Common Core Overview

1. Pennsylvania Standards

1.1. Pennsylvania’s PreK-12 English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) comprise two separate standards documents; the Classroom/ Formative Framework and the WIDA Summative/ Large Scale Framework. The Classroom/ Formative Framework was modeled after WIDA’s English Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners in PreK-K, 1-3, 4-5, 6-8 & 9-12.  The PA English Language Proficiency Standards meet the requirements of the NCLB.  English language learners should achieve English proficiency, develop high levels of academic achievement in English, and meet the same challenging commonwealth academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.

2. Challenges & Strategies Implementation

2.1. Strategy Video

3. Differences Between Texas & Pennsylvania Standards

4. Texas Standards ELL students must acquire social and academic language proficiency in English which occurs in daily social interactions.  This fosters critical thinking and English communication. According to Texas’ Standards, effective instruction in the second language acquisition includes opportunities for ELLs to listen, speak, read, and write at their level while gradually increasing these four skills.  School districts must identify all students’ English proficiency levels in accordance with the proficiency level descriptors for the beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced-high levels.  Students are at different levels within the scope of listening, speaking, reading, and writing as it pertains to proficiency level descriptors.  For each standard, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, ELLs are expected to meet grade-level learning expectations across the curriculum.