ABSTRACT
This chapter reports on an attempt to improve the teaching of reading and writing for Latino students in a small charter school during a four-year period. As the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were being adopted by states around the country, there was growing concern and much discussion about the impact of such standards on English language learners (ELLs). Latino College Preparatory Academy (LCPA) is an open-enrollment charter school that is focused on educating Latinos who reside in a low-income area in the Greater Bay Area in California. The Reading and Writing Initiative (RWI) had as its purpose addressing the development of the reading and writing abilities of Latino students at LCPA. The standards specifically addressed by the RWI were the State of California's College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading and Writing. These standards define literacy expectations for students entering college and careers, and they provide the foundation for California's K-12 English Language Arts Standards.
