Achieve's "backmapped" English and Communication Benchmarks, Grades 4 – 12 arose from the American Diploma Project (ADP) benchmarks for end of high school, which define success for students in future postsecondary education and work. Those exit benchmarks were published in Ready or Not in 2004. In 2005, Achieve began work to provide details on how students could progress toward these benchmarks, culminating with the English and Communication Benchmarks for grades 4 – 12. For more information on the intended audiences, purposes, organization, content and implications of the English and Communication Benchmarks, Grades 4 – 12, see About the Benchmarks.

Below are the writers and reviewers who helped us in the various stages of this project. We wish to thank all the contributors who have influenced and improved our work, though we must also note that the names listed below have not necessarily endorsed the final results. The affiliations listed for writers and reviewers reflect their position at the time they were involved with the project.

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Achieve Staff
JoAnne Eresh – Senior Associate, English
Jim Macdonald – Project Associate, Content and Policy Research
Laura Slover – Vice President, Content and Policy Research

English and Communications Benchmarks, Grades 4 – 12
Writers and Reviewers

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Susan Albertine – Dean of Culture and Society, The College of New Jersey
Mary Andis – Director of English/Language Arts, Indiana Department of Education
Marcia Ashhurst-Whiting – Language Arts Literacy Coordinator, New Jersey Department of Education
Mark Bauerlein – Professor of English, Emory University
Mary (Beth) Belew – English Language Arts/Assessment Specialist, Arkansas Department of Education
Sheila Byrd – Education Policy Consultant
Ellen Clark – State Standards Specialist, K12, Inc.
Deborah Coffman – Associate Director, Professional Development, Arkansas Department of Education
Sylvia Edwards – Specialist in English Language Arts, Maryland State Department of Education
Shayne Goodrum – Consultant, English Language Arts, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Natasha Groetsch – Director of Standards and Curriculum, College Readiness, The College Board
Jerome Halpern – English Language Arts Consultant; Coordinator for Partnerships, Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, University of Pittsburgh
Sally Hampton – Senior Fellow, America's Choice – NCEE
Elizabeth Haydel (Lead Writer) – English Language Arts Consultant
Gail Odette Henderson – Chair, Department of English, Baton Rouge Community College
Jane Hesse – Director, K-12 Curriculum and Assessment, Novi Community School District – Michigan
E.D. Hirsch, Jr. – Core Knowledge Foundation; Professor Emeritus of Education and Humanities, University of Virginia
Carol Jago – Board Member, National Council of Teachers of English
Michael L. Kamil – Professor, Language Learning and Policy, School of Education, Stanford University
Lynda Markham – Curriculum Specialist, Los Angeles Unified School District
Sandra Murphy – Professor of Education, University of California, Davis
Judson Odell – Senior Content Specialist, The College Board
Sue Pimentel – Education Consultant, StandardsWork
Timothy Shanahan – Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago
Leslie Skelton (Lead Writer) – English Language Arts Consultant; Retired, English teacher, Eugene Schools – Oregon
Sandra Stotsky – Education Consultant
Doranna Tindle – English Teacher, Friendship Collegiate Academy – Washington, DC
Jeffrey Wiemelt – Associate Professor of English, Southeastern Louisiana University
Susan Wheltle – Director, Office of Humanities, Massachusetts Department of Education
John Williamson – Superintendent, Fort Thomas Independent Schools