Instructional Guidance and Materials

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Instructional Guidance

• California Literacy Roadmap
  The California Department of Education, in consultation with the SBE, continues to develop the California Literacy Roadmap per Section 117 of the Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill 114 (2023–24). Literacy Content Blocks for English-Medium Classrooms (TK–5) were released in May 2025. Multilingual Literacy Guidance (TK–12) and Literacy Content Blocks for English-Medium Classrooms (6–12) are anticipated to be released in spring 2026. The Literacy Roadmap is intended to help educators apply the ELA/ELD Framework to classroom instruction, navigate the resources and professional development opportunities available to implement effective literacy instruction, and improve literacy outcomes for all pupils with a focus on equity.
• P-3 Learning Progressions
  The Preschool through Third Grade (P-3) Learning Progressions show the correspondence between the Preschool-Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations and California Common Core State Standards. This resource includes the knowledge and skills children develop over the P-3 continuum and in practice examples that illustrate how educators can use playful, inquiry-based teaching practices to engage children in developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
• California English Learner Roadmap
  California English Learner policy including a focus on literacy and biliteracy for English learners, as well as the importance of home language. It is a guide to assist local educational agencies to implement California's 21st century college-and-career-ready standards, curriculum, instruction programs, and assessments.
• Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learner Students (PDF)
  Guide presents current evidence-based pedagogy and practices in the areas of developing multilingualism, early education, assets-based environments, English language development, and the creation of systems that support the implementation of these practices. Further, it provides a deeper dive into accessing actionable examples of how evidence-based pedagogy and practices may be implemented in districts, schools, and classrooms to positively impact multilingual and English learner students.
• California Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities (PDF)
  Guide provides recommendations, which are based on best practices, but represents non-binding guidance. Identifying, assessing, and differentiating instruction for English learners with disabilities require educators first to understand the complex interrelationships of language, culture, home, and school factors that affect learning and behavior and then to consider these factors when making decisions about students’ unique characteristics and needs so that they may thrive at school. Leaders and educators will best be prepared to meet student needs by collaboratively developing and implementing a process for educating English learners with disabilities.
• California Digital Learning Integration and Standards Guidance
  Guidance that provides strategies to build educator and system capacity based on foundational, research-based digital learning practices.
• California Comprehensive State Literacy Plan (PDF)
  The CDE was awarded $37.5 million in 2019 and $38 million in 2024 through the federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant program. The California Comprehensive State Literacy Plan (SLP), a grounding component of the Comprehensive State Literacy Development (CLSD) grant program, aligns and integrate state literacy initiatives, content standards, and state guidance documents to support teachers of students birth through grade twelve.
  A primary objective of the 2024 CLSD grant program is to revise and update the comprehensive SLP with updated evidence-based practices and guidance documents, as well as promising practices and implementation guides from 2019 CLSD subgrantees. After months of revisions and updates based on State Literacy Team (SLT) feedback, the SBE approved the California Comprehensive SLP in May, 2025.
  

Materials

ELA/ELD Instructional Materials

Information and resources for English language arts and English language development instructional materials.

• 2026 English Language Arts/English Language Development Instructional Materials Follow-up Adoption (Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 8 (TK– 8))
  Assembly Bill 121 (Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill, Section 89, statutes of 2025–26) directs the California Department of Education to partner with one or more research organizations, institutions of higher education, or other nonprofit organization with expertise in evidenced-based literacy instruction to develop guidance for the State Board of Education to adopt by January 31, 2026, to support the follow-up adoption conducted pursuant to Education Code Section 60227.
  
  
• 2015 English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Instructional Materials Adoption (Kindergarten through Grade 8 (K-8))
  Senate Bill 201 (Chapter 478 of the Statutes of 2013), signed on October 2, 2013, authorized the State Board of Education to conduct an adoption of kindergarten through grade eight instructional materials in ELA/ELD aligned to the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CA CCSS ELA/Literacy) and the new California English Language Development Standards (CA ELD Standards).