Session 6English Language Arts

Common Core State Standards

The Promise of the 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 districts 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.

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Day 1 – Session

OUTCOMESParticipants will increase their knowledge of:1. the structure of the Common Core State

Standards (CCSS);2. the implications of the CCSS Anchor

Standards;3. Text complexity and close reading.

Florida Department of Education 4

Model for English Language ArtsCommon Core State Standards

Reading

Writing

Speaking& Listening

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ANCHOR STANDARDS

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ReadingKey Ideas and Details1. 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

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ReadingCraft and Structure4. 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.

Structure Standard

Interpretation Standard

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Reading

Craft and Structure6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes

the content and style of a text.

Point of View/Purpose Standard

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Integration of Knowledge and Ideas7. 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 Complexity10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts

independently and proficiently.

Multimedia Standard

Argument Standard

Multi-text standard

Complexity Standard

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

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.

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Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

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.

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Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

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.

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Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

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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.

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

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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.

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COGNITIVE DEMAND AND RIGOR

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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.

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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.

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Kdg. 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade

2. With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their centralmessage or lesson.

2. Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales, andmyths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

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3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade

2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales, andmyths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poemfrom details in the text; summarize the text.

2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poemfrom details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

7th Grade 8th Grade 9-10th Grade 11-12th Grade

2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text andanalyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting,and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail itsdevelopment over the course of the text, including how it emerges and isshaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of thetext.

2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their developmentover the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one anotherto provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

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TEXT COMPLEXITY

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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.

Complex Simple

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Simplified to Complex Text

One hot summer’s day….

Strolling…………………

Once (1 word)

Walked (less precise language/less

powerful verb).

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.28

Performance on the ACT Reading Test by Comprehension Level

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Performance on the ACT Reading Test by Textual Element

(Averaged across Seven Forms)

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Text Complexity Matters

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

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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 morechallenging texts both above and below the ACT College Readiness Benchmark forReading follows a pattern similar to those in the previous analyses. Improvement on each of the two kinds of questions is gradual and fairly uniform.

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Text Complexity Text complexity is defined by:

Quali

tativ

e

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

QuantitativeQuantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software. Reader and Task

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. 33

Recap of ACT FindingsQuestion 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.

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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?

Choose an excerpt of text from Appendix B as a starting place:

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We could….

or…

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

Determining Text Complexity

A Four-step Process:

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QuantitativeQuali

tativ

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.

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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

Quantitative Measures

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Step 2: Qualitative Measures

Measures such as:• Structure• Language Demands

and Conventions• Knowledge Demands• Levels of

Meaning/Purpose

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Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text Complexity

Structure

Simple ComplexExplicit ImplicitConventional UnconventionalEvents 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 graphicsGraphics unnecessary or merely supplemental to understanding

the text Graphics essential to understanding the text and may provide information not elsewhere provided

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Types of Text Structure• Definition/description: Frequently in textbook reading an entire paragraph is

devoted to defining a complex term or idea. The concept is initially defined and then further expanded with examples and restatements.

• Sequence (Chronological order): The main idea’s supporting details are written in a specific

order. Changing the order would change the meaning.

• Cause-Effect: Shows a relationship between the cause of something and

the effect that follows as a result.

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Types of Text Structure• Cause-Effect: Shows a relationship between the cause of

something and the effect that follows as a result.

• Comparison-Contrast: Points out similarities and differences between

two or more topics.

• Problem-Solution: The text states a problem and then suggests one

or more solutions.

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text ComplexityLanguage Demands: Conventionality and Clarity

Literal Figurative or ironicClear Ambiguous or purposefully misleadingContemporary, familiar Archaic or otherwise unfamiliarConversational General Academic and domain specificLight vocabulary load: few unfamiliar or academic words

Many words unfamiliar and high academic vocabulary present

Sentence structure straightforward Complex and varied sentence structures

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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)46

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text Complexity

Common Core StandardsQualitative Features of Text Complexity

Levels of Meaning (chiefly literary texts) orpurpose (chiefly informational texts)

• Single level of meaning Multiple levels of meaning

• Explicitly stated purpose Implicit purpose, may be hidden or obscure

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Step 2: Qualitative Measures

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Qualitative factors are represented on a continua rather than discrete stages or levels, so numeric values are not associated with these rubric. Instead, six points along each continuum is identified: not suited to the band, early-mid grade level, mid-end grade level, early-mid grade level, mid-end grade level, not suited to band.

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

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Vocabulary and SyntaxThe educational implications of the measures of text

difficulty include:

• Single biggest predictor of student achievement is vocabulary and syntax.

• Need to be addressed throughout schooling (kindergarten through 12th grade). Schools and districts should plan a coherent, intensive and systematic program for vocabulary and syntax.

• Syntax is one of the most powerful predictors of difficulty.

• Some features of text are more important than others—syntax and vocabulary are an example of two essential text features to pay particular attention to during instruction.

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What Complex Text Demands of Readers• A Willingness to Pause and Probe• Students must be patient as they read complex texts

and be willing to devote time to contemplation of the text

• The Capacity for Uninterrupted Thinking• Time devoted to the text and thinking about the text

exclusively - single-tasking rather than multi-tasking

• A Receptivity to Deep Thinking• Contemplation of the meaning of the text and not a

quick response voicing an opinion based on a shallow interpretation

(Mark Bauerlein, 2011)

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Shorter, Challenging Texts • The study of short texts is useful to enable students at a

wide range of reading levels to participate in the close analysis of more demanding text.

• Place a high priority on the close, sustained reading of complex text. Such reading emphasizes the particular over the general and strives to focus on what lies within the four corners of the text.

• Close reading often requires compact, short, self-contained texts that students can read and re-read deliberately and slowly to probe and ponder the meanings of individual words, the order in which sentences unfold, and the development of ideas over the course of the text.