As new ELA and Math Standards are developed in South Carolina this year the ability to ensure high expectations for what students are required to know and be able to do should be paramount. The development of the new standards provides an opportunity and a challenge to the people involved in the process. Will SC students still be expected to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support an analysis of what a text says explicitly? Will they still be expected to make inferences and analysis? It will be interesting to see how the committee given the opportunity to develop the new standards addresses the challenge.
I created this presentation to show the current reading literature expectations for students in Kindergarten to 12th grade. It shows a vertical sequence of expectations as a student progresses each year in school. What, if any, of the current reading literature expectations would you change, and why? Perhaps that question should drive the ELA standard development process.
Dr. Dereck Rhoads 
it is important we stay informed and abreast of any changes in the ELA expectations to insure our students continue to achieve a year’s growth. Hopefully changes were be minimal, what we are doing in ELA has shown consistent growth and progress.
Nice post Dereck! Another key is the level that Ss are expected to attain by the end of elementary. We found our targets were too low based on international standards and the results of our provincial testing. If students leaving grade one are not reading at a level 16-21, they struggle all the way through..What are your levels?