How Are California’s Academic Content Standards Organized?

English-Language Arts

Domain Reading Writing Listening and Speaking Written and Oral English- Language Conventions The Language Arts Content Standards are organized into four DOMAINS, which are the general categories.

DomainStrand Reading 1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development 2.0 Reading Comprehension 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis Each Domain is divided into smaller groupings called "strands." Strands are the topical categories that span all grade levels.

Strands have “themes” which are grouped by the following grade spans:  K,  1 st -4 th  5 th -8 th  9 th -12 th

Example of a Strand “Theme” 1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development GRADES 1-4 : Students understand the basic features of reading. They select letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language by using phonics, syllabication, and word parts. They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent reading. GRADES 5-8: Students use their knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade- level-appropriate words.

DomainStrandSubstrand Reading 1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, Systematic Vocabulary Development  Concepts About Print  Phonemic Awareness  Decoding and Word Recognition  Vocabulary and Concept Development Each strand is further divided into substrands, which may span several, but not all grade levels.

DomainStrandsSubstrandStandards Reading 1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, Systematic Vocabulary Development  Concepts About Print 1.1 Match oral words to printed words. 1.2 Identify the title and author of a reading selection. 1.3 Identify letters, words, and sentences Each substrand has specific standards. The standards are grade-level specific skills.

Please Note “The standards within substrands and strands serve as benchmarks by which to gauge what students should learn at designated points in time and over time. The strands are not intended to suggest that each standard is to be given equal weight in a given year. Instead the weight and emphasis of a particular strand must be determined by (1) the role of the standards within the strand to developing competence within a specific domain, such as reading or writing; and (2) the performance of the learners.” From page 6: Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools

And also, “The standards are mastery standards, meaning that students should master or be proficient in the knowledge, skills, and strategies specified in a particular standard, at least by the end of the designated grade. Instruction to develop such proficiency is not, however, restricted to a specific grade. … For example, Reading Standard 1.9 specifies that students will be able to divide single- syllable words into their components (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/ = cat). This standard does not propose that students wait until the first grade to begin sequential segmentation but that they master the skill at least by the end of the first grade.” From pages 6/7: Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools

Mathematics

STRANDSStandards Grades K-7 Organized by Grade Level  Number Sense  Algebra and Functions  Measurement and Geometry  Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability  Mathematical Reasoning Each strand has it’s own standards. COURSES Each course has it’s own standards. Grades 8-12 Organized by Course  Algebra  Geometry  Algebra II  Trigonometry,Calculus, Etc…. “Key standards” and topical areas of emphasis are noted and described. Key standards “are the most important ones to be covered within a grade level” (p. 107, California Mathematics Framework)