High School ELA Idaho Standards

Mechanics

Grammar and Usage

Grammar and Conventions

Digital Communications

Oral Communications

Oral and Digital Communications Strand

Handwriting and Keyboarding

Range of Writing

Writing Strand

Deep Reading on Topics to Build Knowledge

Inquiry Process to Build, Present, and Use Knowledge

Research Strand

Academic Vocabulary

Word Building

Vocabulary Development

Nonfiction Text

Literature

Reading Fluency

Textual Evidence

Volume of Reading to Build Knowledge

Text Complexity

Reading Comprehension

Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed.

Use a variety of sentence structures, including compound and compound-complex sentences with effective coordination and subordination of ideas and parallel, repetitive, and analogous sentence structures.

Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian's Manual for Writers) appropriate for the writing type.

Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte's Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation; and distinguish where informal discourse is more appropriate.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of English punctuation and capitalization when writing and reading aloud to create meaning.

Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements in writing, including correct use of seriation (headings and subheadings).

Spell correctly, consulting reference materials to check as needed.

Engage in collaborative discussions about grade-level topics and texts with peers by promoting civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, establishing individual roles, and tracking progress on specific goals; propelling conversations forward by synthesizing comments and ideas of several speakers and responding to diverse perspectives with relevant observations and ideas, resolving contradictions when possible; and determining what additional information is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

Analyze how visual and sound techniques or design (such as special effects, camera angles, and music) carry or influence messages in various media.

Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence orally, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning; ensure alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed; and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

Demonstrate the responsible and ethical use of information and communication technologies by distinguishing between kinds of information that should and should not be publicly shared and describing the consequences of a poor decision.

Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse digital media to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

Analyze multiple interpretations of a text (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text.

Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Independently and proficiently read and comprehend texts representing a balance of genres, cultures, and perspectives that exhibit complexity at the lower end of the grades 11–12 band.

Regularly engage in a volume of reading, texts independently, with peers, or with modest support related to the topics and themes being studied to build knowledge and vocabulary.

Draw and cite strong and thorough evidence from grade-level texts to support claims and inferences, attending to important distinctions authors make and how those are supported, as well as any gaps or inconsistencies in accounts offered.

Read grade-level text with accuracy, automaticity, appropriate rate, and expression in successive readings to support comprehension

Use evidence from literature to demonstrate understanding of grade-level texts.

Compare the development of a universal theme over the course of two texts, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details in each.

Evaluate the choices authors make regarding how to develop and relate several elements of literary texts , including how the characters are introduced and developed and how the action is ordered.

Evaluate how authors structure texts to distinguish what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant, including satire, sarcasm, irony, and understatement.

Relate literary works and their authors' points of view to the political events and seminal ideas of their eras.

Compare and contrast how works of literary or cultural significance, including myths and traditional stories, draw on similar themes, patterns of events, or character types.

Use evidence from nonfiction works to demonstrate understanding of grade-level texts.

Compare texts that express similar central ideas and analyze in detail how their development and treatment of the topic compares over the course of the two texts; provide accurate summaries of how key events or ideas develop.

Evaluate various explanations of concepts and ideas and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, noting discrepancies among sources.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the structure(s) and rhetorical devices authors use in their exposition or argument, including whether the structure helps makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

Analyze the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in an argument, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.

Evaluate the premises and purposes in works of public advocacy.

Conduct brief as well as multi-day research projects to take some action or share findings orally or in writing by formulating multiple interlocking research questions that span the field of inquiry in time and scope; gathering relevant information efficiently from a variety of authoritative sources, as well as from direct observation, interviews, and surveys; making distinctions about the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience, noting any discrepancies among the data; and following a standard approved format (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) for citations and bibliographies.

Read a series of texts independently, with peers, or with modest support, organized around a variety of conceptually related topics to build knowledge about the world.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or portion of text; a word's position or function in a sentence or a sentence within a paragraph) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., symbol, symbolism, symbolic, symbolize).

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), print or digital, to find the pronunciation of a grade-level word and determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Determine how words and phrases provide meaning and nuance to texts.

Use Greek, Latin, and Norse mythology; and other works often alluded to in American and world literature to understand the meaning of words or phrases (e.g., "narcissistic" from the myth of Narcissus and Echo).

Analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how FDR explored different ideas regarding freedom in his "Four Freedoms" speech).

Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations (e.g., aggressive, assertive, forceful, domineering).

Analyze the impact of specific word choices on the effectiveness of the message meaning and the tone of the text.

Acquire and use accurately general academic and content-specific words and phrases occurring in grade-level reading and content; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Use these words in discussions and writing.

Develop flexibility in writing by routinely engaging in the production of shorter and longer pieces for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. This could include, among others, summaries, reflections, descriptions, critiques, letters, and poetry, etc.

Write arguments that support well-defined points of view that establish the significance of the claim(s) and distinguish those claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims with persuasive evidence and clear reasoning; point out the strengths and limitations of each claim in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, and values; and provide a concluding section that articulates the implications, or the significance, of the argument presented.

Teachers can include informational and narrative writing at their discretion.

Teachers can include informational and narrative writing at their discretion.

Produce clear and coherent organizational structures that attend to the norms and conventions of the writing genre, and in which ideas, concepts, and other information build on one another; include formatting and graphics to support the purpose, aid in comprehension, and create a unified whole; and use precise language, content-specific vocabulary, and varied transitions to link major sections of the text, create cohesion and clarify the relationships between and among ideas and concepts.

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on reframing points to address specific purposes or needs of the audience. (Editing should demonstrate command of grade-level Grammar and Conventions.)

Write by hand or with technology to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Mechanics

Grammar and Usage

Grammar and Conventions

Digital Communications

Oral Communications

Oral and Digital Communications Strand

Handwriting and Keyboarding

Range of Writing

Writing Strand

Deep Reading on Topics to Build Knowledge

Inquiry Process to Build, Present, and Use Knowledge

Research Strand

Academic Vocabulary

Word Building

Vocabulary Development

Nonfiction Text

Literature

Reading Fluency

Textual Evidence

Volume of Reading to Build Knowledge

Text Complexity

Reading Comprehension

Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

Use parallel structure.

Place modifiers properly.

Use the subjunctive mood accurately.

Avoid run-on sentences, comma splices, and sentence fragments.

Use subordination, coordination, apposition, and other devices to indicate the relationship between ideas clearly.

Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

Use various types of clauses (independent, dependent, noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of English punctuation and capitalization when writing and reading aloud to create meaning.

Use a semicolon (or appropriate conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.

Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.

Observe hyphenation conventions.

Spell correctly, consulting reference materials to check as needed.

Engage in collaborative discussions about grade-level topics and texts with peers by setting rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, defining individual roles, tracking progress on specific goals; responding to others' questions and comments and diverse perspectives with precise evidence, relevant observations, and ideas; and making new connections considering the evidence and reasoning presented.

Analyze the effect of text and images on the reader's or viewer's emotions in print journalism, and images, sound, and text in electronic journalism, distinguishing techniques used in each to achieve these effects.

Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Report orally on a topic or text or present an argument, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound reasoning, and well-chosen details in a style appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Manage personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and be conscious and aware of data-collection technology used to track and exploit navigation online.

Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse digital media, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different media (e.g., a person's life story in print or digitally), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

Make strategic use of digital media presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Independently and proficiently read and comprehend texts representing a balance of genres, cultures, and perspectives that exhibit complexity at the higher end of the grades 9–10 band.

Regularly engage in a volume of reading related to the topics and themes being studied to build knowledge and vocabulary. (These texts can include a range of genres and should be at a range of complexity levels so students can read the texts independently, with peers, or with modest support.)

Draw ample evidence from grade-level texts to support claims and inferences, attending to the precise details of the authors' descriptions or explanations through quoting, paraphrasing, and citing textual references.

Read grade-level text with accuracy, automaticity, appropriate rate, and expression in successive readings to support comprehension.

Use evidence from literature to demonstrate understanding of grade-level texts.

Analyze the development of themes over the course of the text, including how themes emerge and are shaped and refined by specific details.

Analyze how complex characters—those with multiple or conflicting motivations—develop over the course of texts, interact with other characters, and advance the plot.

Analyze how authors structure specific parts of a text, including the choice of where to begin and end a scene, and explain how they contribute to its overall structure and meaning.

Analyze points of view or cultural experiences that represent diverse voices and perspectives in works of literature.

Compare multiple interpretations of texts (including recorded or live production), evaluating how each version interprets the source text.

Use evidence from nonfiction works to demonstrate understanding of grade-level texts.

Analyze the development of central ideas over the course of texts, including how they emerge and are shaped and refined by specific details; provide accurate summaries of how key events or ideas develop.

Explain how authors unfold an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn among them.

Analyze how authors use structure to explain relationships among concepts in a text, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and sections of texts contribute to the whole.

Assess the argument and specific claims in texts, examining whether the reasoning is valid, the evidence is relevant, and whether there are any false or unsupported statements.

Analyze seminal documents of historical and literary significance, including how they address related themes and concepts of liberty, equality, individual responsibility, and justice.

Conduct brief as well as multi-day research projects to take some action or share findings orally or in writing by formulating a research question and considering alternative avenues of inquiry; gathering relevant information from a variety authoritative sources and assessing which provide the most reliable and useful information; and following a standard approved format (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) for citations and bibliographies.

Read a series of texts organized around a variety of conceptually related topics to build knowledge about the world. (These texts should be at a range of complexity levels so students can read the texts independently, with peers, or with modest support.)

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or portion of text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., defend, defense, defendant, defensible).

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), print or digital, to find the pronunciation of a grade-level word and determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Determine how words and phrases provide meaning and nuance to texts.

Use Greek, Latin, and Norse mythology, and other works often alluded to in American and world literature to understand the meaning of words or phrases (e.g., reference to "Achilles's heel" from Greek mythology).

Interpret figurative language (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze its role in texts (e.g., The Party's embrace of the slogans "War is Peace" and "Freedom is Slavery" in Orwell's 1984).

Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations (e.g., shrewd, clever, cunning, brainy).

Analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how Jonathan Swift uses exaggeration to create his satirical essay "A Modest Proposal").

Acquire and use accurately general academic and content-specific words and phrases occurring in grade-level reading and content; demonstrate independence when gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Use these words in discussions and writing.

Develop flexibility in writing by routinely engaging in the production of shorter and longer pieces for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. This could include, among others, summaries, reflections, descriptions, critiques, letters, and poetry, etc.

(Argument writing is a priority in grades 11/12; teachers can include argument at their discretion.)

Write informational texts that introduce the topic clearly by providing needed context, presenting well-defined theses, and previewing what is to follow; develop the topic through sustained use of the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples from multiple authoritative sources appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic; and provide a concluding section that follows from the information or explanation presented.

(Teachers can include narrative writing at their discretion.)

Produce clear and coherent organizational structures that attend to the norms and conventions of the writing genre and in which ideas, concepts, and other information are logically grouped; include formatting and graphics to support the purpose and create a unified whole; and use precise language, content-specific vocabulary, and varied transitions to link major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between and among ideas and concepts.

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing should demonstrate command of grade-level Grammar and Conventions.)

Write by hand or with technology to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.