Advanced English Language Arts (ELA) Unit 1 builds on and extends the content of the foundational-level units. Once instructors clearly understand the intent and meaning of College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards, the next step is to work through how, over time, they will support students in meeting them. This work is at the heart of Advanced Unit 1. The method outlined in this training will empower adult educators in your state to answer two crucial questions:
- Are the curriculum resources we are using tightly aligned with CCR standards?
- How can we modify curriculum resources currently in use to more tightly align with CCR standards?
PART 1 of Advanced ELA Unit 1 begins with teaching adult educators how to discern what curriculum resources aligned with CCR standards look like. First, participants will review the alignment and utility of a sample set of lessons from an adult education curriculum resource you choose using the ELA/Literacy Resource Alignment Tool. That tool is organized around the key advances and level-specific demands of the CCR standards. PART 2 of Advanced Unit 1 teaches adult educators how to begin to fill alignment gaps in the curriculum resource by selecting one lesson to improve using the ELA/Literacy Lesson Revision Template. The result will be a lesson that exemplifies both the key advances and level-specific demands of the standards and can be seamlessly integrated into instructors’ existing curriculum. PART 3 of Advanced Unit 1 focuses on organizing production teams who can continue the work subsequent to PART 1 and PART 2 training.