Accelerating the College and Career Readiness of Diverse K–5 Literacy Learners

Abstract

Given the increasing demand for a well-educated American workforce, college and career readiness has become a significant educational priority. New educational initiatives, including the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, are being developed and implemented to prepare students for success in postsecondary education and the workplace. In this article, we discuss how college and career readiness standards have transformed expectations for literacy instruction in K–5 classrooms, especially for students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Given that students of color have been historically underserved in schools, we contend that these children need more equitable and enriched opportunities to learn academic literacies, content knowledge, and communication skills to achieve their future college aspirations and career goals. To that end, we offer key principles (i.e., community-oriented classrooms, close reading of complex texts, content-rich inquiry, and cultural connectedness) that elementary educators can use to design engaging learning environments and robust literacy lessons that advance the college and career readiness of all students.