(2017-2023 Archive) BPS District English Standards Book
K-12 Grade Levels
Grade 12
11th Grade English
"I can ... statements"
To become ready for college and career, high school students learn to evaluate intricate arguments and surmount the challenges posed by complex written materials independently and confidently. Through wide and deep reading of literature and literary nonfiction of steadily increasing sophistication, students expand their literary and cultural knowledge and better understand references and images. They also develop the flexibility, concentration, and fluency to produce high-quality, first drafts of writing under tight deadlines. And they are able to revisit and make improvements to a piece of writing over multiple drafts if needed. High school students master the essential “rules” of standard written and spoken English and resolve usage issues by consulting style and usage guides. By writing and participating in a variety of conversations, they assert and defend claims and show what they know about a subject using appropriate examples and evidence.
Note: Standards Identifiers auto-link to popup a detailed description with "I can ..." and Proficiency Scales.
Prioritized Standards Identifiers are highlighted a sky-blue.
Prioritized Standards Identifiers are highlighted a sky-blue.
ELA-12.RL Reading Literature Strand
- ELA-12.RL.01 Read closely to comprehend texts of grade-level appropriate complexity to determine what the text says explicitly and implicitly and provide an objective summary of the text and cite strong and thorough textual evidence.
- ELA-12.RL.02 Determine and analyze themes and/or central ideas of texts to determine themes and/or central ideas, analyze in detail the development of the themes and/or central ideas over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account and cite strong and thorough textual evidence.
- ELA-12.RL.03 Analyze how and why multiple characters and textual elements develop and interact over the course of a text to analyze how multiple complex characters and literary elements develop over the course of a text, interact with other elements, and advance the plot or develop the theme and cite strong and thorough textual evidence.
- ELA-12.RL.04 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that creates particular aesthetic effects.
- ELA-12.RL.05 Analyze how an author’s choices about structuring and relating different elements in the text contribute to meaning as well as aesthetic impact.
- ELA-12.RL.06 Determine purpose or point of view by distinguishing what is really meant from what is directly stated.
- ELA-12.RL.07 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each version interprets the material.
- ELA-12.RL.08 (Not applicable to literature)
- ELA-12.RL.09 Analyze and evaluate how two or more texts within and/or across time periods treat similar themes or topics.
- ELA-12.RL.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend grade-level appropriate literature with appropriate text complexity, in a variety of print genres and other media, proficiently and independently, with scaffolding as needed.
ELA-12.RI Reading Information Strand
- ELA-12.RI.01 Read closely to comprehend texts of grade-level appropriate complexity to determine what the text says explicitly and implicitly, identify and analyze any ambiguities in the text to provide an objective summary of the text and cite strong and thorough textual evidence.
- ELA-12.RI.02 Determine and analyze themes and/or central ideas of texts to determine themes and/or central ideas, analyze the development of the themes and/or ideas over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account to cite strong and thorough textual evidence.
- ELA-12.RI.03 Analyze how and why multiple individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text to analyze how multiple individuals, sequences of events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text and cite strong and thorough textual evidence.
- ELA-12.RI.04 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that creates particular effects.
- ELA-12.RI.05 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the author’s choices about structure to achieve a particular purpose with an intended audience.
- ELA-12.RI.06 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose and possible biases in a text, and analyze how the author’s choices about style, content, and presentation are particularly effective or ineffective in achieving the author’s purposes.
- ELA-12.RI.07 Analyze and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats, including written text.
- ELA-12.RI.08 Delineate and evaluate a text’s argumentative reasoning and persuasive techniques, including emotional appeals and establishing credibility.
- ELA-12.RI.09 Analyze how texts within and/or across time periods treat similar topics, addressing their themes, purposes, and rhetorical strategies.
- ELA-12.RI.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend grade-level literature with appropriate text complexity, in a variety of print genres and other media, proficiently and independently, with scaffolding as needed.
ELA-12.W Writing Strand
- ELA-12.W.01 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning, relevant and sufficient evidence and appropriate rhetorical strategies for a variety of purposes, audiences, and contexts.
- ELA-12.W.02 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content for a variety of purposes, audiences, and contexts.
- ELA-12.W.03 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences for a variety of purposes, audiences, and contexts.
- ELA-12.W.04 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, style, and format (e.g., MLA, APA) are appropriate to a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- ELA-12.W.05 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
- ELA-12.W.06 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, including new arguments or information. Use technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and effectively.
- ELA-12.W.07 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer complex questions (including self-generated questions) or solve problems.
- ELA-12.W.08 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources.
- ELA-12.W.09 Draw evidence from texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, using comprehension and analysis skills described in 11 reading standards.
ELA-12.L Language Strand
ELA-12.SL Speaking and Listening Strand
- ELA-12.SL.01 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- ELA-12.SL.02 Using appropriate strategies, integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media and formats, in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among them.
- ELA-12.SL.03 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, evidence, and rhetorical strategies, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
- ELA-12.SL.04 Organize, develop, and present claims, information, findings, and supporting evidence, using communication techniques appropriate to purpose and audience in a range of formal and informal tasks.
- ELA-12.SL.05 Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
- ELA-12.SL.06 Adapt verbal and nonverbal communication to a variety of contexts, audiences, and tasks, demonstrating fluency and poise, and a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Doing in High School to Become Ready for College and Career
Reading
- Understanding more from and making fuller use of written materials, including using a wider range of evidence to support an analysis
- Making more connections about how complex ideas interact and develop within a book, essay, or article
- Evaluating arguments and specific claims, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is sufficient, and as appropriate, detecting inconsistencies and ambiguities
- Analyzing the meaning of foundational U.S. documents (the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights)
Writing
- Making an argument that is logical, well-reasoned, and supported by evidence
- Writing a literary analysis, report, or summary that develops a central idea and a coherent focus and is well supported with relevant examples, facts, and details
- Conducting several research projects that address different aspects of the same topic, using more complex books, articles, and other sources
Speaking and Listening
- Responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesizing comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; and resolving contradictions when possible
- Sharing research, findings, and evidence clearly and concisely
- Making strategic use of digital media (e.g., animations, video, websites, podcasts) to enhance understanding of findings and to add interest
Language
- Determining or clarifying the meaning of words and phrases, choosing flexibly from multiple strategies, such as using context, Greek and Latin roots (e.g., bene as in benefactor or benevolent), patterns of words (conceive, conception, conceivable), and consulting specialized reference materials. Interpreting figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyzing their role in the written materials