Text Complexity Canyons School District adapted from Kansas State Department of Education for

1. Text Complexity Canyons School District adapted from Kansas State Department of Education for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

2. CSD Professional Learning Expectations This is a safe place for learning; all ideas are worth consideration. Please be respectful of those around you; avoid sidebar conversations. Use technology to enhance learning (e.g. online shopping = inappropriate; taking notes = appropriate; cell phones silenced = very appropriate). Your participation is needed; please engage in learning and put away outside work. Everything we do here should reflect our commitment to preparing students for citizenship, college and careers.

3. Purpose of this meeting: • Introduce Canyon’s new text selection policy and the process for text selection (tied to the ELA Common Core). • Outline the essential components of text complexity as it affects text selection in the ELA Common Core. • Provide resources for accessing informational text. • Structure group time to analyze your own school’s currently-used texts.

4. Reflection Think back to a text or a reading task from college that was especially challenging. Describe that experience.

5. Text Complexity “The goal is to graduate students who can read and comprehend independently and proficiently the complex texts found in college and careers” (CCSS, Appendix A, page 2).

6. Introduce Canyon’s new text selection policy and the process for text selection (tied to the ELA Common Core). • CSD STANDARDS FOR APPROVED TEXTS/LISTS • The Evidence-Based Learning Department will maintain a list of approved texts and supplemental resources. • The list will include information regarding correlationof the text to State and Common Core Standards. • Recommendations for inclusion on the list of approved texts can be made at the end of each grading period (no fewer than three times a year) by school-based personnel, district personnel, and parents in the community.

7. CSD STANDARDS FOR APPROVED TEXTS/LISTS (cont.) 4. Concerns related to text approval will be resolved by utilizing existing communication channels (for example, meetings with departments and/or school representatives and other necessary district personnel), utilizing rubrics that qualitatively and quantitatively assess the match between intended reader(s), text in question, and assigned task(s). 5. Should the existing communication channels not lead to a decision, the matter may be referred to a District committee.

8. A Visual Representation of the Range and Complexity of the Existing Core Compared to the Common Core

9. Given the gaps between where students are when they graduate and where they need to be for college & careers, what do we need to do to better prepare them? As you watch this short clip, identify two main ideas. Be prepared to share your ideas with a partner. Source:

10. Emphasis on Complex Text

11. Share Out What ideas require a shift in current thought, pedagogy or practices? Source:

12. Shift Happens The Common Core identifies two types of text: Informational & Literary Informational includes: Literary Text Includes: Exposition Fiction Argumentation Literary Non-fiction Procedural Poetry Source:

13. So what does the common core say? Source:

14. Text Complexity Specifically, within reading standard #10: Anchor Standard: R.CCR.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. Example Grade-level Standard (6th grade): RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

15. Guiding Questions So… What do the Common Core Standards mean by text complexity? What is a text complexity band? and How do we ensure the texts our students are reading are in the appropriate text complexity band?

16. Outline the essential components of text complexity as it affects text selection in the ELA Common Core. • Text complexity is defined by: Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands often best measured by an attentive human reader. Reader and Task considerations – background knowledge of reader, motivation, interests, and complexity generated by tasks assigned often best made by educators employing their professional judgment.

17. Where do we find texts in the appropriate text complexity band? We can…. • Choose an excerpt of text from Appendix B: Use available resources to determine the text complexity of other materials on our own. or…

18. Determining Text Complexity Determine the quantitative measures of the text. Quantitative Qualitative Analyze the qualitative measures of the text. Reader and Task Reflect upon the reader and task considerations. Recommend placement in the appropriate text complexity band. A Four-step Process:

19. Step 1: Quantitative Measures • Measures such as: • Word length • Word frequency • Word difficulty • Sentence length • Text length • Text cohesion

20. Canyons Common Core Standards Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Bands • The K-1 suggested Lexile range was not identified by the Common Core State Standards and was added by Canyons.

21. Step 1: Quantitative Measures Let’s imagine we want to see where a text falls on the quantitative measures “leg” of the text complexity triangle, using the Lexile text measures. For illustrative purposes, let’s choose Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

22. Step 1: Quantitative Measures Finding a Lexile Measure for Text: http://www.lexile.com/findabook/

23. Step 1: Quantitative Measures

24. Step 1: Quantitative Measures

25. Step 1: Quantitative Measures For texts not in the Lexile database, consider using the Lexile Analyzer: http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/ • Registration is required (free) http://www.lexile.com/account/register/ • Allows user to receive an “estimated” Lexile score • Accommodates texts up to 1000 words in length • Texts of any length can be evaluated using the Professional Lexile Analyzer—educators can upgrade to this tool for free by requesting access http://www.lexile.com/account/profile/access/

26. Step 1: Quantitative Measures • Additional Resources for Lexile Measures: • Overview video • http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-video/ • “What Does the Lexile Measure Mean?”http://lexile.com/m/uploads/downloadablepdfs/WhatDoestheLexileMeasureMean.pdf • “Lexile Measures and the Common Core State Standards” • http://www.lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/

27. Step 1: Quantitative Measures 870L Lexile Text Measure: In which of the text complexity bands would this novel fall?

28. Canyons Common Core Standards Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Bands • The K-1 suggested Lexile range was not identified by the Common Core State Standards and was added by Canyons.

29. Step 1: Quantitative Measures Remember, however, that the quantitative measures is only the first of three “legs” of the text complexity triangle. Our final recommendation may be validated, influenced, or even over-ruled by our examination of qualitative measures and the reader and task considerations.

30. Step 2: Qualitative Measures • Measures such as: • Levels of meaning • Levels of purpose • Structure • Organization • Language conventionality • Language clarity • Prior knowledge demands

31. Step 2: Qualitative Measures The Qualitative Measures Rubrics for Literary and Informational Text: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4605 The rubric for literary text and the rubric for informational text allow educators to evaluate the important elements of text that are often missed by computer software that tends to focus on more easily measured factors.

32. Step 2: Qualitative Measures Because the factors for literary texts are different from information texts, these two rubrics contain different content. However, the formatting of each document is exactly the same. And because these factors represent continua rather than discrete stages or levels, numeric values are not associated with these rubrics. Instead, four points along each continuum are identified: high, middle high, middle low, and low.

33. Step 2: Qualitative Measures So… How is the rubric used? And how would To Kill a Mockingbird fair when analyzed through the lens of the Literary Text Rubric?

34. Step 2: Qualitative Measures

35. Step 2: Qualitative Measures From examining the quantitative measures, we knew: 870L Lexile Text Measure: But after reflecting upon the qualitative measures, we believed:

36. Step 2: Qualitative Measures Our initial placement of To Kill a Mockingbird into a text complexity band changed when we examined the qualitative measures. Quantitative Remember, however, that we have completed only the first two legs of the text complexity triangle. Qualitative Reader and Task The reader and task considerations still remain.

37. Step 3: Reader and Task • Considerations such as: • Motivation • Knowledge and experience • Purpose for reading • Complexity of task assigned regarding text • Complexity of questions asked regarding text

38. Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations Questions for Professional Reflection on Reader and Task Considerations: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4605 The questions provided in this resource are meant to spur teacher thought and reflection upon the text, students, and any tasks associated with the text.

39. Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations The questions included here are largely open-ended questions without single, correct answers, but help educators to think through the implications of using a particular text in the classroom.

40. Step 4: Recommended Placement Step 4: Recommended Placement After reflecting upon all three legs of the text complexity model we can make a final recommendation of placement within a text and begin to document our thinking for future reference.

41. Step 4: Recommended Placement 870L Lexile Text Measure:

42. Step 4: Recommended Placement Based upon all the information—all three legs of the model—the final recommendation for To Kill a Mockingbird is….

43. Step 4: Recommended Placement In this instance, Appendix B confirms our evaluation of the novel. To Kill a Mockingbird is placed within the grade 9-10 text complexity band.

44. Step 4: Recommended Placement Template for Text Complexity Analysis and Recommended Placement Form: The back-to-back template provides an opportunity to record the thinking involved in recommending the placement of a specific text into a text complexity band. This document will be used in the the text selection process.

45. Step 4: Recommended Placement

47. Additional Resources for Text Complexity Canyons ELA Weebly (Unit Plans) http://canyonsela.weebly.com/ Common Core Text Exemplars http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

48. Provide resources for accessing informational text.

49. Structure group time to analyze your school’s currently-used texts. • Grade Level Teamwork: • Select one informational or literary text that you currently use or a new text you plan to use. • Use the 3-part process and the rubric to analyze its complexity. • Share out with your school (time permitting).