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Lynnette Brent

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EL Education

We partner with educators to provide opportunities for achieving equitable outcomes.

EL Education inspires student engagement by affirming students’ diverse identities and connecting academic learning to the outside world. Throughout the EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum, students make meaningful contributions to their communities while mastering all aspects of college and career readiness in ELA. By engaging with rich, authentic, and complex texts, students sharpen their executive functioning while developing content knowledge and reading acumen. The EL Education phonics program is rooted in a foundation of cognitive science and brought to life with music, movement, and joy in learning to read. The curriculum includes deep support for multilingual learners. It is validated by rigorous third party research showing excellent equitable outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds.

  • Kindergarten
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2
  • Grade 3
  • Grade 4
  • Grade 5

K-5 Language Arts Curriculum

Curriculum Design

Overall design and approach to our curriculum

EL Education’s K-5 curriculum provides everything needed to teach and assess ELA standards, engages students in meaningful content, helps students become strong learners and people, and empowers them to create high-quality work that matters. The curriculum is designed to build knowledge through content-rich literary and informational texts, academic vocabulary embedded activities, and evidence-based reading and writing activities. Our curriculum provides detailed lessons for each day of the year. We offer guidance on how to execute those lessons effectively. When designing the K-5 Module Lessons, the principles of backward design were employed and created a framework called the Four T’s. The Four T’s interact dynamically at every level of a module to support students to learn about the world, master standards, become proficient and confident readers and writers, and produce work that matters.

Evidence-based practices or research that guided the development of our curriculum

Content-based literacy is an approach to helping students build literacy as they learn about the world. Research shows that the deeper the content knowledge a student has, the more they are able to understand what they read, and are able to speak and write clearly about that content. This proficiency transfers to the next occasion for reading and learning, creating an upward surge that builds on itself and is both highly rewarding and motivating (Baldwin, Peleg-Bruckner, and McClintock (1985); Cervetti, Jaynes, and Heibert (2009); Kintsch and Hampton (2009); McNamara and O’Reilly (2009).

EL Education is rooted in the Science of Reading and ensures by the end of grade 2, students acquire the depth of skills they need in the Reading Foundations standards to navigate grade-level text independently.

Components included in our curriculum by grade level

The following codes are used to identify the priorities. If a component is not included in a particular grade-level, N/A will be displayed in that cell.

Grade Oral Language Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension
K C C/T C/T C/T C C/T
1 C C/T C/T C/T C C/T
2 C C/T C/T C/T C C/T
3 C C/T C C C C
4 C C/T C C C C
5 C C/T C C C C/T
  • C = Core Universal Component
  • T = Targeted Support/Intervention for some students
  • I = Intensive Support/Intervention for few students
  • X = Not addressed

Unaddressed components in our curriculum for any given grade-level and supplements to meet the DDOE definition of K-3 HQIM

The C/T marking in some cells indicates that a component of the curriculum is both a Universal Core Component and Targeted Support/Intervention for some students. Teachers provide intervention for decoding and encoding skills with the research-based Reading Foundations Skills Block curriculum. Students achieving below grade level in grades 3–5 receive this intervention support in the ALL Block, during which time teachers have access to tiered interventions for literacy skills as well as the Reading Foundations Skills Block. These materials contain differentiation packs for teachers to use with students reading both below and above grade level.

How our curriculum is aligned to the science of reading

Each grade level contains an explanation of each component. If a component is not included in a particular grade-level, “N/A” will be displayed.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language Grade K students utilize instructional time to play, explore, and be immersed in oral language and content knowledge, and practice skills and habits of characters that they need to be successful and proficient. Before students can write successfully, they must discuss the content they are to write.
Phonemic Awareness Kindergartners will show increasing awareness and competence in hearing and producing sounds in spoken words (syllables, onsets, rimes, and phonemes). Students in kindergarten will demonstrate increasing awareness and competence in beginning to connect graphemes (letters or letter combinations) to phonemes (sounds in spoken words). 
Phonics This (phonological awareness) is the foundation on which they will begin to form connections between graphemes (letters and letter combinations) and phonemes within individual words as they learn to read and spell the words.
Fluency By the end of the year, Grade K students can read emergent reader texts with purpose and understanding.
Vocabulary Vocabulary is introduced and reviewed throughout each module. Vocabulary is addressed through multiple reads of complex text. Students participate in vocabulary development protocols such as the Frayer Model and Interactive Word Walls.

In the primary grades, the Skills Block is devoted to decoding and syntax during Word Study. 
Comprehension The close reading/read aloud sessions in the Module lessons, are taught across five lessons to support comprehension and knowledge building from the text. Following these lessons, students demonstrate their understanding of the text through a variety of activities involving writing, drawing, and speaking. 

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language Module Lessons include explicit focus on the Speaking and Listening standards, and the Labs provide opportunities for students to use content-specific and academic vocabulary and apply the speaking and listening skills taught in the Module Lessons.
Phonemic Awareness Grade 1 students will make connections between graphemes and phonemes beyond single letters. They will identify the spellings of consonant digraphs and vowel phonemes with the final -e and common vowel team spellings. They will use this information to decode regularly spelled, one-syllable words.
Phonics The phonics component is based on the Alphabetic Principle. Students demonstrate competence in hearing and identifying sounds in words, including long and short vowel sounds, consonant blends. Students manipulate sounds in words by blending sounds to make single syllable words and segmenting a whole spoken word into its individual sounds.
Fluency Grade 1 students will read grade-level texts with increasing fluency and understanding.
Vocabulary In Grade 1, text-specific vocabulary and lesson-specific vocabulary aid students’ understanding of that day’s reading.

In the Module Lessons, students practice fluency when reading/reciting songs, poems, and select texts.

In the primary grades, the Skills Block is devoted to decoding and syntax during Word Study.
Comprehension The close reading/read aloud sessions in the Module lessons, are taught across five lessons to support comprehension and knowledge building from the text. Following these lessons, students demonstrate their understanding of the text through a variety of activities involving writing, drawing, and speaking.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language In primary grades, rich oral language and exploration of content through multiple modalities is a hallmark of the Labs. The Labs reinforce and deepen module content with a focus on play, creativity, oral language development, read-aloud, and executive function development (e.g., goal-setting and reflection).
Phonemic Awareness In Grade 2, students read short texts that incorporate words, using familiar phonemes and high-frequency words from the lesson. Students apply knowledge of taught graphemes and phonemes as they decode words.
Phonics The phonics component is based on the Alphabetic Principle. There are systematic and predictable relationships between letters and sounds. The structured phonics approach is systematic and proactive in teaching spelling-sound patterns.
Fluency Grade 2 students will read grade-level texts fluency and understanding. Students also begin to focus more sharply on fluency, noticing text cues, such as punctuation and text type, that might influence elements of fluency.
Vocabulary Questions and tasks support students in examining language and vocabulary. There are  vocabulary and word study lessons throughout the curriculum. In the primary grades, students have an entire block (the K–2 Reading Foundations Skills Block) devoted to decoding and syntax during Word Study. 
Comprehension Grade 2 materials have the goal of students gaining full comprehension of complex text. The texts and assessments are integrated so that students are reading texts and are assessed on their understanding of the ideas of those texts.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language Performance Tasks require students to authentically synthesize and apply their learning from the module. The performance tasks are scaffolded, orally presented, and meet the mastery of the Speaking and Listening standards. Through ALL Block, students participate in partner sharing to deepen understanding of the text and to develop oral language.
Phonemic Awareness Students in Grades 3-5 that are not yet proficient in phonemic awareness skills can receive an explicit, systematic, classroom-based intervention from teachers using the K-2 Skills Blocks (Note: EL is a Tier 1 curriculum, but could be used for Tier 2 intervention.)
Phonics Students in Grades 3-5 that are not yet proficient in phonemic awareness skills can receive an explicit, systematic, classroom-based intervention from teachers using the K-2 Skills Blocks (Note: EL is a Tier 1 curriculum, but could be used for Tier 2 intervention.)
Fluency Students practice reading aloud texts from module lessons; set goals and monitor progress
Vocabulary In Grade 3, the use of vocabulary protocols, routines, and tools to decipher meaning of new words; use of new words in writing—both domain specific and general academic vocabulary. As students work through ALL Block, they will focus on two academic words per week, practicing using these words in context.
Comprehension Grade 3 materials have the goal of students gaining full comprehension of complex text. The texts and assessments are integrated so that students are reading texts and are assessed on their understanding of the ideas of those texts.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language In the ALL Block students have the opportunity to reread complex texts from the module, reading new texts on the module topic, and getting more practice and support meeting particular targets (standards).
Phonemic Awareness Students in Grades 3-5 that are not yet proficient in phonemic awareness skills can receive an explicit, systematic, classroom-based intervention from teachers using the K-2 Skills Blocks (Note: EL is a Tier 1 curriculum, but could be used for Tier 2 intervention.)
Phonics Students in Grades 3-5 that are not yet proficient in phonemic awareness skills can receive an explicit, systematic, classroom-based intervention from teachers using the K-2 Skills Blocks (Note: EL is a Tier 1 curriculum, but could be used for Tier 2 intervention.)
Fluency Students read aloud new and familiar excerpts of literary and informational text; speak to audiences during planned presentations.
Vocabulary In Grade 4, the use of vocabulary protocols, routines, and tools to decipher meaning of new words; use of new words in writing—both domain specific and general academic vocabulary. As students work through ALL Block, they will focus on two academic words per week, practicing using these words in context.
Comprehension Grade 4 materials have the goal of students gaining full comprehension of complex text. The texts and assessments are integrated so that students are reading texts and are assessed on their understanding of the ideas of those texts.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language Grade 5 students will participate in choral reading and response sharing during ALL Block.
Phonemic Awareness Students in Grades 3-5 that are not yet proficient in phonemic awareness skills can receive an explicit, systematic, classroom-based intervention from teachers using the K-2 Skills Blocks (Note: EL is a Tier 1 curriculum, but could be used for Tier 2 intervention.)
Phonics Students in Grades 3-5 that are not yet proficient in phonemic awareness skills can receive an explicit, systematic, classroom-based intervention from teachers using the K-2 Skills Blocks (Note: EL is a Tier 1 curriculum, but could be used for Tier 2 intervention.)
Fluency Students read aloud new and familiar excerpts of literary and informational text; speak to audiences during planned presentations.
Vocabulary Explicit vocabulary instruction is a key feature of our Grades 3–5 Language Arts Curriculum. Students get a great deal of implicit instruction in general academic and domain specific vocabulary through exposure to many complex (and less complex) informational texts, and some literary texts as well. In the ALL Block students have  additional time to practice module-related word analysis through word study games and activities.
Comprehension Grade 5 materials have the goal of students gaining full comprehension of complex text. The texts and assessments are integrated so that students are reading texts and are assessed on their understanding of the ideas of those texts.

How our curriculum aligns with the common core state standards and shifts

Our K—5 Language Arts curriculum and materials are aligned to all English Standards of Learning. Each lesson is intended to be a sequence of activities that cumulatively address the aligned standards. Each lesson clearly identifies Reading, Writing, Language, and Speaking and Listening standards; College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies; and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Our K–5 curriculum explicitly teaches and formally assesses all English Standards of Learning. The curriculum map is the single best source to understand the year’s work in the module lessons for each grade level: a detailed view of the scope and sequence of the modules showing module titles, topics, targets, and standards explicitly taught and formally assessed in each module

How our curriculum support students’ achievement of grade-level content

Our curriculum prizes and elevates original student thinking, student voice, and student work. This curriculum asks students to grapple with worthy texts and tasks, participate in scholarly discourse, and engage in critique of their written work to build quality and ownership. Ultimately, supporting them to become leaders of their own learning. El Education’s K-5 curriculum promotes a three-dimensional view of student achievement—mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality student work—that offers a vision for education we would want for every child and provides the “north star” for all of our curriculum work.

Embedded supports included in the curriculum for students with diverse learning needs

Tools and scaffolding that support all learners and flexibility in the ways information is presented, the ways students respond, and the ways students are engaged are embedded throughout the curriculum based on universal Design for Learning. Our curriculum provides supports and resources for differentiated instruction, which allows teachers to provide for students with disabilities as well as those that may need academic extensions. extensive supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as Language Dives, are woven into every lesson to give students full access to the curriculum. Beyond these pillars of the design, considerations for differentiation are offered throughout the curriculum to best support all students. In the Module Lessons, the Teaching Notes, Supporting English Language Learners, Universal Design for Learning, and Meeting Students’ Needs sections provide guidance.

Curriculum Topics

Alignment of Curriculum to Curricular Aims as Outlined in Delaware Law

The study of Black History serves to educate students about how Black persons were treated throughout history.  Please describe how and to what degree your curriculum attends to the following curricular aims as outlined in Delaware law:

  • Examines the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and intolerance
  • Prepares students to be responsible citizens in a pluralistic democracy
  • Reaffirms the commitment of free peoples to the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

We are committed to active, engaged, and purposeful learning at all grade levels, anchored by compelling, content-based modules. Our K–5 curriculum is divided into two grade bands to best meet the unique developmental and academic needs of students in Grades K–2 and 3–5, respectively. By the time students reach Grades 3–5, we build in more frequent opportunities for them to build independence and mastery, reflect on and take ownership of what and how they are learning, and connect their learning to real issues in the world related to social justice, human rights, and protecting the Earth.

Minimum Requirements Included in Grade K-3 Curriculum

C=Core, S=Supplemental, I=Independent

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
The history and culture of Black people prior to the African and Black Diaspora, including contributions to science, art, and literature. In Module 4, students engage in the text, Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya The true story of Wangari Maathai, by Donna Jo Napoli. It tells the story of how women all over Kenya utilized their resources to help their families and communities. The story is  illustrated using the colors and patterns of Kenyan textiles.
The significance of enslavement in the development of the American economy. There is no  specific evidence that discusses enslavement in the development of the American economy.
The relationship between white supremacy, racism, and American slavery. There is no specific evidence that discusses the relationships; however, Grade K students are empowered to grapple with complex ideas from the real world around them, including racism and racial justice.
The central role racism played in the Civil War. There is no specific evidence that discusses the central role racism played in the Civil War.
How the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws. There is no specific evidence that discusses how the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws.
The contributions of Black people to American life, history, literature, economy, politics, and culture. There is no specific evidence for this requirement; however texts and units in Grade K include the understanding and appreciation of multiple cultures that extend beyond fair representation, or the “heroes and holidays of surface culture.” Texts and units involve embracing a multicultural context.
The socio-economic struggle Black people endured, and continue to endure, in working to achieve fair treatment in the United States; as well as the agency they employ in this work for equal treatment. There is no specific evidence that discusses the socio-economic struggle ; however, in Grade K, In Module 4, Unit 2, students work to become ethical people by respecting others and treating them well. They also work to contribute to a better world by applying their learning to help their school and community. Throughout Unit 2, students practice respectful behavior as they engage in conversations with peers-sharing opinions and listening to others’ opinions–and practice caring for classroom materials and space.
Black figures in national history and in Delaware history. There is no specific evidence that discusses Black figures in Delaware history; however, in Grade K students build cultural proficiency through the module’s diverse culture representation. Tasks encourage students to celebrate the diverse voices and perspectives of students in the modules beyond the classroom.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
The history and culture of Black people prior to the African and Black Diaspora, including contributions to science, art, and literature. There is no specific evidence that discusses this requirement; however, students in Grade 1 participate in module topics and texts that represent diverse cultures, helping students build cultural proficiency.
The significance of enslavement in the development of the American economy. There is no  specific evidence that discusses enslavement in the development of the American economy.
The relationship between white supremacy, racism, and American slavery. There is no specific evidence that discusses the relationships; however, Grade 1 students are empowered to grapple with complex ideas from the real world around them, including racism and racial justice.
The central role racism played in the Civil War. There is no specific evidence that discusses the central role racism played in the Civil War.
How the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws. There is no specific evidence that discusses how the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws.
The contributions of Black people to American life, history, literature, economy, politics, and culture. There is no specific evidence for this requirement; however texts and units in Grade 1 include the understanding and appreciation of multiple cultures that extend beyond fair representation, or the “heroes and holidays of surface culture.” Texts and units involve embracing a multicultural context.
The socio-economic struggle Black people endured, and continue to endure, in working to achieve fair treatment in the United States; as well as the agency they employ in this work for equal treatment. There is no specific evidence that discusses the socio-economic struggle; however texts and module topics in Grade 1 explore current and historical socio-political contexts (including supporting questioning and examination of implicit bias and structural racialization).
Black figures in national history and in Delaware history. There is no specific evidence that discusses Black figures in Delaware history; however, in Grade 1 students build cultural proficiency through the module’s diverse culture representation. Tasks encourage students to celebrate the diverse voices and perspectives of students in the modules beyond the classroom.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
The history and culture of Black people prior to the African and Black Diaspora, including contributions to science, art, and literature. There is no specific evidence that discusses this requirement; however, students in Grade 2  participate in module topics and texts that represent diverse cultures, helping students build cultural proficiency.
The significance of enslavement in the development of the American economy. There is no  specific evidence that discusses enslavement in the development of the American economy.
The relationship between white supremacy, racism, and American slavery. There is no specific evidence that discusses the relationships; however, Grade 2 students are empowered to grapple with complex ideas from the real world around them, including racism and racial justice.
The central role racism played in the Civil War. There is no specific evidence that discusses the central role racism played in the Civil War.
How the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws. There is no specific evidence that discusses how the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws.
The contributions of Black people to American life, history, literature, economy, politics, and culture. There is no specific evidence for this requirement; however texts and units in Grade 2 include the understanding and appreciation of multiple cultures that extend beyond fair representation, or the “heroes and holidays of surface culture.” Texts and units involve embracing a multicultural context.
The socio-economic struggle Black people endured, and continue to endure, in working to achieve fair treatment in the United States; as well as the agency they employ in this work for equal treatment. There is no specific evidence that discusses the socio-economic struggle ; however texts and module topics in Grade 2 explore current and historical socio-political contexts (including supporting questioning and examination of implicit bias and structural racialization).
Black figures in national history and in Delaware history. There is no specific evidence that discusses Black figures in Delaware history; however, in Grade 2 students build cultural proficiency through the module’s diverse culture representation. Tasks encourage students to celebrate the diverse voices and perspectives of students in the modules beyond the classroom.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
The history and culture of Black people prior to the African and Black Diaspora, including contributions to science, art, and literature. Students in Grade 3, read Rain School by James Rumford. This picture book tells the story of children going to school in Chad, Africa. The book offers multiple messages about the values and joy of learning in one’s culture and community.
The significance of enslavement in the development of the American economy. There is no specific evidence that discusses enslavement in the development of the American economy; however, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind teaches the story of a young Malawian boy who is dedicated to working on creating a better life for his community and economy.
The relationship between white supremacy, racism, and American slavery. There is no specific evidence that discusses the relationships; however, Grade 3 students are empowered to grapple with complex ideas from the real world around them, including racism and racial justice.
The central role racism played in the Civil War. There is no specific evidence that discusses the central role racism played in the Civil War.
How the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws. There is no specific evidence that discusses how the tragedy of enslavement was perpetuated through segregation and federal, state, and local laws.
The contributions of Black people to American life, history, literature, economy, politics, and culture. In Module 4, Unit 2, students read a collection of stories and articles including: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Kamkwamba, “Access to Freshwater.” Excerpt of Plan, “The Problems and Solutions to Safe Water in Africa.”, and “Real Lives: Angola, Africa.” The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind shares the story of the determination of a young Malawian boy who aspires to create a better life for his community and is successful in providing wind electricity to his village.
The socio-economic struggle Black people endured, and continue to endure, in working to achieve fair treatment in the United States; as well as the agency they employ in this work for equal treatment. There is no specific evidence that discusses the socio-economic struggle ; however texts and module topics in Grade 3 explore current and historical socio-political contexts (including supporting questioning and examination of implicit bias and structural racialization).
Black figures in national history and in Delaware history. There is no specific evidence that discusses Black figures in Delaware history; however, in Grade 3  students build cultural proficiency through the module’s diverse culture representation. Tasks encourage students to celebrate the diverse voices and perspectives of students in the modules beyond the classroom.

Professional Learning

What competency-based professional learning our organization offers on our curriculum

Each grade level contains an explanation of each component. If a component is not included in a particular grade-level, “N/A” will be displayed.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language EL Education’s coaching and resources root oral language development in collaborative protocols, small group discussion, discussion norms, conversation cutes, and sentence frames to scaffold productive discussions. Coaching also illuminates how to scaffold presentation of students’ work, both formally and informally, to audiences of peers, families, and guests.
Phonemic Awareness EL Education offers explicit coaching and resources focused on daily phoneme manipulation drills; students’ opportunities to notice and play with the sounds in words; and their ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, which is a strong indicator of later reading success.
Phonics EL Education offers explicit coaching and resources focused on direct, explicit instruction about the relationship between sounds and the letters used to spell those sounds.
Fluency EL Education offers explicit coaching and resources focused on children’s engagement in multiple reads of complex text; independent reading; and practice for presentations with repeated reading of decodable texts and word lists, phrases, sentences, and poems
Vocabulary EL Education’s coaching and resources focus on Intentional vocabulary building from content-based text; attention to figuring out words from context; and  emphasis on academic (Tier 2) and domain-specific (Tier 3) terms
Comprehension EL Education’s coaching and resources focus on a content-based approach rooting instruction and practice in comprehension skills where students build knowledge on a single topic using topically connected literature and informational text. Coaching illuminates how to use read-aloud and independent reading with discussion and writing in response to text-dependent questions.

Component Description of Curriculum Alignment
Oral Language EL Education’s coaching and resources root oral language development in collaborative protocols, small group discussion, discussion norms, conversation cutes, and sentence frames to scaffold productive discussions. Coaching also illuminates how to scaffold presentation of students’ work, both formally and informally, to audiences of peers, families, and guests.
Phonemic Awareness In grades 3-5, phonemic awareness instruction shifts to enhancing the foundational reading skills for students who need extra support. EL Education offers coaching and resources to support educators in need of resources and strategies.
Phonics Grades 3-5 see a shift in explicit instruction of phonics toward supporting students in their needs for decoding and building reading fluency. EL Education’s coaching and resources support educators in their use of strategies to meet these needs.
Fluency EL Education offers explicit coaching and resources focused on children’s engagement in multiple reads of complex text; independent reading; research reading; and increasing reading stamina and volume of reading. EL strengthens strategies in reading to deepen and expand content knowledge.
Vocabulary Resources and coaching focus educators on intentional vocabulary building from content-based text; attention to figure out words from context; decoding; and an emphasis on academic (Tier 2) vocabulary.
Comprehension EL Education’s coaching and resources for grades 3-5 support educators in leading close reading of content-based texts. Scaffolded text-dependent questions, multiple reads for deepening comprehension, and focus questions that drive a series of sessions on a single text are all tools that deepen comprehension.

How our professional learning is aligned to Delaware’s definition of high-quality professional learning

EL Education’s curriculum-aligned professional learning supports the impactful implementation of a suite of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) aligned to Common Core Standards. These HQIM have received the highest rating from EdReports, receiving a score of meets expectations for alignment and usability. The HQIM is predicated on the belief that all students are capable of growth, attainment, and success in school and beyond. It is strengths-based, leverages students’ assets, and provides scaffolds to support all students in reaching grade-level standards by the end of the year.

How our professional learning is grounded in Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning

EL Education’s professional learning theory of action aligns with the latest Learning Forwards Professional Standards release, embedded with equity and human-centered design principles. EL believes that  HQIM+HQPL supports educator growth in service of excellent and equitable outcomes across our three dimensions of student achievement- mastery of knowledge & skills, high-quality student work, and character. Our professional learning promises that participants will engage as a community of learners, explore a research-based, equity-centered approach, enhance their knowledge while contextualizing their learning, and evolve their practice and impact as equity-centered educators.

SB4 requires that the competency-based professional learning provided to educators on reading instruction be provided during the school day. How our professional learning can be facilitated through a coaching model

A key offering in EL Education’s professional learning scopes of service is school-based coaching for teachers. During these sessions, an EL Education curriculum expert joins a school based leadership team to: align on walkthrough indicators (classroom ‘look fors’), observe instruction in action, and lead individual coaching sessions (with teachers) or a debrief session (with the leadership team) to determine trends to inform ongoing PL cycles in alignment with the school/district’s strategic goals.

How we demonstrate that educators have not only completed the required professional learning called for in the legislation, but that teacher practice has positively changed in order to improve student literacy

EL Education uses a comprehensive walkthrough tool to monitor the quality of implementation with integrity and consistency across a school/district. Many indicators on this tool address teacher practice and high leverage instructional practices, a key focus in teacher PD. As EL Education experts support leaders and coaches with collecting implementation data via frequent learning walks, leaders are able to monitor teacher practice gains and improvement. Additionally, EL Education provides attendance data for PL events.

How our Professional Learning attend to the differences in the Science of Reading for students who are Multilingual Learners, specifically students with varied levels of English Proficiency and students being educated in dual language programs

EL Education offers explicit coaching and resources in language dives and other scaffolding activities that support multilingual learners. Focus on text complexity scaffolds and use of grade-appropriate complex text to build background and content knowledge provide support for these learners. EL’s PD resources support teacher practice in these key areas of support.

Assessments

Our curriculum assesses students’ mastery of grade-level content

Standards-aligned assessments are s a structure or “through-line” of each module/unit (one assessment per unit in Grades K–2 and two per unit in Grades 3–5). The assessments require students to work with text-based evidence. For each assessment, we identified a strategic “bundle” of standards to address. Throughout the entire curriculum, you will consistently see built-in opportunities for students to learn, practice, and get feedback on a standard before being assessed.

The components of our balanced assessment system (universal screeners, diagnostics, and progress monitoring) including frequency of administration during the school year

Our approach to assessment is standards-based, systems and structures are designed to reflect progress on each standard. Teachers are provided resources to assist in mapping out rubrics and collecting data. The curriculum’s performance tasks and checklists assist in scoring student assessments. In the Skills block, there are three types of assessments: benchmark assessments, cycle assessments, and daily “snapshot” assessments suggested in each lesson.

House Bill 304 with HA1 identifies “Universal reading screener” as a tool used as part of a multi-tiered system of support to determine if a student is at risk for developing reading difficulties and the need for intervention and to evaluate the effectiveness of core curriculum as an outcome measure

Explain how your curriculum leverages universal reading screening to measure the following:

    1. phonemic awareness,
    2.  phonological awareness, 
    3. symbol recognition, 
    4. alphabet knowledge, 
    5. decoding and encoding skills, 
    6. fluency, 
    7. and comprehension.

The curriculum provides benchmark and ongoing assessments during the Module Lessons. These provide data to guide instructional planning for supporting students in vocabulary acquisition and comprehension skills. In grades 3–5, the Phonics and Word Recognition assessment provides information to identify students who are at risk or experiencing difficulty in reading. Teachers use this data to meet the needs of these students with targeted instruction during small groups in the Additional Language and Literacy (ALL) Block.

Our curriculum will identify students who have a potential reading deficiency, including identifying students with characteristics of dyslexia:

In grades K–2, the Skills Block Benchmark Assessments provide information to identify students who are at risk or experiencing difficulty in reading.

Teachers are able to use this data to inform differentiated small group instruction aligned to students’ phase of reading and writing development.  For students with reading deficiencies, the Skills Block and ALL Block provide differentiated learning for phonemic awareness, mapping phoneme to grapheme, and engaging in multisensory techniques.

Timely data collection and reporting of universal screening is a required curriculum component from House Bill 304 with HA1

  1. Identifies the number and percentage of students
  2. Disaggregates scores by grade
  3. Disaggregates scores by individual school

Assessment tools vary greatly across states, districts, and schools within a district. 

Professional learning provided to educators on how to use the assessments included in our curriculum

  • Define what students are being asked to know and do through the lens of an EL assessment
  • Explore how to support students by backwards planning from an assessment
  • Build a plan based on the next module they will teach to support students with mastery based on assessments

Additional professional learning and assessment information

Question Response
Professional learning aligned to the science of reading? Yes
Job-embedded professional learning? Yes
Universal screeners? No, however, EL Education does include Skills Block Benchmark Assessments. 
Universal screeners identify students with reading deficiency, including identifying students with characteristics of dyslexia? Skills Block Benchmark Assessments within EL Education can be used to determine students with deficiencies in Reading.