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Understanding Text Complexity in Common Core State Standards

Learn about text complexity in education, its importance for college and career readiness, and how to determine appropriate text levels for students. Explore myths, research findings, and strategies for implementing Common Core State Standards.

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Understanding Text Complexity in Common Core State Standards

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  1. Text Complexity Defining Rigor through Research and the Common Core Standards

  2. Common Core State StandardsOur goals for today… Participants will… • Take a glimpse at the past and a peek at the future • Navigate the document • Glance into the content strands • Consider implications for your work • Review resources and coming events

  3. Common Core State Standards Source: www.corestandards.org • Define the knowledge and skills students need for college and career • Developed voluntarily and cooperatively by states; more than 40 states have adopted • Provide clear, consistent standards in English language arts/Literacy and mathematics

  4. Washington State’s Implementation Timeline

  5. Myths about CCSS Myth #3 The Common Core standards represent a modest change from current practice. “…several states conducted analyses that found considerable alignment between them and their current standards. Yet while the content of the two sets of standards is similar, the level of knowledge and skills the Common Core calls for is in many respects quite different from what current standards expect and what schools currently practice.” Five Myths About the Common Core State Standards ByRobert Rothman

  6. Text Complexity • “The Common Core Standards hinge on students encountering appropriately complex texts at each grade level in order to develop the mature language skills and the conceptual knowledge they need for success in school and life.”

  7. Career Readiness “A survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, Anderson, and the Center for Workforce Success (2001) found that 80 percent of businesses had a moderate to serious shortage of qualified candidates, citing poor reading as a key concern.” “Another survey, published in 2000, found that 38 percent of job applicants taking employer-administered tests lacked the reading skills needed for the jobs for which they applied; this percentage had doubled in four years, not just because applicants lacked basic skills but also because the reading requirements for these jobs had increased so rapidly (Center for Workforce Prevention, 2002).”

  8. College Readiness • “Based on 2005 ACT-tested high school graduates, it appears that only about half of our nation’s ACT-tested high school students are ready for college-level reading. Unfortunately, the percentage…is substantially smaller in some groups.” • “Since 1999, readiness has declined – the current figure of 51 percent is the lowest of the past 12 years.”

  9. College Readiness

  10. Key requirement for college and career readiness All students must be able to comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity as they progress through school. What are the current realities in college and career readiness? ACT, INC. Report (2006)

  11. Comprehension Level As performance on one level increases, so does the performance on the other and to the same degree.

  12. Textual Elements • As performance on one level increases, so does the performance on the other and to the same degree.

  13. Text Complexity • “Performance on complex texts is the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are more likely to be ready for college and those who are less likely to be ready.”

  14. Summary of Findings:

  15. 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.

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

  17. Overview of Text Complexity • 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. 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

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

  19. Determining Text Complexity Determine the quantitative measures of the text. A Four-step Process: 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.

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

  21. Step 1: Quantitative Measures The Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity This chart outlines the suggested ranges for each of the text complexity bands using: Current Lexile Text Levels & “Stretched” Lexile Levels

  22. 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.

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

  24. Step 1: Quantitative Measures

  25. Step 1: Quantitative Measures

  26. 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/

  27. 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/ • ATOS Text Analyzer • http://www.renlearn.com/ar/overview/atos/

  28. Step 1: Quantitative Measures 870L Lexile Text Measure: ATOS Book Level 5.6 In which of the text complexity bands would this novel fall?

  29. Kansas 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 Kansas. ** Taken from Accelerated Reader and the Common Core State Standards, available at the following URL: http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R004572117GKC46B.pdf

  30. 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.

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

  32. Step 2: Qualitative Measures The Qualitative Measures Rubrics for Literary and Informational Text: 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.

  33. 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.

  34. 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?

  35. Step 2: Qualitative Measures

  36. Step 2: Qualitative Measures From examining the quantitative measures, we knew: 870L Lexile Text Measure: 5.6 ATOS Book Level: But after reflecting upon the qualitative measures, we believed:

  37. 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 Qualitative Remember, however, that we have completed only the first two legs of the text complexity triangle. Reader and Task The reader and task considerations still remain.

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

  39. Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations “Texts can be difficult or easy, depending on factors inherent in the text, on the relationship between the text and the knowledge abilities of the reader, and on the activities in which the reader is engaged…When too many of these factors are not matched to a reader’s knowledge and experience, the text may be too difficult for optimal comprehension to occur.”

  40. Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations Questions for Professional Reflection on Reader and Task Considerations: 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.

  41. Step 3:Reader andTask 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.

  42. Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations Based upon our examination of the Reader and Task Considerations, we have completed the third leg of the text complexity model and are now ready to recommend a final placement within a text complexity band.

  43. 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 for placement of a text and begin to document our thinking for future reference.

  44. Step 4: Recommended Placement 870L Lexile Text Measure: 5.6 ATOS Book Level:

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

  46. 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.

  47. Step 4: Recommended Placement Template for Text Complexity Analysis and Recommended Placement Form: The one-page template provides an opportunity to record the thinking involved in recommending the placement of a specific text into a text complexity band. Keeping a record of such analysis and thinking might be useful documentation in the case that any questions arise in the future.

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