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2015 ELA-ELD Adoption FAQs

2015 English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Adoption Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), dated October 21, 2014. Pending Approval by the Instructional Quality Commission in November 2014.

Please note that while the following general categories are used, many questions and answers overlap categories and therefore all FAQ should be carefully examined.

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Submission Process Questions | ELA Standards | ELD - Specifics Questions | Program Type 1 Questions | Program Type 3 Questions | Program Type 4 and 5 Questions | Assessment Questions | Transitional Kindergarten Questions | Additional Content Questions | District Acquisitions of Instructional Materials Questions |


Submission Process Questions
  1. Do materials have to be available in multiple languages and what languages does CA require?
  1. What are the expectations of mid-year implementations in January 2016? Do you expect people will start using the program at that time or will they wait for the back to school 2016?
  1. Must publishers include the text of the standards in instructional materials submitted for this review?
ELA Standards Questions
  1. Please clarify the difference between the following:
    a) Formal and informal language
    b) Standard and nonstandard English
  1. Please confirm or clarify the following interpretation of this standard: Spell untaught words phonetically drawing on phonetic knowledge of words not taught. As we teach phonetic elements, we then have students use their phonetic knowledge to spell unknown words with that phonetic element. We combine decoding and encoding instruction and build on a student’s phonetic knowledge.
  1. For the standards captured below, if students are expected to do each one by the end of the year, how is success measured? (e.g., would we show this in our pacing guide and entry points?). In our program we provide independent level and instructional level text with strong teacher support throughout the program. Do you have a recommendation on how we should document in the standards map?

    RL.3.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

    RL.4.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.


    RL.5.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

    RL.6.10 - By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

  1. The following standard occurs at each grade level. Should Lexile be used as the determiner when assessing the grade level piece of text? Older students might be reading instructional level text in a grade 2 Lexile band, but the complexity may be at a higher level for interest and engagement. L.1.4a Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  1. How do we address the theme of foundational skills at grades 6-8? Does this theme apply to grades 6-8?
  1. To meet the wide reading Criteria, do publishers need to provide the independent reading materials?
  1. For Program Type 1 English learner accommodations, would Level 1 students be mainstreamed with native English speakers? What about Level 2 students? Would such accommodations need to be present in every lesson?
  1. Must the students read the entire novel as part of classwork? Or is the reading of excerpts acceptable?
  1. Instead of a novel, can grade 8 students be directed to use a memoir such as A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas? How about the play, A Raisin in the Sun, in grade 7? Or instead of a traditional novel, the use of the Gris Grimsley graphic novel of Frankenstein, perhaps with class time for Mary Shelley's version in class thereafter?
  1. Is a unit on Romeo & Juliet, with selected excerpts, acceptable for grade 7?
  1. Should programs have weekly spelling lists and tests? Or may spelling be addressed through reading, writing and language assignments?
  1. To what degree does the spelling program need to connect with the texts in the curriculum? Can the spelling program sit apart with no explicit core curriculum overlap?
  1. What is “authentic writing” for students?
ELD Questions
  1. Are foundational skills taught in designated ELD?
Program Type 1 Questions
  1. Does Program Type 1 include or even imply any integration of ELD support?
Program Type 3 Questions
  1. Do publishers need to provide instruction for a designated Spanish language development time similar to the designated ELD time for Program Type 3?
  2. Does Program Type 3 require Spanish as a second language instruction?
  3. What are the five most common languages spoken by English learners in California?
Program Type 4 and 5 Questions
  1. Regarding Program Type 4, is it necessary to cover all disciplines (science; social studies; mathematics; fine arts; health; etc.)?
  2. Is there an expectation for integrated ELD instruction with Program Type 4 submissions?
  3. What standards need to be covered in each grade for Program Type 4?
  4. Must Program Types 4 and 5 be connected to the core curriculum?
  5. With respect to the purpose of Intensive Intervention as supplemental to the Basic:  What length of time would be considered support to the Basic Program (vs. a replacement for the basic program)?
  6. Are there percentage requirements for literary and informational text for Program Type 5 (Framework, Chapter 12, Category 1, Criterion 7)?
Assessment Questions
  1. Is it acceptable to include performance-based assessments instead of end-of-unit tests?
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
  1. How does TK fit into this adoption process?
Additional Content Questions
  1. Should a publisher include guidance regarding instruction for combinations classes?
  2. Where should teacher guidance regarding instruction for combinations classes be found? In each unit? In each lesson?
  3. Are student materials required in languages other than English? If not, how can we handle districts that need their materials in Spanish, etc.?
  4. In which program types must cross-linguistic transfer be addressed?
District Acquisitions of Instructional Materials Questions
  1. Must districts purchase instructional materials from the SBE adoption list?
  2. What funding is available to districts to purchase instructional materials?
  3. Will the CDE create a toolkit for districts to use when considering materials for adoption?


Questions:   Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | CFIRD@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0881
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, January 8, 2025