Is anyone else bothered by the use of the word "or" in #1 below? As in... writing OR speaking? Does this mean writing AND speaking? Does anyone know who was in the group that worked out the CC? I am a middle school teacher, and I feel overwhelmed with both how many standards there are, and how much more challenging they are than the standards we have been using. I also find most of the standards vague enough that I'm not always sure what they mean. I'm not only talking about the language (grammar) standards. English teachers have reading and writing standards too. Jan Quoting John Chorazy <[log in to unmask]>: A few Language Standards for 11-12 grades (with my parenthetical annotations): 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking (I'd agree there is no specific demand here for a language set that describes the conventions, but there is broad room for introducing it and for students to employ it in order to fulfill the requirements of an ELA course. The Standards aren't the end or the all of the curriculum, they're a framework for "college readiness"... though maybe that's another discussion in itself...). a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested (How does one apply this understanding without a common language set to engage in a productive conversation? I think there's plenty of room for the classroom teacher here, necessarily). b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g.Merriam- Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed (Same as above, I'd say. Complex issues demand a complex jargon). To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/