AND ALTERNATE ACHIEVEMENT DESCRIPTORS FOR English Language .

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTSAND ALTERNATE ACHIEVEMENT DESCRIPTORS FOREnglish Language ArtsWi s c o n s i n D e p a rt me n t o f P u b l i c I n s t ru ct i on

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTSEnglish Language ArtsWisconsin Department of Public InstructionTony Evers, PhD, State SuperintendentMadison, Wisconsin

This publication is available from:Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction125 South Webster StreetMadison, WI 53703(608) etin No. 14100 April 2014 Wisconsin Department of Public InstructionThe Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race,color, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital statusor parental status, sexual orientation or disability.Printed on recycled paper

Table of ContentsSection 1: Wisconsin’s Approach to Academic StandardsVForewordVIAcknowledgementsVIIPurpose of the DocumentVIIIAligning for Student SuccessIXGuiding Principles for Teaching and LearningXIReaching Every Student; Reaching Every DisciplineXIISection 2: Wisconsin’s Approach to English Language ArtsSection 3: Common Core Essential Elements forEnglish Language ArtsSection 4: Wisconsin’s Approach toLiteracy in all SubjectsSection 5: Wisconsin Research and ResourcesResearch Briefs for Guiding Principles for Teaching and LearningCOMMON CORE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSXIX1 - 163XXVIXXXVIIiii

SECTION 1Wisconsin’s Approachto Academic Standards

ForewordIn June 2010, Wisconsin adopted the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts andMathematics. These K-12 academic standards are aligned with college and work expectations, include rigorouscontent and application, and are internationally benchmarked. Additionally, the Common Core State Standardsemphasize literacy in all of the disciplines. For all students to be career and college ready, including studentswith significant cognitive disabilities, educators should include both the content and the reading and writingskills that students need to demonstrate learning in the other disciplinary areas.All students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, deserve and have a right to a qualityeducational experience. This right includes, to the maximum extent possible, the opportunity to be involved inand meet the same challenging expectations that have been established for all students. Wisconsin educatorscollaborated with educators from 12 other states to create alternate achievement standards aligned to theCommon Core State Standards. These alternate achievement standards are called the Wisconsin CommonCore Essential Elements (CCEEs) in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The CCEEs satisfy the requirementof the U.S. Department of Education that Wisconsin have alternate achievement standards for its studentswith significant cognitive disabilities that are clearly linked to grade-level academic content standards, promoteaccess to the general curriculum and reflect professional judgment of the highest expectation possible.This document is a guide for parents, educators, school personnel, and other community members to supporttheir work in teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities the academic skills necessary to succeedin life after graduation.Tony Evers, PhDState SuperintendentCOMMON CORE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSVI

AcknowledgementsThe Wisconsin Common Core Essential Elements for English Language Arts would not have been possible without the efforts of many people. Theseeducators provided their time and expertise in contributing to the development of these alternate achievement standards. In addition, their employing agencies generously granted them time to work on this initiative.Mary BrandElementary TeacherMadison Metropolitan School DistrictToni McGeeLanguage Arts TeacherColumbus School DistrictBonnie JonetMPS Mentor TeacherMilwaukee Public SchoolsTerri Nolan-HauckUnique Program Support TeacherMilwaukee Public SchoolsRoxie HentzMPS Mentor TeacherMilwaukee Public SchoolsConnie PersikeSpecial Education CoordinatorMiddleton-Cross Plains Area School DistrictLori HillyerLearning CoordinatorMadison Metropolitan School DistrictMichelle TrevinoReading SpecialistMilwaukee Public SchoolsHelen KaliliMPS Mentor TeacherMilwaukee Public SchoolsSara VoldTeacher Cognitive DisabilitiesJanesville School DistrictKrista LipskiUnique Program Support TeacherMilwaukee Public SchoolsDepartment of Public Instruction StaffTamara MaxwellEnglish TeacherKimberley Area School DistrictEmilie AmundsonAssistant DirectorContent and Learning TeamSandy BerndtCognitive Disabilities/Assessment Consultant,RetiredSpecial Education TeamKristen BurtonEducation ConsultantOffice of Educational AccountabilityErin FaasuamalieCognitive Disabilities/Assessment ConsultantSpecial Education TeamEva KubinskiImprovement Indicators/AssessmentConsultantSpecial Education TeamBrian JohnsonAutism/Assessment ConsultantSpecial Education TeamMary Jo ZieglerReading Education ConsultantContent and Learning TeamThanks to the Dynamic Learning Maps consortium for organizing and leading the multi-state initiative in the development of new alternateachievement standards and assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards. A special thanks to Edvantia, Inc.Copyrighted MaterialsEvery effort has been made to ascertain proper ownership on copyrighted materials and to obtain permission for this use. Any omission isunintentional.COMMON CORE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSVII

Acknowledgements (cont’d)Purpose of the DocumentA special thanks to the Council of Chief State School Officers and theNational Governors Association for having the vision to undertake themassive state-led project, the Common Core State Standards.Sections I, 2 and 4 of this document were developed by Wisconsineducators to provide the vision and principles that support Wisconsin’sApproach to Academic Standards. These principles, although initiallydeveloped for the CCSS, can be applied to the CCEEs and instructionalpractices of educators of students with significant cognitive disabilities.Thanks to Great Lakes West Comprehensive Center and Director LindaMiller for the generous support of Wisconsin’s standards projects, and toRachel Trimble and Beth Ratway for their guidance during the last year.Thanks also to the CESA Statewide Network and Commissioner JesseHarness for partnering to keep the CCSS message consistent statewide,and to the CESA School Improvement Specialists Network for theirrole in producing and providing high quality professional developmentstatewide.Also thanks to the many staff members across divisions and teams atDPI who have collaboratively contributed their time and talent to thisproject.Finally, a special thanks to Wisconsin educators and citizens whoprovided public comment and feedback to drafts of the Common CoreState Standards, served on statewide standards leadership groups, andsupported implementation of standards.To assist Wisconsin education stakeholders in understanding and implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), WisconsinDepartment of Public Instruction (DPI) has developed guidance to beused along with the CCSS. These materials are intended to providefurther direction and should not be viewed as administrative rule. Thispublication provides a vision for student success, guiding principles forteaching and learning, and locates the standards within a multi-level system of support where high quality instruction, balanced assessment, andcollaboration function together for student learning. Information on thedesign and content of the CCSS is included, as is a guide to assist withfacilitating local conversations about these internationally-benchmarkedstandards and how they impact instruction.COMMON CORE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSVIII

Aligning for Student SuccessTo build and sustain schools that support every student in achievingsuccess, educators must work together with families, communitymembers, and business partners to connect the most promising practicesin the most meaningful contexts. Major statewide initiatives focus onhigh school graduation, Response to Intervention (RtI), and the CommonCore State Standards for English Language Arts, Disciplinary Literacy, andMathematics. While these are often viewed as separate efforts orinitiatives, each of them is connected to a larger vision of every childgraduating college and career ready. The graphic below illustrates howthese initiatives function together for a common purpose. Here, thevision and set of guiding principles form the foundation for buildinga supportive process for teaching and learning rigorous and relevantcontent. The following sections articulate this integrated approach toincreasing student success in Wisconsin schools and communities.A Vision: Every Child a GraduateIn Wisconsin, we are committed to ensuring every childis a graduate who has successfully completed a rigorous,meaningful, 21st century education that will prepare him orher for careers, college and citizenship. Though our publiceducation system continues to earn nation-leading graduationrates, a fact we can be proud of, one in ten students dropout of school, achievement gaps are too large, and overallachievement could be even higher. This vision for every childa graduate guides our beliefs and approaches to education inWisconsin.Guided By PrinciplesAll educational initiatives are guided and impacted byimportant and often unstated attitudes or principles forteaching and learning. The Guiding Principles for Teaching andLearning emerge from research and provide the touchstonefor practices that truly affect the vision of every child agraduate prepared for college and career. When madetransparent, these principles inform what happens in theclassroom, the implementation and evaluation of programs,and most important, remind us of our own beliefs andexpectations for students.COMMON CORE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSIX

Ensuring a Process for Student SuccessTo ensure that every child in Wisconsin graduates prepared for collegeand career, schools need to provide high quality instruction, balancedassessment and collaboration reflective of culturally responsive practices.The Wisconsin Response to Intervention (RtI) framework helps toorganize the components of a system designed to support studentlearning. Below, the three essential elements of high quality instruction,balanced assessment and collaboration interact within a multi-levelsystem of support to ensure each student receives what he or she needsto access higher levels of academic and behavioral success.Wisconsin’s Vision for RtIAt the school or district level, programs, initiatives and practices relatedto high quality instruction, balanced assessment and collaboration can bemore powerful when organized or braided to function systemically tosupport all students. The focus must be on a comprehensive approach tostudent learning.Connecting to Content: The Common Core State StandardsWithin this vision for increased student success, rigorous, internationallybenchmarked academic standards provide the content for high qualitycurriculum and instruction, and for a balanced assessment system alignedto those standards. With the adoption of the CCSS, Wisconsin has thetools to build world-class curriculum, instruction and assessments forgreater student learning. The CCSS articulate what we teach so thateducators can focus on how instruction can best meet the needs of eachstudent. When implemented within a multi-level system of support, theCCSS can help to ensure that every child will graduate prepared forcollege, work and a meaningful life.“Educators must work together with families,community members, and business partners toconnect the most promising practices in the mostmeaningful contexts.”COMMON CORE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSX