[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6584339,"mediaKeyId","5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd","parentId",5779360,"title","Committee adopts draft electives: 'Genre Literature' and 'Mythology' added to course list","audioSeconds",598,"startMs",23898000,"endMs",24496000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd&start=23898&end=24496","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd/thumbnail_23898000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6584339/Tennessee/Committee-adopts-draft-electives-Genre-Literature-and-Mythology-added-to-course-list","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584339-6cacf3ab1cfb4d8377b37e2da0381ee0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569863&Signature=Ks-Ya5xyo3aUE8xF9J7AE-Yg0R4Av8SDJfmCNo59YLY7sZbLsO6PilrmanwfeSBtUEuBxy4GRd3kgKf7-ONgmMwE2-~mEv9qDc0ZhL5D0JeXtVOnhTqC~wpac5OhL5Y7apJtKivWh3qMjRI4dCgV~gig~yKqWAS5OjPML~-QZpWdyOfxtBA8JwEEw7NCH2qGPXNTK2oRATnVaIoeXrspjvqZcBA1p~J0Ux5MiSeFKT~PfXUHnyTTlf4muUYqRbH2qukZ68zHjixTqtcxfv5Tcz1LJq6afkGo70vPKNHXcs5ombymXmpzdY61fDjNb8XYXC1vD8ZbyFnO3rja1-iRqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State Board of Education","date","2025-09-16T16:50:13Z","article","The standards committee added elective course drafts to the ELA catalogue, approving drafting language for “Genre Literature” and “Mythology.” The two electives were presented as modular courses that districts could adopt to provide deeper study in specific literary areas.

Genre Literature: The course description asks students to study a single genre at depth — options listed in the guidance include ancient/classical literature, contemporary fiction, regional studies, and author studies. The committee agreed on standards that require students to explore genre conventions, to read widely in the chosen genre, to analyze thematic and stylistic elements, and to produce presentations and written analysis comparing works in the chosen genre.

Mythology: Committee members approved standards that ask students to study mythic systems in depth, to analyze relationships among deities/figures and ordinary people, and to explore how geography and culture shape mythic narratives. The group agreed to broaden wording so that the elective can include modern or “fan‑universe” mythologies (for example, contemporary adaptations or franchise universes) as well as classical myths. Draft standards require students to create original mythic texts that reflect cultural context and to analyze recurring archetypes and motifs across mythological texts.

Why it matters: Electives give districts flexibility to build course offerings aligned to local interest and to offer more advanced readership and literary analysis opportunities for high‑school students.

Next steps: Staff will enter the committee’s edits into the draft electives and circulate the revised text. The department noted that district adoption, curricular materials, and teacher professional development will be the responsibility of local districts once the electives are published.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 9, 2025 ELA Standards Recommendation Committee Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The committee reviewed and approved draft elective standards for genre literature and mythology; members refined wording to keep the scope broad and to support modern as well as classical myth studies.","taxTitle","State Board of Education, Deparments in Office of the Governor, Organizations, Executive, Tennessee","taxId",36988,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6584342,"Committee hears a sharp debate over whether to teach a single writing mode per middle grade; TDOE asked for comparative research",840,22920000,23760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd&start=22920&end=23760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd/thumbnail_22920000.jpg","/articles/6584342/Tennessee/Committee-hears-a-sharp-debate-over-whether-to-teach-a-single-writing-mode-per-middle-grade-TDOE-asked-for-comparative-research","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584342-b525164310d9ea0219c009ddb1872c6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569863&Signature=Iq2y0Tun1HLgLnLbrHO-xnsMoDNsNZ3WzUvNh3UwWid6cl7-~MlAFEnK~VtNDVFsKw3moflV0kajIgqbBfQ7fd4T3pVWgWxfx8jifiVZ25kzLooQcICZq2fsdO~kEOrHe4COpptFeGuqxhvHLsx5XDjcwqA-Fwd7SL0FU4ZVG~6wSEJCndP6kQJ2xjlARitvrkIRENXKOc~4Qqf5~AWwfCfq7JW7PZI~xBDeRh52ksx9wIJQkgQ4QtdFFkxgFsZ0NprcIy80ItuuOqQBEyXQxKI0apqNZymvSiYkQlIvo7EY1All9htbbjZcCljcQMlUVrxYfWJ4YovHTl6kVAQOZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A contentious portion of the meeting centered on writing standards for middle grades. Some members advocated a grade‑by‑grade emphasis — for example, focusing on narrative in sixth grade, informational in seventh and argument in eighth — arguing that concentrating instruction would deepen student competency. Other members cautioned that districts and teachers rely on standards that require exposure to all three genres at each grade and that assessment and curricular alignment must be considered before changing the structure.

Arguments for a grade‑focus model: Nicole (committee member and former classroom teacher) presented district student achievement data and argued that a concentrated approach could strengthen outcomes. She noted statewide TCAP proficiency rates and said some districts still teach formulaic writing without the deeper research and synthesis skills that high schools expect. Proponents said a focused progression would allow teachers to develop robust sequences of lessons and better scaffold research and argument skills.

Concerns and constraints: Opponents said the committee could not assume assessment and adoption processes would immediately reflect new emphases; they also warned that changing grade expectations without piloting could create transition problems. Several members asked TDOE for evidence about other states’ approaches and whether the research supports a mode‑focus progression.

TDOE and next steps: TDOE staff said the department would research peer states and recent literature about mode sequencing and the effects on student writing proficiency; because of the scope of the request and available time, TDOE indicated it would return research results at the next day’s session. Committee staff were asked to collect public comments related to writing mode emphasis and to include those comments in the packet for tomorrow.

Why it matters: The structure of the writing progression affects teacher planning, instructional materials, and how students are prepared for high‑stakes assessments. Several classroom teachers in the room said they teach all three modes, but that instruction is often shallow because of time and materials constraints.

Outcome: There was no vote. The committee requested TDOE compile comparative research and examples from other states and to produce a written summary for the group to review at the next convening.","Committee members argued over a proposal to emphasize one mode of writing (narrative, informational, argumentative) in successive middle‑grade years to raise student outcomes; TDOE will research other states' approaches and efficacy for the group.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6584347,"Committee keeps combined speaking/listening standard, adds language to flag evidence vs. persuasion and multimedia use",5057,9093000,14150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd&start=9093&end=14150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd/thumbnail_9093000.jpg","/articles/6584347/Tennessee/Committee-keeps-combined-speakinglistening-standard-adds-language-to-flag-evidence-vs-persuasion-and-multimedia-use","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584347-e605cc8bbe501e655876a7a712bfeb86/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569863&Signature=EJ5psnP9sFdO2NJDVnzOnfASTZXbVMWzZ0bSiSgZBTzy4px-E-SdkdE~pScNFdwlkzPc7Ng8RvvWeZiuvQv05~2fm5DxCA2fXLtrDE710gQ7wKpo7T2Qrkqy0ML9clmPwVjgTZQpyLEje0I-8Te7aUN1lx9tL06y5xXFAl0r5hYXis9t2iAA~7BWv9y3rEOiv9UFsmaVoiuQ8KwEbsF2m35j4U0mom3OHuTsXPJG0f-frqqBCZRsSZpWOiUkorVeH7zOYg9WjB7~7jpU9AHyN2kubxEoPq91JW2TDXolaZh0aM~6w2cMa0~OLvpXG4hYynMJ9R6gTaFLTUrmMx~knA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The standards committee discussed whether to split two previously separate speaking and listening standards — one about integrating and evaluating information presented in diverse media and a second about evaluating a speaker’s point of view — and chose to keep a single combined standard while changing wording to avoid narrowing the scope.

Key edits: The committee accepted TDOE’s suggestion to prefer the term “perspective” over “point of view” in the cornerstone language. Members also added an explicit line to the combined standard that asks students to “distinguish between evidence and persuasive techniques” before they analyze a speaker’s argument. That sentence was added to make clearer the difference between theatrical or rhetorical moves and factual, evidentiary elements.

Multimedia and rhetoric: The committee expanded the draft to call out multimedia and visual displays of data, and agreed on phrasing that teachers could apply at different grade bands: earlier grades will “use multimedia components” while middle and high school standards talk about integrating purposefully selected multimedia resources to clarify information and strengthen claims and evidence.

Why it matters: Committee members said the combined standard better reflects today’s blended media environment — online video, audio and visuals are often presented together — but that the language must not inadvertently limit teachers to only argumentative contexts. Adding the “evidence vs. persuasive technique” sentence is intended to help students recognize misleading but attention‑getting devices that do not constitute evidence.

Next steps: Staff will update the spreadsheet to replace “point of view” with “perspective” in the combined cornerstone, add the new sentence distinguishing evidence and persuasive techniques, and implement the agreed multimedia wording in the grade bands. The committee opted to handle hyperlinks to linked standards in the standards guide (rather than hard‑coding them into the standard text) to avoid repeated reconciling later.

Ending: The committee also asked TDOE and staff to draft examples and annotated guidance for teachers illustrating the difference between evidence and persuasive devices and for how multimedia can be used purposefully at each grade level.","The committee resolved a TDOE concern about combining two speaking/listening items into one standard, opted to keep them combined with wording changes, and added an explicit sentence for students to distinguish evidence from persuasive techniques; members also agreed to clarify use of multimedia in presentations.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6584352,"Standards committee advances a string of copy‑edits and structural fixes to foundational literacy draft",7775,680000,8455000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd&start=680&end=8455","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779360-67ac8e781a6693024d395922e316fbcd/thumbnail_680000.jpg","/articles/6584352/Tennessee/Standards-committee-advances-a-string-of-copyedits-and-structural-fixes-to-foundational-literacy-draft","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584352-af7e1b737023ebd156767e6a12c31b00/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569863&Signature=dtlPiALTuiWBR5M8ZXnqDBYfc6aNr4MVVHZiHLprgW1zNd2TTSAb~U5v-YelxDd2yR8L54r1uNYEHsNoDGMo18ZrVBnH6QBBF6Fy3jg-3g9S~jbP5OWdcr1Q71xlrnUCbeXdgmiWKzJ5r2yN6fcQlLZiuJqME9Z5d5qFmn-5MsnziBBBAHAFDhukgat0aVsfocR4AymLiYEU38cKeUDBbFcNfPgoyIDU6J2nSlxZoxdSXLrmAZhc6Lhlb45Db9ax7YFGECN5G4-ZbEj10Qvg-FVkw3AXRjSV2n9mPYOHdllYVPy62VUdZEabTzVBeXTcES0f15c-K1TNd6mfidNzuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State Board of Education’s standards committee spent its session primarily revising the wording, punctuation and structural layout of the K–5 foundational literacy standards, adopting a set of consistency edits and a recommendation to split a previously combined cornerstone into separate items.

Committee members mapped and approved multiple copy edits intended to make the standards easier to read and implement. Changes recorded in the meeting included: consistently hyphenating modifier phrases such as “grade‑appropriate” and “grade‑level”; replacing “which” with the restrictive “that” in parent standards when the clause is essential; removing some commas that broke lists awkwardly; and using semicolons to separate long listed performance criteria. Members also asked staff to normalize references such as “high frequency” (to be hyphenated as “high‑frequency”) across the document.

Why it matters: The committee’s stated goal was to remove sources of ambiguity and reduce proofreading churn for districts and publishers. Several members said consistent punctuation and phrasing will help teachers and materials reviewers quickly locate intended expectations and reduce downstream change requests.

What the committee did: Vice Chair Vester Hilliard and other members made live edits to the shared spreadsheet while colleagues reviewed phrasing on screen. Leanne Potter (chair of the K–5 subcommittee) explained grammatical and usage choices for decodability standards and reminded members why the parent standard uses “reread” for fluency practice. The group agreed to: hyphenate “grade‑appropriate” everywhere; change commas that created misleading parenthetical breaks; convert certain commas to semicolons where lists were lengthy; change singular/plural mismatches (e.g., text → texts where appropriate); and standardize capitalization in subparts.

Cornerstone structure: The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) had recommended restoring several previously separated cornerstones that had been consolidated. The committee agreed to split the combined K–5 vocabulary cornerstone back into three related cornerstones and to mirror that structure in the K–5 columns so the progression will feed language standards at higher grade bands. Members flagged the related need to update the companion standards guides so the public and districts can find curated exemplars and rationale.

Follow‑up and next steps: Staff were directed to apply the copy edits across the spreadsheet, re‑run a consistency check, and circulate the updated file. TDOE staff will move recommended cornerstone language into the draft standards and provide the committee with updated guidance on how the cornerstones align to 6–12 language standards. Committee members also requested staff review the final file for remaining punctuation and plurality mismatches before the next meeting.

Ending note: Most edits were non‑substantive wording and formatting decisions, but members emphasized these small changes have outsized effects on usability for teachers and materials reviewers. The committee left open the more substantive policy questions — such as the scope of assessments and how draft wording will be reflected in standards‑guides — for later discussion with TDOE and the assessment office.","The State Board of Education working group on English language arts spent a day resolving grammar, punctuation and formatting inconsistencies in the K–5 foundational literacy draft and agreed to split some combined cornerstones; TDOE follow‑ups and spreadsheet edits were assigned to staff.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee adopts draft electives: 'Genre Literature' and 'Mythology' added to course list

Committee hears a sharp debate over whether to teach a single writing mode per middle grade; TDOE asked for comparative research

Committee keeps combined speaking/listening standard, adds language to flag evidence vs. persuasion and multimedia use

Standards committee advances a string of copy‑edits and structural fixes to foundational literacy draft