High School ELA Nebraska Standards

Evaluate the development of central ideas over the course of an informational text or texts.

Synthesize and evaluate how the interaction of individuals, important events, and key ideas contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Evaluate an author's perspective or purpose and how it contributes to the meaning, significance, or aesthetic of an informational text.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in an exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes the points clear, convincing, and engaging.

Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century works of historical and literary significance for their central ideas, purposes, and rhetorical style.

Compare and contrast the development of multiple arguments in texts of related topics, evaluating the effectiveness and validity of the claims.

Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives within and across a wide range of informational texts.

Read and comprehend a wide range of informational texts in the 12-CCR grade band independently and proficiently.

Evaluate the development of two or more implied or explicit themes over the course of a literary text or texts.

Analyze the development and interaction of literary elements such as characterization, setting, and plot, and how they contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Evaluate an author's use of point of view and how it contributes to the meaning, significance, or aesthetic of a literary text.

Evaluate how an author develops structure in a literary text to contribute to its overall meaning and aesthetic impact.

Apply knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

Evaluate themes within and across literary texts to draw conclusions, deepen understanding of self and others, and generate questions for further inquiry.

Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives within and across a wide range of literary texts.

Read and comprehend a wide range of literary texts in the 12-CCR grade band independently and proficiently.

Communicate effectively and appropriately in collaborative activities for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences to express ideas, share knowledge, and generate new understandings.

Ask relevant questions to build on ideas, clarify own ideas, or acquire or confirm information.

Demonstrate interpretation of verbal and non-verbal messages in a conversation.

Converse with peers and adults in an all-inclusive manner to foster positive relationships while respecting diverse perspectives.

Demonstrate active and attentive listening skills (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal cues, taking notes, summarizing, questioning).

Complete a task following complex, multi-step directions.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence effectively and in which the organization, development, and style are appropriate to a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Demonstrate and adjust speaking techniques (e.g., appropriate eye contact, pacing, nonverbal cues, intonation) for a variety of purposes and situations, including interpreting grade-level texts.

Convey a perspective with clear reasoning and valid evidence.

Evaluate the purpose of information being presented, its motives (e.g., social, commercial, political), and determine its credibility.

Demonstrate awareness of and sensitivity to the appropriate use of words (e.g., stereotypes, multiple meanings of words).

Make strategic use of appropriate visual and/or digital tools to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence for specific audiences.

Integrate grade-level academic vocabulary appropriately for a variety of tasks and purposes.

Use context clues (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) to determine the meanings of words and phrases.

Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).

Consult general and specialized reference materials to determine or clarify the precise meanings, pronunciations, parts of speech, etymology, or standard usage of words.

Interpret an author's use of figurative, connotative, and technical language in grade-level literary and informational text.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in text.

Analyze nuances in the meanings of words with similar denotations.

Compose grammatically correct multi-paragraph compositions to convey meaning and to add variety, interest, and fluency to written and spoken language.

Demonstrate understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can evolve, and is sometimes contested.

Apply knowledge of function and usage to revise personal and peer writing while resolving issues of complex or contested usage, consulting appropriate and reliable reference materials.

Use a recursive writing process to develop, strengthen, and produce writing appropriate to the audience, purpose, and discipline.

Identify and use resources and inquiry tools to plan, organize, and draft writing.

Adapt writing processes to sustain engagement in short and long-term writing tasks of increasing length and complexity.

Improve and clarify writing by revising, considering feedback from adults and peers to address the needs of a particular audience and enhance the purpose and structure.

Improve and clarify writing by editing and proofreading to enhance style appropriate to audience, purpose, and task.

Use appropriate print and digital/multimedia tools to produce, enhance, and/or publish writing individually or in collaboration with peers.

Write in a variety of literary forms to convey real or imagined experiences or events, themes, and perspectives in which the development, structure, and style are appropriate to the task, purpose, and discipline.

Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing multiple points of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

Use literary techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, settings, and/or characters.

Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.

Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters and to set mood and tone.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects upon what is experienced, observed, resolved or left unresolved, and what new implications or questions are raised over the course of the piece.

Write arguments that develop a perspective with supporting reasons and evidence, organized as appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.

Develop a structure to sequence ideas logically; introduce a clear claim where appropriate, and/or distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or supporting claims.

Demonstrate understanding and engagement with multiple viewpoints and sources to create and support nuanced claims as a recursive process of inquiry and exploration.

Use words, phrases, key vocabulary, and varied syntax to clarify relationships between claim(s), counterclaim(s), and supporting evidence.

Adapt style and tone appropriate to the norms and conventions of the task and discipline.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and supports the argument(s) presented.

Write informative/explanatory pieces to clearly convey ideas, information, and concepts in which the development and structure are appropriate to the task, discipline, purpose, and audience.

Introduce a topic clearly and provide a specific focus; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make clear connections and distinctions including text features, illustrations, and/or multimedia elements.

Develop the topic thoroughly with relevant, sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, and/or other information and examples.

Use appropriate and varied transitions, domain-specific vocabulary, and varied syntax to manage the complexity of the topic.

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and supports the information or explanations and articulates the implications and/or significance of the topic.

Gather and use credible evidence from multiple authoritative sources, evaluate the strengths and limitations of sources in terms of the task, purpose, and audience, and assess their relevance in answering the research question(s).

Integrate information and evidence into writing selectively, accurately quoting or paraphrasing data and conclusions to maintain the flow of ideas while avoiding plagiarism.

Locate and evaluate the credibility of evidence (e.g., the expertise or motivation of the creator of an information product, potential bias and/or deception, and social, political, and/or historical perspectives) from print and digital sources to generate and answer questions and create new understandings.

Select and use appropriate note-taking formats to collect and organize information.

Demonstrate academic integrity by avoiding overreliance on any one source; cite sources using a variety of in-text citations to enhance fluency; develop a list of sources that conforms to a style guide appropriate to the discipline (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago).

Practice safe and ethical behaviors when communicating and interacting with others digitally (e.g. safe information to share, utilize appropriate sites and materials, appropriate language use, respect diverse perspectives).

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development of themes or central ideas in grade-level informational texts.

Citing relevant and thorough evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development and interaction of individuals, ideas, and events in grade-level informational texts.

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate how an author's perspective or use of point of view shapes the style and meaning of grade-level informational texts.

Read and comprehend complex, grade-level informational texts independently and proficiently.

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development of themes or central ideas in grade-level literary texts.

Citing relevant and thorough evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development and interaction of individuals, ideas, and events in grade-level literary text.

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate how an author's perspective or use of point of view shapes the style and meaning of grade-level literary text.

Read and comprehend complex, grade-level literary texts independently and proficiently.

Communicate effectively and appropriately in collaborative activities for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences to express ideas, share knowledge, and generate new understandings.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence in which the organization, development, and style are appropriate to the discipline, audience, and/or context.

Build and use a range of conversational, academic, and discipline-specific grade-level vocabulary and apply to reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use a recursive writing process to produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to the discipline, audience, and/or context.

Write in a variety of modes for a variety of purposes and audiences across disciplines.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Central Ideas and Details

Author's Craft

Central Ideas and Details

Knowledge and Ideas

Speaking and Listening

Knowledge and Ideas

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Production of Writing

Foundations of Reading

Author's Craft

Reading Informational text

Vocabulary

Reading Prose and Poetry

Modes of Writing

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Writing

Acquisition and Use

Comprehension and Collaboration

Context and Connotation

Analyze the development of two or more implied or explicit central ideas over the course of an informational text or texts.

Analyze how the interaction of individuals, important events, and key ideas contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Analyze an author's perspective or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

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).

Analyze informational texts of historical and/or cultural significance, including their treatment of related topics and concepts.

Compare and contrast the development of different arguments on the same topic, evaluating the effectiveness and validity of the claims.

Analyze how an author or speaker unfolds a series of events, ideas, or perspectives within and across a wide range of informational texts.

Read and comprehend a wide range of informational texts of appropriate complexity at the high end of the 9- 10 grade band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Analyze the development of two or more implied or explicit themes over the course of a literary text or texts.

Analyze how the development of characters, settings, and important events contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Analyze how the author's choices related to perspective or point of view contribute to the meaning, significance, or aesthetic of a literary text.

Analyze how an author uses text structure, including the manipulation of time (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks) to create literary effects such as mystery, tension, and suspense.

Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from the Bible).

Analyze the implied or stated theme(s) in a literary text to draw conclusions, deepen understanding of self and others, and generate questions for further inquiry.

Analyze multiple perspectives within and across a wide range of literary texts.

Read and comprehend a wide range of literary texts of appropriate complexity at the high end of the 9-10 grade band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Initiate and participate in structured discussions and collaborations about grade-level topics and texts.

Ask relevant questions to build on ideas, clarify own ideas, or acquire or confirm information.

Demonstrate interpretation of verbal and non-verbal messages in a conversation.

Converse with peers and adults in an all-inclusive manner to foster positive relationships while respecting diverse perspectives.

Demonstrate active and attentive listening skills (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal cues, taking notes, summarizing, questioning).

Complete a task following complex, multi-step directions.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly and concisely and in which the organization, development, and style are appropriate to a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Demonstrate and adjust speaking techniques (e.g., appropriate eye contact, pacing, nonverbal cues, intonation) for a variety of purposes and situations, including interpreting grade-level texts.

Convey a perspective with clear reasoning and valid evidence.

Analyze the purpose of information being presented, evaluate its motives (e.g., social, commercial, political), and determine its credibility.

Demonstrate awareness of and sensitivity to the appropriate use of words (e.g., stereotypes, multiple meanings of words).

Select and use appropriate visual and/or digital tools to enhance verbal communication and add interest.

Integrate grade-level academic vocabulary appropriately for a variety of tasks and purposes.

Use context clues (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) to determine the meanings of words and phrases.

Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis).

Consult general and specialized reference materials to determine or clarify the precise meanings, pronunciations, parts of speech, or etymology of words.

Interpret an author's use of figurative, connotative, and technical language in grade-level literary and informational text.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in text.

Analyze nuances in the meanings of words with similar denotations.

Compose grammatically correct multi-paragraph compositions to convey meaning and add variety, interest, and fluency to written and spoken language.

Apply knowledge of rules for capitalization.

Use a colon to introduce a quotation, definition, or to expand on information in a sentence; use a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb.

Apply knowledge of function and usage to revise personal writing while resolving issues of complex or contested usage, consulting appropriate and reliable reference materials.

Select and use verbs with appropriate voice and mood.

Identify and revise fragment and run-on sentences and inappropriate shifts in verb tense, number, voice, mood, and parallel structure.

Use a recursive writing process to develop, strengthen, and produce writing appropriate to the audience, purpose, and discipline.

Identify and use resources and inquiry tools to plan, organize, and draft writing.

Adapt writing processes to sustain engagement in short and long-term writing tasks of increasing length and complexity.

Improve and clarify writing by revising, considering feedback from adults and peers to address the needs of a particular audience and enhance the purpose and structure.

Improve and clarify writing by editing and proofreading to enhance style appropriate to audience, purpose, and task.

Use appropriate print and digital/multimedia tools to produce, enhance, and/or publish writing individually or in collaboration with peers.

Write in a variety of literary forms to convey real or imagined experiences or events, themes, and perspectives in which the development, structure, and style are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.

Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing multiple points of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

Use literary techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, settings, and/or characters.

Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.

Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters and to establish mood and tone.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects upon what is experienced, observed, resolved or left unresolved, and what new implications or questions are raised over the course of the piece.

Write arguments that develop a perspective with supporting reasons and evidence, organized as appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.

Develop a structure to sequence ideas logically; introduce a clear claim where appropriate, and/or distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or supporting claims.

Demonstrate understanding and engagement with multiple viewpoints and sources to create and support nuanced claims as a recursive process of inquiry and exploration.

Use words, phrases, key vocabulary, and varied syntax to clarify relationships between claim(s), counterclaim(s), and supporting evidence.

Adapt style and tone appropriate to the norms and conventions of the task and discipline.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and supports the argument(s) presented.

Write informative/explanatory pieces to clearly convey ideas, information, and concepts in which the development and structure are appropriate to the task, discipline, purpose, and audience.

Introduce a topic clearly and provide a specific focus; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make clear connections and distinctions including text features, illustrations, and/or multimedia elements.

Develop the topic with relevant, sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, and/or other information and examples.

Use appropriate and varied transitions, domain-specific vocabulary, and varied syntax to manage the complexity of the topic.

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and supports the information or explanations and articulates the implications and/or significance of the topic.

Gather and use credible evidence from multiple authoritative sources and assess its relevance in answering the research question(s).

Integrate information and evidence into writing selectively, accurately quoting or paraphrasing data and conclusions to maintain the flow of ideas while avoiding plagiarism.

Locate and evaluate the credibility of evidence (e.g., the expertise or motivation of the creator of an information product, potential bias and/or deception, and social, political, and/or historical perspectives) from print and digital sources to generate and answer questions and create new understandings.

Select and use appropriate note-taking formats to collect and organize information.

Demonstrate academic integrity by avoiding overreliance on any one source; cite sources using a variety of in-text citations to enhance fluency; develop a list of sources that conforms to a style guide appropriate to the discipline (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago).

Practice safe and ethical behaviors when communicating and interacting with others digitally (e.g. safe information to share, utilize appropriate sites and materials, appropriate language use, respect diverse perspectives).

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development of themes or central ideas in grade-level informational texts.

Citing relevant and thorough evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development and interaction of individuals, ideas, and events in grade-level informational texts.

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate how an author's perspective or use of point of view shapes the style and meaning of grade-level informational texts.

Read and comprehend complex, grade-level informational texts independently and proficiently.

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development of themes or central ideas in grade-level literary texts.

Citing relevant and thorough evidence to support ideas, evaluate the development and interaction of individuals, ideas, and events in grade-level literary text.

Citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support ideas, evaluate how an author's perspective or use of point of view shapes the style and meaning of grade-level literary text.

Read and comprehend complex, grade-level literary texts independently and proficiently.

Communicate effectively and appropriately in collaborative activities for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences to express ideas, share knowledge, and generate new understandings.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence in which the organization, development, and style are appropriate to the discipline, audience, and/or context.

Build and use a range of conversational, academic, and discipline-specific grade-level vocabulary and apply to reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use a recursive writing process to produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to the discipline, audience, and/or context.

Write in a variety of modes for a variety of purposes and audiences across disciplines.

Writing

Knowledge and Ideas

Knowledge and Ideas

Central Ideas and Details

Reading Informational text

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Modes of Writing

Foundations of Reading

Comprehension and Collaboration

Production of Writing

Vocabulary

Central Ideas and Details

Speaking and Listening

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Context and Connotation

Reading Prose and Poetry

Author's Craft

Acquisition and Use

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Author's Craft

An ELL can . . . construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing.

use a very limited set of strategies to:

identify a few key words and phrases in oral communications and simple oral and written texts.

use an emerging set of strategies to:

identify the main topic

retell a few key details in oral presentations and simple oral and written texts.

use a developing set of strategies to:

determine the central idea or theme in oral presentations and written texts

explain how the theme is developed by specific details in the texts

summarize part of the text.

use an increasing range of strategies to:

determine two central ideas or themes in oral presentations and written texts

analyze the development of the themes/ideas

cite specific details and evidence from the texts to support the analysis

summarize a simple text.

use a wide range of strategies to:

determine central ideas or themes in presentations and written texts

analyze the development of the themes/ideas

cite specific details and evidence from the texts to support the analysis

summarize a text.

An ELL can . . . make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing.

with support (including modeled sentences),

recognize and use a small number of frequently occurring nouns, noun phrases, verbs, conjunctions, and prepositions

understand and respond to simple questions.

with support (including modeled sentences),

use frequently occurring verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions

produce simple and compound sentences.

with support (including modeled sentences),

use simple phrases (e.g., noun, verb, adjective, adverbial, prepositional)

use simple clauses (e.g., independent, dependent, relative, adverbial)

produce and expand simple, compound and a few complex sentences.

Level 4

use increasingly complex phrases (e.g., noun, verb, adjective, adverbial and participial, prepositional, and absolute)

use increasingly complex clauses

produce and expand simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Level 5

use complex phrases and clauses

produce and expand simple, compound, and complex sentences.

An ELL can . . . participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions.

Level 1

participate in short conversational and written exchanges on familiar topics

present information

respond to simple yes/no questions and some wh- questions.

Level 2

participate in short conversational and written exchanges on familiar topics and texts

present information and ideas

respond to simple questions and whquestions.

Level 3

participate in conversations, discussions, and written exchanges on familiar topics, texts, and issues

build on the ideas of others

express his or her own ideas

ask and answer relevant questions

add relevant information and evidence

restate some of the key ideas expressed.

Level 4

participate in conversations, discussions, and written exchanges on a range of topics, texts, and issues

build on the ideas of others

express his or her own ideas clearly

support points with specific and relevant evidence

ask and answer questions to clarify ideas and conclusions

summarize the key points expressed.

Level 5

participate in extended conversations, discussions, and written exchanges on a range of substantive topics, texts, and issues

build on the ideas of others

express his or her own ideas clearly and persuasively

refer to specific and relevant evidence from texts or research to support his or her ideas

ask and answer questions that probe reasoning and claims

summarize the key points and evidence discussed.

An ELL can . . . speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics.

with support (including modeled sentences), about familiar texts, topics, and experiences.

communicate information

with support (including modeled sentences), about familiar texts, topics, experiences, or events.

deliver short oral presentations

compose written narratives or informational texts

with support (including modeled sentences), about familiar texts, topics, or events.

deliver short oral presentations

compose written informational texts

develop the topic with a few details

about a variety of texts, topics, or events.

deliver oral presentations

compose written informational texts

develop the topic with some relevant details, concepts, examples, and information

integrate graphics or multimedia when useful

about a variety of texts, topics, or events.

deliver oral presentations

compose written informational texts

fully develop the topic with relevant details, concepts, examples, and information

integrate graphics or multimedia when useful

An ELL can . . . construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.

Level 1

express an opinion about a familiar topic.

Level 2

construct a claim about familiar topics

introduce the topic

give a reason to support the claim

provide a concluding statement.

Level 3

construct a claim about familiar topics

introduce the topic

provide sufficient reasons or facts to support the claim

provide a concluding statement.

Level 4

construct a claim about a variety of topics

introduce the topic

provide logically ordered reasons or facts that effectively support the claim

provide a concluding statement.

Level 5

construct a substantive claim about a variety of topics

introduce the claim

distinguish it from a counterclaim

provide logically ordered and relevant reasons and evidence to support the claim and to refute the counter-claim

provide a conclusion that summarizes the argument presented.

An ELL can . . . conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems.

Level 1

gather information from a few provided print and digital sources

label collected information, experiences, or events.

Level 2

gather information from provided print and digital sources

summarize data and information.

Level 3

carry out short research projects to answer a question

gather information from multiple provided print and digital sources

evaluate the reliability of each source

paraphrase key information in a short written or oral report

include illustrations, diagrams, or other graphics

provide a list of sources.

Level 4

carry out both short and more sustained research projects to answer a question

gather and synthesize information from multiple print and digital sources

use search terms effectively

evaluate the reliability of each source

integrate information into an organized oral or written report

cite sources appropriately.

Level 5

carry out both short and more sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem

gather and synthesize information from multiple print and digital sources

use advanced search terms effectively

evaluate the reliability of each source

analyze and integrate information into a clearly organized oral or written text

cite sources appropriately.

An ELL can . . . analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing.

Level 1

identify a point an author or a speaker makes.

Level 2

identify the main argument an author or speaker makes

identify one reason an author or a speaker gives to support the argument.

Level 3

explain the reasons an author or a speaker gives to support a claim

cite textual evidence to support the analysis.

Level 4

analyze the reasoning and use of rhetoric in persuasive texts or speeches, including documents of historical and literary significance,

determine whether the evidence is sufficient to support the claim, and

cite textual evidence to support the analysis.

Level 5

analyze and evaluate the reasoning and use of rhetoric in persuasive texts, including documents of historical and literary significance,

determine whether the evidence is sufficient to support the claim, and

cite specific textual evidence to thoroughly support the analysis.

An ELL can . . . adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing.

Level 1

recognize the meaning of some words learned through conversations, reading, and being read to.

Level 2

adapt language choices to task and audience with emerging control

use some frequently occurring general academic and contentspecific words in conversation and discussion.

Level 3

adapt language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience with developing ease

use an increasing number of general academic and content-specific words and expressions in speech and written text

show developing control of style and tone in oral or written text.

Level 4

adapt language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience

use a wider range of complex general academic and content-specific words and phrases

adopt and maintain a formal style in speech and writing, as appropriate.

Level 5

adapt language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience with ease

use a wide variety of complex general academic and content-specific words and phrases

employ both formal and more informal styles effectively, as appropriate.

An ELL can . . . determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.

relying heavily on context, visual aids, and knowledge of morphology in their native language, in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events.

recognize the meaning of a few frequently occurring words, simple phrases, and formulaic expressions

using context, visual aids, reference materials, and knowledge of morphology in their native language, in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events.

determine the meaning of frequently occurring words, phrases, and expressions

using context, some visual aids, reference materials, and a developing knowledge of English morphology (e.g., affixes and root words), in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events.

determine the meaning of general academic and content-specific words and phrases and frequently occurring expressions

using context, increasingly complex visual aids, reference materials, and an increasing knowledge of English morphology, in texts about a variety of topics, experiences, or events.

determine the meaning of general academic and content-specific words and phrases, figurative and connotative language, and a growing number of idiomatic expressions

using context, complex visual aids, reference materials, and consistent knowledge of English morphology, in texts about a variety of topics, experiences, or events.

determine the meaning of general academic and content-specific words and phrases, figurative and connotative language (e.g., irony, hyperbole), and idiomatic expressions

An ELL can . . . create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text.

with support (including context and visual aids) and non-verbal communication, with limited control.

communicate basic information about an event or topic

use a narrow range of vocabulary and syntactically simple sentences

with support (including modeled sentences), with emerging control.

recount a short sequence of events in order, and

introduce an informational topic

provide one or two facts about the topic

use common linking words to connect events and ideas (e.g., first, next, because)

with developing control.

recount a sequence of events, with a beginning, middle, and end

introduce and develop an informational topic with facts and details

use common transitional words and phrases to connect events, ideas, and opinions (e.g., after a while, for example, as a result)

provide a conclusion

with increasingly independent control.

recount a longer, more detailed sequence of events or steps in a process, with a clear sequential or chronological structure

introduce and develop an informational topic with facts, details, and evidence

use a variety of more complex transitions to link the major sections of text and speech and to clarify relationships among events and ideas

provide a concluding section or statement

Level 5

recount a complex and detailed sequence of events or steps in a process, with an effective sequential or chronological order

introduce and effectively develop an informational topic with facts, details, and evidence

use complex and varied transitions to link the major sections of text and speech and to clarify relationships among events and ideas

provide a concluding section or statement.