Ohio's Learning Standards for English Language Arts

Public comment open for 3rd-5th Grade Ohio’s Learning Standards- Extended for English Language Arts 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) requires students with disabilities, including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, to be provided access to and make progress in grade-level general education curriculum, not an alternate curriculum (CFR 34 § 300.320).

The Ohio Learning Standards-Extended, sometimes referred to as “the extended standards,” are specific statements of knowledge and skills linked to the expectations of the achievement targets within the Ohio Learning Standards. In other words, the Ohio Learning Standards-Extended offer entry points to access grade level learning for students. The extended standards do not replace the Ohio Learning Standards, rather they are aligned to them. Each standard includes three complexity levels ranging from most to least complex. Level “a” represents the highest level of complexity, level “b” represents the middle complexity level, and “c” represents the lowest complexity level. 

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is updating these standards to fully align with Governor DeWine’s ReadOhio initiative, Ohio’s Science of Reading policies, and Ohio’s List of High-Quality Instructional Materials for English Language Arts. In collaboration with OCALI, the Department has drafted revised 3rd-5th grade English language arts extended standards. 

The Department seeks feedback on the proposed draft extended standards for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade English language arts. After reviewing the documents, please send feedback through this survey link. The public comment survey will close by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 5th. 

Please direct questions to ReadOhio@education.ohio.gov. 

Ohio's Learning Standards for English Language Arts (Adopted 2017)

In 2015-2016, Ohio embarked on an updating process resulting in revised standards that the State Board of Education adopted in February 2017. The 2018-2019 Ohio's State Tests will assess the content of the revised 2017 standards.

• Ohio's Learning Standards for English Language Arts (adopted 2017) 

Appendices to the Standards

The updated appendices to the standards reflect the revisions adopted in 2017 for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Go to our Instructional Strategies page to find more information on text complexity, as described in Appendix A.

Vertical Alignments

These documents, represented by strand, show how the standards progress from kindergarten through grade 12 for each of the college and career readiness anchor standards.

Additional Resources for Understanding Ohio’s English Language Arts Learning Standards

• Standards Revision Highlights for English Language Arts 
• Ohio's Learning Standards for English Language Arts (adopted 2017) - Excel Version
• English Language Arts Student Readiness Gap Analysis Tool
• Determining Theme Standard Guidance
• Types of Summaries Standard Guidance
• Establishing a Thesis Standard Guidance
• Key Shifts
• Benchmarking Report
• Ohio’s K-12 English Language Arts Learning Standards Crosswalk - The crosswalk describes the standards revisions, allowing educators to see the 2017 and 2010 standards side-by-side and identify key differences that will impact instruction.

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Structure of Ohio's Learning Standards for English Language Arts

Revision of Ohio’s Learning Standards in English Language Arts

Last Modified: 6/8/2026 8:34:16 AM

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