Using the College and Career Readiness Standards with Adult ESL Literacy Students

The College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) were created by the U.S. Department of Education to align Adult Basic Education (ABE) and ESL instruction across the states. They also provide learners attending ABE and ESL classes with the academic and critical thinking skills to be able to be successful in careers or higher education once they leave those programs.

For teachers of lower levels of ESL learners, it can be challenging to know where to begin when it comes to implementing the standards in your classroom. Fortunately, two adult ESL literacy level teachers have put together a website which demonstrates how the standards can be modified for learners at the very beginning levels. The website provides modifications for most of the English Language Arts (ELA) standards in the reading, writing, and speaking/listening strands, along with instructions and examples for implementing them in your classes.

"We believe that it is possible to scaffold academic and workplace skills into beginning classes and that doing this work eases transitions later on. Most importantly, we know that ESL literacy students are absolutely capable of performing 21st century skills which have been adapted to their level. As such, during the 2016-17 school year, we developed modifications for the Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Standards."

Find great examples and activity ideas at Using the College and Career Readiness Standards with Adult ESL Literacy Students.