of the
task, purpose, and audience; integrate
information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding
plagiarism and overreliance on any one
A.W.11.8 With guidance and support, write
answers to research questions by selecting
relevant information from multiple resources.
source and following a standard format for
citation.
W.11.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grades 11–12 Reading
standards to literature (e.g.,
“Demonstrate knowledge of
eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-
twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature,
including how two or more texts
from the same period treat similar
themes or topics.”).
b. Apply Grades 11–12 Reading
standards to literary nonfiction (e.g.,
“Delineate and evaluate the
reasoning in seminal U.S. texts,
including the application of
constitutional principles and use of
legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme
Court Case majority opinions and
dissents] and the premises, purposes,
and arguments in works of public
advocacy [e.g., The Federalist,
presidential addresses].”).
A.W.11.9 With guidance and support, cite
evidence from literary or informational
texts.
a. Apply Grades 11 MS AAAS for Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare
and contrast elements of American
literature to other literary works, self, or
one’s world. [Compare themes, topics,
locations, context, and point of view]”).
b. Apply Grades 11 MS AAAS for Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Compare and contrast reasoning and
arguments used in one's work with those
used in seminal U.S. texts”).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
W.11.10 Write routinely over extended
time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences
A.W.11.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
The following standards for Grade 11 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure
that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.11.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a
range of collaborative discussions (one- on-
one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
A.SL.11.1 Engage in collaborative
discussions.
partners on Grades 11–12 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having
read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on the
topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of
ideas.
b. Work with peers to promote civil,
democratic discussions and decision
making, set clear goals and deadlines,
and establish individual roles as
needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and
responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a
hearing for a full range of positions on
a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions; and
promote divergent and creative
perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse
perspectives; synthesize comments,
claims, and evidence made on all sides
of an issue; resolve contradictions
when possible; and determine what
additional information or research is
required to deepen the investigation
or complete the task.
a. Prepare for discussions by collecting
information on the topic.
b. Work with peers to set rules and
goals for discussions.
c. Ask and answer questions to verify or
clarify own ideas and understandings
during a discussion.
d. Respond to agreements and
disagreements in a discussion.
SL.11.2 Integrate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse formats
and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) in order to make informed decisions
and solve problems, evaluating the
credibility and accuracy of each source and
noting any discrepancies among the data.
A.SL.11.2 Determine the credibility
and accuracy of information
presented across diverse media or
formats.
SL.11.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view,
reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises,
links among ideas, word choice, points of
emphasis, and tone used.
A.SL.11.3 Determine whether the claims
and reasoning enhance the speaker’s
argument on a topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.11.4 Present information, findings, and
supporting evidence, conveying a clear and
distinct perspective such that listeners can
follow the line of reasoning, alternative or
opposing perspectives are addressed, and the
organization, development, substance, and
style are appropriate to purpose, audience,
and a range of formal and informal tasks.
A.SL.11.4 Present an argument on a topic
using an organization appropriate to the
purpose, audience, and task.
SL.11.5 Make strategic use of digital media
(e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to
enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
A.SL.11.5 Use digital media strategically (e.g.,
textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to
support understanding and add interest.
SL.11.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating a command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.
A.SL.11.6 Adapt communication to a variety
of contexts and tasks using complete
sentences when indicated or appropriate.
The following standards for Grade 11 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing
through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or
further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3,
skills and understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher
grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with
an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.11.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Apply the understanding that usage
is a matter of convention, can
change over time, and is sometimes
contested.
b. Resolve issues of complex or
contested usage, consulting
references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary of English Usage,
Garner’s Modern American Usage)
as needed.
A.L.11.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Use conventions of standard English
when needed.
b. Use digital, electronic, and other
resources and tools to improve uses of
language as needed.
L.11.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Observe hyphenation conventions.
b. Spell correctly.
A.L.11.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Demonstrate conventions of standard
English including capitalization, ending
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
b. Spell most high-frequency words
correctly and apply knowledge of word
chunks in spelling longer words.
Knowledge of Language
L.11.3 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.
a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting
references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful
Sentences) for guidance as needed;
when analyzing complex texts,
demonstrate an understanding of
how syntax contributes to the
purpose or meaning of the text.
A.L.11.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Vary sentence structure using a variety of
simple and compound sentence
structures.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.11.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grades 11–12 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or
text; a word’s position or function in
a sentence) as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of
word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g.,
conceive, conception, conceivable).
c. Consult general and specialized
reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise
meaning, its part of speech, its
etymology, or its standard usage.
A.L.11.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine the meaning of
unknown words.
b. Not applicable
c. Consult reference materials (dictionaries,
online vocabulary supports) to clarify the
meaning of unfamiliar words encountered
when reading.
d. Not applicable
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
L.11.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
hyperbole, paradox) in context and
analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of
words with similar denotations.
A.L.11.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify real life connections between
words and their use.
b. Not applicable
L.11.6 Acquire and use accurately 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 considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
A.L.11.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
Alternate English Elements 12
The alternate standards address a small number of English Language Arts standards, representing
a breadth but not a depth of coverage across the entire standards framework. Teaching strategies
for students with significant cognitive disabilities should be based on their individual learning goals
as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The following standards offer a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain
adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement
that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the
grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop
skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
A.RL.12.1 Determine the meaning of the text
and cite textual evidence to support explicit
and implicit understandings.
RL.12.2 Determine themes or central ideas
of a text and analyze in detail their
development over the course of the text,
including how details of a text interact and
build on one another to produce a complex
account; provide an accurate summary of
the text based upon this analysis.
A.RL.12.2 Recount the main events of the text
which are related to the theme or central idea.
RL.12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a literary text (e.g., where a story
is set, how the action is ordered, how the
characters are introduced and developed).
A.RL.12.3 Determine how characters, the
setting or events change over the course of the
story or drama.
Craft and Structure
RL.12.4 Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone,
including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging,
or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as
other authors.)
A.RL.12.4 Determine how words or phrases in a
text, including words with multiple meanings
and figurative language, impact the meaning.
RL.12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices
concerning how to structure specific parts of
a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or
end a story, the choice to provide a comedic
or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as its
aesthetic impact.
A.RL.12.5 Determine how the author’s choice of
where to end the story contributes to the
meaning.
RL.12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a
point of view requires distinguishing what is
directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
A.RL.12.6 Determine the point of view when
there is a difference between the author’s
actual language and intended meaning.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.12.7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a
story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live
production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by an
American dramatist.)
A.RL.12.7 Compare two or more
interpretations (e.g., recorded or live
production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry) of a story, drama, or poem.
RL.12.8 Not applicable
A.RL.12.8 Not applicable
RL.12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of
eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early-
twentieth-century foundational works of
American literature, including how two or
more texts from the same period treat
similar themes or topics.
A.RL.12.9 Demonstrate explicit understanding
of recounted versions of foundational works of
American literature.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.12.10 By the end of Grade 12, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the Grades 12–CCR
text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
A.RL.12.10 Demonstrate understanding while
actively engaged in reading or listening to
stories, dramas, and poems.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
RI.12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
A.RI.12.1 Determine the meaning of the text
and cite textual evidence to support explicit
and implicit understandings.
RI.12.2 Determine central ideas of a text and
analyze in detail their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact
and build on one another to provide a
complex analysis; provide an accurate
summary of the text based upon this analysis.
A.RI.12.2 Determine the central idea of a text;
recount the text.
RI.12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or
sequence of events and explain how specific
individuals, ideas, or events interact and
develop over the course of the text.
A.RI.12.3 Determine how individuals, ideas, or
events change over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure
RI.12.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze how an author uses and
refines the meaning of a key term or terms
over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison
defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
A.RI.12.4 Determine how words or phrases in
a text, including words with multiple meanings
and figurative language, impact the meaning
of the text.
RI.12.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness
of the structure an author uses in his or her
exposition or argument, including whether the
structure makes points clear, convincing, and
engaging.
A.RI.12.5 Determine whether the structure of
a text enhances an author’s claim.
RI.12.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and
content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
A.RI.12.6 Determine author’s point of view
and compare and contrast it with own point of
view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple
sources of information presented in different
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively)
as well as in words in order to address a
question or solve a problem.
A.RI.12.7 Analyze information presented in
different media on related topics to answer
questions or solve problems.
RI.12.8 Delineate and evaluate the reasoning
in seminal U.S. texts, including the application
of constitutional principles and use of legal
reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court
majority opinions and dissents) and the
premises, purposes, and arguments in works
of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist,
presidential addresses).
A.RI.12.8 Determine whether the claims and
reasoning enhance the author’s argument in
an informational text.
RI.12.9 Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-,
and nineteenth-century foundational U.S.
documents of historical and literary
significance for their themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features. Such documents might
include The Declaration of Independence, the
Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of
Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
Address.
A.RI.12.9 Compare and contrast arguments
made by two different texts on the same
topic.
Range of Reading and Text Complexity
RI.12.10 By the end of Grade 12, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in the
Grades 12–CCR text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
A.RI.12.10 Demonstrate understanding
while actively engaged in reading or
listening to literary non-fiction.
The following standards for Grade 12 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing,
students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from
vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address
increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected
to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and
understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.12.1 Write arguments to support claims in
an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable
claim(s), establish the significance of
the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s)
from alternate or opposing claims,
and create an organization that
A.W.12.1 With guidance and support, write
arguments to support claims.
a. Write an argument to support a claim
that results from studying a topic or
reading a text.
b. Support claims with reasons and
evidence drawn from text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
logically sequences claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims
fairly and thoroughly, supplying the
most relevant evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience’s knowledge
level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as
well as varied syntax to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion,
and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between
reasons and evidence, and between
claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and
supports the argument presented.
e. Not applicable
W.12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex
ideas, concepts, and information so
that which precedes it to create a
unified whole; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures,
tables), and multimedia when useful
to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by
selecting the most significant and
relevant facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate
to the audience’s knowledge of the
topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions
and syntax to link the major sections
of the text, create cohesion, and
A.W.12.2 With guidance and support, write to
share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and write an
informative or explanatory text that
conveys ideas, concepts, and
information including visual, tactual, or
multimedia information as appropriate.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts,
details, or quotes.
c. Use complete, simple sentences, as well
as compound and other complex
sentences as appropriate.
d. Use domain-specific vocabulary when
writing claims related to a topic of study
or text.
e. Not applicable
f. Provide a closing or concluding
statement.
clarify the relationships among
complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language, domain-specific
vocabulary, and techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to
manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation
presented (e.g., articulating
implications or the significance of the
topic).
W.12.3 Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well- chosen details, and
well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by
setting out a problem, situation, or
observation and its significance,
establishing one or multiple point(s)
of view, and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines, to
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to
sequence events so that they build
on one another to create a coherent
whole and build toward a particular
tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of
mystery, suspense, growth, or
resolution).
d. Use precise words and phrases,
telling details, and sensory language
to convey a vivid picture of the
experiences, events, setting, and/or
characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on what is
experienced, observed, or resolved
over the course of the narrative.
A.W.12.3 With guidance and support, write
about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a problem,
situation, or observation including at
least one character, details, and clearly
sequenced events.
b. Not applicable
c. Organize the events in the narrative
using temporal words to signal order
and add cohesion.
d. Use descriptive words and phrases to
convey a vivid picture of experiences,
events, setting, or characters.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
A.W.12.4 With guidance and support, produce
writing that is appropriate to a particular task,
purpose, and audience.
W.12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and
audience.
A.W.12.5 With support from adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, and rewriting.
W.12.6 Use technology, including the
Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in
response to ongoing feedback, including
new arguments or information.
A.W.12.6 With guidance and support, use
technology, including the internet, to produce,
publish, and update an individual or shared
writing project.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.12.7 Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self- generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or
broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
A.W.12.7 With guidance and support, conduct
research projects to answer questions posed
by self and others using multiple sources of
information.
W.12.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the strengths and
limitations of each source in terms of the
task, purpose, and audience; integrate
information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding
plagiarism and overreliance on any one
source and following a standard format for
citation.
A.W.12.8 With guidance and support, write
answers to research questions by selecting
relevant information from multiple resources.
W.12.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
a. Apply Grades 11–12 Reading standards
to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate
knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth-
and early-twentieth-century
foundational works of American
literature, including how two or more
A.W.12.9 With guidance and support, cite
evidence from literary or informational
texts.
a. Apply Grades 12 MS AAAS for Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare
and contrast elements of American
literature to other literary works, self,
or one’s world. [Compare themes,
topics, locations, context, and point of
view]”).
texts from the same period treat similar
themes or topics.”).
b. Apply Grades 11–12 Reading standards
to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate
and evaluate the reasoning in seminal
U.S. texts, including the application of
constitutional principles and use of legal
reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court
Case majority opinions and dissents] and
the premises, purposes, and arguments
in works of public advocacy [e.g., The
Federalist, presidential addresses].”).
b. Apply Grades 12 MS AAAS for Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g.,
“Compare and contrast reasoning and
arguments used in one's work with
those used in seminal U.S. texts”).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
W.12.10 Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
A.W.12.10 With guidance and support, write
routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
The following standards for Grade 12 offer a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a
range of collaborative discussions (one- on-
one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on Grades 11–12 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having
read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on the
topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of
ideas.
b. Work with peers to promote civil,
democratic discussions and decision
making, set clear goals and deadlines,
and establish individual roles as
needed.
A.SL.12.1 Engage in collaborative
discussions.
a. Prepare for discussions by collecting
information on the topic.
b. Work with peers to set rules and
goals for discussions.
c. Ask and answer questions to verify or
clarify own ideas and understandings
during a discussion.
d. Respond to agreements and
disagreements in a discussion.
c. Propel conversations by posing and
responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a
hearing for a full range of positions on
a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions; and
promote divergent and creative
perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse
perspectives; synthesize comments,
claims, and evidence made on all sides
of an issue; resolve contradictions
when possible; and determine what
additional information or research is
required to deepen the investigation
or complete the task.
SL.12.2 Integrate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse formats
and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) in order to make informed decisions
and solve problems, evaluating the
credibility and accuracy of each source and
noting any discrepancies among the data.
A.SL.12.2 Determine the credibility
and accuracy of information
presented across diverse media or
formats.
SL.12.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view,
reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises,
links among ideas, word choice, points of
emphasis, and tone used.
A.SL.12.3 Determine whether the claims
and reasoning enhance the speaker’s
argument on a topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.12.4 Present information, findings, and
supporting evidence, conveying a clear and
distinct perspective such that listeners can
follow the line of reasoning, alternative or
opposing perspectives are addressed, and the
organization, development, substance, and
style are appropriate to purpose, audience,
and a range of formal and informal tasks.
A.SL.12.4 Present an argument on a topic
using an organization appropriate to the
purpose, audience, and task.
SL.12.5 Make strategic use of digital media
(e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to
enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
A.SL.12.5 Use digital media strategically (e.g.,
textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to
support understanding and add interest.
SL.12.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating a command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.
A.SL.12.6 Adapt communication to a variety
of contexts and tasks using complete
sentences when indicated or appropriate.
The following standards for Grade 12 offer a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that
students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through
the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further
develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in Grade 3, skills and
understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they
are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*).
Language
Conventions of Standard English
L.12.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Apply the understanding that usage
is a matter of convention, can
change over time, and is sometimes
contested.
b. Resolve issues of complex or
contested usage, consulting
references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary of English Usage,
Garner’s Modern American Usage)
as needed.
A.L.12.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Use conventions of standard English
when needed.
b. Use digital, electronic, and other
resources and tools to improve uses of
language as needed.
L.12.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Observe hyphenation conventions.
b. Spell correctly.
A.L.12.2 Demonstrate understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Demonstrate conventions of standard
English including capitalization, ending
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
b. Spell most high-frequency words
correctly and apply knowledge of word
chunks in spelling longer words.
Knowledge of Language
L.12.3 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.
a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting
references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful
Sentences) for guidance as needed;
when analyzing complex texts,
demonstrate an understanding of
how syntax contributes to the
purpose or meaning of the text.
A.L.12.3 Use language to achieve desired
outcomes when communicating.
a. Vary sentence structure using a variety of
simple and compound sentence
structures.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.12.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grades 11–12 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or
text; a word’s position or function in
a sentence) as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of
word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g.,
conceive, conception, conceivable).
c. Consult general and specialized
reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise
meaning, its part of speech, its
etymology, or its standard usage.
d. Verify the preliminary determination
of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
A.L.12.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Use context to determine the meaning of
unknown words.
b. Not applicable
c. Consult reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries and online vocabulary
supports) to clarify the meaning of
unfamiliar words encountered when
reading.
d. Not applicable
L.12.5 Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
hyperbole, paradox) in context and
analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of
words with similar denotations.
A.L.12.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify real life connections between
words and their use.
b. Not applicable
L.12.6 Acquire and use accurately 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 considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or
expression.
A.L.12.6 Use general academic and domain-
specific words and phrases across contexts.
Effective Date: 2019-2020 School Year