English Language Arts

Elementary students reading books at their desk

In the Northshore School District, literacy instruction involves the integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and critical thinking. Over time, the K-12 Literacy Pathway develops student ability to think, create, question, solve problems, and reflect in order to participate effectively in a democratic, multi-cultural society.

The NSD literacy plan along with the OSPI English Language Arts (ELA) Menu of Best Practices and the Common Core State Standards provide the foundational building blocks of a comprehensive literacy system:

Core instruction and interventions aligned to standards.
Assessments and data that support learning and teaching through early identification for additional literacy support and progress monitoring.
Professional learning opportunities to improve pedagogy and to support student literacy outcomes.

Standards

Washington formally adopted the Washington State K-12 Learning Standards (Common Core State Standards) for English language arts.

Core Instructional Materials

Grades K-5:
- Into Reading by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - adopted 2022. This program is constructed to match the stair-step mastery of skills presented in the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and align with the instructional tenants of the Science of Reading. Learn about its selection.
Grades 6-8:
- SpringBoard by College Board - adopted 2014
Grades 9-12:
- Writing Analytically by Cengage Publishers - adopted 2015 (Gr9-12)
- Reading the World by Perfection Learning Publishers - adopted 2015 (Gr9-12)
- Common Threads by Bedford/St Martins Publishers - adopted 2015 (Gr9-10)
- America Now by MacMillan Publishers - adopted 2015 (Gr11)
- 50 Essays by Samuel Cohen - adopted 2016 (Gr12)

Pathways

English Language Arts follows grade-specific content and standards for the pathway. Additional options for advanced courses and those aligned with the student's High School and Beyond Plan become available once in high school.

Assessments for Learning

District Assessments: Reading progress at the elementary and middle school levels is monitored using the i-Ready Reading Assessment according to the following schedule:

GrK: Winter and spring

Gr1-8: Fall, winter, and spring

To monitor student reading behaviors and fluent reading skills, teachers can administer Individual Running Records using the Into Reading Benchmark Assessment Kits.
State Assessments: Students in grades 3-8 and grade 10 take the Smarter Balanced Assessment in English Language Arts each spring during the last 12 weeks of the school year.