of who they are as individuals and as members of various cultural, linguistic, religious, and many
other types of groups. See chapter 9 on access and equity for some of the groups with which young
adolescents may identify.
The school setting may represent a change for some students as they enter a middle school
organized by departments and experience days divided by different periods and multiple teachers.
Expectations for personal responsibility and academic performance increase at these grades as student
begin their transition into the world of secondary
schooling. For students who are new to the
American schooling system, including ELs who
immigrate to the U.S. just prior to or during the
middle school years, differences in language,
culture, race and ethnicity, religion, and prior
schooling experiences may both complicate and
amplify these already complex transitions.
The overarching ELA/literacy and ELD
goal, developing the readiness for college,
careers, and civic life, takes on new
meaning as educators help young adolescents
start to connect their learning to their future
adult lives. Middle school students’ expanding
cognitive abilities position them to make big
strides in acquiring the second goal—attaining
the capacities of literate individuals
(demonstrating independence; building strong
content knowledge; responding to varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline;
comprehending as well as critiquing; valuing evidence; using technology and digital media strategically
and capably; and coming to understand other perspectives and cultures). Their interactions with a
growing body of literary and informational texts and performances help students move towards the
goal of becoming broadly literate. So too do students’ interactions with a range of technology
and digital media, instructional modes (including inquiry-based, collaborative, and direct), and
global cultures and perspectives prepare them for the goal of successfully navigating life in the 21st
century. (See the introduction to this ELA/ELD Framework and chapter 2 for discussions of these
goals.)
The CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy for grades six through
eight represent a big leap for students as they move from
the elementary grades to the middle grades. Moving beyond
details and examples, students now are expected to cite
textual evidence to support their analysis of what the text
states explicitly and what they infer from it. Argument
is introduced at grade six, and students are expected to
go beyond stating reasons and evidence by tracing and
evaluating arguments and claims in texts and writing their
own arguments, rather than opinions, to support claims with
clear reasons and relevant evidence. The CA ELD Standards
also introduce argument at grades six through eight, echoing
the growing sophistication of the thinking expected at this
level. These expectations exist across the many disciplines
that students study; new to grades six through eight are
specific literacy standards in history/social studies, science,
Middle school students’ expanding
cognitive abilities position them to make
big strides in acquiring the second
goal—attaining the capacities of
literate individuals (demonstrating
independence; building strong content
knowledge; responding to varying
demands of audience, task, purpose,
and discipline; comprehending as well
as critiquing; valuing evidence; using
technology and digital media strategically
and capably; and coming to understand
other perspectives and cultures).Argument is introduced
at grade six, and students
are expected to go beyond
stating reasons and evidence
by tracing and evaluating
arguments and claims in
texts and writing their own
arguments, rather than
opinions, to support claims
with clear reasons and relevant
evidence.506 | Chapter 6 Grades 6 to 8