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Some resources in this library have been archived and are no longer publicly available. If you need access to an archived resource, please contact us at info@sabes.org and we will be happy to assist.
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The English Language Arts Proficiency Guide for Teachers of Adult Basic Education, often referred to as the ELA Proficiency Guide, is based on the ABE Professional Standards. It contains ELA-specific supporting explanations, essential concepts, and observable teacher and student behaviors. See…
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Research has identified four essential components to the process of reading and, thus, to reading instruction: alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. WIOA requires ABE programs to provide explicit and systematic instruction in the essential components of reading to…
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ELA Lens: Culturally Responsive Teaching
Culturally responsive teaching is a framework that guides ELA teachers in connecting with who their learners are and where they come from in order to support students’ academic learning, cultural competence, and understanding of how their communities operate…
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The SABES ELA PD Center has developed three ELA What-to-Look-For guides (a.k.a., "Look-For" guides) in collaboration with ACLS to support teacher effectiveness in ABE. These guides are part of the Classroom Visit Toolkit–A Holistic Approach to Classroom Observations.
Organized by level, the…
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Texts that adult learners read for instruction should be at an appropriately complex level and relate to the unit topic. Care should also be taken to ensure that the presentation of the text, even if oriented towards children (e.g., through pictures, language) can still speak directly to adults…
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Use this checklist to guide the planning and development of a student leadership program. The checklist includes core planning considerations and questions, as well as space for indicating who is responsible for making decisions and what decisions were made.
This worksheet is referenced in the…
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This page is intended to help ABE practitioners embed ELA skill instruction in knowledge-building lessons and units related to social studies, science, careers, and other topics of interest to adult learners. The links below lead to websites that can be helpful for finding background…
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This page shares templates and resources for developing English Language Arts curriculum for ABE in Massachusetts.
ELA Templates & Guides
ELA Scope & Sequence: Template and Review Guide
Design Tasks & Resources: ELA Scope & Sequence
General Guidance
Word Versions:…
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Welcome to the 2025-2026 School Year!
In the document below, you’ll find all of the planned PD offerings from the SABES Program Support Team for 2025-2026, organized by priority area, to help you plan your and your staff’s professional learning for the year. You’ll also find listings for new staff…
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Click on the resource below to view a list of the English Language Arts professional development events from October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Click on an event title to read more and register.
