Instructional Shifts for Making “Fewer, Clearer, and Higher” A Reality

Session 31

Susan GendronSenior Fellow, International Center

Model Schools Conference 2012

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What’s different about CCSS?

These Standards are not intended to be new names for old ways of doing business. They are a call to take the next step. It is time for states to work together to build

on lessons learned from two decades of standards based reforms. It is time to recognize that standards are not

just promises to our children, but promises we intend to keep.

— CCSS (2010, p.5)

Shared Responsibility for Students’ Literacy Development

• “The Standards insist that instruction in reading, speaking, listening, and language be a shared responsibility within the school” (p. 4).

• “This division reflects the unique time-honored place of ELA teachers in developing students’ literacy skills while at the same time recognizing that teachers in other areas must have a role in this development as well” (p. 4).

Adapted from “Key Design Considerations” (page 4 of the Standards)

Increasing Sophistication

KindergartenIntegration of Knowledge and Ideas

9. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

Grades 11-CCRIntegration of Knowledge and Ideas

9. Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

Reading Anchor Standard #9 Integration of Knowledge and IdeasAnalyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in

order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Six Shifts in ELA/Literacy • Balancing Informational and Literary Text• Building Knowledge in the Disciplines • Staircase of Complexity • Text-Based Answers • Writing From Sources • Academic Vocabulary

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Shift 1

Balancing Literature and Informational

Text

Grade Literary Informational

4 50% 50%

8 45% 55%

12 30% 70%

Reading Framework

Teaching ChannelSarah Brown Wessiling

http://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/pinwheel-discussions-texts-in-conversation

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Shift #2

Building Knowledge in the

Disciplines

Why Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical?

Students are consistently unable to meet the demands of reading text within a particular discipline.

Reading within a discipline is different than reading literature.

The ability to read within the discipline is important to citizenship.

Being literate across a broad range of disciplines is required to be considered College and Career Ready.

How is reading history/social studies different from other types of reading?

• History is interpretive.• History is an argument in favor of

a particular narrative.• Who the author is matters.

(sourcing)• The author’s purpose matters.

(bias and perspective)• A single text is problematic.

(corroboration)

How is reading science and technical reading different from other types of reading?

• Focus is on claims and counter claims• Precise details, complex details and

processes• Analyze results by comparing• Determining what question is being

raised• Navigate text, graphs, tables, charts• Evaluate basis for claims

Shift #3

Staircase of Text Complexity

Text Complexity and Common Core

• Teachers must understand what is complex text

• Teachers need to assist students in reading complex text

• Scaffolded instruction for every learners

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Overview of Text Complexity

Reading Standards include over exemplar texts (stories and literature, poetry, and informational texts) that illustrate appropriate level of complexity by grade

Text complexity is defined by:

Qua

litat

ive

1. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Q

uantitative

2. Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity

Reader and Task

3. Reader and Task – background knowledge of reader, motivation, interests, and complexity generated by tasks assigned

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Shift #4

Text Based Answers

High-quality, Text-dependent Questions & Tasks

“Among the highest priorities of the Common Core Standards is that students can read closely and gain knowledge from texts.”

Text Based Questions• Only answered with reference to the text• Ask student to focus on unique qualities of

the text• Require students to draw evidence from

the text• May ask students to follow logic of the

author’s argument• Students return to text to check their

interpretation

Shift #5

Writing from Sources

CCSS Emphasis in Writing

• Three types of writing• Writing Process• Quality of student writing• Writing across the content areas• Research• Citing evidence from text within

writing

Three types

• Argument/Persuasive• Explanatory/Informational• Narrative

Explanatory/Informational

• Report• Analytical description• Research report• Science lab report• How-to• Fact sheet• Directions

Narrative

• Fiction• Fantasy• Story• Biography• Personal narrative

Argument/Persuasive

• Persuasive letter• Review• Personal essay• Historical• Literary• Claims/counter claims – Science• editorial

NAEP 2011 Writing Framework

Grade To Persuade To Explain To Convey Experience

4 30% 35% 35%

8 35% 35% 30%

12 40% 40% 20%

Shift #6

Academic Vocabulary

Language Progressive Skills

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Tier I - words of everyday speech

Tier II - general academic words, typically found in text, ways to

communicate simple ideas

Tier III - domain-specific words (informational text)

Speaking and Listening

• Not a shift, but of increased importance

• Comprehension and collaboration• Presentation

– Integration of diverse media– Varied audiences– Tone

STANDARDS FORMATHEMATICS

JUNE 2010

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Mathematics Instructional Shifts

1. Focus2. Coherence3. Fluency4. Deep Understanding5. Application6. Dual Intensity

Focus – Shift # 1• Key ideas, understandings, and skills are

identified

• Deep learning of concepts is stressed– That is, time is spent on a topic and on

learning it well. This counters the “mile wide, inch deep” criticism leveled at most current U.S. standards.

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Coherence – Shift #2• Articulated progressions of topics and

performances that are developmental and connected to other progressions

• Conceptual understanding and procedural skills emphasized equally

• NCTM states coherence also means that instruction, assessment, and curriculum are aligned

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Shift #3

Fluency

Rigor -Require fluency, application, and deep understanding

• Conceptual understanding – solving short conceptual problems, applying math in new situations, and speaking about their understanding

• Procedural skill and fluency - speed and accuracy in calculation.

• Application - “real world” situations

Reasoning• Invite Exploration of important

mathematical concepts• Allow students to solidify and make

connections• Make connections and develop

coherent framework for mathematical ideas

• Problem formulation, problem solving and mathematical reasoning

Reasoning

• More than one solution• Development of all students’

disposition to do math

Mathematically proficient students

• Make conjectures• Build logical progressions to explore

the truth of their conjectures• Justify and communicate their

conclusions• Respond to arguments

Which number does not belong? Why?

4 16 36 48 64 81

Instead of asking which numbers are odd?

From: Math for All: Differentiating Instruction, Grades 3-5, Dacey and Lynch

Procedural Fluency

• Knowledgeable about procedures• Know when and how to use them• Skill in performing procedures

flexibly, accurately, efficiently and with understanding

Shift #4Deep

Understanding

Cognitively-Guided Instruction Process

Mathematics/Standards for Mathematical Practice

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively3. Construct viable arguments and critique the

reasoning of others

4. Model with mathematics

5. Use appropriate tools strategically

6. Attend to precision

7. Look for and make use of structure8. Look for and express regularity in repeated

reasoning45

Shift #5Application

Modeling• Identify the problem• Formulate a model• Analyze and perform operations• Interpret results• Validate the conclusion• Report on the conclusion

Shift #6Dual Intensity

How can an administrator support teachers in implementation?

• Professional development• 2, ½ days of DESK Academy in November and

March • Teachers share examples as part of faculty

meetings• Conversations about resources teachers are

using• Conversations about how teachers are engaging

students• Early out/Late Start—more time for common

planning and collaboration

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Support continued…• Reduce or eliminate “something”;

don’t do anything “new”; focus on the implementation of the new core

• EAS Process– Require professional goals to be

centered on implementing the new core

• Teachers as “guide on the side” not “sage on the stage”.

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