The Office of English Language Arts and Literacy supports our educators by providing access to professional development, instructional materials, and teaching practices. We are committed to nurturing and developing a strong literacy foundation for all students in the early school years by implementing literacy instructional frameworks that prepare students to become independent readers and writers. 

We support educators, staff, students, and families in numerous ways that align with the district’s priorities, such as:

Outstanding Achievement

We are working to dramatically improve the academic experience of all students to ensure they are college and career ready by facilitating best-in-class professional development for educators and by selecting and implementing high-quality curriculum aligned with both the Michigan Academic Standards and related assessments.

Transformative Culture

To ensure that students, families, and staff feel safe, respected, and connected to our curriculum, we select curriculum materials that provide windows into the experiences of others, as well as mirrors of the student’s own reality. Through our curriculum, students explore the unfamiliar, but also see their own experiences validated and valued.

Whole Child Commitment 

The whole child is championed by ensuring our students have exposure to enrichment activities that build upon their natural talents in literacy.

Exceptional Talent

A team of dedicated staff serves our teachers, students, and families. Through our work supporting master teachers in literacy, we continue to cultivate exceptional talent in the classroom and work to build a pipeline for aspiring literacy teachers and leaders.

Responsible Stewardship

Through a district-wide allocation strategy and a rigorous vetting system, we manage and deploy literacy resources responsibly, transparently, and equitably to support all teachers and students in the district.

Curriculum Overview

Instructional materials are one of the most important tools educators use in the classroom to enhance student learning. It is critical that they fully align to state standards—what students are expected to learn and be able to do at the end of each grade level or course—and are high quality to ensure meaningful instructional support. 

In grades K-8, our district has selected EL Education as our core instructional materials. 

What is EL Education?  | ¿Qué es educación EL?

In grades 9-12, our district has selected My Perspectives as our core instructional materials.