U.S. Department of Education

National Evaluation of Title III Implementation— 

A Survey of States’

English Language Proficiency Standards

National Evaluation of Title III Implementation— 

A Survey of States’

English Language Proficiency Standards

Submitted to 

U.S. Department of Education 

Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development 

Policy and Program Studies Service

Prepared by 

Ellen Forte, edCount, LLC 

Laura Kuti, edCount, LLC 

Jennifer O’Day, American Institutes for Research

American Institutes for Research

Washington, DC

2012 
This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education under Contract Number ED-04-CO0025/0017. Elizabeth Eisner served as the contracting officer’s representative. The views expressed 

herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No official 

endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education is intended or should be inferred. 

U.S. Department of Education 

Arne Duncan 

Secretary 

Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development 

Carmel Martin 

Assistant Secretary 

Policy and Program Studies Service 

Tom Weko 

Director 

August 2012

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. 

Although permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be U.S. Department 

of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies 

Service, National Evaluation of Title III Implementation—A Survey of States’ English Language Proficiency 

Standards, Washington, D.C., 2012. 

This report is also available on the Department’s website at 

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/index.html. 

On request, this publication is available in alternative formats, such as Braille, large print or computer 

diskette. For more information, please contact the Department’s Alternate Format Center at 

202-260-0852 or 202-260-0818. 

Content Contact 

Liz Eisner 

202-260-1109 

elizabeth.eisner@ed.gov 
 

Contents iii 

Contents

List of Exhibits ............................................................................................................................... iv

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... v

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... vii

I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1

A New Federal Approach to Serving English Learners ....................................................................................... 1

Evolution of States’ English Language Proficiency Standards ............................................................................ 2

Scope of the Survey .................................................................................................................................................... 4

II. Survey Findings .......................................................................................................................... 5

The Survey Process .................................................................................................................................................... 5

Findings ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7

How Are States’ ELP Standards Structured? ........................................................................................................ 7

How Are States’ ELP Standards Designed To Support the Achievement of Academic Standards? ......... 15

How Do States’ ELP Standards Reflect the Principles of Academic English Language Acquisition? ...... 19

How Do States’ ELP Standards Support Access and Use? .............................................................................. 26

III. Summary and Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 29

Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................29

Grade-Range and Language Domain Structures .................................................................................................29

Explicit References to Academic Content Areas and the Achievement of Academic Expectations ..........29

The Components of Academic English Language ..............................................................................................32

Supports for Curriculum and Assessment Development ..................................................................................32

Conclusions ...............................................................................................................................................................32

References ...................................................................................................................................... 35

Appendix A: Description of Data Collection and the Survey Protocol ......................................... 39

Collection of ELP Standards and Documentation .............................................................................................39

Development and Application of the Protocol ...................................................................................................39

Appendix B: Sources for States’ ELP Standards Documents ....................................................... 43

Appendix C: Survey Protocol ......................................................................................................... 47
 

Exhibits iv 

Exhibits 

I. Introduction

Exhibit 1. States by Publication Year of Their Current ELP Standards and ELP Assessment 

Consortium Membership ...................................................................................................... 3

II. Survey Findings 

Exhibit 2. Rating Scale.............................................................................................................................. 6

Exhibit 3. Length of Standards ............................................................................................................... 6

Exhibit 4. Organization of Standards Across Grades ......................................................................... 8

Exhibit 5. Organization of Domains Within Standards ....................................................................10

Exhibit 6. Standards for a Single Domain (Ohio) ..............................................................................11

Exhibit 7. Standards Combined Across All Four Domains of Reading, Writing, Speaking 

and Listening (New York)...................................................................................................12

Exhibit 8. Common Standard and Common Descriptors (New York) ..........................................13

Exhibit 9. Explicit References to Academic Content Areas.............................................................16

Exhibit 10. Explicit References to Academic Standards in Mathematics (Arkansas) .....................17

Exhibit 11. Explicit References to Academic Content in Social Studies (WIDA) ..........................18

Exhibit 12. Prevalence of and Attention to Language Skills and Functions, by Component .......21

Exhibit 13. Principle of Culture Embedded in Language Learning (Ohio) .....................................25

Exhibit 14. Supports for Access and Use in States’ ELP Standards Documents ............................27

Exhibit 15. Instructional Suggestions Embedded in ELP Standards (Missouri) .............................28

III. Summary and Conclusions 

Exhibit 16a. Summary of Results, Part 1................................................................................................. 30

Exhibit 16b. Summary of Results, Part 2................................................................................................. 31

Appendix B: Sources for States’ ELP Standards Documents 

Exhibit B–1. List of State ELP Standards Websites...............................................................................43
 

Acknowledgments v 

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank several individuals who contributed to the completion of this study. 

First, we are grateful for the guidance and support of the U.S. Department of Education. In particular, 

we thank Elizabeth Eisner and Daphne Kaplan of the Policy and Program Studies Service. We are 

grateful to the staff of the American Institutes for Research for their assistance in producing this report. 

In particular, we thank James Taylor for his leadership of the evaluation, Bea Birman for her feedback, 

Diane Staehr Fenner and Frances Butler for their participation in the standards survey process, and 

Monica Billig and Allison Kerbel for their analytical contributions. We also recognize the assistance of 

Kenji Hakuta, of Stanford University, for his advice. We also thank H. Gary Cook, of the Wisconsin 

Center for Educational Research, and Robert Linquanti, of WestEd, for their review as part of the 

study’s technical working group. 

While we appreciate the assistance and support of all the above individuals, any errors in judgment or 

fact are of course the responsibility of the authors. 

Executive Summary vii 

Executive Summary 

The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), represented a turning 

point in federal policy for the education of English Learners (ELs)1 in U.S. public schools. 

1. The term, English Learner, refers to a student whose primary language is a language other than English and whose 

level of English proficiency is insufficient to support academic learning in a regular classroom in which English is the 

language of instruction. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) uses the term limited English proficient for such 

students; however, it has since become more common to use the term English Learner. This report uses English Learner to 

refer to students who require additional instructional supports to fully participate in all-English classrooms until they 

achieve the requisite level of English proficiency.

These 

students with limited English proficiency often face substantial challenges to their academic 

achievement. These challenges can lead, in turn, to failure to complete high school and to diminished 

postsecondary education and career options. In addition to accountability for EL subgroup progress 

under Title I, the reauthorized law introduced three new language-related strategies meant to address 

specific gaps in programs and services for these students and, ultimately, ELs’ achievement and life 

opportunities (Forte & Faulkner-Bond 2010). First, Congress established Title III to provide funding to 

state educational agencies (SEAs) through formula grants to support language instruction educational 

programs. (Prior to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 [NCLB], funding for EL services was only 

available through discretionary grants that went directly to districts.) Second, the law shifted the language 

focus for programs that serve ELs from the development of general language proficiency to the 

acquisition of academic English proficiency, meant to help ELs access academic content standards that are 

required under Title I for all students. Finally, the 2001 legislation extended systemic reform principles 

(Smith & O’Day, 1991) to the English language proficiency domain. Title III requires states to develop 

or adopt ELP standards, assessments aligned to those standards, and accountability mechanisms to 

identify local programs that are not effective in supporting ELs’ language acquisition. 

At the center of the changes in the 2001 reauthorization of the ESEA lie the English language 

proficiency (ELP) standards. These ELP standards must define expectations for English language 

proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening in kindergarten through grade 12, and provide the 

basis for curriculum, instruction and assessment to support ELs’ acquisition of academic English 

language proficiency and attainment of the academic content standards. The degree to which states’ 

English language proficiency standards meet these requirements has critical implications for 

understanding how and how well Title III programs serve ELs. Further, consideration of how states are 

addressing the current federal requirements can inform the upcoming reauthorization of the ESEA. For 

these reasons, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned the first survey of these standards as 

part of the National Evaluation of Title III Implementation, under contract to the American Institutes 

for Research. 

It is important to note, however, that this survey did not include direct consideration of states’ academic 

content standards, or any evaluation of the quality of alignment between states’ ELP standards and their 

academic content standards. In addition, the survey did not address any aspect of the implementation of 

the standards. Therefore, these data should not be used to make inferences about the degree to which 

states’ ELP standards were appropriately interpreted and used to guide instruction or assessment. While 

important, all of these questions were beyond the purpose and scope of this project. Therefore, although 

this study is comprehensive in its inclusion of all states, it was designed to be limited in its scope and to 

be a broad descriptive survey that could be followed by more in-depth research. 

 
Executive Summary viii 

This survey considered states’ approaches to meeting the ESEA requirements regarding ELP standards, 

and addressed four basic questions: 

1. Are states’ ELP standards structured to address expectations from kindergarten through grade 

12 in each of the reading, writing, speaking and listening domains, as required under ESEA? 

2. How are states’ ELP standards designed to support the achievement of academic standards, as 

required under ESEA? (This study examined states’ ELP standards for inclusion of references to 

core content areas, but did not include a direct review of states’ academic content standards.) 

3. How do states’ ELP standards reflect the principles of academic English language acquisition, 

including recognition that language varies across situations and purposes; prioritization of 

academic English; and the prevalence of phonological, lexical, grammatical and functional 

linguistic components? 

4. How accessible are states’ ELP standards to educators for curriculum and assessment 

development? To what extent do they include performance descriptors to support instruction, 

specific suggestions for classroom activity and attention to particular principles of second 

language acquisition? 

To address these questions, EL experts from edCount, LLC, examined the ELP standards in use in each 

of the 50 states and the District of Columbia during the 2008–09 school year. Because 20 states 

(including the District of Columbia) were using the ELP standards developed by the World-class 

Instructional Design and Assessment Consortium (WIDA) at that time,2 the findings presented below 

represent variation across 32 sets of standards: the state-specific standards in use in 31 states and the 

WIDA standards in use in 20 states.3

2. This number has since increased to 27; Alaska, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, and 

Wyoming joined the WIDA consortium subsequent to the 2008–09 school year. 

3. For consistency and ease of language, we use the term “states” in this report to refer to entities receiving Title III 

funds that have a state education agency. The District of Columbia is thus referred to as a state for the purposes of this 

report. Puerto Rico and outlying areas receive Title III funds but are not included in this study.

Twenty-eight of the 32 sets of ELP standards—representing 47 states—were 

structured to address grade-level or grade-cluster expectations from kindergarten 

through grade 12 in each of the reading, writing, speaking and listening domains.

ESEA requires states to establish ELP standards for kindergarten through grade 12 that reflect the four 

language domains of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Nearly all sets of ELP standards met both 

these grade and language domain requirements. All sets of ELP standards represented kindergarten 

through grade 12 in their ELP standards, but they varied in the degree to which they clustered individual 

grades into larger grade spans. Most (28) sets of standards used relatively small spans of two to four 

grades (e.g., grades 3–5 or 9–12) or a fully delineated grade-by-grade structure. Four of these 28 sets of 

standards included specific expectations for the pre-kindergarten level. Among the four sets of standards 

that did not organize expectations for individual grades or small clusters of two to four grades, one 

divided the thirteen grades into only two large spans and three applied a single set of standards to all 

grades (kindergarten through 12); none of these latter three sets specified any targeted grades for its 

standards. 

 
Executive Summary ix 

Thirty of the 32 sets of standards represented the four language domains in their ELP standards; only 

two did not make reference to these domains. Most sets of ELP standards were organized into separate 

sections for each of the four domains. 

Nineteen of the 32 sets of ELP standards—representing 38 states—contained at 

least some explicit references to the state’s academic content areas or standards in 

at least one content area.

ESEA requires that states’ ELP standards reflect the type of academic language ELs need to achieve the 

expectations defined in states’ academic standards; this mandate is meant to ensure that states’ ELP 

standards do not encourage the development of only general or social language skills but include a 

specific focus on the type and level of language that ELs need to participate in academic settings where 

instruction occurs in English. Nineteen sets of ELP standards included references to English language 

arts (ELA); many also included references to the other core content areas of mathematics (11), science 

(9), and social studies and history (4). 

The survey found evidence that 4 sets of ELP standards (used in 23 states) reflected 

specific expectations for academic English language proficiency across three or 

more academic content areas. 

Academic English language can be distinguished from “ordinary” (sometimes called “social”) English 

through variations across four language components: phonological, lexical, grammatical and functional 

(Scarcella, 2003). ESEA does not specifically require that states’ ELP standards address these 

components, but it would be unlikely that ELP standards could adequately support the acquisition of 

academic language proficiency without considering one or more of these components. Overall, the 

survey found evidence that 4 sets of standards (representing 23 states, because one set—the WIDA 

standards—was in use in 20 states) emphasized academic English language proficiency across three or 

more of the four academic content areas. That is, the standards reflected components of academic 

English to a similar degree in each of at least three content areas rather than limiting components of 

academic English to language arts only. 

All sets of ELP standards reflected one or more of the lexical, grammatical and functional components 

of academic language at least once, but most sets of standards addressed the grammatical component to 

a greater degree than other components. 

Thirty-one of the 32 sets of ELP standards—representing all but one state—included 

at least some references to principles of second language acquisition, and six of 

these sets—representing 25 states—provided support to aid educators in the form 

of specific instructional suggestions within their ELP standards.

For educators to apply ELP standards effectively in their classrooms, the standards must be consistent 

with what is known about how students acquire a second language. Information and examples that relate 

standards concepts to instructional strategies and activities are also helpful. Most states did reflect this 

kind of information in their ELP standards. Six sets of ELP standards provided specific suggestions for 

activities that teachers could use in their classrooms. In addition, 31 of the 32 sets of ELP standards 

underscored the importance of meaningful interactions with other students, teachers, texts, media, and 

so forth to effective language learning. For example, standards may say that students can engage 

collaboratively with other students to develop a joint presentation, “list points from media (e.g., TV, 

films, video, or DVDs) and share with a partner,” or engage in “everyday conversations with teachers or 
Executive Summary x 

other adults.” To support teachers’ understanding of how students’ native culture and native language 

influence their acquisition of English, 23 of the 32 sets of ELP standards included references to 

background and context issues in their ELP standards. However, in most cases these references were 

somewhat limited. 

In summary, the 32 sets of ELP standards varied considerably in their structure, the degree of explicit 

references to the academic content areas or standards, the prevalence of the components of academic 

language and the presence of supports to aid instruction and assessment. It is important to note that this 

survey of ELP standards considered only the standards documents and did not address any aspect of 

their implementation. Therefore, these data should not be used to make inferences about the degree to 

which any set of ELP standards is appropriately interpreted or used to guide instruction or assessment. 
Introduction 1 

I. Introduction

A New Federal Approach to Serving English Learners

The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), represented a turning 

point in federal policy for the education of English Learners (ELs) in U.S. public schools. These students 

with limited English proficiency, often face substantial challenges to their academic achievement. These 

challenges can lead, in turn, to failure to complete high school and to diminished postsecondary 

education and career options (Education Week, 2009), leading to diminished individual earning capacity 

and contributions to the U.S. economy. 

For over forty years, federal statutes and regulations have guaranteed ELs’ meaningful access to 

educational opportunities. Yet the achievement levels of ELs have consistently remained lower than 

those of their English-speaking peers as reflected by test scores in reading and English language arts, 

mathematics, and science (Abedi, 2004; Abedi and Dietel, 2004). To address the continuing gaps in 

programs and services for ELs and ultimately in their achievement and life opportunities, the 2001 

reauthorization of ESEA incorporated district and school accountability for EL subgroup progress in 

reading and mathematics in Title I. In addition, the law instituted three significant language-related 

changes to the federal approach for these students (Forte and Faulkner-Bond, 2010). 

First, ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), introduced the Title III 

program, which provides funding to state education agencies through formula grants based on the 

number of ELs and immigrant children and youth in the state. Previously, funds to support English 

language instruction educational programs were awarded directly to local education agencies through 

competitive discretionary grants under Title VII of the Bilingual Education Act of 1968. The new state-level 

role was meant to drive consistency and improve quality of programs and services for English Learners 

across districts within states. 

Second, the reauthorized law specifically targeted the acquisition of academic English language proficiency 

(ELP) as a goal in itself, as well as a means to access the academic content standards that all students are 

expected to meet under Title I; Title III, (section 3113(b)(2)) requires each SEA to “establish [ELP] 

standards . . . that are aligned with achievement of the challenging state academic content and student 

academic achievement standards.” This requirement is meant to ensure that states’ ELP standards do not 

encourage the development of only general or social language skills but include a specific focus on the 

type and level of language that ELs need to participate in academic settings where instruction occurs in 

English and addresses expectations defined in states’ academic standards. Language instruction 

educational programs are to address English language skills and academic language functions in the 

reading, writing, speaking and listening domains so that ELs can engage fully in academic environments 

where English is the language of instruction. Prior to the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA, Title VII 

grantees were required to operate effective English language acquisition programs, but these programs 

did not necessarily address academic ELP. 

Third, Title III applied for the first time the principles of systemic reform (Smith & O’Day, 1991) to the 

ELP domain. Title III requires states to develop or adopt ELP standards, assessments aligned to those 

standards, and accountability mechanisms to identify local programs that are not effective in supporting 

ELs’ language acquisition. These principles have been in place for academic content domains under Title 

I since 1994; their extension to ELP provided parallel coherence among student expectations, studentlevel measures, and program-level accountability requirements. ELs’ academic achievement levels and 
Introduction 2 

graduation rates have a direct impact on the accountability status of the schools they attend through the 

accountability mechanisms of Title I, and districts that receive Title III funds are held accountable for 

ELs’ growth toward and acquisition of academic ELP (as well as attainment of academic achievement 

standards) through the accountability mechanisms of Title III. 

At the center of these changes lie the required state ELP standards, which define expectations for ELP 

in reading, writing, speaking and listening in kindergarten through grade 12. These standards are meant 

to provide the basis for curriculum, instruction, and assessment to support ELs’ acquisition of academic 

ELP and their access to the academic content standards. The degree to which states’ ELP standards 

meet these requirements and provide a foundation for effective English language instruction educational

programs has critical implications for understanding how and how well Title III programs serve ELs. 

Evolution of States’ English Language Proficiency Standards

The 2001 ESEA legislation did not specify a deadline for the adoption and implementation of ELP 

standards. However, it did obligate states to have ELP assessments in place by the 2002–03 school year. 

Since these assessments must be aligned with ELP standards, 2002–03 was effectively the year by which 

states were initially required to establish ELP standards. Because few states had a history of ELP 

standards and assessments prior to NCLB, this deadline was subsequently extended to spring 2006. 

ELP standards, where they existed before the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA, were generally influenced 

by second language acquisition theories that focused more on social than academic aspects of language 

acquisition (Abedi, 2007). Early ELP standards were often not designed for measuring progress (LeFloch 

et al., 2007). The 2001 mandate to establish statewide ELP standards and aligned assessments for 

measuring both progress towards and attainment of ELP thus led nearly all states to develop or revise 

their ELP standards and ELP assessments to comply with the new law (Abedi, 2007). Only California 

has retained its pre-2001 ELP standards (see Exhibit 1 for a list of states by year of ELP standards 

adoption and consortium membership). The dramatic increase in standards adoption in 2007 reflects the 

revision that year of the standards for the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) 

consortium, to which 20 states belonged. 

WIDA was established as one of the four multistate consortia funded by Enhanced Assessment Grants,4

awarded by the U.S. Department of Education in 2002. 

4. Enhanced Assessment Grants are awarded by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. 

Department of Education, using funds authorized under Section 6112 of NCLB. These grants are meant to support 

projects that improve the quality or usefulness of assessment instruments, with the ultimate goal of using better 

assessment information to improve student achievement.

These consortia involved collaborations among 

states to develop common ELP assessments. As noted above, the WIDA consortium developed a set of 

common ELP standards that all member states were required to adopt and that served as the basis for 

their common ELP assessment, known as ACCESS (Bauman, Boals, Cranley, Gottlieb, & Kenyon, 

2007). WIDA began with four member states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Delaware and Alabama5) and grew to 

include 20 states as of the start of the 2008–09 school year. 

5. The first initials of these founding states gave WIDA its name. WIDA has since come to stand for World-Class 

Instructional Design and Assessment.

Seven additional states, Alaska, Maryland, 

Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming, have adopted the WIDA standards and 

assessments subsequently, and are not included in the WIDA group in this survey. 

 
Introduction 3 

None of the other three consortia led to the development of common ELP standards, and only one of 

these three is still active. The English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) consortium started 

with 13 members; 6 of these original members remained part of the ELDA consortium as of the 

2008–09 school year (Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio,6 South Carolina, and West Virginia), and 2 new 

states (Arkansas and Tennessee) have joined, for a total of 8 members. 

6. Ohio no longer uses the ELDA—It uses the OTELA, which is based on the ELDA.

ELDA states maintain their own

ELP standards, but the original member states contributed to the development of a common ELP 

assessment framework (Lara, Ferrara, Calliope, Sewell, Winter, Kopriva, Bunch, & Joldersma, 2007). 

Exhibit 1.

States by Publication Year of Their Current ELP Standards 

and ELP Assessment Consortium Membership

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

CAa NVa INa MI a COa AKa AZa LAb KSa

NYa MAa NMa MNa CTa FLa OHb

WYa TNb IDa MOa

NEb MDa TXa

WVb ORa UTa

WAa IAb

ARb ALc

SCb DEc

GAc

HI c

ILc

KYc

MEc

MSc

NHc

NJ c

NCc

NDc

OKc

PAc

RI c

SDc

VTc

VAc

DCc

WI c

Exhibit reads: In 1999, California adopted the ELP standards that were still in use in the state in 

2008–09. California is the only state to have adopted its current standards before 2002. 

a States above the black line are not members of ELP assessment consortia.

b The eight states with light gray shading are members of the ELDA consortium.

c The 20 states in dark gray were members of the WIDA consortium as of the 2008–09 school year. (Missouri, New 

Mexico and Wyoming became members of the WIDA consortium subsequent to the 2008–09 school year.)

Note: Colorado adopted the WIDA standards in 2010, but does not use the WIDA consortium assessment.

Montana does not specify what year the standards were published, and is not included in this exhibit.

 
Introduction 4 

Scope of the Survey

Given the central role that ELP standards play in the federal policy for serving ELs, it is important to 

understand whether and how these standards reflect explicit and implicit Title III program requirements 

and principles of English language acquisition. This information will also be useful in determining the 

next steps to take for EL-related policies in the upcoming reauthorization of ESEA. Thus, the U.S. 

Department of Education commissioned the first-ever survey of all states’ ELP standards as part of the 

National Evaluation of Title III Implementation. Although this survey is comprehensive in its inclusion 

of all states, it was designed to be limited in its scope and to be a broad descriptive overview that could 

be followed by more in-depth research. 

This survey was designed to address four key questions: 

1. Are states’ ELP standards structured to address expectations from kindergarten through grade 

12 in each of the reading, writing, speaking and listening domains, as required under ESEA? 

2. How are states’ ELP standards designed to support the achievement of academic standards, as 

required under ESEA? (This survey examined states’ ELP standards for inclusion of references 

to core content areas, but did not include a direct review of states’ academic content standards.) 

3. How do states’ ELP standards reflect principles of academic English language acquisition, 

including recognition that language varies across situations and purposes; prioritization of 

academic English; and the prevalence of phonological, lexical, grammatical and functional 

linguistic components? 

4. How accessible are states’ ELP standards to educators for curriculum and assessment 

development? To what extent do they include performance descriptors to support instruction, 

specific suggestions for classroom activity and attention to particular principles of second 

language acquisition? 

It is important to note that this survey considered only the 32 sets of ELP standards documents in use as 

of the 2008–09 school year (31 developed by individual states and one developed by the WIDA 

consortium of 20 states) and did not address any aspect of their implementation. Therefore, these data 

should not be used to make inferences about degree to which states’ ELP standards were appropriately 

interpreted and used to guide instruction or assessment. In addition, this survey did not include direct 

consideration of states’ academic content standards, or any evaluation of the quality of alignment 

between states’ ELP standards and their academic content standards. While important, these questions 

were beyond the purpose and scope of this project. 

This volume is one in a series of reports of the National Evaluation of Title III Implementation. Three 

evaluation briefs (Ramsey & O’Day, 2010; Boyle, Taylor, Hurlburt & Soga, 2010; Tanenbaum & 

Anderson, 2010) have provided a preliminary picture of the landscape of state and district 

implementation of Title III. Companion volumes to this report examine ELs’ achievement in six 

jurisdictions (Taylor et al., forthcoming) and explore approaches to setting English language proficiency 

performance criteria and monitoring English learner progress (Cook et al., forthcoming). The study’s 

report on state and local implementation of Title III will present findings from interviews with all state 

Title III directors, a nationally representative survey of Title III subgrantees and a diverse set of case 

studies in 12 districts spread across five states. 
Survey Findings 5 

II. Survey Findings

Key Findings

— 28 sets of ELP standards (representing 47 states) were structured to address 

expectations from kindergarten through grade 12 in each of the reading, writing, 

speaking and listening domains, as required under ESEA. 

— 19 sets of ELP standards (representing 38 states) contained at least some references to 

the academic content areas or standards. 

— 4 sets of ELP standards (representing 23 states) included a focus on academic English 

language proficiency across three or more academic content areas. 

— 31 sets of ELP standards (representing 50 states) included at least some references to 

principles of second language acquisition. 

— 6 sets of ELP standards (representing 25 states) provided at least some specific 

instructional suggestions for activities that teachers could use in their classrooms to 

address the ELP standards. 

The Survey Process

Prior to this study, the four questions noted at the end of Chapter I had not been addressed with respect 

to all states’ ELP standards. To design the approach and construct the survey protocol, the research 

team examined the literature on second language acquisition and academic ELP, gleaning key concepts 

from prior research and incorporating the federal requirements for states’ ELP standards under ESEA. 

Based on the literature review, researchers then drafted a protocol (see Appendix C) and submitted it to 

members of the Technical Working Group for review; researchers revised the protocol based on this 

input.7

7. The four members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) who reviewed the protocol were Jamal Abedi 

(University of California Davis), Gary Gook (Wisconsin Center for Educational Research), Kenji Hakuta (Stanford 

University), Robert Linquanti (West Ed).

Two researchers then independently piloted the protocol with four sets of ELP standards and 

compared their results; this independent review process resulted in a few minor modifications to the 

protocol. These same two researchers independently applied the revised protocol to all 32 sets of ELP 

standards implemented during 2008–09 academic school year. Prior to the application of the protocol, 

three researchers participated in a training session on the protocol; the role of the third researcher was to 

resolve any discrepancies between the two initial researchers. The third researcher independently rated 

each of the characteristics for which the first two researchers’ ratings were not an exact match. The postreconciliation inter-rater agreement rate was 0.69 for exact matches and 0.92 for matches that were either 

exact or discrepant by only 1 point on the 4-point rubric that included a No Evidence rating. 

Some findings related to structure and content are reported categorically; for other characteristics, 

researchers used a three-point ordinal scale to represent the frequency with which researchers found 

evidence of a characteristic within a set of standards (“Rare or Little Evidence,” “Occasional or Modest 

Evidence,” “More than Occasional or Modest Evidence” (see Exhibit 2). A Rare or Little Evidence 

rating denoted cases where a characteristic was manifest in only one case or with a few words across the 

entire set of standards; Occasional or Modest Evidence appeared in two instances or was described in 

 
Survey Findings 6 

multiple sentences across the set of standards; and evidence appearing in three or more instances or 

through text of more than a paragraph in length was considered More than Occasional or Modest. 

Exhibit 2.

Rating Scale

Rating Definition

Rare or Little Evidence* The characteristic was manifest in only one case or with a 

few words across the entire set of standards

Occasional or Modest Evidence Evidence appearing in two instances or was described in 

multiple sentences across the set of standards

More than Occasional or Modest Evidence Evidence appearing in three or more instances or through 

text of more than a paragraph in length 

Exhibit reads: A Rare or Little Evidence rating denoted cases where a characteristic was manifest in only 

one case or with a few words or not at all across the entire set of standards.

Note: * For the section of the rubric addressing whether the ELP standards support access and use, a fourth rating 

of No Evidence was recorded. 

The researchers noted that some variations across standards documents were related to the length and 

structure of the documents; very short standards documents could not necessarily include all of the 

survey characteristics for all grade spans, domains, and content areas. However, very long standards 

documents did not necessarily include all of the survey characteristics, either. Exhibit 3, below, presents 

the ranges of page counts for the 32 sets of standards. 

Exhibit 3.

Length of Standards

Length of Standards Number of Sets of ELP Standards

0–20 pages 4

21–50 pages 5

51–100 pages 10

101–200 pages 9

201–400 pages 1

401 or more pages 3

Exhibit reads: Four sets of ELP standards were 20 or fewer pages in length.

Supplemental documents: For all ratings researchers also examined supplemental documents when 

states represented such documents on their own websites as being related to their ELP standards. 

Researchers did not seek out any documents other than those presented in this way. Researchers found 

supplemental documents to fall into three categories: supplemental state Title III information 

(e.g., AMAOs, performance level descriptors), assessment information (e.g., technical manuals, alignment 

studies), and training and professional development documents (e.g., test administration training 

materials). Most states (20) had between 1 and 5 supplemental documents that researchers examined; 15 

states had 6 to 10 documents; nine states had 11 to 20 documents, and two states had 21 or more; six 

states had no supplemental documents. 
Survey Findings 7 

Findings 

How Are States’ ELP Standards Structured?

Because requirements for statewide ELP standards were a new phenomenon with the 2001 

reauthorization of ESEA8, states had to decide how they were going to structure their standards 

documents across domains and grades, both to meet the requirements of ESEA and to guide 

instructional practice for ELs effectively. 

8. See the previous chapter for a discussion of the evolution of states ELP standards.

ESEA requires states to implement ELP standards that address 

expectations from kindergarten through grade 12 in each of four domains: reading, writing, speaking and 

listening. This requirement is meant to support appropriate developmental progressions across grades, 

facilitate links to grade-level academic content expectations, and foster the creation of assessments that 

are age appropriate and that also yield scores for each of the four domains.

9. ELP assessments must also yield a score for comprehension; this score is generally calculated on the basis of a 

combination of scores for some or all of the reading and listening items.

9 One important reason for 

the developmental aspect of ELP standards is that the level of language competence and sophistication 

needed for students to be successful in academic content taught in English increases substantially as 

students advance through the grades. Language in grade 8 texts and classrooms, for example, is much 

more de-contextualized, reflects much more complex syntactic and conceptual relationships, and 

incorporates a much larger vocabulary than language used in grades 1 or 2. This means that there can be 

no single conception of “English language proficiency” across all grades. Rather, the progression in 

language demands must be reflected not only in the level at which “proficiency” is set on the ELP 

assessments but also in the content of the standards themselves. Defining and structuring this 

progression in the standards is no easy task, however, and states vary in the way they structure their 

standards across grades and across language domains.10

10. Please note that in this report we consider only how the grade-level expectations are structured in the ELP 

content standards; we do not relate this directly to the level of English proficiency necessary in different states for a 

student to exit from Title III or other ESL services. While differences among states in their content standards have 

implications for when students are exited from services, actual exit criteria depend on specific performance expectations 

on the state ELP assessment as well as other criteria set by the state or district. This evaluation’s Report on State and 

Local Implementation (Tanenbaum et al, 2012) will consider the variation across Title III districts and states in the 

criteria used to exit students from EL services and EL subgroup status.

Structures Across Grades

States must establish ELP standards for kindergarten through grade 12, but the law does not specify how 

the standards are to be structured across grades. Requirements for ELP standards thus differ from those 

in the academic content areas. In reading or language arts and mathematics, states must establish gradespecific expectations in grades 3 through 8 and for at least one grade or course at the high school level; 

science standards are required for grade spans 3 through 5, 6 through 8, and 9 through 12. The way in 

which ELP standards are structured across grades can have a significant impact on their use for 

instruction and assessment. For example, standards for a grade cluster of kindergarten through grade 3 

group older students who can usually read with kindergarten students who generally cannot. These 

standards are likely to include literacy-related expectations that may be appropriate for those students 

who can read but too advanced for kindergarten students. Such standards groupings may provide little 

guidance for kindergarten teachers in terms of either instruction or assessment (see Exhibit 4 for a 

summary of the organization of the sets of ELP standards by grades and grade spans). 

 
Survey Findings 8 

Exhibit 4. 

Organization of Standards Across Grades

Organization of Standards Across Grades Number of Sets of ELP Standards

Standards organized by individual grade 6

Standards organized by grade clusters 22

A single set of standards for all grades 3

Exhibit reads: Six sets of ELP standards were organized by individual grades.

With respect to grades or grade ranges, six sets of ELP standards were organized by individual grades for 

at least most of the range from kindergarten through grade 12. This includes the ELP standards from 

one state, for example, which had separate expectations for each grade, and five other sets of standards 

with separate grade-level standards from kindergarten through grade 7 or 8, and grade clusters for the 

higher grades. Twenty-two sets of ELP standards used clusters of two to four grade levels (e.g., grades 

3–4 and 5–6) from kindergarten through grade 12. One set of ELP standards broke the 13 grades into 

two large spans, kindergarten through grade 5 and grades 6 through 12, while three sets of ELP 

standards used a single set of standards for all grades kindergarten through grade 12 (i.e., these three sets 

of standards were not differentiated by grade or grade cluster). 

Twenty-eight sets of ELP standards (used in 47 states) were organized by individual 

grade or small clusters of grades. Only three sets of ELP standards applied a single 

set of standards to the span from kindergarten through grade 12. 

Many states treated the grade range of kindergarten through grade 2 differently than they treated higher 

grade levels. Over half the sets of ELP standards (21, used in 40 states) separated kindergarten from 

grade 1; of the others, two included kindergarten with 1st grade, 15 included kindergarten with grades 1 

and 2, and three included kindergarten in a range that continued to grade 5 or grade 12. These patterns 

suggest that many states have chosen to make finer grade distinctions among the lower grade levels, 

most likely to address significant developmental and instructional shifts that occur at these ages. 

Although not specifically required by ESEA, four sets of ELP standards (those of Connecticut, 

Maryland, New York, and the WIDA group) included standards for pre-kindergarten.11

11. Only ELP standards documents were reviewed in this study; it is possible that pre-kindergarten was represented 

in other state documentation. For example, California includes standards for English Language Development for prekindergarten in its “California Preschool Learning Foundations.” 

 The WIDA 

standards separated expectations for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten from those for grades 1 and 

above. In the three non-WIDA sets of standards in this group, pre-kindergarten was included in a graderange cluster that extended from pre-K to either grade 1 or 2. 

Standards documentation from the WIDA group indicated that “Pre-K–K [pre-kindergarten through 

kindergarten] children are developmentally and linguistically unique, especially in terms of literacy 

development” (Gottlieb, Cranley, & Cammilleri, 2007, p. 7), and this survey found evidence that some 

states have chosen to reflect these differences in how they structure their ELP standards. 

 
Survey Findings 9 

All sets of ELP standards met the requirement to have at least three proficiency 

levels. Most (27) had four or more proficiency levels, with many having five levels 

(18) or six levels (4).

States are also required to establish at least three proficiency levels within their ELP standards; all states 

met this requirement. Four sets of ELP standards (used in 23 states) had six proficiency levels, 18 

included five proficiency levels, five had four levels, and five had three levels. All of these proficiency 

level structures meet the ESEA requirement to establish at least three proficiency levels. 

Structures Across Language Domains

Twenty of the 32 sets of ELP standards were organized into separate sections for 

listening, speaking, reading and writing, while virtually all sets of ELP standards also 

reflected to some degree the interconnectedness among these language domains.

Only two sets of standards did not make any reference to these language domains.

ESEA requires states to establish ELP standards that reflect the four domains12 of reading, writing, 

speaking and listening, and ELP assessments used for yearly testing of ELs must yield separate scores for

all four domains (see Exhibit 5 for a summary of how ELP standards are organized by domain). 

12. The law refers to “the four recognized domains of speaking, listening, reading and writing,” but linguists often 

use the term “domain” to refer to the social and functional areas of language use—for example, the school domain and 

the home domain. The term “modality” is also used in the NCLB legislation to refer to reading, writing, speaking and 

listening, and some readers may prefer this term to “domain.” The two are considered interchangeable, as used in the 

NCLB legislation. 

Nearly 

all sets of ELP standards explicitly represented these four domains; only two did not make reference to 

these domains. 

Most sets of ELP standards (20) were organized into separate sections for each of the four domains 

(Exhibit 6 provides an excerpt from one state’s standards for the listening domain). Seven sets of 

standards separated reading and writing, but combined listening and speaking into a single section. The 

three remaining sets of standards combined all four domains throughout their standards document (see 

Exhibits 7 and 8 for examples of combined standards).

 
Survey Findings 10

Exhibit 5. 

Organization of Domains Within Standards

Organization of Domains Within Standards Sets of ELP Standards 

Standards were separated by all four domains. 20

Standards combined all four domains (reading, writing, speaking, and 

listening). 3 

Standards combined only listening and speaking. 7

Other Not Specified. 2

Exhibit reads: Twenty of the 32 sets of standards were structured such that each of the four domains of 

reading, writing, speaking, and listening was presented separately in the standards document. 

In addition to distinguishing among the four language domains, 20 sets of ELP standards also addressed 

the interdependent nature of language development across the domains. That is, researchers found 

evidence that these standards recognized that reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are generally 

acquired concurrently, although perhaps at different rates. Some students may gain proficiency in 

listening faster than in speaking, for instance. Further, skills in one domain may manifest only through 

use of another domain, such as when a student demonstrates proficiency in listening through his written 

or spoken response. In some cases, this interplay has been made explicit, such as by the relevant domain 

references that are incorporated into each expectation but cited together (illustrated in Exhibits 7 and 8). 

Elsewhere, relationships across domains have been underscored by statements such as, “students will 

express ideas after reading a story,” presumably through writing or speaking.
Survey Findings 11

Exhibit 6.

Standards for a Single Domain (Ohio)

Exhibit reads: When listening to simple oral messages in English, beginning level EL students across all grade spans should be able to identify a 

speaker’s obvious attitude or mood from the speaker’s body language or tone. 

Note: Like most states, Ohio organized their standards into separate sections for each of the four domains.
Survey Findings 12

Exhibit 7.

Standards Combined Across All Four Domains of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening (New York)

Exhibit reads: EL children in pre-Kindergarten through first grade should be able to form and express responses to ideas through reading, listening, 

viewing, discussing and writing. All four domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing are noted as being reflected in this expectation. 

Note: New York is one of three states that combined all four domains throughout their standards document.
Survey Findings 13

Exhibit 8.

Common Standard and Common Descriptors (New York)

Exhibit reads: EL children in fifth through eighth grade should be able to “create stories poems, songs and plays...” The domains of writing 

and speaking are noted as being reflected in this expectation. 

Note: New York made the interplay among the domains explicit through the use of relevant domain references that are incorporated into each expectation.
Survey Findings 14
Survey Findings 15

How Are States’ ELP Standards Designed To Support the Achievement of 

Academic Standards? 

In addition to encompassing the four language domains of reading, writing, speaking and listening, 

Title III, section 3113(b)(2)) requires each SEA to “establish [ELP] standards . . . that are aligned with 

achievement of the challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards.” 

This requirement is meant to ensure that states’ ELP standards do not encourage the development of 

only general or social language skills but include a specific focus on the type and level of language that 

ELs need to participate in academic settings where instruction occurs in English and addresses 

expectations defined in states’ academic standards. To assess the degree to which such alignment actually 

occurred would require an analysis of both the ELP standards and the corresponding content standards, 

which was beyond the scope of this brief survey. Researchers did note, however, the extent to which the 

ELP standards made explicit reference to the standards or content of specific academic subject areas 

(ELA, Mathematics, science, or social studies). The data collected in this study indicate that most sets of 

ELP standards included at least some reference to academic content, but more guidance or requirements 

from the forthcoming reauthorization of ESEA may further encourage states to create clear connections 

to academic content standards. 13

13. Some efforts are currently underway to develop ELP standards based on the specific expectations of the 

Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics that have recently been adopted by over 40 

states.

Nineteen sets of ELP standards included at least some explicit references to 

academic content in English language arts. Many also included such references to

the mathematics (11 sets of ELP standards) and science (9 sets of ELP standards) 

content areas. The type and degree of these references varied substantially. 

As was the case for meeting Title III grade-range and language domain requirements, researchers found 

evidence that most sets of ELP standards also referred to academic content expectations in at least one 

content area. Researchers noted explicit references to content areas and recorded a binary Yes or No 

rating for each of the content areas to which an explicit reference related. Nineteen sets of ELP 

standards reflected some evidence of explicit references to academic content in English language arts; 11 

of these also included references to mathematics content, and 9 included references to science content. 

Four sets of ELP standards included references to social studies and history content. The WIDA 

standards included references to each of these four content areas, as did the standards of three other 

states(see Exhibit 9). The ways in which sets of ELP standards referenced relevant academic content, 

however, varied by state and by subject area. For example, the Arkansas standards incorporated specific 

vocabulary relevant to geometry at different levels of ELP (see Exhibit 10) and the WIDA standards 

demonstrated how students are expected to glean information relevant to grades 6–8 social studies 

content from oral and text materials, and to produce similarly relevant responses and products, both 

verbally and in writing (see Exhibit 11). 

 
Survey Findings 16

Exhibit 9. 

Explicit References to Academic Content Areas

Academic Content Areas Sets of ELP Standards with Explicit References to these 

Content Areas 

English language arts 19

Math 11

Science 9

Social studies and history 4

Exhibit reads: Nineteen sets of ELP standards had explicit references to English language arts content.
Survey Findings 17

Exhibit 10.

Explicit References to Academic Standards in Mathematics (Arkansas)

Exhibit reads: The ELP student learning expectation ELPG.1.HS.1, Identify and recognize geometric terms in context, including the attributes of 

geometric figures, is connected with the six Arkansas’ Geometry Student Learning Expectations listed on the far right.
Survey Findings 18

Exhibit 11.

Explicit References to Academic Content in Social Studies (WIDA)

Exhibit reads: In an instructional setting where agriculture is a topic, students in the Entering level of the Grades 6-8 WIDA listening standards would 

be able to identify agricultural icons from oral statements using visual or graphic supports such as maps or graphs. 
Survey Findings 19

Given that ELP standards usually reflected grade-range expectations rather than grade-specific 

expectations, it would probably be unreasonable to expect fine-grained links to the grade-level academic 

content standards in multiple content areas; some level of flexibility in the standards seems necessary to 

allow linguistic access to academic concepts that evolve over grade ranges rather than within only one 

grade. This rationale could be extended to explain why the 20 WIDA states could share common ELP 

standards when they do not share common academic content standards. 

How Do States’ ELP Standards Reflect the Principles of Academic English 

Language Acquisition? 

In addition to including the four language domains and references to language expectations related to 

specific academic content areas, ELP standards must also address key components of language and 

reflect what we know about second language acquisition if they are to adequately guide instructional 

design and implementation for ELs. This section focuses on the nature of the language defined in states’ 

ELP standards. 

Linguistic Components Addressed in ELP Standards

As indicated above, the reauthorized ESEA focused expectations for English language acquisition on 

academic ELP rather than on general English language skills (Scarcella, 2003; Bailey, 2007). Academic 

ELP is a multifaceted concept, which may best be understood first by clarifying what it is not. It is not a 

conceptualization of language skills limited to social interaction, as has often been the case in English as 

a second language classrooms in the past. Nor is it limited to the vocabulary used in school—whether this 

is the vocabulary specific to mathematics or science classrooms or more general academic vocabulary 

applicable across subject matter. Rather, academic ELP reflects the breadth and depth of language—

including appropriate registers, functions, vocabulary, and syntax—that students need to participate 

meaningfully in academic environments and to be successful in college and careers. Although the field 

has not yet come to agreement on a single definition, the research team for this survey used the 

following working definition for the purpose of establishing a common understanding of “the language 

students need to engage successfully in academic contexts in which instruction and interactions occur in 

English.” 

Scarcella (2003) developed a comprehensive framework that encompasses essential linguistic 

components and features of academic ELP and distinguishes between linguistic components as they 

manifest in “ordinary English” and in academic English. Based upon input from the Technical Working

Group members noted above, the Scarcella framework was adapted for use in this portion of the survey 

to include the following four components: 

— The phonological component (sounds, stress, intonation) 

— The lexical component (meanings of words) 

— The grammatical component (morphemes,14 syntax, rules of punctuation) 

14. A meaningful linguistic unit consisting of a word, such as man, or a word element, such as -ed in walked, that 

cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts (Loberger & Shoup, 2001).

— The functional component (discourse features and functions of language in context) 

The first three components—phonological, lexical and grammatical—can be considered structural, as 

they essentially represent linguistic building blocks. The fourth, the functional component, represents the 

way in which these building blocks are combined beyond the sentence level to achieve certain purposes 

 
Survey Findings 20

in varying contexts. A comprehensive presentation of the complete Scarcella model can be found in the 

original Technical Report for this framework (Scarcella, 2003). 

Distinctions Between Purposes and Contexts for Language Use

The framework for this portion of the survey first distinguishes language for general or social purposes 

(ordinary English) from language necessary for interaction in academic contexts. That is, this framework 

demonstrates how the phonological, lexical, grammatical and functional components of language vary 

across different settings and across purposes for language use.15

15. This distinction builds on the difference between Basic Interpersonal Communications Skills (BICS) and 

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), formulated in the early 1990s (Cummins, 1991). While this reference 

to Cummin’s notion of BICS and CALP is historical rather than representative of current thinking in this area., the 

general distinction between highly contextualized social language (BICS) and decontextualized language common to 

academic and literacy tasks (CALP) is still useful for practitioners and those without strong expertise in linguistics.

Consider, as an example, the differences in the language one might use in informal social situations, such 

as a family dinner, and the language one would be likely to use in academic settings, such as a 

mathematics classroom. Variations in vocabulary, grammar, tone and discourse patterns across these 

settings signal varied relationships and norms for interaction, as well as varied content. The purpose of 

the communication also influences the choice and appropriateness of linguistic components. For 

example, a secondary student who wants to encourage a friend to read a favorite book or try a new 

computer program will phrase his argument quite differently from the language a teacher would expect 

in a description of the same book or program for a school book report or research paper. EL students 

need to understand and be able to navigate these distinctions in purpose and context. Researchers have 

estimated that language relevant to face-to-face social interactions develops much more quickly 

(approximately 1-3 years) than the more sophisticated and decontextualized language needed for school 

success (4-7 years) (Cummins, 1991; Hakuta, Butler & Witt, 2000). Such distinctions underscore the 

purposeful nature of language and the variations in language proficiency expectations across contexts or 

purposes for language use. States’ ELP standards may include expectations for language proficiency in 

general or social situations, which are important for interpersonal interactions, but these standards are 

meant to focus in a prioritized manner on academic language proficiency. 

Analysis of the references in states’ ELP standards to the way language is used revealed that 26 of the 32 

sets of ELP standards (used in 45 states) explicitly recognized that language varies across situations and 

purposes, and these states did so across each of the reading, writing, speaking and listening domains 

reflected in their ELP standards. This was evidenced by statements such as, “[the student] understands 

the purpose for listening and demonstrates understanding of language functions (e.g., greetings, requests, 

offers of help, apologies).” This standard represents an expectation for ELs to discern the purpose and 

meaning of the language they hear. The standard notes that greetings, requests, offers of help and 

apologies are all language functions that occur in both social and academic settings and that the specific 

language used differs in different settings. In a similar manner, the speaking standard “The student will 

use language that is grammatically correct, precise, engaging, and well suited to topic, audience and 

purpose” provides an explicit expectation for ELs to determine the purpose and context for oral 

language and to use this information to shape what she says and how she says it. 

 
Survey Findings 21

Twenty-six sets of standards explicitly recognized that language varies across 

situations and purposes, but only four sets of ELP standards emphasized academic 

English over ordinary English with equal emphasis across three or more academic 

content areas. Two sets of ELP standards did not explicitly address academic 

language. 

Researchers found evidence that four sets of ELP standards targeted academic ELP in three or more 

academic content areas.16

16. This study drew from the work of Robin Scarcella (2003) to identify indicators of academic English, including 

specialized vocabulary and technical and/or field-specific words and concepts, in states’ ELP standards. 

Twenty other sets of standards limited academic language expectations to 

those defined in the state’s ELA standards; they did not explicitly address academic language in other 

academic content areas. Six other sets of ELP standards demonstrated clear connections to ELA 

standards, but they also included some academic language expectations related to one or more other 

content areas. Only two sets of standards did not explicitly address academic language. 

Representation of Specific Language Components

Nearly all sets of standards made at least occasional reference (two or more times) to 

at least one of the four essential linguistic components identified for this study. The 

grammatical component was the most common one of the four to be included in ELP 

standards; 29 sets of standards included at least occasional references to the 

grammatical component, while the remaining three sets of standards made only rare 

references to this component of academic English.

Sets of ELP standards varied in the degree to which they reflected the components of academic English 

language (see Exhibit 12), and the representation of one component was generally not related to the 

representation of others. That is, occasional or modest attention (evidence noted two or more times 

within the standards) to one or more components was not associated with any particular level of 

attention to other components; likewise, rare or little prevalence of one or more components was not 

associated with a particular level of attention to the others. 

Exhibit 12. 

Prevalence of and Attention to Language Skills

and Functions, by Component

Prevalence of and Attention to Language Skills and 

Functions, by Component

Number of Sets of ELP Standards with at least 

Occasional or Modest Prevalence of Component 

Throughout Standards

Phonological component (sounds, stress, intonation) 22

Lexical component (meanings of words) 20

Grammatical component (morphemes , syntax, rules of 

punctuation) 29

Functional component (discourse features and function of 

language) 26

Exhibit reads: Twenty-two sets of ELP standards reflected the phonological component to at least an 

occasional or modest degree.

We discuss the standards’ attention to each component in more detail below. 

 
Survey Findings 22

Phonological Component 

In ordinary English, the phonological component is the “knowledge of everyday English sounds and the 

ways sounds are combined, stress and intonation, graphemes, and spelling” (Scarcella, 2003). Examples 

are knowing how and why the “a” sounds different in the word “van” from the way it does in the word 

“vane,” and that the emphasis is on the first syllable in the words “often” and “doughnut” but on the 

second syllable in “careen” and “convene.” For academic English, this knowledge applies to the sounds, 

spellings and pronunciations of academic words that are used in instructional settings, such as 

“planetary” or “homeostasis.” Twenty-two sets of ELP standards demonstrated at least occasional or 

moderate attention to the phonological component. Nine sets of ELP standards fell into the “rare or 

little evidence” category and the remaining set of standards showed no evidence of this component. 

Statements such as “The student recognizes the letters that correspond to English sounds” or “The 

student uses intonation patterns that are appropriate to the nature and purpose of speech (e.g., when 

asking questions, making comparisons)” would represent attention to the phonological component of 

language. Phonemic awareness and phonics are important for literacy, as well as for verbal 

communication. This may be particularly true for EL students with home languages that differ from 

English in their phonemic structure. Explicit instruction in these elements can be very successful with 

EL students (August & Shanahan, 2006). 

Lexical Component 

The lexical component of English language involves “knowledge of the forms and meanings of words 

occurring in everyday situations” and “knowledge of the ways words are formed with prefixes, roots, 

suffixes, the parts of speech of words, and the grammatical constraints governing words” (Scarcella, 

2003). The example provided in the Scarcella framework contrasts the term “find out” with the more 

academic alternative of “investigate”; it would be important for a student to understand not only what 

“investigate” means but also when and how to use this word in academic communications. Thus, the 

lexical component addresses vocabulary in terms of knowing word meaning, knowing how the parts of 

words contribute to meaning, and how and when to use specific words or word parts to convey 

meaning. Vocabulary development and explicit vocabulary instruction have been found to be critical 

precursors for reading comprehension for EL students (August, Carlo, Dressler & Snow, 2005). 

The lexical component is apparent in ELP standards through statements such as “A student should 

apply prefixes and suffixes to convey meaning in written communications” and “A student understands 

the meaning of the terms ‘construct,’ ‘draw,’ ‘measure,’ ‘transform,’ ‘compare,’ ‘visualize,’ ‘classify,’ and 

‘analyze the relationships among geometric exhibits.’” The former example is general in nature and could 

apply to both ordinary English and academic English. The latter example clearly relates not only to 

academic English but to content-specific vocabulary. Twenty sets of ELP standards referred to the 

lexical component occasionally or consistently and the remaining 12 sets referenced this component only 

rarely. 

Twenty-five sets of ELP standards also included at least some content-specific vocabulary, such as the 

vocabulary referenced for geometry above. Several of the other sets of standards use generic references, 

such as “grade-level vocabulary” or “content-area vocabulary” without including specific vocabulary 

words. Three of these 25 integrated general and content-specific vocabulary for several content areas 

within their ELP standards. An additional nine sets of standards included both general and contentspecific vocabulary, but limit the content focus to ELA. 

Grammatical Component 

The grammatical component relates to the understanding of how word parts, word combinations, and 

punctuation convey meaning and follow the syntax rules for English. A notable example would be 

recognition of the dramatic difference in meaning between “eats shoots and leaves” and “eats, shoots 
Survey Findings 23

and leaves” as a function of a single comma (Truss, 2003). Understanding necessary form changes in 

verbs when they are associated with singular versus plural nouns (e.g., “a child reads” but “children 

read”) is another example of the grammatical component. As was the case for the lexical component, all 

sets of ELP standards represented the grammatical component to at least some degree (i.e., no sets of 

standards were found to have excluded this component. More specifically, 29 sets of standards referred 

to this component at least occasionally, while the remaining 3 sets of standards referenced it only rarely. 

Functional Component 

The functional component of English involves the genres of the language or language “functions”—for 

example, how to describe something, how to make an argument, how to explain something and how to 

synthesize information. Clearly, language functions such as these are important for a student’s ability to 

access and communicate information in both social and academic settings. Academic language functions 

differ from social language functions in that they relate to discourse in academic settings and disciplines. 

In academic discourse, functions are often realized through the connections and progressions among 

concepts expressed across multiple sentences or paragraphs. 

Academic discourse can be, for example, a lecture on meiosis by a science teacher, an expository essay 

on how to pick meat from a crab by a student who has recently visited the eastern shore of Maryland, a 

conversation between two students who are deciding how to share responsibilities for a partner project, 

Hamlet’s soliloquy or a classroom discussion of Hamlet’s soliloquy. To participate in any of these forms 

of discourse, a student would need to understand where to begin, how to proceed, and how to determine 

the stopping point on the basis of the audience and the purpose and context of the discourse. For 

instance, the student’s expository essay should have an introduction, ordered and complete details with 

appropriate transitions, and a summary or conclusion. A student listening to the lecture on meiosis 

would need to understand the purpose of the lecture, how to listen for and perhaps take notes to record 

important points, and how to self-monitor comprehension to determine whether to ask a question. 

All students need to learn the functional linguistic components relevant to academic settings and tasks in 

the course of their schooling. This can be particularly challenging for ELs who may have had fewer 

academic experiences and who come from a language background in which functions of language may 

take very different forms from those in English. 

All sets of ELP standards represented the functional component at least rarely and most (26) did so at 

least occasionally across the standards documents. Representation of this component might involve, for 

example, statements such as “Develop and apply skills and strategies to comprehend, analyze, and 

evaluate fiction, poetry and drama from a variety of cultures and times.” Statements such as “Summarize 

two or more articles and write a brief informational paper integrating supporting information from both 

sources” would reflect inclusion of discourse features of this component in a state’s ELP standards. 

ELP Standards and the Language-Learning Process

There are many theoretical frameworks that could be used for reviewing ELP standards, some that focus 

on the linguistic content of the standards and others that focus on implicit or explicit assumptions about 

the language learning process. Based on input and guidance from members of our Technical Working 

Group, the research team for this survey incorporated two such frameworks into the survey protocol, 

one for each purpose. An adapted version of the Scarcella framework provided the basis for our 

discussion in the previous section on the content of the standards with respect to components of 

language and the distinction between academic and social or ordinary language. But linguistic content is 

not enough to guide curriculum and instruction. If educators are to use the standards to support the 

complex and lengthy process of language learning, the standards must also reflect what we know about 

how students acquire a second language and help teachers understand which aspects of the instructional 
Survey Findings 24

environment might foster second language acquisition. To determine the extent to which current ELP 

standards do so, the research team drew on a second framework published by Teachers of English to 

Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (2006), an international professional organization for teachers 

who work with ELs. In particular, we focused on three of the TESOL principles that are particularly 

relevant to helping teachers deliver effective language support for ELs. These principles are:

— Language acquisition occurs through meaningful use and interaction. 

— Language learning is cultural learning. 

— Native language proficiency contributes to second language acquisition. 

Language Acquisition Through Meaningful Use and Interaction 

Thirty-one sets of ELP standards made at least one reference to the importance of 

meaningful language use and interaction as part of the acquisition process.

This TESOL principle notes that “language is learned most effectively when it is used in significant and 

meaningful situations as learners interact with others (some of whom should be more proficient than the 

learners are) to accomplish their purposes” (TESOL, 2006). Evidence that ELP standards reflect this 

principle include statements about the use of English in legitimate academic contexts and about meaningful 

interactions with other students, teachers, texts, and media. For example, standards may state that students 

can engage collaboratively with other students to develop a joint presentation on ecosystems and habitats; 

or standards may indicate that students can “list points from media (e.g., TV, films, video, or DVDs) and 

share with a partner”; or engage in “everyday conversations with teachers or other adults.” Thirty-one sets 

of ELP standards included at least one reference to this principle. 

Language Learning as Cultural Learning 

The ELP standards in only 11 states (including 5 WIDA states) incorporated 

moderate or consistent attention to cultural aspects of second language acquisition.

When ELs learn English, they are also learning about and engaging in the culture in which English is 

spoken. Recognizing this relationship between culture and language learning may help teachers to 

overcome instructional obstacles, such as a child’s unwillingness to ask questions of a teacher because such 

behavior, accepted and expected in most U.S. classrooms, would be considered rude or embarrassing in 

the child’s native culture. The ELP standards or supporting documents in 11 states (including 5 of the 

WIDA states17) represented this principle with multiple paragraphs or a full section on culture as it relates 

to language learning. 

17. WIDA states associated introductory or auxiliary materials with their common standards; in these additional 

materials, WIDA states could differ in their approaches to various concepts. Reviewers considered these materials for 

the access and use portion of their review.

ELP standards in 20 other states (including 15 WIDA states) referred to culture in a 

few sentences or a single paragraph. Culture was referenced in a single sentence in the standards or 

standards-related documents for 11 states and was not referenced at all in documents for 9 states. 

Exhibit 13 contains an example of how one state represented the principle of language learning as cultural 

learning in its ELP standards. 

 
Survey Findings 25

Exhibit 13.

Principle of Culture Embedded in Language Learning (Ohio)

Exhibit reads: Ohio’s ELP standards reflect support for the principle that language learning is cultural learning by expressing a rationale for this 

principle and providing external examples.
Survey Findings 26

Contribution of Native Language Proficiency to Second Language Acquisition 

ELs may come to school not only with limited English proficiency but also with limited proficiency in 

their native language, and this limitation has an impact on their acquisition of ELP. For example, 

students who are not literate in their native language can be particularly challenged in acquiring literacy in 

English because they have no foundation on which to build literacy concepts, such as knowledge about 

sound-letter correspondences or the characteristics of various literature genres. Conversely, students who 

arrive literate in their first language may transfer many of their literacy skills to English as they acquire 

the new language. Moreover, students who arrive with academic language and literacy skills may have 

further success in transferring those skills to English. Students from some language groups can also 

make use of cognates (along with context) to glean the meaning of new vocabulary, and students from all 

language groups may have to contend with interference from their first language in trying to 

comprehend or produce communication in English. 

Fifteen sets of ELP standards included at least one reference to the influence of 

native language proficiency on English language acquisition; 3 of those sets of ELP 

standards showed more than occasional or modest attention to the influence of 

native language proficiency on English language acquisition. 

Acknowledgment of the influence of native language proficiency on English language acquisition may 

include a statement such as “One of the most reliable indicators of success in acquiring English is the 

level of language development in the student’s first language. A student with a highly developed first 

language may take less time to acquire English than a student with low native language proficiency.” 

Fifteen sets of ELP standards (in use in 34 states) reflected this principle, even if only rarely (i.e., in at 

least one sentence); references to the influence of native language proficiency are often associated with 

information regarding language transfer, students’ level of formal education in their home countries, and 

literacy skills of the students and parents in their native languages. Three sets of ELP standards showed 

more than modest attention (one or more paragraphs) to the influence of native language proficiency on 

English language acquisition. 

How Do States’ ELP Standards Support Access and Use?

Standards documents are meant to provide guidance for educators in designing and implementing 

curricula and instruction. Information and examples that help educators access and use the standards 

include explicit descriptions of classroom activities and performance expectations, as well as 

characterization of the complexities of the language-learning process (Massell 2001; Teachers of English 

to Speakers of Other Languages 2006). (The number of sets of ELP standards that include different 

types of support for access and use is summarized in Exhibit 14 and described below.) 
Survey Findings 27

Exhibit 14. 

Supports for Access and Use in States’ ELP Standards Documents

Types of Support for Access and Use Sets of ELP Standards 

Providing Support

Offering specific suggestions for activities that teachers can use in their classrooms 

to address the ELP standards 6 

Paying at least rare or little attention to the importance of meaningful language use 

and interaction as part of the acquisition process

31

Showing at least rare or little attention to cultural aspects of second language 

acquisition 23

Including at least rare or little reference to the influence of native language 

proficiency on English language acquisition 15

Exhibit reads: Six sets of ELP standards provided information and examples that help educators 

understand and use the standards including specific descriptions of classroom activities.

Connections to Classroom Instruction and Performance Expectations

For educators to be able to apply ELP standards effectively in their classrooms, standards documents 

should include information that clarifies and exemplifies the concepts defined in the standards. Evidence 

of these types of supports for access to and use of ELP standards can include instructional suggestions 

and performance indicators. 

Six sets of ELP standards (in use in 25 states) provided at least some specific 

suggestions for activities that teachers can use in their classrooms to address the 

ELP standards. 

To make concrete what a standard means and help educators understand how to support acquisition of 

the standard, six sets of ELP standards provided multiple specific suggestions for activities that teachers 

can use in their classrooms. For example, the Missouri ELP standards present specific suggestions for 

demonstrating concepts of print in grade 1, including activities appropriate for use with students at each 

of five levels of proficiency (see Exhibit 15). This example not only offers teachers immediately useful 

suggestions for their classroom practice but presents a concrete developmental progression to help 

teachers understand how proficiency develops for, in this case, concepts of print. The WIDA standards 

employed a similar approach. 
Survey Findings 28

Exhibit 15.

Instructional Suggestions Embedded in ELP Standards (Missouri)

Exhibit reads: Missouri’s ELP standards indicate that for demonstrating concepts of print in grade 1, grade 1 ELs at the Basic Beginner level would 

be able to identify spaces between words in an enlarged text. A suggested activity is having the student follow a teacher model in identifying words in 

contexts and the spaces that occur between the words in a big book.
Summary and Conclusions 29

III. Summary and Conclusions

Summary

This survey of all states’ ELP standards yielded information about how these standards were structured, 

which content areas were emphasized, how principles of second language acquisition were represented, 

and the extent to which ELP standards reflected academic language and included information to support 

their use. This survey answered four questions (see Exhibit 16 for a summary of the results of this 

survey) and provides basic, descriptive information that may be useful to those who will conduct indepth research on ELP standards. 

Grade-Range and Language Domain Structures

ESEA requires states to adopt or develop ELP standards that represent each of the four language 

domains of reading, writing, speaking and listening across the grade range of kindergarten through grade 

12, and link to the achievement of academic content expectations. Researchers found evidence that all 

but two states met the requirement for representation of the language domains; the two exceptions did

not make explicit references to these domains. 

All but three sets of standards were organized by individual grades or clustered by grade ranges and only 

four of these sets of ELP standards included prekindergarten as well as K-12. 

Explicit References to Academic Content Areas and the Achievement of

Academic Expectations

Title III requires each state education agency to develop or adopt ELP standards that reflect the 

language that students need to access and achieve the expectations defined in academic content 

standards. This does not mean that ELP standards must align on a standard-by-standard basis with a 

state’s academic content standards or even that this would be possible; rather, the ELP standards should 

connect to the content-area expectations. Researchers found evidence to suggest that 19 sets of ELP 

standards (used in 38 states) referenced academic content expectations in English language arts; of these, 

11 also showed evidence of links to academic content expectations in mathematics, and 9 referenced 

expectations in science content. However, because a review of the academic standards for these states 

was beyond the scope of this survey, the research team could not confirm the quality of content 

references. What these data do suggest, however, is that about a third of the sets of ELP standards did 

not meet the ESEA requirement to link to the achievement of academic expectations; meanwhile, the 

strength and quality of the references in the other 19 sets of standards is not yet known. 
Summary and Conclusions 30

Exhibit 16a.

Summary of Results, Part 1

Question Characteristic Sets of ELP 

Standards

How are states’ ELP 

standards structured? By grade level or grade clusters 28

How are states’ ELP standards 

structured?

With separate sections for the four domains (reading, writing, 

speaking and listening) 20

To which content areas do 

states’ ELP standards 

make explicit reference?

English language arts 19

To which content areas do states’ ELP 

standards make explicit reference? Math 11

To which content areas do states’ ELP 

standards make explicit reference? Science 9 

To which content areas do states’ ELP 

standards make explicit reference? Social studies and history 4 

How consistently do states’ 

ELP standards reflect 

specific components of 

academic English?

Recognize that language varies across situations and purposes 26

How consistently do states’ ELP 

standards reflect specific components of 

academic English?

Emphasize academic English across three or more academic 

content areas 4 

Question Characteristic

Sets of 

Standards 

with Rare or 

Little 

Evidence 

Sets of 

Standards with 

At Least 

Occasional or 

Modest Evidence

Sets of 

Standards with 

At Least Rare 

Evidence

How consistently do states’ 

ELP standards reflect 

specific components of 

academic English?

Prevalence of and 

attention to phonological 

component

9 22 31

How consistently do states’ ELP 

standards reflect specific components of 

academic English?

Prevalence of and 

attention to lexical 

component

12 20 32

How consistently do states’ ELP 

standards reflect specific components of 

academic English?

Prevalence of and 

attention to grammatical 

component

3 29 32

How consistently do states’ ELP 

standards reflect specific components of 

academic English?

Prevalence of and 

attention to functional 

component

6 26 32

Exhibit reads: Twenty-eight sets of ELP standards were structured by grade level or grade cluster. For 

characteristics with more detailed ratings, 9 sets of ELP standards had rare or little prevalence of and 

attention to the phonological component of academic English and 22 sets of ELP standards had occasional 

or modest or more than occasional or modest prevalence of and attention to the phonological component; 

therefore, 31 of the 32 sets of ELP standards had at least rare or little prevalence of and attention to the 

phonological component.
Summary and Conclusions 31

Exhibit 16b.

Summary of Results, Part 2

Question Characteristic Sets of ELP 

Standards

How consistently 

do states’ ELP 

standards support 

access and use?

Inclusion of specific suggestions for instruction 6 sets

Question Characteristic

Number of 

Statesa and 

Sets of 

Standards 

with No 

Evidence

Number of 

Statesa and 

Sets of 

Standards 

with Rare or 

Little 

Evidence

Number of 

Statesa and 

Sets of 

Standards with

At Least 

Occasional or 

Modest 

Evidence

Number of 

Statesa and Sets

of Standards 

with At Least 

Rare Evidence

How consistently 

do states’ ELP 

standards support 

access and use?

Attention to the 

importance of 

meaningful 

language use and 

interaction as part of 

the acquisition 

process

1 state

1 set

8 states

8 sets

42 states b

23 sets

50 states b

31 sets

How consistently 

do states’ ELP 

standards support 

access and use?

Attention to cultural 

aspects of second 

language 

acquisition

9 states

9 sets 

31 states c

12 sets

11 states d 

11 sets

42 states b 

23 sets

How consistently 

do states’ ELP 

standards support 

access and use?

Inclusion of at least 

some reference to 

the influence of 

native language 

proficiency on 

English language 

acquisition

17 states

17 sets

7 states e

7 sets

27 states b f 

8 sets

34 states b 

15 sets

Exhibit reads: Six sets of ELP standards included multiple specific suggestions for instruction. For 

characteristics with more detailed ratings, 1 state (1 set of ELP standards) exhibited no evidence of attention 

to the importance of meaningful language use and interaction as part of the acquisition process, 8 states (8 

sets of ELP standards) exhibited rare or little attention, and 42 states (23 sets of ELP standards, including the 

WIDA standards used by 20 states) exhibited occasional or modest or more attention to this principle;

therefore, 50 of the 51 states and 31 of the 32 sets of ELP standards exhibited at least rare or little attention 

to the importance of meaningful language use and interaction as part of the acquisition process. a Because this information was frequently found in supplemental documents that varied among states within a 

consortium, these numbers represent the number of states 

b Includes the 20 WIDA states.

c Specifically, 11 states referenced a single sentence on this principle, and 20 states, including 15 WIDA states, 

devoted a few sentences or a single paragraph. The set of standards for the WIDA states is recorded here.

d 11 states, including 5 of the WIDA states whose supplementary documents distinguished them from other WIDA 

states, devoted more than a paragraph to this principle. 

e 7 states referenced a single sentence on this principle. 

f Specifically, 24 states devoted multiple sentences to this principle and 3 states devoted a paragraph or more.
Summary and Conclusions 32

The Components of Academic English Language

As indicated above, ELP standards varied in the degree to which they addressed academic language 

across multiple content areas. When considered in combination with the way in which ELP standards 

address language components, conceptualizations of ELP could be distributed across a continuum in 

which, at one end, ELP standards are essentially extensions of English language arts standards and do 

not reference any components of academic English for other content areas, to the other end at which 

ELP standards are clearly differentiated in their relation to components of academic language across 

three or more academic content areas. 

Supports for Curriculum and Assessment Development 

ELP standards are meant to support the development of curriculum and assessments that measure ELs’ 

attainment of English language proficiency. Nearly all sets of ELP standards (31) underscored that 

language is best learned through meaningful interactions and 15 sets noted that students’ native language 

can influence their acquisition of English language proficiency. Language was understood as being 

functional, as varying across contexts, and as developing interdependently across the four domains, but 

standards documents tended not to formally address the notion that language is cultural learning. Only 

six sets of ELP standards included specific suggestions for activities that reflect examples of language 

learning and how to support and measure it. 

Conclusions 

In conclusion, ELP standards varied considerably across states in their structure, 

the degree of explicit references to academic content, the prevalence of the 

components of academic language, and the presence of supports to aid instruction 

and assessment. 

Most sets of ELP standards meet the basic ESEA requirements in terms of grade representation (28) 

and inclusion in some manner of the reading, writing, speaking and listening domains (30, with 20 sets of 

ELP standards organized into separate sections for each of the four domains). Further, most sets of ELP 

standards reflected some references to the English language arts content area, and many standards also 

reflected references to content in mathematics and science. Only 6 sets of ELP standards demonstrated 

supports for the instructional use of their ELP standards. 

While this survey provides new information about the state of ELP standards, it did not yield evidence 

of whether ELP standards are actually effective in guiding instruction or producing improvements in 

student learning. The quality of implementation of states’ ELP standards would be a key consideration in 

determining how effective such standards were in actually supporting students’ acquisition of ELP and 

academic achievement, but was not the focus of the present study. 

Fifty of the 51 states have adopted new ELP standards since the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA; this 

suggests that this legislation played a role in the very existence of state ELP standards. Since nearly half 

the states (20 in the 2008–09 school year and increasing to 23 in 2009–10) have chosen to adopt the 

WIDA ELP standards and assessments, many states appear to be open to collaboration and interstate 

supports in the definition and assessment of ELP. On the other hand, some states have developed what 

they believe to be strong ELP standards on their own and may prefer to continue independently. 
Summary and Conclusions 33

In the years to come, states are likely to engage in another round of revisions to their ELP standards. In 

the near term, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative (http://www.corestandards.org/) has 

presented states with the opportunity to opt into a set of academic content expectations in mathematics 

and English language arts that will be used in common by the vast majority of states across the country. 

We would expect that the CCSS will influence the content and content linkages that states include in 

their ELP standards; indeed, WIDA and some other states, are already exploring ways to adjust their 

ELP standards work to better reflect the Common Core. In addition, as the number and proportion of 

ELs in American classrooms continue to grow, states will increasingly be called upon to ensure that ELP 

standards support their ELs’ acquisition of academic English language proficiency through such explicit 

linkages.18

 18. States, of course, must comply with the civil rights laws as they support their ELs’ acquisition of academic 

English language proficiency. This document, however, is not intended to provide policy or guidance with respect to the 

legal requirements for compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational 

Opportunities Act of 1974. For information with respect to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 please consult the 

Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (see www.ed.gov/ocr) or the Department of Justice’s Educational 

Opportunities Section for information with respect to the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (see 

www.justice.gov/crt/about/edu/).

References 35

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APPENDIX A:

DESCRIPTION OF DATA COLLECTION

AND THE SURVEY PROTOCOL

Appendix A 39

Appendix A: Description of Data Collection 

and the Survey Protocol

Collection of ELP Standards and Documentation

In the spring and summer of 2009, each state’s ELP standards and all supplemental documents 

pertaining to ELP standards as implemented in the 2008–09 school year were collected from the sources 

listed in Appendix B. In most cases, all necessary documentation was available from a state’s website. 

Researchers contacted states directly when documentation was missing or it was unclear which 

documents related to 2008–09. 

In 2008–09, 20 states were members of the WIDA Consortium and, therefore, shared common ELP 

standards. For these states, a single survey of the WIDA standards counted as the survey across all 

20 member states. When a WIDA state also offered state-specific supplemental documents, these 

documents were surveyed. 

Development and Application of the Protocol

The first step in the development of the survey protocol involved an extensive literature review to clarify 

federal requirements for states’ ELP standards and assessments, and to identify key concepts related to 

the content and structure of standards from contemporary second language acquisition theory. This 

information was then used to develop a draft protocol, on which three researchers were trained. 

Researchers piloted the protocol independently with the ELP standards for four states. The researchers’ 

ratings for these four states were compared and discussed, and as a result, some minor modifications 

were made to the draft protocol. 

Prior to the full survey, the researchers were once again trained on the protocol. Of the three 

researchers, two conducted initial surveys and the third reconciled any differences between the first two 

researchers’ ratings. The individuals selected to serve as raters were chosen for their expertise in second 

language acquisition, language, and extensive experience working on curriculum and state standards for 

ELs. 

The ratings were compiled from the two researchers by a fourth researcher, who identified discrepancies 

between the two sets of ratings and created a form for the third researcher to record reconciliation 

ratings. The third researcher independently rated each of the characteristics for which the first two 

researchers’ ratings were not an exact match. Data analyses were conducted using a Microsoft Access 

database. 

Inter-rater agreement was calculated for the researchers twice, at the end of the pilot survey and at the 

end of the final survey. At the end of the pilot survey, the researchers had an exact or adjacent match 

inter-rater agreement rate of 0.71 for questions in the protocol that did not require open-ended 

responses. At the end of the final survey, the inter-rater agreement rate was 0.69 for exact matches and 

0.92 for matches that were either exact or discrepant by only 1 point on the 4-point rubric that included 

a No Evidence rating. 

APPENDIX B: 

SOURCES FOR STATES’ 

ELP STANDARDS DOCUMENTS

Appendix B 43

Appendix B: Sources for States’

ELP Standards Documents

This appendix provides access to those documents included in the survey. In the spring and summer of 

2009, each state’s ELP standards and all supplemental documents19 pertaining to ELP standards as 

implemented in the 2008–09 school year were collected from the sources listed below. 

19. A list of the supplemental documents reviewed is available upon request.

The following list 

of the URLs of each state’s ELP standards provides either a direct link to the state’s ELP standards or a 

link to the state’s department of education website with further directions for accessing the standards 

noted below. 

Exhibit B–1. List of State ELP Standards Websites

State URL Address of State ELP Standards 

Alabama See URL for WIDA.

Alaska http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/elp/ELPStandards/ELPBOOKFinalMarch2006.pdf

Arizonab http://www.ade.az.gov/standards/otherstandards.asp

Arkansas http://arkansased.org/educators/pdf/eng_proficiency_2006_052908.pdf

California http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/englangdevstnd.pdf

Colorado http://www.cde.state.co.us/cde_english/download/ELDStandardsApril2005.pdf

Connecticuta http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&q=320848

Delaware See URL for WIDA.

Florida http://etc.usf.edu/flstandards/la/new-pdfs/elp-k-8.pdf

Georgia See URL for WIDA.

Hawaii See URL for WIDA.

Idaho http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/lep/guidance_docs/Idaho_Map_073106.pdf

Illinois See URL for WIDA.

Indiana http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-elp/2003-10-1-

elpstandards.pdf

Iowaa http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=683&Itemid=1391#

guides

Kansasa http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3444

Kentucky See URL for WIDA.

Louisianaa http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/eia/487.html

Maine See URL for WIDA.

Marylandb http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/elp/index.html

Massachusetts http://www.doe.mass.edu/ell/benchmark.pdf

Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/documents/English_Lang_153694_7._Proficiency_Standards.pdf

Minnesota http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/EnglishLang/documents/Publication/008542.pdf

Mississippi See URL for WIDA.

Missouri http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/bilingualesol/elpstandards/documents/elpmissourielpstandardscomplete_03_2008.pdf

Montana Not available online; retrieved through state department.

Nebraska http://www.education.ne.gov/NATLORIGIN/PDF/ELL%20GUIDELINES%20FALL%202004.pdf

continued next page 

 
Appendix B 44

Exhibit B–1. List of State ELP Standards Websites (continued)

State URL Address of State ELP Standards 

Nevadab http://nde.doe.nv.gov/Standards_EngilshSecLang_Standards.html

New Hampshire See URL for WIDA.

New Jersey See URL for WIDA.

New Mexico http://www.ped.state.nm.us/BilingualMulticultural/dl08/NMEnglishLanguageDevStandards.pdf

New York http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/biling/resource/ESL/06PerInd.pdf

North Carolina See URL for WIDA.

North Dakota See URL for WIDA.

Ohioa http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelation

ID=500&Content=57197

Oklahoma See URL for WIDA.

Oregon http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/standards/elp/files/all.pdf

Pennsylvania See URL for WIDA.

Rhode Island See URL for WIDA.

South Carolinaa http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Accountability/Federal-and-State-Accountability/old/fp/ESOLTitleIII.html

South Dakota See URL for WIDA.

Tennessee http://www.state.tn.us/education/fedprog/doc/fpeslcurriculum.pdf

Texas http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html#74.4

Utah http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/ELLALS/documents/EnglishLanguageLearnersPS.pdf

Vermont See URL for WIDA.

Virginia See URL for WIDA.

Washingtonb http://www.k12.wa.us/MigrantBilingual/ELD.aspx

Washington, DC See URL for WIDA.

West Virginia http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/p2417.pdf

WIDAb http://www.wida.us/standards/elp.aspx

Wisconsin See URL for WIDA.

Wyoming http://www.k12.wy.us/FP/title3/Wy_ELD_ELA.pdf

a The URL directs you to the state’s department of education website, and you must then follow a link to download 

the document in PDF or Word format.20 

20. Click on “English Language Learner Framework—State Board Approved 11/05” to access Connecticut standards. Click on 

“Guidelines for Implementing English Language Proficiency Standards in Iowa” to access Iowa standards. Download “Kansas 

ESOL Curricular Standards 2004” to access Kansas standards. Click on “English Language Development Standards—Bulletin 

112” to access Louisiana standards. Click on “Ohio English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards” to access Ohio standards. 

Click on “South Carolina ESOL Standards” to access South Carolina standards.

b The URL directs you to the state’s department of education website, where you must click on multiple links to 

access the multiple standards documents.

 
APPENDIX C: 

SURVEY DESIGN

Appendix C 47

Appendix C: Survey Protocol

The following represents a replication of the Microsoft Access forms that the researchers used to complete 

the survey of all states’ ELP standards. Each researcher filled out the following forms for each state. 
Appendix C 48
Appendix C 49
Appendix C 50
Appendix C 51
Appendix C 52

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