Session 6 6-12 English Language Arts

Common Core State Standards Session 6 6-12 English Language Arts

Day 1 – Session2:45-4:45 OUTCOMES Participants will increase their knowledge of: • the structure of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS); • the implications of the CCSS Anchor Standards; • text complexity.

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards • Shift 1 • K-5, Balancing Informational & Literary Texts • Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts. Elementary school classrooms are, therefore, places where students access the world – science, social studies, the arts and literature – through text. At least 50% of what students read is informational. A focus on the Foundational Skills. • Shift 2 • 6-12, Knowledge in the Disciplines • Content area teachers outside of the ELA classroom emphasize literacy experiences in their planning and instruction. Students learn through domain-specific texts in science and social studies classrooms – rather than referring to the text, they are expected to learn from what they read.

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards • Shift 3 • Staircase of Complexity • In order to prepare students for the complexity of college and career ready texts, each grade level requires a “step” of growth on the “staircase”. Students read the central, grade appropriate text around which instruction is centered. Teachers are patient, create more time and space in the curriculum for this close and careful reading, and provide appropriate and necessary scaffolding and supports so that it is possible for students reading below grade level. • Shift 4 • Text-based Answers • Students have rich and rigorous conversations which are dependent on a common text. Teachers insist that classroom experiences stay deeply connected to the text on the page and that students develop habits for making evidentiary arguments both in conversation, as well as in writing to assess comprehension of a text.

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards • Shift 5 • Writing from Sources • Writing needs to emphasize use of evidence to inform or make an argument rather than the personal narrative and other forms of decontextualized prompts. While the narrative still has an important role, students develop skills through written arguments that respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read. • Shift 6 • Academic Vocabulary • Students constantly build the vocabulary they need to access grade level complex texts. By focusing strategically on comprehension of pivotal and commonly found words (such as “discourse,” “generation,” “theory,” and “principled”) and less on esoteric literary terms (such as “onomatopoeia” or “homonym”), teachers constantly build students’ ability to access more complex texts across the content areas.

Anchor Standards

Reading Key Ideas and Details 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2. Determine central idea or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Evidence Standard Main Idea Standard Interaction Standard

Reading Craft and Structure 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. Interpretation Standard Structure Standard

Reading Craft and Structure 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Point of View/Purpose Standard

Multimedia Standard Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. Argument Standard Multi-text standard Complexity Standard

Writing Text Types and Purposes 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Writing Production and Distribution of Writing 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Range of Writing 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening Comprehension and Collaboration 1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. 3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Speaking and Listening Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Language Conventions of Standard English • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Knowledge of Language 3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Language Vocabulary Acquisition and Use 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. 5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Cognitive Demand and Rigor

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and Bloom’s Taxonomy The CCSS standards incorporate Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and Bloom’s Taxonomy. The cognitive demand of the standards rises across the grades.

The “Demands” of the Standards The cognitive demand of the standards incorporates Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. How is this accomplished? The standards “ramp up” the demands made on student thinking.

How is the demand of this standard rising across the grades?

Text complexity

One hot summer's day a famished fox was strolling through an orchard until he came to clusters of grapes just ripening on a trellised vine. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. His mouth was watering and he could feel gnawing hunger pains. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give up. Once a fox walked through the woods. He came upon a grape orchard. There he found beautiful grapes hanging from a high branch. “Boy those sure would be tasty,” he thought to himself. He backed up and took a running start and jumped. He did not get high enough. Simple Complex

One hot summer's day a famished fox was strolling through an orchard until he came to clusters of grapes just ripening on a trellised vine. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. His mouth was watering and he could feel gnawing hunger pains. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give up. Once a fox walked through the woods. He came upon a grape orchard. There he found beautiful grapes hanging from a high branch. “Boy those sure would be tasty,” he thought to himself. He backed up and took a running start and jumped. He did not get high enough.

What is right with “simplified” text? • Provides for scaffolding for ELL students, students with disabilities • They can become a foundation for understanding complex text as long as students have the opportunity to read complex texts as well. • Gradated Text Collection – a collection of texts on a topic that advance in degrees of complexity. Some students may read simpler texts first, then move on to complex text (a form of instructional support).

What’s wrong with the simplifiedtext approach? • Simplified usually means limited, restricted, and thin in meaning. • Academic vocabulary can only be learned from complex texts––by noticing how it works in texts, engaging with, thinking about, and discussing their more complex meanings with others. • Mature language skills needed for success in school and life can only be gained by working with demanding materials. • No evidence that struggling readers—especially at middle and high school--catch up by gradually increasing the complexity of simpler texts.

Gradated Texts Article: Breathing and Its True Role in Our Life, Health and Longevity A collection of texts that increase in difficulty from simple to moderate to complex, around a common topic.

Why Text complexityMatters

Text Complexity - ACT Study • Purpose: Determine what distinguished the reading performance of students likely to succeed in college and not. • Process: • Set benchmark score on the reading test shown to be predictive of success in college (“21” on ACT composite score). • Looked at results from a half million students.

Performance on the ACT Reading Test by Comprehension Level

Performance on the ACT Reading Test by Textual Element (Averaged across Seven Forms)

Text Complexity Matters Texts used in the ACT Reading Test reflect three degrees of complexity: uncomplicated, more challenging, and complex.

Performance on the ACT Reading Test by Degree of Text Complexity (Averaged across Seven Forms) In this figure, performance on questions associated with uncomplicated and more challenging texts both above and below the ACT College Readiness Benchmark for Reading follows a pattern similar to those in the previous analyses. Improvement on each of the two kinds of questions is gradual and fairly uniform. 37

Text Complexity • Text complexity is defined by: Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands often best measured by an attentive human reader. Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software. Quantitative Qualitative 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. Reader and Task

Recap of ACT Findings Question type and level (main idea, word meanings, details) is NOT the chief differentiator between student scoring above and below the benchmark. The degree of text complexity in the passages acted as the “sorters” within ACT. The findings held true for both males and females, all racial groups and was steady regardless of family income level. What students could read, in terms of its complexity - rather than what they could do with what they read - is greatest predictor of success. FCAT has complex passages and highly cognitive demanding questions.

Guiding Questions What do the Common Core Learning 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?

The Common Core Standards' three equally important components of text complexity 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.

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

Determining Text Complexity A Four-step Process: 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.

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

Step 2: Qualitative Measures • Measures such as: • Structure • Language Demands and Conventions • Knowledge Demands • Levels of Meaning/Purpose

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text ComplexityStructure • Simple  Complex • Explicit  Implicit • Conventional Unconventional • Events related in chronological order  Events related out of chronological order (chiefly literary texts) • Traits of a common genre or subgenre  Traits specific to a particular discipline (chiefly informational texts) • Simple graphics  Sophisticated graphics • Graphics unnecessary or merely supplemental to understanding the text  Graphics essential to understanding the text and may provide information not elsewhere provided

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text Complexity Language Demands: Conventionality and Clarity • Literal  Figurative or ironic • Clear  Ambiguous or purposefully misleading • Contemporary, familiar  Archaic or otherwise unfamiliar • Conversational  General Academic and domain specific • Light vocabulary load: few unfamiliar or academic words Many words unfamiliar and high academic vocabulary present • Sentence structure straightforward Complex and varied sentence structures • Though vocabulary can be measured by quantifiable means, it is still a feature for careful consideration when selecting texts • Though sentence length is measured by quantifiable means, sentence complexity is still a feature for careful consideration when selecting texts

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text Complexity Knowledge Demands: Life Experience • Simple theme  Complex or sophisticated themes • Single theme  Multiple themes • Common everyday experiences or clearly fantastical situations  Experiences distinctly different from one’s own • Single perspective  Multiple perspectives • Perspective(s) like one’s own  Perspective(s) unlike or in opposition to one’s own • Everyday knowledge  Cultural and literary knowledge • Few allusions to other texts  Many allusions to other texts • Low intertextuality (few or no references to other texts)  High intertextuality (many references or citations to other texts)

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text Complexity Levels of Meaning (chiefly literary texts) or purpose (chiefly informational texts) • Single level of meaning Multiple levels of meaning • Explicitly stated purpose  Implicit purpose, may be hidden or obscure

Session 6 6-12 English Language Arts