The Secondary Core Curriculum in English Language Arts Tools and Routines Road Map Revisions 2008-2009

3. Learning Intentions How can instructional leadership capacity be advanced through understanding curriculum content and the tools and practices supporting each content area that advance teaching and learning? How can instructional leadership capacity be advanced through understanding the coherent professional development cycle and the tools and practices supporting professional development in each content area?

4. Before we begin… Draw a circle on a sheet of paper. Label where 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock would appear on that circle. Schedule appointments at each of those times with someone in the room who is not sitting next to you. Write that person’s name next to the appointment time. You will have 2 minutes to fill your appointments and return to your seats.

5. Core Principles of the DL Pattern Students learn core concepts and habits of thinking within each discipline as defined by standards. Learning activities, curricula, tasks, text, and talk apprentice students within the discipline. Teachers apprentice students by giving them opportunities to engage in rigorous disciplinary activity and providing scaffolding through inquiry, direct instruction, models, and coaching. Intelligence is socialized through community, class learning culture and instructional routines. Instruction is assessment-driven.

6. The DL Pattern The ELA Core Curriculum Units across Grades 6-12 share a common, consistent, repeated pattern of instruction. Frequently during this pattern a “Step Back” and/or “Retrospective” occurs to encourage students to either examine, metacognitively, the learning that has occurred, or to tie it retrospectively to previous learning.

7. DL Patterned Way of Reading, Writing, and Talking Read to get the gist Reread to find significant moments Read again to interpret the ideas in the text Read again differently to analyze the author’s methods Write to learn: know, express, and track thinking Write to learn: select and explain ideas; reflect on writing and thinking Write and talk to develop interpretation of ideas WriteLike - Write like the text and in imitation of an author’s syntax and grammatical structures This patterned way of working and rereading and writing and talking is the routine for the students. Where and how are teachers currently engaging students in vocabulary and grammar? If not at all, where do you think would be the best “fit?” This patterned way of working and rereading and writing and talking is the routine for the students. Where and how are teachers currently engaging students in vocabulary and grammar? If not at all, where do you think would be the best “fit?”

8. Read to Get the “Gist”Comprehension level work Students read for comprehension or “gist.” Students write in response to open-ended comprehension questions first individually in their Reader/Writer Notebooks. Students pair/trio share their thinking. Then there is a whole group discussion with the teacher charting responses. The chart becomes an artifact of the learning and a scaffold for further work with the text.

9. Reread for SignificanceInterpretive/Inferential Work Students reread/scan all or part of the text in order to pull lines that are of particular significance. Significance is sometimes determined by the student by the impact the text had on him/her, or by the teacher to focus on a particular literary element or aspect of the author’s craft. Students write the line and an explanation of its significance on a T-chart in their Reader/Writer Notebooks. Students then share with a partner or small group before participating in whole class discussion. This work should also be charted and used later as an artifact. This is interpretive/inferential work where connections are made within and between texts as well as to prior knowledge.

10. Read Again to Interpret Ideas in the Text Students here are given an open-ended writing prompt. This is referred to as a “Write About.” At this point, “rereading” may simply be returning to the text to find support for one’s claims. Students write to make and support claims for use in the Inquiry-Based Discussion which follows. The progression here from individual and paired work moves to a more defined discussion model within protocols set by the class to assure accountability.

11. Read Again to Analyze the Author’s Methods Students look at the text again for a new purpose. This time, they are analyzing a particular aspect of the writer’s craft/technique. This may include stylistic, grammatical, or structural nuances. Students may be asked to pull lines that exemplify the writer’s use of this technique and then critically evaluate the effect on the reader and text. Students at this stage are often asked to use, or mimic the author’s use of the technique in a writing exercise of their own referred to as a “Write Like.”

12. Assessments Formative Assessment (which informs our understanding of where students are and what we need to do next with them, individually or in small/whole group) occurs at all stages in the pattern. Over the shoulder observations of skills, deficits, interests, and approaches/patterns as the teacher circulates through independent and pair share activities Through careful listening of what students say during group discussions By reading their writing in the Reader/Writer Notebooks and more formal writing pieces In addition, 4Sight and Core Curriculum Benchmarks also provide formative assessment: 4Sight using the measure of end of the year competencies on PSSA; Core Curriculum Benchmarks on the Eligible Content covered in a given section of the Core Curriculum. This information should be used to guide the teacher in her use/addition of scaffolds, models, additional practice, additional teacher support, and extended learning opportunities

13. Assessments Summative Assessments, which measure student gains at the end of a given arc of instruction include: Culminating Projects that complete each unit Final drafts of writing assignments Selection assessments

14. It’s 3 o’clock! Discuss the following questions with your 3 o’clock appointment: Is it important for teachers to follow the DL Pattern in order? Why or why not? Would you recommend that teachers skip portions of the pattern?

15. Road Map Revisions were informed by: Feedback from teachers, ITLs coaches and administrators Data from 4Sight and Core Curriculum Benchmarks The need to align each curriculum to all elements of the Pennsylvania State Standards and Eligible Content The need to incorporate more vocabulary and grammar instruction into the established DL pattern The charge to create a more culturally responsive curriculum

16. Changes that Apply to All Grades More time and attention will be devoted to nonfiction, vocabulary, grammar and writing instruction. A novel or unit has been removed, at most grade levels, to allow time for more explicit writing instruction. Students will receive the majority of their grammar and vocabulary instruction in the context of their reading and writing. Grammar and mechanics will also be addressed through mini lessons based upon formative assessment of students’ needs. Portfolio – Portfolio requirements will be marked in the Road Maps and in the units. 12th Grade will be especially concerned with covering the PSSA Portfolio requirements before the first submission. Differentiated Instruction – We will add more options/ suggestions for differentiation. Differentiation of process and product need to be addressed. Learning styles should be considered when differentiating assignments.

17. Grade 6 Road Map for 2008-09

18. Grade 7 Road Map for 2008-09

19. Grade 8 Road Map for 2008-09

20. English 1 Road Map for 2008-09

21. English 2 Road Map for 2008-09

22. English 3 Road Map 2008-09

23. English 4 Road Map 2008-09

24. Culturally Responsive Curriculumin English Language Arts:Seeing our students’ cultural backgrounds as supports for learning rather than deficits Acknowledging and building from students’ personal, ethnic, class, gender, neighborhood, and school histories to promote learning

25. Choice of Texts Students studying the Core Curriculum in English language arts will spend a considerable amount of time studying works by a wide-range of writers representing a variety of experiences, e.g., African American, women, economically disadvantaged, etc. Every effort is being made to include as many Pittsburgh writers as possible. Units designed around texts that are more accessible to increasingly difficult (e.g., “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” to “Harriett Tubman”). Where texts deal with topics that might be previously unknown, activities are designed to support broadening students’ knowledge base (e.g., mini-/full research units on the Holocaust or Apartheid).

26. Design Features of the Units Gives multiple opportunities for students to say what they already know Gives multiple opportunities for students to link big ideas of texts and units to their personal experiences Works to identify in advance issues or content that might not easily be accessible to students or that might be emotionally charged Gives multiple opportunities for students to say how they learned (increase chances of transference) Gives multiple opportunities to make sense of texts independently and with peers Gives variety of ways students can engage with learning and demonstrate their understanding.

27. Building Intellectual Community in Classrooms High expectations in the core curriculum are reflected in the requirement that all students inquire, investigate, read, write, reason and talk about critical questions, problems, and concepts. Teachers use scaffolding (inquiry, direct instruction, modeling and observing, differentiation, guided reflection) to ensure that students of all backgrounds do the intellectual work involved in understanding the core content.

28. Multiple Perspectives Encouragement of the use of multiple perspectives occurs through providing opportunities for students to reflect on their learning as they learn from each other. Students are consistently exposed to the different perspectives of their peers through pairing, small group, and whole group discussions. Charting of these thoughts and feelings is a means of validating what viewpoints students bring to the classroom and maintains these viewpoints as a reference. Students are also invited to take on the perspectives of the characters in and the authors of the multicultural texts from which they are learning. Texts selected to reflect the perspectives of various writers from different cultural backgrounds enable students to not only see themselves in the literature but also become sensitive to the many commonalities that all cultures share.

29. Student Engagement Student engagement is on-going through the presentation of unit questions which drive the overarching questions that are the power of purpose and motivation for the learning taking place in each unit. These questions are grounded in inquiry and are designed to be open ended which allows all students to approach these questions from multiple perspectives that are both personal and text-based. A compilation of ideas and reactions in the Reader’s/Writer’s notebook is a means of engaging students as they document their learning experiences in their own words.

30. Assessment The learning potentials of students are assessed through several formative assessments. Students can demonstrate their learning at entry points that are at varying comfort levels: pair/share, trio/share, small group discussions, entries made in Reader’s/Writer’s notebooks. Differentiation strategies and interventions are able to be employed if these formative assessments reveal a need for students who are struggling with particular concepts. Not being chained to one form of assessing students’ learning is another way of responding to the various learning styles and needs of students from various backgrounds.

31. The Instructional Handbook for English 6-12

32. Scavenger Hunt Activity Where can one find guidelines for facilitating an inquiry discussion? Name three resources that are available on the Reading/Writing 6-12 website? What percent of the students’ grades will come from speaking and listening? Now that there are grading guidelines for ELA 6-12, where can I find instructions on how to set up my grade book? How does PA Standard 1.3.8.B differ from 1.3.11.B?

33. The ELA Teaching and Learning Feedback Tool Please turn to page 55 of the English 6-12 Handbook to view to ELA Teaching and Learning Feedback Tool.

34. Use of the Tool This tool will be used during classroom visitations and learning walks. The intent is to provide feedback to inform the professional development training. This tool is not to be used in evaluative ways. This tool supports the recursive cycle of professional development and professional learning of teachers.

35. English Content and Context p. 55 What unit are the students working on? What text/s are the students working with? What part of the pattern are the students engaged in? (Gist, significance, etc.) What overarching questions and concepts are students working to understand? Is the task/question being used as it is written in the curriculum? Are the students and teacher working on literary concepts using reading, writing, speaking and listening with an inquiry stance?

36. Potential for Student Progression from Comprehension to Critical Thinking p. 55 Is the task set up so that the students are making sense of the text from literal comprehension to critical thinking through talking, writing and working with others? Are students working towards producing extended writing assignments that demonstrate their understanding of whole texts and major discipline-specific questions? Are students given multiple opportunities to engage in the writing process?

37. Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum pp. 56 - 58 Do students engage in active thinking, talking and writing about challenging ideas and texts? Tool is divided into three sections: Students’ Active Use of Knowledge Evidence/Observations Teacher’s Implementation of Task

38. Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum - Example Inquiry Discussion – Students’ Active Use of Knowledge Are students given the opportunity to engage in whole group inquiry discussion where the emphasis is on how the group talk is deepening everyone’s understanding of the text ideas, the quality of the students’ interpretations, and socialization into the linguistic and literary routines of the discussion? Is the focus question one that has more than one plausible response supportable with evidence from the text?

39. Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum - Example Inquiry Discussion – Teacher’s Implementation of Task How does the teacher set clear expectations for students’ roles during the discussion? What evidence is there that the teacher shows students how to engage in discussions through follow-up questions, requests for clarification, prompting connections to text, assisting connection-making between knowledge and text, and bringing students back to the guiding questions? How does the teacher use wait time? How does the teacher encourage all students to engage in the discussion? How does the teacher press for elaboration of responses or more appropriate evidence?

40. Accountable Talk p. 59 In what ways do students talk about English language arts content and share their thinking? The tool is divided into three categories for this section: Student Talk Evidence Teacher Talk

41. Accountable Talk - Example Student Talk: In what ways did student-to-student discussions occur during the lesson? What evidence exists that students have learned to support each other’s learning? Teacher Talk: In what ways did the teacher facilitate a discussion with and among students?

42. Classroom Environment – Physical and Social p. 60 In what ways does the classroom environment support high level work, student exploration and discussion of texts and concepts? A. In what ways are the following made public (through display or other means), discussed, and used by students? B. How is the physical environment of the classroom conducive to learning in English language arts? C. What type of feedback is provided on student work and how does the written feedback help students to advance their learning of concepts and make connections between their own work and the criteria for quality work?

43. Reflect on this week’s learning Take a moment to complete a QuickWrite in your notebook on the following questions: What are some things you heard Drs. Gomez and Hasslebring mention that we are already doing in PPS? How can principals as instructional leaders support reading across all contents?

44. It’s 6 o’clock! Please discuss the following quote with your 6 o’clock appointment: Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks and just watch the river flow by; instead, they should embark together on a journey down the water. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning how to learn. Loris Malaguzzi How does this quote relate to the curriculum work in Pittsburgh?