Monthly Standards Update
2026 ELA Standard Course of Study Installation Under Way
On January 8, 2026, the NC State Board of Education (SBE) adopted Draft 4 as the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study for implementation in the 2027-2028 school year. The current 2017 ELA Standard Course of Study will remain in place for classroom instruction for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. The newly approved K-12 ELA SCOS aims to serve as the framework that guides each Public School Unit (PSU) in the development of the curriculum and instruction for English Language Arts.
In an effort to keep stakeholders informed, the NCDPI ELA Team will provide monthly standards updates that contain the latest announcements and current news regarding the adopted 2026 ELA SCOS. These updates are sent the first Friday of every month.
To receive these updates straight to your inbox, please subscribe to our listserv. To view past listserv messages, visit the NCDPI ELA Webpage.
Stay in Touch! | NCDPI ELA Team Communication Channels
The NCDPI ELA Team uses several communication channels to share information, updates, and opportunities with stakeholders, including listservs and social media. Educators are invited and encouraged to subscribe to the general ELA listserv, as well as the ELA Team Facebook and Instagram pages and to share the ELA Team’s communication channels with colleagues.
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2026-2027 ELA SCOS Webinar Series Kicks Off in September!
Join the NCDPI ELA Team throughout the 2026-27 school year for an exciting webinar series focused on the newly adopted 2026 English Language Arts Standard Course of Study! Each session in this series will spotlight a specific strand of the standards, providing educators with the opportunity to deepen their understanding and prepare for successful implementation beginning in the 2027–28 school year.
During each webinar, participants will
- Gain an overview of the featured strand, including its purpose, structure, and design.
- Explore key resources and unpacking documents to build a deeper understanding of the standards and objectives for that strand.
- Reflect on the instructional shifts needed to support effective teaching and learning aligned to the new standards.
Dates and Registration | Register for each session using the links below or via the promotional flyer.
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2026 ELA SCOS Installation Resource Spotlight
K-12 Unpacking Documents
To support successful implementation of the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study (SCOS), the NCDPI ELA Team has created Unpacking Documents to deepen the understanding of the SCOS and its Fundamental Principles: 1) Grade-Level Complex Texts at the Center, 2) Integrated Model of Literacy & Spiraling, and 3) Variety of Texts.
The Unpacking Documents include the following to support standards-aligned instruction:
- the ELA Standards and Objectives,
- relevant glossary terms for each standard,
- clarifications of what students should be able to know and do at each grade-level/grade-band,
- standards-based question stems and sentence frames,
- classroom considerations, and
- additional supplemental resources.
Note: These unpacking documents are not meant to be exhaustive. Because North Carolina is a local-control state, all curricular decisions (e.g., texts, tasks, activities, etc.) are approved at the local level. Prior to implementing any of the materials in this resource, teachers should follow appropriate policies and procedures to have their curriculum vetted and approved by their school and district leaders.
View the unpacking documents and other supporting resources for the 2026 ELA SCOS on the 2026 SCOS page in the Virtual Implementation Kit (VIK).
Standards Implementation Guide
The Standards Implementation Guide aims to provide general guidance to PSUs on the considerations that must be made as PSUs and schools install newly revised NCSCOS.
Implementation of Adopted 2026 ELA SCOS
Note: The current 2017 ELA Standard Course of Study will remain in place for classroom instruction and assessment through the 2026-2027 school year.
Public school units (PSUs) are expected to implement the 2026 North Carolina Standard Course of Study for K-12 English Language Arts starting in the 2027-2028 school year. Details regarding professional learning opportunities and forthcoming resources will be shared via listservs and social media channels. Consider encouraging colleagues to subscribe to the ELA Team general listserv and/or follow the ELA Team's Instagram and Facebook pages, so they can stay informed throughout installation and implementation of the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study!
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Take Your Co-Teaching Partnership Statewide!
Applications are open for the 2026–27 Multilingual Learner Teacher Network (MLTN)!
Great co-teaching brings together the expertise of ML and content teachers to create stronger learning opportunities for multilingual learners. The NCDPI ML/Title III Team invites current ML–content co-teaching pairs to apply together for this statewide community of practice.
Approximately 10 selected pairs will study evidence-based guidance, strengthen their collaborative teaching practices, and develop classroom-ready resources to share with educators across North Carolina. Individual applicants are also welcome and may be matched with compatible participants.
From November 2026 through June 2027, members will attend three MLTN meetings and the Summer Conference and devote approximately one hour per week to required readings, partner collaboration, and resource development. Selected participants will receive sponsorship for approved costs associated with the required in-person convenings.
Why Apply?
- Collaborate with educators from across North Carolina.
- Strengthen your co-teaching practices using evidence-based strategies.
- Develop classroom-ready resources to share statewide.
- Grow as a teacher leader while making a lasting impact on multilingual learner instruction.
- Receive sponsorship for approved costs related to required in-person meetings.
- Join a statewide community dedicated to improving outcomes for multilingual learners.
First meeting: One day during the week of November 16–20, 2026. Additional meeting details will be shared after co-teaching pairs are selected for the community of practice.
Apply by Thursday, October 15, 2026.
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