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This resource was developed by ESS Assistive Technology for the Indigenous Literacy Project participants in November of 2025

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This is a selection of books offered through the OIE Indigenous Literacy Project over the past four years.

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ADE Secondary Literacy resources website

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ADE Secondary Literacy resources website

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For middle and high school

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The Arizona Department of Education is focused on the importance of teaching children to read. It is important to continue this focus into the secondary classroom, including middle school and high school. In short, literacy instruction remains every bit as important in the older grades, as it is in grades K-3. The resources provided here are meant to assist secondary (6th-12th) ELA educators and parents in providing the best instruction for all Arizona students.

ELA Standards Grades 6-12

The Arizona English Language Arts Standards define the knowledge, understanding, and skills that need to be effectively taught and learned for all students to be ready to succeed in credit-bearing, college-entry courses, in the workplace, and/or in military service. The standards present a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the twenty-first century.

Grade-specific K-12 standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language translate the broad aims of The Arizona English Language Arts Anchor Standards into age- and attainment-appropriate terms. These standards allow for an integrated approach to literacy to help guide instruction.
You can access the Grade 6-12 ELA Standards, as well as the Vertical Articulation of Standards, Glossary, and other guidance materials on the Standards: English Language Arts webpage.
Interventions for Secondary/Adolescent Readers

This resource section is under construction, but a great place to start is:

IES Practice Guides - Institute of Education Sciences has provided a set of recommendations for evidence-based best practices to address challenges in classrooms and schools that serve the secondary grades.

Reading | Literature Resources

Achieve the Core - Text Complexity Toolkit

All About Adolescent Literacy - AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers.

AdLit Classroom Strategies - Before, During, and After Reading

CEEDAR - Disciplinary Literacy Course Enhancement Module

EdWeek - Spotlight on Adolescent Reading

GELN - Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom

IES Practice Guides - Institute of Education Sciences has provided a set of recommendations for evidence-based best practices to address challenges in classrooms and schools that serve the secondary grades.

Keys to Literacy Adolescent Literacy Resources - Joan Sedita of Keys to Literacy provides resources focused on adolescent literacy. Adolescent literacy encompasses the skills that must be taught to all students so they can meet increasingly challenging reading and writing demands as they move through the upper grades, as well as what needs to be done for those students who fall behind who may need intervention instruction in foundational literacy skills.

Meadows Center, Partner Reading Teachers' Guide - The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers a feasible partner reading procedure that can be used in middle school classrooms.

NCTE Bookstore, Adventurous Thinking: Fostering Students' Rights to Read and Write in Secondary ELA

NCTE Students' Right to Read - Plethora of resources for engaging students in literature.

ReadWriteThink - Powered by NCTE. ReadWriteThink is a teaching and learning community for English Language Arts teachers from K-12th grade with resources providing free access to the highest quality standards-based practices, lesson plans, videos, activities, and apps.

WestEd Publications, Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms

WestEd Reading Apprenticeship - What if instead of teaching around the text, lecturing, or summarizing for students, teachers engaged students in actually grappling with text - reading and talking about what it means and how they figured it out? WestEd has provided resources and materials to teach reading in a metacognitive way.

Writing | Grammar Resources
Writing Contests
JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - The Profile in Courage Essay Contest opens for submissions in the Fall of each year.

National Novel Writing Month Young Writers' Program - National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place in November. The Young Writers' Program supports under-18 writers and K-12 educators as they participate in the November event, and take part in smaller writing challenges year-round.

Pulitzer Center - Local Letters for Global Change: A Pulitzer Center Writing Contest, deadline is November 13, 2021
Grammar Resources
Heinemann Publishing, The Grammar Planbook

NCTE Bookstore, Grammar to Get Things Done: A Practical Guide for Teachers Anchored in Real-World Usage

Stenhouse Publishers, Revision Decisions: Talking Through Sentences and Beyond

Stenhouse Publishers, Everyday Editing: Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer's Workshop
Writing
Keys to Literacy, Keys to Content Writing Resources

IES Guide, Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively

Parent Resources

AdLit.org, "Organizations that Promote Adolescent Literacy" - From lesson plans and classroom tools to free books and opportunities to publish students' work, nonprofit organizations have a lot to offer parents, teachers, and struggling readers themselves. Learn about some nonprofits with a commitment to helping young people become better readers and writers.

AdLit.org, "Parent Engagement in Transitions to Middle and High School" - Using the 3A framework (Attendance, Achievement, and Attainment) for dropout prevention developed by the America's Promise Alliance and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this article highlights specific knowledge that parents need to support students' success, as well as ways that schools can engage parents as partners.

AdLit.org, "Engaging Parents to Support Academic Achievement" - Academic achievement is a strong predictor of high school graduation and is critical to long-term success in college, work, and life. A sixth grader who fails math or English, has unsatisfactory behavior, or poor attendance has a 75% likelihood of dropping out. Freshmen in Chicago public schools who earn a B average or better have an 80% chance of finishing high school with at least a 3.0 GPA.

IES, "Literacy Tips for Parents of Adolescents" - Based on common instructional elements , these are activities that parents can initiate at home to help ensure successful literacy outcomes for their adolescent students.

Meadows Center, "How Can I Help My Middle Schooler Read Multisyllabic Words? Five Helpful Steps" - This resource describes a simple strategy you and your child can use to help decode long words.

Scholastic, "17 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Turning Pages" - As your kids get older, they may put reading on the back burner. Learn the best ways to keep them turning the pages with these helpful tips.

Assessment

ADE Assessment - Educator resources for the new Arizona state assessments. [ AASA (3rd-8th), ACT Aspire (9th), ACT (11th)]

Including:

Performance Level Descriptors and Item Specifications (AASA)

Arizona State Standards Alignment Guide (ACT and ACT Aspire)

Graduation Supports

High School Graduation - Information and Requirements

PostSecondary Resources - Resources and Events

OELAS Guidance - High School Credit for Integrated and Targeted ELD (August 2022) | Townhall Presentation 8.17.22 | OELAS Homepage

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Current Opportunities
Secondary ELA Quarterly Office Hours
Secondary ELA Quarterly Office Hours is a virtual opportunity to collaborate, share, and learn about secondary reading and literacy information from the AZ Department of Education with secondary ELA literacy educators and leaders from around the state. Register for the July 13, 2023 meeting!

Past Meetings:

Earn PD credit and collaborate with other secondary ELA teachers! A variety of topics including: reading comprehension, writing, secondary MTSS, collaboration with Social Studies, and more! - use search term "secondary ELA"

Register - use search term "secondary ela" to narrow down your search
ALL ELA Professional Learning Opportunities
Current PD from the whole ELA Team:

K-12 Literacy Office Hours once a month - come join us to hear the latest ELA news!

Arizona Reading Fundamentals OnDemand Academy - This academy offers schools a variety of free knowledge blocks on demand. Each knowledge block includes several different sessions. Each session includes three recorded presentations and pre- and post- activities. Districts and schools are encouraged to utilize these resources as a part of a comprehensive professional learning plan that is data-driven, sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded and instructionally focused.

Register - use search term "k12-AS-ELA" to narrow down your search

APLD Support:
For questions regarding registration, certificates, accessing courses, etc. please refer to our: APLD FAQs
Sign up for ELA Listserv:
To stay on top of the latest Arizona ELA news, join our listserv!

Secondary ELA Book Study

Fall 2023

Join the ADE English Language Arts Team for a FREE Secondary ELA Focused 8-week book study. Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 MST (9/7 through 10/26). Everyone is welcome!
Text: Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 3rd Edition by Cynthia Greenleaf, Ruth Schoenbach, Linda Friedrich, Lynn Murphy, and Nika Hogan
To order: Wiley Publishers

Improve student outcomes in reading and literacy with the latest edition of this bestselling text! The newly revised Third Edition of Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms is the latest iteration of the best-selling, landmark book in the field of adolescent literacy. The book contains strategies for boosting the reading independence of middle, secondary, and college students. Research conducted by NSF, IES, and OII has validated the model taught in Reading for Understanding, demonstrating its effectiveness in raising students' reading achievement levels. The authors teach a clear and concise instructional framework for students at all learning levels, from those with special learning needs to those taking honors and Advanced Placement courses. The book also includes:

A direct correlation to disciplinary literacy, making the book an even more valuable resource in a wide range of classrooms

Explanation of the social and personal dimensions for building a foundation for engaged learning

Discussions of the value of setting aside dedicated class time for independent, silent reading

With collaboration tips that go beyond the classroom and advice on building a cognitive "reading toolbox," Reading for Understanding is an indispensable resource for teachers at the Grade 6 and up, literacy coaches, reading teachers, community college instructors, and other school leaders.
Dates/Chapters:

9/7 Chapter 1 "Engaged Academic Literacy for All"

9/14 Chapter 2 "The Reading Apprenticeship Framework"

9/21 Chapter 3 "The Social and Personal Dimensions"

9/28 Chapter 4 "Metacognitive Conversation"

10/5 Chapter 5 "Extensive Academic Reading"

10/12 Chapter 6 "The Cognitive Dimension"

10/19 Chapter 7 "The Knowledge-Building Dimension"

10/26 Chapter 8 "Disciplinary Inquiry" and Epilogue

General Info for our book studies:

Virtual book chats take place via Zoom.

All participants must register in the APLD system to receive credit - each session is offered individually.

All participants who register in APLD, read their chapter(s), and attend the book study will be given 2-hours PD credit.

Please share with your colleagues!

Register - use search term "secondary ela book study" to narrow down your search

Archived Book Studies:

March-May 2023 Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading - Visit the Padlet!

January - March 2023 Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties - Visit the Padlet!

Fall 2022 Disciplinary Literacy Inquiry & Instruction - Visit the Padlet!

Summer 2022 The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades - Visit the Padlet!

April-May 2022 Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition - Visit the Padlet!

Early Spring 2022 Fundamentals of Literacy Instruction and Assessment, Grades 6-12 - Visit the Padlet!

Fall 2021 Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties

Spring 2021 Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms, 2nd Edition

Writing Professional Learning

FALL 2023

Arizona's 6-12th Grade Writing Standards: Model, Practice, Reflect, Assess - register for upcoming offerings on:

Previous Presentations - all materials archived here

11/9/22 Special Presentation - Arizona's 6-12th Grade Writing Standards: Model, Practice, Reflect, Assess - all materials archived here
Types of Writing Standards - Grades 6-12 Professional Learning Webinars
All materials from the webinars have been archived here:

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Argument Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Informative/Explanatory Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Standards Grades 6-12: Narrative Writing | Padlet

Summer 2022
Thank you to all who joined in the Secondary ELA Summer of Writing Professional Learning Series!
All materials from the Summer Series have been archived here:

The Writing Revolution Book Study | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Argument Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Informative/Explanatory Writing | Padlet

Types of Writing Grades 6-12: Narrative Writing | Padlet

Empowering Students through Grammar Instruction | Recording | Slide Deck

Writing for College, Career, and Beyond | Recording | Slide Deck

Reading Apprenticeship
Reading Apprenticeship from WestEd - ADE Cohort - SY23-24
Reading Apprenticeship is an evidence-based professional learning experience focused on disciplinary literacy in grades 6-12. Educators are engaged in a process to discover the tools and perspective to "apprentice" their students in any subject area. This assets-based approach helps teachers develop students' comprehension skills while also building subject-area knowledge, reader-identity, collaboration, and persistence. As part of a State Tutoring grant opportunity, ADE will be offering the opportunity for Arizona teachers to participate in an ADE cohort of the Reading Apprenticeship essentials course with little to no cost. Share this flyer with colleagues!

Informational Webinars: Register for an informational session to learn more about this ADE cohort opportunity!

Book Study: Access the materials from the Spring 2022 Professional Learning Book Study on the Reading Apprenticeship core text.

Updated Core Text: Third Edition - I will be offering a Professional Learning Book Study on this updated edition in Fall 2023! See book study blue bar above.

Recordings/Archived

Webinars

Special Presentation - "A Face Like Mine: Connecting Classic Literature to Modern YA Books" - On 2/11/21, a panel of high school librarians discussed ways to incorporate modern YA books in with teaching classic literature in the classroom. Click here to view the presentation

Building Background in the Virtual Secondary ELA Classroom - Building schema and background knowledge is one of the best ways to raise reading comprehension for our students. In this webinar, we explored some easy and fun ways to do this in the virtual/distance learning secondary ELA classroom. A better understanding of how building background and surfacing schema will help your students become better readers. Visit the Padlet with resources and slide deck.

Summer Series - Spotlight on Media Literacy and Sourcing - In collaboration with our ADE Social Studies team - Join trainers from ADE, and master teachers from around the state to a webinar to teach and engage with media literacy at all grade levels. Recorded presentation

"What is Media Literacy and How Do I Teach It?" - This webinar will examine what media literacy means, how do we teach students to be responsible consumers and producers of media and examine some methods and lessons you can use in your classroom. Recorded presentation

Integrating Secondary Social Studies and ELA - In collaboration with our ADE Social Studies team - How do you integrate Social Studies and English Language Arts in a secondary setting? What are the benefits of collaboration between English and Social Studies educators? This webinar demonstrated best practices to integrate Social Studies and ELA efficiently and easily. This webinar also used texts with multiple perspectives to address new ways to create cross-curricular projects and lessons. Slide Deck

Professional Organizations

Contact Information: Lauren Spenceley, Secondary ELA Specialist, 602-364-2267
Visit the English Language Arts YouTube playlist!
**The views and opinions expressed in any third-party resource do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and do not imply an endorsement by ADE.

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Secondary Literacy (Middle and High School) Secondary Logo 2023.png The Arizona Department of Education is focused on the importance of teaching children to read. It is important to continue this focus into the secondary classroom, including middle school and high school.

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The Reading Alliance and their ROOTS to Learning framework offer an exceptionally effective, culturally relevant early literacy program. This program integrates trained Literacy Instructional Assistants into classrooms for multiple hours each day, providing invaluable support for 1:1, small group, and whole group literacy instruction.

www.thereadingalliance.com

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Changing the Narrative About Native Americans

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Changing the Narrative About Native Americans

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The Reclaiming Native Truth website documents a national initiative that aims to change cultural, social, and policy landscapes by helping Native Americans challenge discrimination and harmful narratives. The project features research on U.S. public opinion about Native Americans, highlighting limited and often inaccurate understanding. It also provides resources and messaging tools developed to shift public perception towards greater respect and inclusion. More information is available at rnt.firstnations.org

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Academic Standards - English Language Arts Webpage

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Academic Standards - English Language Arts Webpage

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ELA Office Hours - Join the ADE ELA Team and literacy leaders from around the state in an opportunity to collaborate, share and learn about reading and literacy information.

Anchor Standards, Introduction, Glossary

Vertical Articulation of the K-12 ELA Standards

Vertical Articulation of the K-12 ELA Standards - The Vertical Articulation document shows the progression of each standard over the course of the K-12 continuum. It is important to have an understanding of how a skill/standard develops over time.

English Language Arts Crosswalks

The ELA and Social Studies Crosswalks show the purposeful connections between the Social Studies standards, the ELP (English Language Proficiency) standards, and the ELA (English Language Arts) standards.

Please contact Lauren Spenceley for an accessible version of the Social Studies Crosswalks.

ELA and Assessment

Arizona Assessments - AASA (Arizona's Academic Standards Assessment) is the statewide achievement test for Arizona students in Grades 3-8. All Arizona public school students in Grades 3 - 8 will take the grade level AASA assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Grades 9 and Grade 11 students will take the ACT Aspire assessment. Cohort 2023 (typically grade 11) students will take the ACT assessment.

- AZELLA (Arizona's English Language Learner Assessment) is a Standards-Based Assessment that measures a student's English language proficiency based on the Arizona English Language Proficiency Standards.

NAEP - NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) is a national assessment of academic content outlined in the NAEP Academic Frameworks. The assessments are given to a sample of students in Grades 4, 8, and 12.

** ELA and Assessment - Would you like to learn more about the new Arizona assessments? Visit Assessment for lots of helpful information and resources, including their Friday Focus Webinars!

ELA Professional Learning
Literacy Professional Learning
For questions regarding registration, certificates, accessing courses, etc. please refer to our APLD Participant Guide: APLD FAQ Page

ELA Resources
ELA Resources
Summary of Changes for the Arizona English Language Arts Standards (Adopted December 2016)
The ADE ELA Team:
**The views and opinions expressed in any third-party resource do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and do not imply an endorsement by ADE.

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Arizona English Language Arts Standards Updates icon.png ELA Updates PD icon.png ELA Professional Development Email icon.png Sign up for ADE ELA Updates ELA Office Hours - Join the ADE ELA Team and literacy leaders from around the state in an opportunity to collaborate, share and learn about reading and literacy information.Anchor Standards, Introduction, GlossaryIntroduction PDF | Word Standards Glossary PDF | Word Anchor Standards PDF | Word Grades K-5K-5 STANDARDSK-5 STANDARDS PLACEMATSKindergarten (Revised 7/17) PDF | WordKindergarten (Revised 7/17) PDF | WordFirst Gr

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Special Education - Assistive Technology Webpage

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Special Education - Assistive Technology Webpage

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OIE 2025 Indigenous Literacy Project Touch Point

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Recorded 11/19/2025. Mini presentation provided by the following ADE Offices: OIE, Academic Standards (ELA & Arizona Digital Educators Library), and Exceptional Student Services/Assistive Technologies