Highlights
English Language Arts Georgia Standards of Excellence
(ELAGSE K-12)
The Georgia Standards of Excellence describe a vertically aligned, benchmarked set of performance standards for students in English Language Arts and Literacy. The standards establish a staircase of increasing complexity in what students must be able to read and write so that all students are ready for the demands of college and/or career level communication no later than the end of high school. Students read a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects. The standards mandate certain critical types of content for all students, including classical myths and stories from around the world, foundational U.S. documents, seminal works of American literature, and the writings of Shakespeare. The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant text evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing – a basic form or argument – extending down into the earliest grades. Narrative and explanatory writing, as well as technical writing and research are also foundational.
The standards require that students gain, evaluate, and present increasingly complex information, ideas and evidence through listening and speaking as well as through media. The standards help prepare students for real life experience at college and in 21st century careers. The standards recognize that students must be able to use formal English in their writing and speaking but that they must also be able to make informed, skillful choices among the many ways to express themselves through language. It is important to note the impact of the standards on classroom instruction: building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction; reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from the text, both literary and informational; and regular practice with complex text and its academic language.
Resources and Professional Learning
- For English Language Arts resources and professional learning opportunities, visit the ELA page on GeorgiaStandards.Org.
- For K - 5 content information, email Dr. Cassandra Matthews, Elementary ELA Program Specialist, at camatthews@doe.k12.ga.us.
- For Grades 6 - 12 content information, email Ms. Stephanie Sanders, ELA Program Specialist, at ssanders@doe.k12.ga.us.
- Join the ELA mailing list to receive updates from the English Language Arts program; please send an email with no message to the appropriate email address listed here:
English Language Arts K - 5
Join-ela-k-5@list.doe.k12.ga.usEnglish Language Arts 6 - 8
Join-ela-6-8@list.doe.k12.ga.us
English Language Arts District Support
Join-districtsupport@list.doe.k12.ga.us
Suggested Websites for Teachers
Information for Parents and Students
Information for Administrators, Counselors, and Educators
English Language Arts Testing and Assessment Resources
Georgia Milestones EOG Resources
Georgia Milestones EOG Resources
2015 Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition
The
Georgia Council of Teachers of English (GCTE) will facilitate the Young Georgia Authors contest again this 2015 – 2016 school year. Information will be posted on the GCTE Website soon. The GaDOE will also include communication on the ELA Program page as soon as updated GCTE Guidelines are posted.