DEFINING RIGOR THROUGH THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Vertical AlignmentText Complexity

What does it mean?

Rigor and the Common Core

“As specified by the CCSSO and NGA, the standards are (1) research and evidence based, (2) aligned with college and work expectations, (3) rigorous, and (4) internationally benchmarked.”

Introduction, p. 3

Independently, locate five words that define rigor in the article you read.

Working with others who read the same article, reach agreement about which five words from your article best define rigor.

Be prepared to share your words with the large group.

Rigor defined

Rigor

Essential Characteristics Non-Essential Characteristics

Non-ExamplesExamples

Definition: Rigor is

Rigor6

Rigor is the expectation that students will be able to perform at levels of cognitive complexity necessary for proficiency at each grade level, and readiness for college and the workplace. Alignment of instruction and assessment with standards/objectives that are at those levels of cognitive complexity is a critical part of increasing rigor in schools.

Typically, the gap between the levels of cognitive complexity in the standards and the levels in assignments increases as students progress through grade levels.

What implies “rigor” in the CCSS?

7

Focus on Increase in informational text Increased complexity of text with increasing

independence Using academic vocabulary Making evidence-based arguments to support

writing and reading discussion Design elements

Progression of learning within the standards themselves

Vertical Articulation

Coordinated Structure• Standards are usually somewhat random

lists of skills, knowledge, and strategies • The Common Core State Standards have

very strong progressions and an organization that requires attention

• Strong connections across reading, comprehension, oral language, and writing

• Vertical articulation requires careful study

Example of Grade-Level Progression in Reading

CCSS Reading Standard 3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

11

Back-mapping the ELA CCSS Starting with college and career readiness

Standards for each grade level are identified

Working backward from grade 11-12 to 9-10 to 8 etc.

Establishes a clear, aligned K-12 pathway, linking elementary, middle, high school, and end-of-high school college and career readiness

12

What is Vertical ArticulationVertical alignment asks:

How are the content standards/objectives related from one year/grade to the next?

Knowledge or skills extend to a wider range of content

Deeper understanding of the (cognitive process) for same content

New content or skills

13

A vertical view of the standards

14

Analyzing the Standards15 READING STANDARDS FOR LITERATURE

Key Ideas and Details

College and Career Ready Anchor Standards #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. Grade 11-12

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Grade 9-10 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Grade 8 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Grade 7

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Grade 6 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Grade 5

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Grade 4

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Grade 3

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Grade 2 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

Grade 1

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Grade K

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Your turn…

With a partner, choose a standard

Highlight the additions of the grade level standard as it progresses from Kindergarten toward College and Career Ready Anchor Standards (CCRS)

16

When you have finished:Using the standard you have highlighted.

Underline the key concepts important nouns or noun

phrases

Circle the verbs describing skills required of students

17

Observations18

What do you notice about the vertical articulation of the standard?

What do you learn about the standard as a result of highlighting the additions and refinements?

In what ways is rigor reflected in the progression of the standard?

What are the implications for instruction and curricular planning?

Cognitive Rigor Matrix by Karin Hess

Combines Bloom’s Taxonomy with Webb’s Depth of Knowledge framework.

A tool for: Designing units of study that have a range

of cognitive demand. Assessing tasks for the thinking they

require of a student

Bloom’s TaxonomyLabels the type of thinking (verbs) needed

to complete a task; tracing the verbs reveals a deepening of the cognitive processes through a standard from K-12.

This is important because…

Task Predicts Performance

TEACHER STUDENT

CONTENT

TASK

Elevate the cognitive

demand of the task, and you elevate the

performance.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy: Brief Review

Taxonomy of cognitive objectives 1950s- developed by Benjamin Bloom Means of qualitatively expressing different kinds of thinking Adapted for classroom use as a planning tool and continues

to be one of the most universally applied models Provides a way to organize thinking skills into six levels,

from the most basic to the higher order levels of thinking 1990s- Lorin Anderson (former student of Bloom) revisited

the taxonomy, and as a result, a number of changes were made

(Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, pp. 7-8)

A ComparisonOriginal Revised

Evaluation

Synthesis

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

• Creating

• Evaluating

• Analyzing

• Applying

• Understanding

• Remembering

(Based on Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 8)

Bloom’s Taxonomy LevelsCognitive process Verbs Associated with Level/Process

1. Remembering:Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory

choose, define describe, find, identify, label, list, locate, match, name, recall, recite, recognize, record, relate, retrieve, say, select, show, sort, tell 

2. Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.

categorize, clarify, classify, compare, conclude, construct, contrast, demonstrate, distinguish, explain, illustrate, interpret, match, paraphrase, predict, represent, reorganize, summarize, translate, understand 

3. Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing. 

apply, carry out, construct, develop, display, execute, illustrate, implement, model, solve, use

4. Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing.

analyze, ascertain, attribute, connect, deconstruct, determine, differentiate, discriminate, dissect, distinguish, divide, examine, experiment, focus, infer, inspect, integrate, investigate, organize, outline, reduce, solve (a problem), test for 

5. Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing.

appraise, assess, award, check, conclude, convince, coordinate, criticize, critique, defend, detect, discriminate, evaluate, judge, justify, monitor, prioritize, rank, recommend, support, test, value 

6. Creating: Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing. 

adapt, build, compose, construct, create, design, develop, elaborate, extend, formulate, generate, hypothesize, invent, make, modify, plan, produce, originate, refine, transform

Remember…

Depth of Knowledge (DOK) is a scale of cognitive demand.

Cognitive Demand• The kind and level of thinking required of students to successfully engage with and solve a task

• Ways in which students interact with content

Why Depth of Knowledge?Focuses on complexity of content standards in order to successfully complete an assessment or task. The outcome (product) is the focus of the depth of understanding; it is about the item/standard—not the student.

Why Use a Depth of Knowledge?

It does not require an inference about the skill knowledge, and background of the student, but is based solely on what is being asked cognitively. The Depth of Knowledge classification scheme classifies assessment items or tasks, not students or student work.

Why Depth of Knowledge (DOK)?Mechanism to ensure that the intent of the standard and the level of student demonstration required by that standard matches the assessment items

To ensure that teachers are teaching to a level that will promote student achievement

DOK is NOT...

• a taxonomy (Bloom’s)• the same as difficulty•about using “verbs”

It’s NOT about the verb... The Depth of Knowledge is NOT

determined by the verb (Bloom’s Taxonomy), but by the context in which the verb is used and the depth of thinking required.

Verbs are not always used appropriately...

Words like explain or analyze have to be considered in context.

•“Explain to me where you live” does not raise the DOK of a simple rote response.

• Even if the student has to use addresses or landmarks, the student is doing nothing more than recalling and reciting.

DOK is about what follows the verb...

What comes after the verb is more important than the verb itself.

“Analyze this sentence to decide if the commas have been used correctly” does not meet the criteria for high cognitive processing.

The student who has been taught the rule for using commas is merely using the rule.

Same Verb—Three Different DOK Levels

DOK 1- Describe three characteristics of metamorphic rocks. (Requires simple recall)

DOK 2- Describe the difference between metamorphic and igneous rocks. (Requires cognitive processing to determine the differences in the two rock types)

DOK 3- Describe a model that you might use to represent the relationships that exist within the rock cycle. (Requires deep understanding of rock cycle and a determination of how best to represent it)

DOK is about intended outcome, not difficulty

DOK is a reference to the complexity of mental processing that must occur to answer a question, perform a task, or generate a product.

• Adding is a mental process.• Knowing the rule for adding is the intended

outcome that influences the DOK.• Once someone learns the “rule” of how to

add, 4 + 4 is DOK 1 and is also easy.• Adding 4,678,895 + 9,578,885 is still a DOK 1

but may be more “difficult.”

DOK is not about difficulty...

Difficulty is a reference to how many students answer a question correctly.“How many of you know the definition of exaggerate?” DOK 1 – recall If all of you know the definition, this question is an easy question.

“How many of you know the definition of ennui?” DOK 1 – recall If most of you do not know the definition, this question is a difficult question.

DOK is about complexity

• The intended student learning outcome determines the DOK level.

• Instruction and classroom assessments/tasks must reflect the DOK level of the objective or intended learning outcome.

1) Give an example of a statement that uses a verb that “sounds” like a high DOK but is used inappropriately.

2) Fill in the blanks: What _____ the verb is more _____ than the verb itself when deciding the DOK level.

3) What is the difference between difficulty and complexity?

4) What really determines the DOK level?

Partner Check

Partner Check

1) Give an example of a statement that uses a verb that “sounds” like a high DOK but is used inappropriately. answers vary

2) Fill in the blanks: What follows the verb is more important than the verb itself when deciding the DOK level.

3) What is the difference between difficulty and complexity? answers vary, but do not rely on the verb

4) What really determines the DOK level? the intended learning outcomes

What is Depth of Knowledge (DOK)?

• A scale of cognitive demand (thinking) to align standards with assessments

• Based on the research of Norman Webb, University of Wisconsin Center for Education Research and the National Institute for Science Education

• May guide item development for state assessments

• Level 1: Recall and Reproduction

• Level 2: Skills & Concepts• Level 3: Strategic Thinking• Level 4: Extended Thinking

Webb’s Four Levels of Cognitive Complexity

• Requires recall of information, such as a fact, definition, term, or performance of a simple process or procedure

• Answering a Level 1 item can involve following a simple, well-known procedure or formula

DOK Level 1: Recall and Reproduction

Recall and Reproduction DOK Level 1Examples:

• List animals that survive by eating other animals

• Locate or recall facts found in text• Describe physical features of places• Determine the perimeter or area of rectangles given a drawing or labels

• Identify elements of music using music terminology

• Identify basic rules for participating in simple games and activities

Skills/Concepts: DOK Level 2

• Includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response

• Items require students to make some decisions as to how to approach the question or problem

• Actions imply more than one mental or cognitive process/step

Skills/Concepts: DOK 2 Examples

• Compare desert and tropical environments• Identify and summarize the major events, problems, solutions, conflicts in literary text

• Explain the cause-effect of historical events

• Predict a logical outcome based on information in a reading selection

• Explain how good work habits are important at home, school, and on the job

• Classify plane and three dimensional figures

• Describe various styles of music

Strategic Thinking: Level 3• Requires deep understanding exhibited through planning, using evidence, and more demanding cognitive reasoning

• The cognitive demands are complex and abstract

• An assessment item or classroom task that has more than one possible answer and requires students to justify the response would most likely be a Level 3

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking Examples• Compare consumer actions and analyze how

these actions impact the environment• Analyze or evaluate the effectiveness of

literary elements (e.g., characterization, setting, point of view, conflict and resolution, plot structures)

• Solve a multiple-step problem and provide support with a mathematical explanation that justifies the answer

DOK Level 3 Examples

• Develop a scientific model for a complex idea

• Propose and evaluate solutions for an economic problem

• Explain, generalize or connect ideas, using supporting evidence from a text or source

• Create a dance that represents the characteristics of a culture

Extended Thinking: Level 4

• Requires high cognitive demand and is very complex

• Students are expected to make connections, relate ideas within the content or among content areas, and select or devise one approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be solved

• Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK 4 often requires an extended period of time

Extended Thinking: DOK 4 Examples

• Gather, analyze, organize, and interpret information from multiple (print and non print) sources to draft a reasoned report

• Analyzing author’s craft (e.g., style, bias, literary techniques, point of view)

• Create an exercise plan applying the “FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) Principle”

“Extending the length of an activity alone does not necessarily create rigor!”

DOK levels can be cumulative

54

An item/standard written to DOK 3 often contains DOK 1 and DOK 2 level demands.

55

Determining DOK: Science Example

Sample Science Assessment Limit(based on Webb)

Example A: Perform a simple science process or a set procedure to gather data 

Example B: Represent data collected over a period time, making comparisons and interpretations 

Example C: Interpret data collected for a research question for a scientific problem related to your environment  

DOK CeilingLevel

1

2

3

Potential DOK Levelsfor Assessment

1 (Measure temperature of

water)

1(Measure temperature of water at

different times/places)2

(Construct a graph to organize, display, and compare data)

1(Measure temperature of water at

different times/places)2

(Construct a graph to organize, display, and compare data)

3(Design an investigation to explain the affect of varying temperatures of the river in different locations)

Remember DOK is...

…descriptive…focuses on how deeply a

student has to know the content in order to respond

…NOT the same as difficulty.

…NOT the same as Bloom’s Taxonomy

Depth + thinking

Level 1Recall & Reproduction

Level 2Skills & Concepts

Level 3Strategic Thinking/ Reasoning

Level 4Extended Thinking

Remember - Recall, locate basic facts, details, events

Understand - Select appropriate words to use when intended meaning is clearly evident

- Specify, explain relationships- summarize– identify main ideas

- Explain, generalize, or connect ideas using supporting evidence (quote, example…)

- Explain how concepts or ideas specifically relate to other content domains or concepts

Apply - Use language structure (pre/suffix) or word relationships (synonym/antonym) to determine meaning

– Use context to identify meaning of word- Obtain and interpret information using text features

- Use concepts to solve non-routine problems

- Devise an approach among many alternatives to research a novel problem

Analyze - Identify whether information is contained in a graph, table, etc.

– Compare literary elements, terms, facts, events– analyze format, organization, & text structures

- Analyze or interpret author’s craft (literary devices, viewpoint, or potential bias) to critique a text

– Analyze multiple sources- Analyze complex/abstract themes

Evaluate – Cite evidence and develop a logical argument for conjectures

- Evaluate relevancy, accuracy, & completeness of information

Create - Brainstorm ideas about a topic

- Generate conjectures based on observations or prior knowledge

- Synthesize information within one source or text

- Synthesize information across multiple sources or texts

The Cognitive Rigor Matrix

Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks

Appendix B

Grade-level Exemplars Appendix B

Locate your grade level in the Table of Contents. You will find exemplars of grade-level text and sample performance tasks

60

Sample Performance Tasks

“These sample tasks illustrate specifically the application of the Standards to texts of sufficient complexity, quality, and

range.” Appendix

B, p. 2

Appendix B : Sample Performance TasksSample Performance Tasks for Stories, Drama, and Poetry

Students summarize the development of the morality of Tom Sawyer in Mark Twain’s novel of the same name and analyze its connection to themes of accountability and authenticity by noting how it is conveyed through characters, setting, and plot. [RL.8.2]

Students compare and contrast Laurence Yep’s fictional portrayal of Chinese immigrants in turn-of-the-twentieth-century San Francisco in Dragonwings to historical accounts of the same period (using materials detailing the 1906 San Francisco earthquake) in order to glean a deeper understanding of how authors use or alter historical sources to create a sense of time and place as well as make fictional characters lifelike and real. [RL.7.9]

Students cite explicit textual evidence as well as draw inferences about the drake and the duck from Katherine Paterson’s The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks to support their analysis of the perils of vanity. [RL.6.1]

Students explain how Sandra Cisneros’s choice of words develops the point of view of the young speaker in her story “Eleven.” [RL.6.6]

Students analyze how the playwright Louise Fletcher uses particular elements of drama (e.g., setting and dialogue) to create dramatic tension in her play Sorry, Wrong Number. [RL.7.3]

Students compare and contrast the effect Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” has on them to the effect they experience from a multimedia dramatization of the event presented in an interactive digital map (http: / /www.paulreverehouse.org/ride/), analyzing the impact of different techniques employed that are unique to each medium. [RL.6.7]

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.”

“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).”

Career Readiness

Appendix A64

Read pages 2-4 in the Appendix. Skim the remainder of the material through page 16.

Take note of: Three surprising points Two points affirming what you already know

or suspected One question or concern you have

Be prepared to discuss your reading with people at your table, thinking about how this relates to rigor.

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)

Key requirement for college and career 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.”

The ACT: College Readiness

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

Comprehension Level

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

Textual Elements

“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.”

Text Complexity

Summary of Findings:

Literal and inferential questions

No clear differentiator of readiness for college

Textual elements No clear differentiator of readiness for college

Performance with complex text

Clear differentiator of readiness for college

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.

Text Complexity71

Overview of Text Complexity

Text complexity is defined by:

Qual

itativ

e

2. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands often best measured by an attentive human reader.

Quantitative

1. Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software.

Reader and Task3. 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?

Choose an excerpt of text from Appendix B:

We could….

or…

Use available resources to determine the text complexity of other materials on our own.

A Four-step Process:

Determining Text Complexity74

QuantitativeQual

itativ

e

Reader and Task

4. Recommend placement in the appropriate text complexity band.

3. Reflect upon the reader and task considerations.

2. Analyze the qualitative measures of the text.

1. Determine the quantitative measures of the text.

75

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

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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

Gr. Band Current Lexile Stretched Lexile

K - 1 100 - 500 N/A

2 – 3 450 - 725 450 – 790

4 – 5 645 - 845 770 – 980

6 – 8 860 – 1010 955 – 1155

9 – 10 960 - -1115 1080 – 1305

11 - CCR 1070 – 1220 1215 - 1355

Text Complexity Grade Bands

Suggested Lexile Range

Suggested ATOS

Book Level Range**

K-1 100L – 500L* 1.0 – 2.5

2-3 450L – 790L 2.0 – 4.0

4-5 770L – 980L 3.0 – 5.7

6-8 955L – 1155L 4.0 – 8.0

9-10 1080L – 1305L 4.6 – 10.0

11-CCR 1215L – 1355L 4.8 – 12.0

* 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

Step 1: Quantitative Measures77

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.

Finding a Lexile Measure for Text: http://www.lexile.com/findabook/

Step 1: Quantitative Measures78

Step 1: Quantitative Measures79

Step 1: Quantitative Measures80

Step 1: Quantitative Measures81For 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/

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/

Step 1: Quantitative Measures83

Lexile Text Measure:

ATOS Book Level

870L

5.6

In which of the text complexity bands would this novel fall?

Text Complexity Grade Bands

Suggested Lexile Range

Suggested ATOS Book Level Range**

K-1 100L – 500L* 1.0 – 2.52-3 450L – 790L 2.0 – 4.04-5 770L – 980L 3.0 – 5.76-8 955L – 1155L 4.0 – 8.09-10 1080L – 1305L 4.6 – 10.0

11-CCR 1215L – 1355L 4.8 – 12.0

Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Bands

Kansas Common Core Standards

* 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

Step 1: Quantitative Measures85

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.

86

Step 2: Qualitative Measures

Measures such as:• Levels of meaning• Levels of purpose• Structure• Organization• Language

conventionality• Language clarity• Prior knowledge

demands

Step 2: Qualitative Measures87

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.

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.

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?

Step 2: Qualitative Measures90

Step 2: Qualitative Measures

Lexile Text Measure:

ATOS Book Level:

870L

5.6

From examining the quantitative measures, we knew:

But after reflecting upon the qualitative measures, we believed:

Step 2: Qualitative Measures92

QuantitativeQual

itativ

e

Reader and Task

Our initial placement of To Kill a Mockingbird into a text complexity band changed when we examined the qualitative measures.

Remember, however, that we have completed only the first two legs of the text complexity triangle.

The reader and task considerations still remain.

93

Considerations such as:• Motivation• Knowledge and

experience• Purpose for reading• Complexity of task

assigned regarding text

• Complexity of questions asked regarding text

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.”

Reader & Task Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations

Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations

95

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.

Step 3:Reader andTask Considerations

96

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.

Step 3: Reader and Task Considerations97

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.

Step 4: Recommended Placement

98

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.

Step 4: Recommended Placement

99

Lexile Text Measure:

ATOS Book Level:

870L

5.6

Step 4: Recommended Placement

100

Based upon all the information—all three legs of the model—the final recommendation for To Kill a Mockingbird is….

Step 4: Recommended Placement

101

In this instance, Appendix Bconfirms our evaluation of the novel. To Kill a Mockingbird is placed within the grade 9-10 text complexity band.

Step 4: Recommended Placement102

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.

Step 4: Recommended Placement103

Additional Ideas for Extending the Utility of the Text Complexity Model

105

• Involving students in analyzing text complexity

• Involving educators in selecting common, appropriately complex texts to be used for explicit instruction at each grade level

Tim Shanahan

“To succeed, we will need to…strive toidentify what makes a book hard and then to provide the scaffolding and motivation that would sustain students’ efforts to learn from such challenging texts.”

Common Core Standards: Are We Going to Lower the Fences or Teach Kids to Climb? Thursday, October 13, 2011

Reflection:

What key messages stand out for you?

What are the implications for your program/curriculum?

What questions do you still have?

Research Base ACT, INC. Report (2006)

Common Core State Standards (2010)

National Reading Panel Report (2000)

Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Literacy Grades K-2 and Grades 3-12 (2011)

RAND Report: Reading for Understanding: Toward an R&D Program in Reading Comprehension (Snow, 2002)

Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenge of Adolescent Literacy (Lee & Spratley, 2010)

Resources

See the Resource page for the link to these documents.

Grade Level One-Pagers created by teachers in

Washington State

110

Resources for Implementation

ELA overview documents (one-pagers) as connected with WA standards: http://k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/Transition.aspx#ELAGradeLevel

Publisher’s Criteria in ELA and Literacy: http://k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/Resources.aspx

Alignments cross-walk documents: http://k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/Transition.aspx#Analyses

Parent Resource Guides: http://www.pta.org/4446.htm

For More Information• Common Core Website: • http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards • Common Core Questions:

– Email: corestandards@k12.wa.us OR – Greta Bornemann, OSPI CCSS Project Director, E-mail:

Greta.Bornemann@k12.wa.us– Liisa Moilanen Potts, OSPI ELA Director Teaching and

Learning; E-mail:– Liisa.MoilanenPotts@k12.wa.us

• Hunt Institute Videos– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IGD9oLofks&feature

=player_detailpage (overview)

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_2jI010WU&feature=related (writing)

112

Acknowledgements

Kansas State Department of Education

Vermont State Department of Education

THANK YOU