English Language Arts

May 2, 2018

California university students are stretching...and it is all happening in writing class, not the gym

California state universities replace remedial English composition with a new model that takes two semesters and offers academic credit for both.

February 14, 2018

With support instead of punishment, a California school district works to improve special education

County offices of education are working with districts identified for "differentiated assistance" due to poor performance by student subgroups.

January 4, 2018

A focus on writing in every class is key to success in this rural California district

Culture shift included schoolwide writing, comprehensive teacher training, teambuilding, new classes, and stressing importance of standardized tests.

December 14, 2017

State Standards strong in California, report says

Study of 24 states shows California's math and English language arts standards are rigorous and are focused on college and career-readiness.

August 24, 2017

Q & A : Common Core teacher shares insights in blog, workshops

Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez, a teacher in the Los Angeles area, discusses Common Core lessons, teacher collaboration, testing and educating English learners.

May 29, 2017

California students go online in record numbers to take Common Core-aligned tests, with few glitches

Familiarity with tests and increased Internet capabilities helped districts administer assessments, but state system experienced glitches when overloaded.

February 9, 2017

What parents should know about the Common Core

Common Core standards in math and English language arts have brought many changes to California classrooms. Here's a rundown of what's different.

January 30, 2017

More teacher preparation needed to fully implement Common Core standards in California

The state formed committees to support implementation of the Common Core standards, Next Generation Science Standards and History-Social Science standards.

August 24, 2016

Smarter Balanced scores show more California 11th-graders 'college ready'

Still, only a third of juniors met or exceeded standards in math.

July 5, 2016

New teaching strategies are designed to help English learners succeed

The project aims to build students' language skills in all classes.

November 2, 2015

California adopts materials for new English learner approach

Shift in curriculum and instructional materials aims to help English learners.

September 30, 2015

District officials want to avoid overreacting to new test results

Districts say more detailed information is needed for tests to be useful.

Theresa Harrington And Louis Freedberg

College Readiness

September 28, 2015

Test scores indicate more students 'college ready' in English language arts

However, in math, the percentage identified as college-ready has dropped.

September 7, 2015

California's Smarter Balanced Assessments: A Primer

Answers to frequently asked questions about California's Smarter Balanced Assessments based on the Common Core State Standards

November 19, 2014

Viewing justice through a Common Core lens

A new social justice history class at Palo Alto High School spans history and English Language Arts to fulfill one of several requirements of the new Common Core State Standards. The three-year course emphasizes the use of primary sources, such as government documents.