Writing instruction in Mesa Public Schools is defined by the Arizona English Language Arts Standards. The ELA Standards include ten writing standards which define what students should understand and be able to do by the end of each grade. The grade-specific standards correspond to the anchor standards, and together they define the skills and understanding that all students must demonstrate.

The Writing Standards include four clusters. The first of these, Text Types and Purposes, indicates that students at all ages should be writing opinion/argument pieces, informative/explanatory pieces, and narrative pieces. The second cluster is Production and Distribution of Writing and includes standards to help students produce clear and coherent writing, develop and strengthen their writing, and use technology with their writing. The Research to Build and Present Knowledge cluster outlines the research expectations for each grade level. The last cluster, Range of Writing, reminds teachers that students should write routinely over both extended time frames and shorter time frames.