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Literacy Professional Development Programs - Professional Learning (CA Dept of Education)

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Information regarding in-service professional development programs for effective means of teaching literacy.

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Criteria & Guidance for the Selection or Development of Literacy PD Programs

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Criteria & Guidance for the Selection or Development of Literacy PD Programs

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Bill Text - AB-121 Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill.

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AB 121 Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill.

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CCLA Statewide Virtual Literacy Workshops

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CCLA Statewide Virtual Literacy Workshops

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2025-2026 CCLA Literacy Workshop Flyer.pdf

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Literacy Content Blocks for English-Medium Classroom for Tk- Grade 5

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Literacy Content Blocks for English-Medium Classroom for Tk- Grade 5

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Introduction to the Literacy Content Blocks (PDF)
Literacy Content Blocks are a central element of the California Literacy Roadmap. The purpose of the California Literacy Roadmap is to provide current and comprehensive, yet concise, guidance to help educators implement effective literacy instruction for all California students. Specifically, it is designed to help educators apply the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools (ELA/ELD Framework) to classroom instruction, navigate available resources and professional learning opportunities, and improve literacy outcomes for all students, with a focus on equity.

The Literacy Content Blocks are intended to guide literacy instruction based on local context and students' identified assets and assessed needs. Literacy Content Blocks are provided for English-medium classrooms in transitional kindergarten through grade twelve and for multilingual classroom settings in transitional kindergarten through grade five. The blocks reflect an intentional approach to literacy that promotes carefully sequenced initial instruction, appropriate practice and reinforcement, intervention as necessary, and meaningful application in ELA and other content areas.

Overview

Users of the Literacy Content Blocks will find:

Alignment with the California Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy, the California ELD Standards, and the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations for Language and Literacy Development.

Alignment with the California ELA/ELD Framework, English Learner Roadmap, Dyslexia Guidelines, Comprehensive State Literacy Plan, and Digital Learning Integration and Standards Guidance for ELA, Literacy, and ELD.

Guidance on Comprehensive ELD instruction based on the California ELD Standards, including both integrated and designated ELD, designed to build students' English proficiency, refine their use of academic English, and ensure their access to subject area content.

Basic principles that characterize effective instruction across all literacy areas.

Selected, intentional repetition across literacy areas and grade levels, illustrating the integrated nature of literacy, the continuum of learning throughout the years, and the principles that are relevant for all learners, such as the value of motivation.

Organization

The Literacy Content Blocks are organized into four areas:

Language

Foundational Literacy Skills

Integrated Reading and Writing

Comprehensive ELD

Each area provides instructional guidance for the range of children that California's educators serve. Areas include statements that define and describe the specific literacy area and recommendations for the use of instructional time. Evidence- based practices that depict effective teaching approaches follow. These practices outline the key aspects and progression of literacy development to be addressed at the grade.

How the Literacy Content Blocks Can Be Used

The Literacy Content Blocks can and should be used, alongside standards and the many resources to which these content blocks are aligned, to guide the following:

Individual reflections on personal knowledge, priorities, and practices.

Team discussions of instructional materials and approaches, assessment results, and needed interventions.

Schoolwide and individual plans for professional learning, including coaching.

Development of school and district literacy plans, including a Multi-Tiered System of Support, analysis of the implementation of instruction across all literacy areas, and selection of curricula and assessment instruments.

Important Understandings

The guidance presented in the Literacy Content Blocks should be interpreted in the context of the following understandings:

The California ELA/ELD Framework underpins the Literacy Content Blocks. The framework identifies five themes that crosscut the strands of the standards for ELA, Literacy, and ELD. They include Foundational Skills,
Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Content Knowledge. These themes, although not specifically identified in the Literacy Content Blocks, informed their preparation. For example, Meaning Making is crucial in planning instruction in all four areas of the Literacy Content Blocks: Language, Foundational Literacy Skills, Integrated Reading and Writing, and Comprehensive ELD. Users of the Literacy Content Blocks will find that some guidance is, by design, repeated across the four areas to reflect the crosscutting nature of the themes.

Appreciating each student's individual strengths and areas for growth allows educators to tailor instruction that is both responsive and effective. To address the needs of students who have unfinished learning from prior grades and therefore need instructional bridges, as well as those who may be excelling beyond their current grade, teachers need to attend both to learning progressions and to the goals of grade-level curriculum. Through careful progress monitoring and differentiated instruction, with supplemental and intensified supports where needed, educators should aim to support every learner's progression along the literacy learning continuum and help them apply their developing literacy skills in all curricular areas.

Students grow and develop over time, and instruction should be planned, organized, and implemented with children's social-emotional, cognitive, and physical maturity in mind, as well as their academic progress. For example, whereas all students-regardless of age-need some consistency in learning experiences and environments, younger children typically require more predictability and routines even as they are engaging in new instruction and activities.

Students identified as English learners are diverse in their backgrounds, experiences, and levels of English language proficiency. Newcomer programs offer support to students who have recently arrived to help them navigate new academic, language, and social-emotional experiences. Many students new to English progress quickly through the initial stage (Emerging level) of language proficiency (based on the CA ELD Standards), but most need focused instruction to advance to the later stages (Expanding and Bridging levels) required of literacy development. This document attends particularly to instructional guidance for these more advanced levels.

Students bring a wide variation of abilities and needs, requiring that teachers, specialists, and families work together to determine how best to provide equitable access to the curriculum and ensure that all students excel. Universal practices may include breaking learning tasks into smaller steps, using visuals (e.g., diagrams, graphics, pictures, props) and other modes of instruction (e.g., movement) to support understanding and recall, providing frequent feedback, adjusting seating, and providing additional time. Consult the individualized education plan or 504 plan for specific accommodations or modifications identified for individual students.

Relationships with adults and peers matter and influence a student's motivation, attention, and effort. Thus, establishing a positive, safe, inclusive, warm, and caring environment is crucial at every age and grade.

Adults within effective systems share responsibility for student learning, collaborate regularly, and engage in data-driven decision-making. Well- designed school structures-schedules, staffing, instructional materials, assessment tools and processes, interventions, and ongoing professional learning and coaching-implemented within a Multi-Tiered System of Support framework are key to continuous improvement and student success.

Return to the California Literacy Roadmap
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, May 20, 2025

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Introduction to the Literacy Content Blocks

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Literacy Content Blocks are a central element of the California Literacy Roadmap and are intended to guide literacy instruction based on local context and students' identified assets and assessed needs.

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CDE Recommended Literature List - Updated 2025

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CDE Recommended Literature List - Updated 2025

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Introduction

Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences.

Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about. The annotation can help someone decide if the title is interesting and appropriate to read.

Literature used in a school is determined by the district. Each district should have a selection policy that explains the procedures it uses for selecting literature that reflects the school's education mission, program, and the ages and interests of its students. The selection policy should describe the process for reconsidering the use of a title. The Recommended Literature List is intended as a tool to assist districts as they select literature, but the list only recommends titles. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the district to select literature according to the selection policies that are in place.

Many of the literature selections available within the Recommended Literature List contain material that can be considered provocative or controversial. By its very nature, literature can stimulate debate and disagreement about important issues. The Recommended Literature List is designed to give local educational agencies a range of materials to choose from to meet the needs of local teachers and students. In California, specific decisions about classroom instruction are made at the local level by teachers and local administrators, rather than in Sacramento. It should be understood that inclusion of a variety of diverse materials on the Recommended Literature List does not preclude local teachers and administrators from selecting those specific materials that best suit the needs and interests of their local students.

In 2014, Assembly Bill (AB) 484 eliminated the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program of which the California Reading List (CRL) was a resource. The CRL identified leveled reading materials appropriate to a student's reading level using Lexile numbers provided on a student's STAR results report. Although it does not include Lexile numbers, the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve list is still available to aid students, teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders in discovering quality literature through a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, grade level, topic, genre, and culture.

Search the List

Recommended Literature List Search
Search the online database for books by grade level spans or other criteria. Some books may be out of print and not readily available through most sellers, but they may be available in libraries and through used bookstores.

Recommended Literature List Search Instructional Webinar
This webinar explains the purpose of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve, and demonstrates search techniques in order to access quality literature quickly.

Recommended Literature List Title Suggestion Survey
This survey may be filled out to suggest to the Recommended Literature List Committee titles to be included in future updates of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

Recommended Literature List Title Reconsideration Survey
This survey may be filled out to request that the Recommended Literature List Committee reconsider a title included within the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

List Resources

Recommended Literature List Resources
Information about the list including search categories, acknowledgements, awards, district selection policies, literary genres, classifications, connections to standards, cultural designations, frequently asked questions, and previously published literature lists.

Last Reviewed: Friday, December 18, 2020

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Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences. Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about.

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Visit our New Professional Learning Page

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Visit our New Professional Learning Page

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Contra Costa County Office of Education - Professional Learning

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Approved Screener Information Series Resource

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Approved Screener Information Series Resource

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Check out this Real Estate Flyer designed by Julie Dooley.

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2.18.25 RDRS Implementation Workgroup #4

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Project ARISE RDRS Informational Series 2025

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CCC Library Presentation from Amy Mockoski

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CCC Library Presentation from Amy Mockoski

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CCC Library at CCCOE ELA-ELD subcommittee 2025

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Bill Text - SB-321 Literacy: libraries: Local Public Library Partnership Program.

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SB 321 Literacy: libraries: Local Public Library Partnership Program.

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12.10.24 - RDRS Workgroup Meeting Agenda

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Check out our Project ARISE workshops and community of practice!

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Project ARISE Statewide PL Offerings 24-25

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Colorful Continuums of Student Engagement

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Now Open for Registration! CCLA Virtual & In Person Professional Learning Visit our Events page to learn more about the FREE Mathematics and Literacy workshops offered through CCLA.

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This toolkit is inspired and influenced by the work of Dr. Amy Berry and provides a series of mini-lessons that can be used to talk to students about learning and engagement. The goal is to create a community of learners with a shared language for how we show up into different learning spaces.

This toolkit is designed to support school sites and districts with developing a plan to accelerate student learning in literacy, language, and mathematics. The journey begins with asset mapping and leads users through the process of data reflection and goal setting in order to implement a meaningful Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle with intentionality and fidelity.

Missed a previous issue of the CCLA Newsletter?

Check out our CCLA Newsletter Archive!

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Bookshare Curated list for the 2025 Update

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Bookshare Curated list for the 2025 Update

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Bookshare | An Accessible Online Library for people with print disabilities

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Bookshare makes reading easier. People with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers can customize their experience to suit their learning style and find virtually any book they need for school, work, or the joy of reading.

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Accompanying resources for each book on the recommended literature list.

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TeachingBooks | Custom Reading List | CDE Recommended List 2024, PK-Grade 12

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Save the titles in your Custom Reading List to a new or previously created List Analysis Report.

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Introduction

Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences.

Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about. The annotation can help someone decide if the title is interesting and appropriate to read.

Literature used in a school is determined by the district. Each district should have a selection policy that explains the procedures it uses for selecting literature that reflects the school's education mission, program, and the ages and interests of its students. The selection policy should describe the process for reconsidering the use of a title. The Recommended Literature List is intended as a tool to assist districts as they select literature, but the list only recommends titles. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the district to select literature according to the selection policies that are in place.

Many of the literature selections available within the Recommended Literature List contain material that can be considered provocative or controversial. By its very nature, literature can stimulate debate and disagreement about important issues. The Recommended Literature List is designed to give local educational agencies a range of materials to choose from to meet the needs of local teachers and students. In California, specific decisions about classroom instruction are made at the local level by teachers and local administrators, rather than in Sacramento. It should be understood that inclusion of a variety of diverse materials on the Recommended Literature List does not preclude local teachers and administrators from selecting those specific materials that best suit the needs and interests of their local students.

In 2014, Assembly Bill (AB) 484 eliminated the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program of which the California Reading List (CRL) was a resource. The CRL identified leveled reading materials appropriate to a student's reading level using Lexile numbers provided on a student's STAR results report. Although it does not include Lexile numbers, the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve list is still available to aid students, teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders in discovering quality literature through a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, grade level, topic, genre, and culture.

Search the List

Recommended Literature List Search
Search the online database for books by grade level spans or other criteria. Some books may be out of print and not readily available through most sellers, but they may be available in libraries and through used bookstores.

Recommended Literature List Search Instructional Webinar
This webinar explains the purpose of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve, and demonstrates search techniques in order to access quality literature quickly.

Recommended Literature List Title Suggestion Survey
This survey may be filled out to suggest to the Recommended Literature List Committee titles to be included in future updates of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

Recommended Literature List Title Reconsideration Survey
This survey may be filled out to request that the Recommended Literature List Committee reconsider a title included within the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

List Resources

Recommended Literature List Resources
Information about the list including search categories, acknowledgements, awards, district selection policies, literary genres, classifications, connections to standards, cultural designations, frequently asked questions, and previously published literature lists.

Last Reviewed: Friday, December 18, 2020

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Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences. Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about.

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OPTEL Implementation Canvas training Modules

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OPTEL Implementation Canvas training Modules

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The Observation Protocol for Teachers of English Learners (OPTEL): OPTEL Materials & Resources

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Welcome to this suite of professional learning materials to support implementation of the Observation Protocol for Teachers of English Learners (OPTEL).

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Dual Language Immersion Webinar Series: Assessment

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Dual Language Immersion Webinar Series: Assessment

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CEP Webinars | The Children’s Equity Project

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Webinar Series: Access and Quality in Dual Language Immersion Programs in Early Care & Education

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Preschool/TK Learning Foundations Language and Literacy Development

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Preschool/TK Learning Foundations Language and Literacy Development

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REVISED 2024

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MLLN OPTEL Implementation CoP Registration Form

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This Community of Practice (CoP) is created from our Region 4 MLLN members’ desire to further collaborate around OPTEL implementation. As a member-driven CoP, agenda and discussion topics will be decided upon with input by those participating in the CoP.
Please fill out this quick survey to share topics/questions you’d like to discuss with the group. Please also indicate if you would like to be a co-facilitator for the CoP.
Update for 2024-25: Monthly meetings on Fridays 11am-12pm on 7/26, 8/19 (Monday) 2-3pm, 9/13, 10/18, 11/15, 1/17, 2/28, 3/21, 4/25, and 5/23.
Calendar invitation(s) with a Zoom link will be sent out to registered participants.

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REVISED JUNE 2023

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 2

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 2

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Creating Assets-Oriented & Student Responsive Schools

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Effective Literacy Education for EL/Emergent Bilingual Students in CA

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Effective Literacy Education for EL/Emergent Bilingual Students in CA

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Engaging Teachers in the English Learner Roadmap

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Engaging Teachers in the English Learner Roadmap

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High School - EL Roadmap Teacher Toolkit 

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High School - EL Roadmap Teacher Toolkit 

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Middle School - EL Roadmap Teacher Toolkit 

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Middle School - EL Roadmap Teacher Toolkit 

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Elementary - EL Roadmap Teacher Toolkit 

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Elementary - EL Roadmap Teacher Toolkit 

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 1

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 1

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Leading Implementation

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 3 

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 3 

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Ensuring the Intellectual Quality of Instruction and Meaningful Access for English Learners

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 4

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 4

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System Conditions for Implementation

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 5

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EL Roadmap Implementation Guide for Admin Vol. 5

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Aligning and Articulating Practices Across the System

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Published by the Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee (CISC) of the California County Superintendents' Educational Services Association (CCSESA), the English Learner Toolkit of Strategies (ELTS) is designed to provide K-12 classroom teachers, coaches and teachers on special assignments high leverage strategies to increase the English language proficiency of their English learners; the toolkit is designed to be used in both Integrated and Designated English Language Development. The strategies address reading, writing, speaking and listening to prepare ELs for literacy in the 21st century.

A checklist is included to help teachers identify the appropriate strategy for word/phrase, sentence/clause or text level understanding. A consistent template is used for ease of implementation. The template includes ideas for pre-planning, steps for strategy implementation, as well as examples of formative assessments, helpful figures, classroom snapshots and video lesson clips. The examples in the strategies are designed to provide clarity when working with students in either a Kindergarten - 6th grade or 6th grade - 12th grade setting.

It is recommended that teachers participate in professional learning opportunities to acquire and master the strategies in order to successfully utilize the checklist to plan for instruction. The toolkit offers practical ways to engage English learners to develop English language proficiency and grade level content mastery.

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English Learner Toolkit of Strategies - The California County Superintendents Educational Services Association advocates on behalf of K-12 and early childhood education at state and federal levels, and in partnership with state agencies. It provides the organizational mechanism for the 58 county superintendents to advance an educational system that supports all students.

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Overview SB114 -Reading Difficulties Risk Screener

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Overview SB114 -Reading Difficulties Risk Screener

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SB114 Overview - Reading Difficulties Risk Screener

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September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

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The State Board of Education adopted the English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework at their July 9, 2014, meeting. This is the final, edited digital version of the ELA/ELD Framework, published July 2015.
State Literacy Plan Priority:

Birth to age five: Support early childhood education (ECE) programs to create literacy-rich environments and experiences and support the quality of ECE programs and their capacity to support early language and literacy skills

Birth to age five: Increase parenting support by increasing parental knowledge, skills, and confidence through parenting curriculum and literacy activities with special attention to access and equity for all.

Transitional kindergarten to grade 5: Build teacher capacity for Tier 1 foundational skills and reading comprehension, including best first reading and writing instruction.

Transitional kindergarten to grade 5: Build school capacity for effective literacy and English language instruction for English learners, including opportunities to develop biliteracy and primary language instruction whenever possible.

Transitional kindergarten to grade 5: Build school capacity to support students struggling with reading, including, but not limited to, students with disabilities and students with dyslexia.

Transitional kindergarten to grade 5: Increase sustainable high-quality professional learning systems, including literacy coaching models.

Grades 6 to 12: Build teacher capacity across disciplines for literacy instruction.

Grades 6 to 12: Increase asset-based teaching in schools, including culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining pedagogies.

Grades 6 to 12: Build school capacity for effective academic content and literacy instruction for English learners, including opportunities to develop biliteracy and primary language instruction whenever possible.

Grades 6 to 12: Build school capacity for effective literacy instruction for students with disabilities.

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The State Board of Education adopted the English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework at their July 9, 2014, meeting. This is the final, edited digital version of the ELA/...

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P-3 Learning Progressions: Language & Literacy Development

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P-3 Learning Progressions: Language & Literacy Development