ELP Standards Level Descriptors
Guiding Questions
What are the Standards Level Descriptors and how do they
relate to the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards?
How can educators use key components of ELPA21 assessment results
to understand student performance?
How can educators interpret student work using the ELP Standards
Level Descriptors?
New English Language Proficiency Standards
•
Developed for grades K-12
•
Guide both English language development
and content teachers to fuel ELLs’
academic and language development
• Highlight a strategic set of language
functions and language forms
• Support ELLs as they develop competence in the practices associated with
English language arts (ELA) & literacy, mathematics, and science
New ELP Standards Shift the Focus
What language
does a student
have?
What is a student
able to do with
language within
content areas?
ELP Standards
1
construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through gradeappropriate listening, reading, and viewing
2
participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses,
responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions
3
speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics
4
construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence
5
conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems
6
analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing
7
adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing
8
determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text
9
create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text
10
make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing
ELP Standards
1
2
Language functions
3
4
5
6
7
8
Language features or forms
9
10
construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational
text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing
participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of
information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader
comments and questions
speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and
informational texts and topics
construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them
with reasoning and evidence
conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer
questions or solve problems
analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing
adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and
writing
determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and
literary and informational text
create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text
make accurate use of standard English to communicate in gradeappropriate speech and writing
Alternative Organization of the Standards
Modalities
Domains
Corresponding ELP Standards
Receptive
Listening and
Reading
1
construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text
through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing
8
determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary
and informational text
3
speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational
texts and topics
4
construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with
reasoning and evidence
7
adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and
writing
2
participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information,
ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and
questions
5
conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions
or solve problems
6
analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing
Productive
Interactive
Speaking and Writing
Listening, Reading,
Speaking and Writing
Proficiency and Language Acquisition
Emerging
As students progress to
higher of levels of English
language proficiency, they will
employ more sophisticated
and precise academic uses of
language to:
Progressing
Proficient
Standards Level Descriptors
• Provide guidance about student performance within a
proficiency level for each standard
• Complement the ELP Standards as descriptions of language
along a proficiency trajectory
Standards Level Descriptors
• Define goals for student language performance at the top
end of each ELP Level
• Provide descriptions of language forms as the students
acquire proficiency with the language functions
• Are descriptive and partial, not prescriptive or
comprehensive
A
A
B
B
Standards Level Descriptors
What might an ELLs’ language use look like at each ELP level as s/he progresses
towards independent participation in grade-appropriate activities?
Performance v. Proficiency
Performance
Level
Descriptors
Proficiency
Level
Descriptors
Standards
Level
Descriptors
(PLDs)
ELP Standards
1
construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through gradeappropriate listening, reading, and viewing
2
participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses,
responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions
3
speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics
4
construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence
5
conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems
6
analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing
7
adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing
8
determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text
9
create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text
10
make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing
Standard 4
Construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with
reasoning and evidence
• Takes place in the context of the construction of arguments
• An argument consists of a claim, reasoning or a justification,
and evidence
• Opinion in lower grades
• Claims, reasoning, and evidence all require specific language
forms
Classroom Examples
Students write a persuasive letter using a claim, reasoning or a justification, and
supporting evidence.
For early grades, students take a side on an issue and provide evidence and reasons
for their opinion.
Standard 4: Across Grades and Levels
Standard 4: Across Grades and Levels
Differences Across Descriptors
Developmental
Level
Language
Level
Concept of
“control”
Degree of
“control”
Argumentation
components
Familiarity of
topic(s)
Argumentation
structure
Argumentation
components
(beyond kinder)
Using the Standards Level Descriptors
Educators can use the Standards Level Descriptors to
• Identify and differentiate objectives
• Model skills, strategies, or practices related to
the standards
• Write rubrics and formatively assess students’
progress
• Plan scaffolding for students at different levels
Reflection Activity
Choose a standard and grade level to focus on, based on your
context. Take a look at the level descriptors for this particular
standard.
• What similarities do you notice across the ELP level
descriptors?
• What differences are there across levels?
• Where do you think your students might perform?
• How would you support students’ acquisition of these
skills? (i.e. through modeling, scaffolding, supports)
• How might you monitor students’ performance?