The Role of Language and Literacy in College and Career Ready Standards: Rethinking Policy and Practice in Support of English Language Learners

This policy brief describes the implementation of new college- and career-ready standards, with a focus on the implications for ELLs; discusses the challenges of language acquisition; and addresses the importance of connecting language proficiency and rigorous content standards for learners. It highlights a number of initiatives already under way to analyze the language demands embodied in the new standards, and outlines the substantive changes needed at the secondary school level. Finally, the report offers recommendations for state and local policymakers.