A+ SL White Paper

S antillana ' S a+ S paniSh l iteracy K itS , K–5 S tandardS -B aSed e ducation We are living in an age of increasingly high standards and rigorous accountability measures. Schools are expected to design intellectually challenging, standards-based instruction for every student, regardless of his or her academic or linguistic background, and to measure outcomes through rigorous standardized assessments (Hamilton, Stecher & Yuan, 2008). The Common Core State Standards represent the latest iteration of the standards movement, outlining the knowledge and skills students need at each grade level in order to meet the expectations for college and careers. Currently, the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (the Standards) were adopted by forty-six states, four territories and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2012). The California Department of Education (CDE) and the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) collaborated to translate and linguistically augment the State Common Core Standards through the Common Core Translation Project (San Diego County Office of Education, n.d.). Many states have chosen to create their own standards with equally rigorous expectations and assessments. “Aprender a leer es lo más importante que me ha pasado en la vida. Casi 70 años después recuerdo con nitidez esa magia de traducir las palabras en imágenes”. —Mario Vargas Llosa i ntroduction