Crosswalk Highlights
The learning standards crosswalk between the Decision Education (DE) K–12 Learning Standards and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA) found the strongest alignment in:
- Analyzing characterization
- Argumentative writing
- Developing critical thinking through the lens of bias recognition and rationality
These overlapping areas offer valuable opportunities to integrate DE into ELA instruction, helping students draw connections between texts, real-world contexts, and their own decision-making processes.
Explore the Crosswalk’s Key Similarities
Below, find the crosswalk’s main areas of alignment, along with the specific standards within each content area.
Key Areas of ELA Alignment:
The CCSS ELA Anchor Standards are the foundation of the ELA/literacy standards, outlining fundamental skills that stretch across grade bands for reading, writing, listening and speaking. As students advance and gain proficiency in English language arts, they engage with increasingly complex texts for college and career readiness. Decision Education standards enhance ELA standards by helping students analyze a character’s perspective and choices or understanding cause and effect in a technical text. The following Anchor Standards exhibit the strongest overlap with DE and the ability to promote the facility to think critically, evidence-based reasoning, and evaluative skills.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it. This standard emphasizes the ability to extract explicit details and draw informed conclusions, encouraging students to engage critically with a text’s content. It aligns strongly with the Decision Education learning standard domain of Structured Decision-Making (SD) by fostering skills in identifying key elements and evaluating the quality of information to make reasoned judgments.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. This standard involves analyzing the influence of perspective and authorial intent, enabling students to uncover biases or framing within texts. It aligns with the Decision Education learning standard domain of Recognizing and Resisting Cognitive Biases (CB), particularly in identifying how framing effects or selective presentation can influence perception and decision-making.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. This standard focuses on constructing coherent and persuasive arguments, integrating evidence, and considering counterarguments. It aligns strongly with the Decision Education learning standard domain of Valuing and Applying Rationality (VAR) by promoting logical reasoning, critical evaluation of evidence, and effective communication of ideas.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8: Gather relevant information from multiple sources, assess credibility, and integrate it effectively. This standard supports skills in research and information synthesis, emphasizing the evaluation of source reliability. It aligns with the Decision Education learning standard domains of Structured Decision-Making (SD) and Valuing and Applying Rationality (VAR) as both emphasize the importance of credible, evidence-based information in the decision-making process.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations. This standard requires students to engage in meaningful discussions, evaluate different perspectives, and build consensus. It aligns with the Decision Education learning standard domains of Thinking Probabilistically (TP) and Structured Decision-Making (SD) by encouraging the consideration of diverse viewpoints and weighing multiple possibilities when making decisions collaboratively.
Key Areas of Decision Education Alignment:
Structuring Decisions (SD) has significant overlap with ELA through the analysis of characters and narrative decision-making. The most aligned DE standards include:
- SD.1: Identify and frame what a decision is and is not about.
- SD.2: Clarify the values and objectives of the decision-maker in a given decision.
- SD.3: Generate and develop significantly different and criteria-aligned decision options.
- SD.4: Gather and analyze information from multiple sources to evaluate decision options.
Recognizing and Resisting Cognitive Biases (CB) aligns well with both literary analysis and argumentative writing. The most aligned DE standards include:
- CB.1: Identify cognitive biases and heuristics and the role they play in our decision-making and our views of the world.
- CB.3: Recognize and actively resist hindsight bias.
- CB.5: Recognize and actively resist the framing effect.
- CB.8: Recognize and actively resist the tendency to ignore measures of likelihoods and relevant data when making judgments.
Valuing and Applying Rationality (VAR) enhances students’ ability to construct logical, evidence-based arguments. The most aligned DE standards include:
- VAR.3: Recognize, practice, and demonstrate active open-mindedness.
- VAR.4: Recognize, practice, and demonstrate a truth-seeking mindset.
- VAR.8: Apply scientific reasoning to problem-solving and decision-making.
Thinking Probabilistically (TP), while less prominent, connects to predicting and evaluating outcomes in texts and discussions. The most aligned DE standards include:
- TP.4: Use probabilistic thinking when making predictions and evaluating real-world contexts involving uncertainty.
- TP.5: Use probabilistic thinking when making predictions and evaluating real-world contexts involving uncertainty.
