What does a student learn in StateVermont,GradeGrade 12,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read carefully enough to say exactly what a story or poem states outright, then draw reasonable conclusions from what's implied. When writing or talking about the text, they back up every claim with a direct quote or specific detail from the page.

Students identify the main idea or theme in a work of literature, trace how it develops across the text, and summarize the key details that support it.

Students trace how a character, idea, or event changes across a novel, play, or poem, and explain what drives those changes. The focus is on how one part of a story shapes another.

Students figure out what specific words mean in context, including hidden meanings, emotional weight, and comparisons. Then they look at how those word choices shape the mood or message of the whole piece.

Students look at how a story or argument is built: how one paragraph sets up the next, how a single sentence shifts the tone, and how each piece connects to the whole piece.

Students examine how a narrator's or author's perspective shapes what gets included in a story and how it's told. A first-person narrator and a distant third-person narrator can tell the same events in ways that feel completely different.

Students compare how a story or argument is presented across different formats, such as a film, a data chart, and a written text, then judge which format makes the strongest case or leaves the biggest impression.

Students read a persuasive text, then judge whether the author's argument actually holds up. They check if the reasoning makes sense and if the evidence used is relevant to the point being made.

Students read two or more works on the same theme and examine how each author handles it differently. The focus is on what those choices reveal about each author's perspective or purpose.

Students read full-length novels, plays, poems, and essays on their own, without help decoding the language or following the ideas. The texts are the kind adults read at work and in daily life.

Students read a nonfiction passage closely, then back up every conclusion with specific lines or details pulled directly from the text. The skill is knowing the difference between what the text actually says and what students are reading into it.

Students read a complex article or essay, identify the main argument or idea, and trace how the author builds it across the whole piece. Then they summarize the key details that support it.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea changes as a text unfolds, and explain why those changes happen. The focus is on cause and connection, not just what happened but how one thing leads to the next.

Students figure out what specific words mean in context, including technical terms, implied meanings, and comparisons. Then they look at how an author's word choices make a passage feel urgent, distant, hopeful, or something else entirely.

Students look at how a paragraph or section connects to the rest of an article or essay, explaining why the author put it there and what it adds to the overall argument.

Students read an article or essay and explain how the author's position or goal steers what details get included and how the writing sounds. A journalist covering the same event as a politician will make different choices in every sentence.

Students read the same information across different formats, like a news article, a chart, and a video clip, then judge which version makes the case most clearly and what each format leaves out.

Students read a nonfiction text and judge whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasoning is sound and if the evidence actually supports what the author is claiming.

Students read two or more nonfiction pieces on the same topic and compare how each author frames the subject, what each one emphasizes, and where they disagree. The goal is to build a fuller picture than any single source gives.

Students read long, challenging nonfiction on their own and understand it without help. That includes dense articles, historical documents, and technical writing at the level colleges and employers expect.

Students write a formal argument that takes a clear position on a real topic or text, then back it up with solid evidence and logical reasoning. The goal is a persuasive piece that holds up under scrutiny, not just an opinion.

Students write essays or reports that explain complex ideas in clear, accurate language. The goal is to inform the reader, not persuade them, so every sentence earns its place by adding something the reader needs to know.

Students write stories, either real or invented, with a clear sequence of events, specific details, and techniques like pacing and dialogue that make scenes come alive.

Writing matches the assignment. Students shape their sentences, structure, and word choices around who will read it and why, whether that means a formal argument or a personal reflection.

Students revise and polish their writing by planning ahead, reworking weak sections, editing for clarity, or scrapping a draft and starting fresh when the piece isn't working.

Students use digital tools and the Internet to write, publish, and share work with others. That includes drafting in word processors, posting to shared platforms, and giving or receiving feedback online.

Students pick a focused question and research it, reading widely enough to actually understand the subject. Short projects might take a few days; longer ones build knowledge over weeks.

Students find information from books, websites, and other sources, check whether each source is trustworthy and accurate, and weave the information into their own writing without copying it.

Students pull quotes and specific details from books, articles, or other sources to back up their written analysis or research. The evidence has to connect clearly to the point they are making.

Students write often, in both quick assignments and longer projects, for different reasons and readers. The goal is building the habit of writing across many situations, not just formal essays.

Students come to discussions having done the reading or research, then build on what others say while making their own case clearly. The focus is on listening well and responding with a real point, not just talking.

Students pull together information from sources like charts, speeches, and videos, then judge how well each one supports the topic. They practice weighing different formats, not just written text.

Students listen to a speech or presentation and judge whether the speaker's argument holds up: Is the reasoning sound? Is the evidence real? Are persuasion tactics hiding weak logic?

Students organize a spoken presentation so the main argument is easy to follow, choosing a structure and tone that fits the topic and the people listening.

Students choose charts, images, or video clips to make a presentation clearer, picking each visual because it helps the audience understand the point, not just to fill a slide.

Students adjust how they speak based on the situation, using formal language for a presentation or class discussion and a more casual tone when the setting calls for it.

Students write and speak using correct grammar, choosing the right verb forms, pronouns, and sentence structures for formal school and work situations.

Students write correctly capitalized, punctuated, and spelled sentences without being prompted. At this level, that means applying those rules consistently across longer, more complex writing like essays and research papers.

Word choice changes everything. Students study how writers adjust language for different audiences and purposes, then apply those same moves in their own writing and use that awareness to read more closely.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out what it means by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots and prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or subject-specific reference.

Students interpret figures of speech like irony, metaphor, and allusion, and explain the subtle differences between words with similar meanings, such as why "determined" and "stubborn" paint different pictures of the same person.

Students build a working vocabulary of words that show up in textbooks, job training, and serious writing. They use those words correctly when they read, write, and speak at a college or career level.