CCSS in ELA/Literacy: Shifts in Thinking and Instruction

CCSS in ELA / Literacy: Shifts in
Thinking and Instruction
NWEA Seminar
June2012

Sue Beers

Common Core: A Fast Timeline
Implementation is NOW!

2014 - 2015
Dec. 2011
Participating
June 2010 46 States States
Have Adopted Administer New
Formal Release
March 2010 of K-12 CCSS CCSS CCSS
Assessments
K-12 Draft
Released for
June 2009 Public
Beginning Comment
of CCSS
Initiative

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Green Flags & Red Flags
for Implementation
The Common Core State Standards
for ELA / Literacy

STANDARDS FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
&
LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES,
SCIENCE, AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS

JUNE 2010

www.corestandards.org
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Design and Organization
Three main sections
K-5 (cross-disciplinary)

6-12 English Language Arts

6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects

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Design and Organization
Three appendices

A: Research and evidence; glossary of
key terms
B: Reading text exemplars; sample
performance tasks
C: Annotated student writing samples
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Key Design Considerations: ELA

• Define year-end expectations leading to
CCR
• Focus on results rather than means
• Integrated model of literacy
• Research and media skills integrated
• Shared responsibility for literacy
• Focus and coherence in instruction and
assessment.
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What is NOT in the Standards…

• How teachers should teach
• All that can or should be taught
• Advanced work beyond the core
• Interventions for students well below grade
level
• Full range of support for ELL and spec needs
• Everything needed to be CCR
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ELA Major Shifts
–Shift to higher-level thinking skills
–Increasing focus on informational
text
–Not coverage, but depth and focus:
RIGOR
–Writing about texts, citing sources

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SHIFT 1: Building Knowledge by Balancing
Informational and Literary Texts
SEE NOT SEE

 Scientific and historical texts are given the same  Literature is the sole
time and weight as literary text. or vast majority of
 Informational text in elementary comprise 50% of text used in ELA
text used in ELA, science, social studies and the classes.
arts; in middle school, informational texts  All or majority of
comprise 55%; in high school, informational text text is narrative in
comprise at least 70%. structure.
 Informational texts are selected to help students  Texts do not
deepen their understanding of topics and themes logically develop
over time. learning about a
specific topic or
theme.

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Reading Framework for NAEP 2009

Grade Literary Informational

4 50% 50%

8 45% 55%

12 30% 70%
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INFORMATIONAL Text
Literary Nonfiction and Historical, Scientific,
and Technical Texts
• Biographies and autobiographies
• Books about history, social studies, science, and
the arts
• Technical texts, including directions, forms, and
information displayed in graphs, charts, or maps
• Digital sources on a range of topics

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http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf
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http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

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Sample Performance Tasks for Informational
Texts: English Language Arts

Students determine the point of view of John
Adams in his “Letter on Thomas Jefferson”
and analyze how he distinguishes his position
from an alternative approach articulated by
Thomas Jefferson. [RI.7.6]

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf p. 92

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Read like a
detective!
• Use clues / evidence
from text
• Make non-trivial
inferences based on
that evidence
• Use information from
multiple sources within
or between text to
make arguments suebeers@netins.net

SHIFT 2: Content Area Literacy 6-12
SEE NOT SEE
 All content area teachers explicitly teach reading  Teachers present the
information in the text
and writing strategies essential to learning and rather than expecting
communicating their discipline. students to read for
 Students are asked questions that give them the understanding.
 Text is used as a
opportunity to share evidence from text. reference rather than a
 Activities strengthen students’ listening skills as source of information.
well as their speaking skills.  No connection between
the reading and writing
 Students write frequently about what they are assignment.
reading and learning, drawing evidence in the text.  No instruction is
provided on reading or
 Reading and writing strategies are presented writing strategies
consistently across all content areas. appropriate to the
content area.
 Multiple texts, presented in diverse formats, are
 A single text is used for
used to integrate information on a given topic. all reading assignments.
 Primary sources of information are used widely.

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Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science and Technical Subjects 6-12

 Reading critical to building knowledge
 Appreciation for norms and conventions
 Evidence
 Understanding of domain specific words
 Analyze, evaluate intricate argument,
synthesize
 Complement the disciplines

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How will you engage all
content teachers in
understanding and
implementing reading
expectations?

SHIFT 3: Regular Practice with Complex
Text
SEE NOT SEE
 Students always
 All students encounter and are engaged with the receive different levels
same, grade-appropriate, high-quality text.
of text based on their
 Appropriate scaffolding is provided to help students reading ability.
understand complex text, based on their individual
needs, building toward the goal of independent  No instruction is
reading. provided for reading
 Reading strategies are embedded in the activity of strategies to approach
reading rather than as a separate body of material. complex text.
 Students are required to think critically about the text.  Students are given a
 Instruction if often centered on multiple close summary of the text
readings in order to develop deep understanding. prior to reading it.
 Teachers are aware of resources and how to indentify
and evaluate the complexity of text in their content  No support is provided
areas. for students who read
 Students read from complex texts from a wide variety below grade level.
of text structures (narrative, cause and effect,  Majority of text uses a
compare and contrast, etc.) single text structure.
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Text Complexity Matters
Students who reached benchmark scores
and did well in college:
–Ability to make inferences while
reading or answering questions
–Ability to answer questions associated
with complex text
- ACT, 2006 Reading Between the Lines

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Why Complex Text?

• Must read closely
• Think deeply about texts
• Participate in discussions
based on text
• Gain knowledge
Publishers Criteria for ELA/Literacy Grades 3-12, p. 3
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Why Not Use Simple Texts?

• Simplified texts are often restricted, limited, and
thin in meaning
• Complex texts are rich in academic vocabulary;
simple texts do not expose students to the type of
vocabulary necessary to read complex texts.
• Mature language skills are 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
- Adapted from the work of Jean M. Evans Davila, www. Redapplesnorwalk.org

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Among Highest Priority for CCSS:

“…read closely and gain
knowledge from texts.”
Publishers Criteria for ELA/Literacy Grades 3-12, p. 6

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Above Grade Level Texts
for Advanced Readers

ALL Students:
Anchor Texts at
Grade Level

Texts Below Grade Level
– Scaffolding Only!
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Overview of Text Complexity
Appendix B includes exemplar texts (stories and literature, poetry, and
informational texts) that illustrate appropriate level of complexity by grade
Text complexity is defined by:

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

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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Text Complexity
• Sophistication of the language and content
• Subtlety of themes and issues
• Extract knowledge and information from reference
materials, technical manuals, literature and other texts
• Demanding and context-dependent vocabulary
• Subtle relationships among ideas and characters
• Nuanced rhetorical style and tone
• Elaborate structures or formats
• Demand close attention and often demand rereading
in order to be fully understood

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Text Quality
• Rich in content
• Strong models of thinking and writing
• Broad resonance - referred to and quoted often
• Deep engagement in the world and a variety of
cultures
• Reflect on important issues in the disciplines
• Build background knowledge and vocabulary
essential to reach CCR levels.

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Text Range
• Variety of literary and informational texts
• Read deeply across content areas to gain
knowledge base
• In literature, students attend to author’s
choice of words and structures / order and
use of detail
• In informational text, students acquire
information from different formats in order to
access knowledge

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Text Complexity Grade Bands and Associated
Lexile Ranges
Text Complexity Lexile Ranges
Grade Band in the Old Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR
Standards expectations

K-1 N/A 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
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1215-1355

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/compare-contrast-cause-effect-problem-
solution-common-text-types-in-the-times/
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SHIFT 4: Focus on Text-Based, Text-
Specific Questions
SEE NOT SEE
 Rich and rigorous conversations are based on text.  The bulk of questions
 Students closely analyze text with evidence to back up regarding the text can be
their claims and conclusions. answered without
reading the text, either
 The majority of text-based questions focus because it is not directly
conversations and writing and require students to related to the text or
utilize information from the text in their answers. because students can
 Questions are of high value – they are worth thinking answer by referencing
about and answering. teacher comments.
 Questions move beyond what is directly stated and  Questions are primarily
ask students to make nontrivial inferences from centered on students’
own experience or
evidence in the text.
background.
 Background knowledge is used to illuminate text and  Students do not have to
not replace it. make connections within
 Students explore how specific words, details, the text in order to
structure and organization of text impact the meaning answer questions.
of the text as a whole.

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Goal of Close, Analytic Reading:

… be able to discern and
cite evidence from text
to support assertions.
Analytic Reading + Analytic Writing
= Analytic THINKING
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Close Reading
• Describe the problem in this text and how it is
solved. Use information in the text to support
your answer.
• Describe the process of ____ using
information from the text.
• What is the author’s purpose in structuring
paragraphs this way? Use details from the
passage to support your answer.

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SHIFT 5: Focus on Writing Arguments and
from Sources
SEE NOT SEE
 Students are required to use more than one source of information in  Students write
their writing, in addition to writing in response to a single text. primarily from their
 Students engage in multiple short research projects as well as more own experience or
sustained research. viewpoint.
 Students can independently conduct research, without direction from the  Students do not use
teacher. a structured process
 Evidence from text is required in writing assignments and oral for conducting
discussions. research.
 The majority of writing emphasizes the use of evidence to inform or make
an argument.
 No or little
instruction is
 Student writing analyzes and synthesizes sources of information and
provided in how to
present their findings that include careful analysis, well-defined claims
and clear information.
support a claim or
conclusion.
 Students must have read and analyzed a text in order to respond
appropriately to a prompt.  Writing assignments
 There is a consistent and prevalent focus on argument, opinion and are not tied to
informative writing. reading.
 Frequent, short, constructed-response to text-dependent questions.  Writing is not routine
 All analytic writing requires the use of evidence as students paraphrase, and continuous.
infer and integrate ideas from text.

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Three Types of Writing

Informational /
Argument Narrative
Explanatory
• Support a claim • Increase subject • Conveys
• Sound knowledge experience
reasoning • Explain a • Tells a story
• Relevant process
evidence • Enhance
understanding

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NAEP 2011 Writing Framework
Grade To Persuade To Explain To Convey
Experience

4 30% 35% 35%
8 35% 35% 30%
12 40% 40% 20%
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Get It in Gear!

Text

Writing
Evidence
from
Text

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What types of writing are
your students doing?
Does is meet the
standards?
What might you need to
consider?

SHIFT 6: Academic Language
SEE NOT SEE
 Focus on words which are prevalent in complex texts across  Vocabulary
content areas (those words that constitute the vocabulary of instruction is limited
a mature reader), as well as content-specific words to make to students copying
meaning from text. definitions from
 Instruction is provided on how to use context clues in the dictionaries.
text to determine the meaning of words.
 Direct instruction / support for understanding words
 Vocabulary
students may not be able to figure out on their own using instruction is
solely the text. disconnected from
 Varied contexts, different meanings for the same words, are the text under study.
provided for teaching word meaning.  Vocabulary tests
 Instruction causes students to think about words – why/ simply ask students
how specific words are used, how words change the to match the word
meaning of text, varied meanings based on context, and with its definition.
word choice.  Words selected for
 Instruction is driven by addressing the diverse vocabulary vocabulary work are
levels of students. not related to the
 Students are expected to apply appropriate academic content or the text
vocabulary in writing and in discussions. being studied.

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http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/documents/ccr-ccss-english-K-2-breakout.pdf
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http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/documents/ccr-ccss-english-K-2-breakout.pdf

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CCSS in ELA/Literacy: Shifts in Thinking and Instruction

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