the workplace or in academia—but to lead lives enriched by the pursuit and possession of knowledge
and the exercise of creativity and intellectual power. To develop the readiness for college, careers, and
civic life; attain the capacities of literate individuals; become broadly literate; and acquire the skills
for living and learning in the 21st century, students need to experience a rich and engaging curricula
and read and view a wide variety of texts and performances. Experiencing the wealth of literary and
informational genres helps students develop a depth and breadth of understanding of the world and
the range of academic disciplines.
Sparking children’s and young people’s joy for reading and passion for intellectual pursuit is an
aspiration and obligation of every educator. This ELA/ELD Framework considers not only what the
standards are but how they should be implemented to ensure
that all of California’s students succeed in attaining them.
Intellectual challenge is to be the hallmark of every student’s
education regardless of background or prior academic
performance. The levels of cognitive rigor incorporated in
the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in California
should be considered when designing classroom curriculum,
instruction, and assessment. The cognitive tasks outlined in
the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (remembering, understanding,
applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating) and Webb’s
Depth of Knowledge levels (recall and reproduction, skills and
concepts, thinking and reasoning, and extended thinking)
are useful for gauging the range and balance of intellectual
challenge for students. (See figure 2.5.)
Thoughtful planning, systemic implementation, and
ongoing formative assessment and monitoring of progress
are required to ensure that all students are adequately supported to meet the intellectual challenges
inherent in these standards. The tools to provide access and equity for all students exist; their
application ensures that all students gain the content knowledge, literacy skills, and dispositions
necessary to achieve the goals of ELA/literacy and ELD instruction.
This ELA/ELD Framework
considers not only what the
standards are but how they
should be implemented to
ensure that all of California’s
students succeed in attaining
them. Intellectual challenge
is to be the hallmark of every
student’s education regardless
of background or prior
academic performance.Essential Considerations Chapter 2 | 67