The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts in the United States and teaching English language learners: Focus on writing

The K-12 student population in many English-dominant countries is becoming increasingly diverse. In the United States, the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) has increased significantly over the past two decades. This increase leads educators to consider the professional preparation of English/literacy teachers to work with ELLs, especially in the area of writing instruction. Yet this student population is consistently ignored when content standards are conceptualized. This was the case with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts, which were designed for a general student population, and provide little guidance for English/literacy teachers who have ELLs in their classrooms. This article draws on an analysis of the expectations for writing addressed in the CCSS to describe student expectations for writing at each grade level, showing how the standards become more specialized through the grade levels. We highlight key concepts that students, and English/literacy teachers, would need to know in the area of writing. We then conceptualize what the CCSS are missing in regards to the English/literacy teacher knowledge base for teaching writing to ELLs.