Professional Development Units for CCR Standards in ELA/Literacy

ELA/Literacy Foundational Units 1 - 4

Considered together, these activities will introduce you to the key instructional advances of the CCR standards for ELA/literacy. Begin with Unit 1, and work through all four units in sequence. These units can be facilitated during a single training, one and a half days in length. Or they can be facilitated in multiple trainings over a span of several weeks or months.

Sample ELA/Literacy Agenda

Foundational Unit 1: Connecting the CCR Standards to the Key Advances

Explores the fundamental elements, structure, and meaning of the CCR Standards. (120 minutes)

Foundational Unit 2: Selecting Texts Worth Reading

Introduces text complexity, the central role it plays in the CCR standards, and the complex texts students need to read and comprehend. (120 minutes)

Foundational Unit 3: Identifying Questions Worth Answering

Focuses on the value of building students’ ability to draw evidence from texts and teachers’ ability to use text-based questions. (90 minutes)

Foundational Unit 4: Creating High-Quality Writing Assignments

Teaches instructors how to build a culminating writing assignment that assesses student knowledge. (90 minutes)

ELA/Literacy Advanced Units 1 - 3

These activities will help you implement the CCR standards for ELA/literacy in adult education classes. You can teach the advanced units in any order you choose. Learning the content in one unit does not depend on learning the content in the others. Unit 1 takes two days of training and Units 2 and 3 each take one day of training.

Advanced Unit 1: Aligning Curriculum Resources With Standards

Teaches how to judge and align curriculum resources with the CCR standards. (2 days)

Advanced Unit 2: Focusing on Assignments and Student Work

Teaches how to evaluate assignments and their alignment with the CCR standards. (1 day)

Advanced Unit 3: Observing College and Career Readiness Standards-in-Action

Introduces teacher-friendly tools to facilitate effective CCR standards-based instruction. (1 day)