What does a student learn in StateDistrict of Columbia,GradeGrade 9,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students back up every claim they make about a story or poem with a specific line or passage from the text. They also read carefully enough to draw conclusions the author implies but never states outright.

Students find the main idea or theme of a story and trace how it builds across the text. They back it up by pulling out the key details that show how that idea grows.

Students trace how a character, event, or idea shifts and shapes others as the story moves forward. They explain the "why" behind those changes, not just the "what."

Students figure out what words really mean in context, including when a word carries emotional weight or works as a figure of speech. Then they look at why the author chose those words and what feeling or meaning that choice creates.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, tracing how a single sentence or paragraph connects to the scenes or arguments around it, and to the work as a whole.

Students figure out who is telling the story or making an argument, then explain how that perspective changes what details the author includes and how the writing sounds.

Students compare what a written text says with how the same idea looks in a film clip, chart, or image, then judge what each version adds or leaves out.

Students read a nonfiction or persuasive passage and judge whether the argument holds up: does the reasoning make sense, and does the evidence actually support the claim?

Two texts can cover the same idea in very different ways. Students read both and explain how each author approaches the subject, what choices they make, and what those differences reveal.

Students read full novels, plays, poems, and articles on their own, without support, at a level expected for high school. The focus is on handling complex texts independently.

Students back up their claims with exact words or details from the text. When something isn't stated directly, they explain what the evidence implies.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction text and trace how the author builds on it throughout. Then students sum up the key details that support it, in their own words.

Students track how a person, event, or idea changes from the beginning of a nonfiction text to the end, and explain why those changes happen. The focus is on how one thing shapes another across the whole piece.

Students figure out what specific words mean in context, including slang, jargon, and metaphor, then explain how those word choices set the tone or shift the meaning of the whole piece.

Students look at how a nonfiction article or essay is built: how individual sentences feed into paragraphs, and how those paragraphs work together to support the full piece.

Students figure out who wrote a piece, why they wrote it, and how that agenda shapes what details get included and what words get chosen.

Students look at how the same topic is covered across articles, charts, videos, and other formats, then judge which sources explain it most clearly and completely.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasoning makes sense and if the evidence actually supports the point being made.

Two texts on the same topic can be read side by side to see where the authors agree, differ, or take the subject in a different direction. Students compare those choices and explain what each author's approach reveals.

Students read full-length articles, essays, and nonfiction books on their own, without support. The texts at this level are dense and challenging, closer to what adults read at work or in college.

Students write a clear argument about a topic or text, then back it up with solid reasoning and real evidence from sources. The goal is to convince a reader, not just share an opinion.

Students write essays or reports that explain a complex topic clearly, using facts, details, and well-organized paragraphs to help readers understand something they didn't know before.

Students write stories, real or imagined, that unfold in a clear order. They choose details and techniques that make the people, places, and events feel vivid and purposeful.

Writing fits the situation. Students match how they organize and phrase their work to the assignment's goal and who will read it, whether that's a formal essay, a persuasive letter, or a quick response.

Students plan, draft, revise, and edit their writing until it says what they mean. That might mean reworking a paragraph, cutting a section, or starting fresh with a different approach.

Students use digital tools and the Internet to write, publish, and share their work with others. This includes collaborating online with classmates or a wider audience.

Students pick a focused question and research it, using what they find to show real understanding of the topic. This applies to both quick one-day investigations and longer multi-week projects.

Students pull facts from books, websites, and other sources, check whether each source can be trusted, and weave the information into their own writing without copying.

Students pull quotes and details from books, articles, or other texts to back up their ideas in essays and research. The writing has to show where each piece of evidence came from and why it matters.

Students practice writing regularly, both in quick assignments and longer projects. The goal is to write clearly for different reasons and different readers, not just for tests.

Students come to discussions with notes or a prepared position, listen to what others say, and build on those ideas with their own clear, well-reasoned response. The focus is on real back-and-forth conversation, not just waiting for a turn to talk.

A speech, a chart, a podcast, and a news clip can all make the same argument differently. Students learn to pull information from those different sources and judge whether each one holds up.

Students listen to a speaker and judge whether the argument holds up: Is the reasoning sound? Does the evidence actually support the point? Are persuasive techniques being used fairly?

Students organize a spoken presentation so the main point is clear and each piece of evidence connects back to it. The structure, detail level, and word choice fit the assignment and the audience.

Students add charts, images, or short video clips to a presentation on purpose, choosing visuals that make the information clearer rather than just filling space.

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

Students apply the rules of standard English when they write and speak, choosing correct verb forms, pronoun cases, and sentence structures. The focus is on making grammar choices that are clear and appropriate for the audience.

Students write with correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. This standard covers the mechanical rules that make writing clear and credible to any reader.

Students choose words and sentence structures that fit the moment, whether writing a formal essay or a casual email. Reading closely means noticing how those same choices shape meaning in other writers' work.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out its meaning by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots and prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or reference source.

Students read phrases like "she carried the world on her shoulders" and explain what they really mean. They also sort out how words relate to each other and why a writer chose one word over a similar one.

Students build a working vocabulary of precise, subject-specific words and use them accurately when reading, writing, and speaking. The goal is the kind of language range that holds up in college coursework and professional settings.