Staircase of Complexity

Selecting Complex Texts
for the
Common Core Standards
Addressing the Staircase of Complexity
Before we get started . . . Look through the books on the table and use a self-
stick note to assign a grade level to each book.

Introductions
On an index card write one thing you already know about
complex texts and one thing you want to know.
Introduce yourself to someone new by exchanging index
cards. Then move on, with your new acquaintance’s card,
and exchange cards once more.
2

By the end of today you should be able to . . .
explain the importance of using complex text.
define the term “complex text” and identify elements of
text complexity.
evaluate and select appropriate complex texts for your
classroom.
present complex texts to your students effectively.
DEFINE EXPLAIN SELECT PRESENTEVALUATE

Today’s Schedule
The Need for Complex Texts
Defining a Complex Text
Evaluating Text Complexity
Selecting Appropriate Complex Texts
LUNCH
Presenting Complex Texts
Creating a Meaningful Lesson Using a Complex Text
(Work Time)

Beyond the Rhetoric:
Improving College Readiness Through Coherent State Policy
(2010)
http://www.highereducation.org/reports/college_readiness/gap.shtml
College Remediation Rates
for Students Attending
Public Colleges and Universities

http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/FINAL_REPORT_PDF09-29-06.pdf
A 2006 report from
The Conference
Board:
“Are They
Really Ready to
Work?”

Student Achievement:
An old worry with new data.
Do the math:
If 31.8 % of students met or exceeded the proficiency
standards, how many did not meet the proficiency standards?

Instruction must match assessment.

What do we know about the
Common Core Assessments?

Next year?
This year.
Last year.

•PARCC is a consortium of states
committed to implementing the Common
Core State Standards.
•States in PARCC work collaboratively to
develop computer-based K-12
assessments.
•Governing states (including New York)
have strongest commitment and most
decision-making authority.
•Governing states participate exclusively in
PARCC.

How does PARCC assess
the common core standards?
Questions Worth Answering: Sequences of questions that draw students into deeper
encounters with texts are the norm (as in an excellent classroom), rather than sets of
random questions of varying quality.
Texts Worth Reading: The assessments use authentic texts worthy of study instead of
artificially produced or commissioned passages.
Better Standards Demanding Better Questions: Instead of reusing existing items,
PARCC is developing custom items to the Standards.
Fidelity to the Standards: PARCC evidence statements are rooted in the language of
the Standards so that expectations remain the same in both instructional and
assessment settings.
According to its website,
the PARCC assessments feature the following:

a)Complexity: Regular practice with complex
text and its academic language.
b)Evidence: Reading and writing grounded in
evidence from text, literary and informational.
c)Knowledge: Building knowledge through content-
rich nonfiction.
What Are Some of the Shifts at the
Heart of PARCC’s Design (and the
Standards)?

The CCSS Shifts Build Toward
College and Career Readiness for All
Students

a)PARCC builds a staircase of text complexity to ensure
students are on track each year for college and career reading.
b)PARCC rewards careful, close reading rather than racing
through passages.
c)PARCC systematically focuses on the words that matter
most—not obscure vocabulary, but the academic language that
pervades complex texts.

Turn and Talk: Are you concerned that
teaching complex texts might be
developmentally inappropriate?
Why or why not?
. . . A recent survey . . . shows that
85% of the public school pre-K to
third grade teachers who responded
believes that they’re being required
to engage students in
developmentally inappropriate activities.
Vinton, V. Rethinking Readiness. Posted August 19, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013,
from http://tomakeaprairie.wordpress.com/tag/complex-texts/http://www.blog.com

Defining a
COMPLEX
TEXT
DEFINE

LIST, GROUP, LABEL: COMPLEX TEXT
LIST all the words and phrases you can think of that
are related to the term “complex text.”
GROUP the words and phrases you listed according
to category.
LABEL each group of words and phrases with a clear,
descriptive title.

Look over the categories you have created and the
contents of those categories.
Write
a short definition of
the term complex text.
Complete
the graphic organizer.and

Complex texts . . .
“ . . .offer [students] new
language, new knowledge, and
new modes of thought.”
Marilyn Jager Adams.
“Advancing our Students’ Language and Literacy :
The Challenge of Complex Texts.” American Educator. Winter 2011.

Text Complexity:
“The inherent difficulty of reading
and comprehending a text
combined with consideration of
reader and task variables; in the
Standards, a three-part assessment
of text difficulty that pairs
qualitative and quantitative
measures with reader-task
considerations.”
-- CCSS Appendix A

Discussing The Staircase of
Complexity

Turn to a new partner and discuss:
• How did this discussion change or confirm the
ideas you shared during the last “Turn and Talk
Time” exercise?
• What new questions do you have?

How do we
evaluate text
complexity?

A formula or computer program
can assess a texts for quantitative complexity.
•average word length
•average sentence length
•frequency of “rare” words
•frequency of words signaling relationships
between ideas
Some of the features that are considered for quantitative analysis:

Quantitative Analysis Tools
• Flesch Reading Test
• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula
• AR BookFinder (Accelerated Reader)
• DRP (Degrees of Reading)
• Pearson Reading Maturity
• Cohmetrix
• Lexile Text Analyzer

The Flesch Reading Test
• Developed in the 1940s by Rudolph Flesch (1911-1986), author of
Why Johnny Can’t Read (1955)
The Flesch Reading Ease Readability Formula:
RE = 206.835 – (1.015 x ASL) – (84.6 x ASW)
• RE=Reading Ease
• ASL = Average Sentence Length (number of words divided by number of sentences)
• ASW = Average Number of Syllables per Word (i.e., the number of syllables divided by the
number of words)
The output, i.e., RE, is a number ranging from 0 to 100. The higher the number, the easier the text is to read.
Scores between 90.0 and 100.0 are considered easily understandable by an average 5th grader.
Scores between 60.0 and 70.0 are considered easily understood by 8th and 9th graders.
Scores between 0.0 and 30.0 are considered easily understood by college graduates.
Source: http://www.readabilityformulas.com/flesch-reading-ease-readability-formula.php

The Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level Formula
• Flesch Readability Formula revised in 1970s with J. Peter
Kincaid for U.S. Navy
• Used to evaluate army manuals, insurance contracts, legal
materials, school materials, etc.
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula:
• ASL = Average Sentence Length number of words divided by number of sentences)
• ASW = Average Number of Syllables per Word (number of syllables divided by number of words)
The output, indicates the approximate grade level for which the text is suited.
Source: htthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch-Kincaid_readability_test

ETS TextEvaluator
(Formerly known as SourceRater)

Lexile Text Analyzer
http://www.lexile.com/tools/lexile-analyzer/lexile=analyzer-video-tutorial/

Updated Text Complexity Grade Bands
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/E0813_Appendix_A_New_Research_on_Text_Complexity.pdf

Comparing Old and New
Lexile Ranges for Grade Bands
Source: Common Core State Standards, Appendix A (2010b), p. 8

Quantitative analysis can be misleading.

Areas of Difficulty for Quantitative Analysis

•Poetry
•Narratives with complex themes but simple language
•Distinguishing between simple sentences and short
sentences
•Distinguishing between “rare” words and difficult
words

•Choose a text and use two different
quantitative analysis tools to find its level of
complexity. (You may need to create an
account first.)
•Compare the results.
•Discuss with a partner how the results fit
with your own assessment of the text; explain
any discrepancies.
Online Quantitative Analysis Tools:
AR Book Finder (http://www.arbookfind.com/)
Reading Maturity Metric (http://www.readingmaturity.com/rmm-web/#/)
Coh-Metrix (http://tool.cohmetrix.com/)
Lexile Analyzer (http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/)

Rubrics and checklists
assess texts for
qualitative complexity.
•Levels of meaning
•Structure
•Language conventions
•Figurative language
•Knowledge demands
Some of the features that are considered for qualitative analysis:

© 2012 Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
© 2012 Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/pdfs/WhitePaperTextGrad.pdf

www.achievethecore.org 61
Features of Complex Text
Subtle and/or frequent transitions
Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes
Density of information
Less common settings, topics or events
Lack of repetition, overlap or similarity in words and sentences
Complex sentences
Uncommon vocabulary
Lack of words, sentences, or paragraphs that review or synthesize
material for the student
Longer paragraphs
Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes structures
Passive voice

Knowledge
Demands
Technical background
Historical context
Textual knowledge
Academic vocabulary
Life experiences

Levels of
Meaning
Simple texts are straight-forward narratives or
explanations.
Complex texts can be read at a literal level and
on another level -- allegorical, satirical, etc.
Complex texts use symbolism and allusions to
create rich layers of meaning.

Text Structure
Fiction:
Plot sequence
Perspective
Single or multiple story lines
Dialogue
Non Fiction:
Text features
“Signal Words” indicating structure
Point of view

Language Conventions
Vocabulary
Syntax
Use of “signal” words
Dialect
Style

Figurative Language
Idioms
Similes and Metaphors
Personification
Exaggeration
Irony

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/E0813_Appendix_A_New_Research_on_Text_Complexit
Qualitative Dimensions of Text
Complexity

The Common Core State Standards:
Supporting Districts and Teachers with Text Complexity
Susan Pimentel, Co-Lead Author of Common Core State Standards
for English Language Arts
Matt Copeland, Kris Shaw, and Jackie Lakin,
Kansas Department of Education
Whitney Whealdon,
Louisiana Department of Education

http://www.starkcountyesc.org/Downloads/ELA%20Literary%20Complexity%20Analysis(4).pdf

http://www.starkcountyesc.org/Downloads/ELA%20Information%20Complexity%20Ana
lysis-1(2).pdf

Use a rubric to assess the qualitative elements of
the text you analyzed quantitatively.
•Decide whether the qualitative and quantitative
assessments result in similar or different decisions
about grade levels. How?
•Discuss your findings with a partner.

Reader and Task
Considerations

Reader Considerations
WHO are your students?
Motivation: WHY are your students reading this
text?
Knowledge: WHAT do your students already
know about this topic?
Experience: HOW have your students gained their
knowledge of the topic?

Reader
Considerations:
Ability
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/guidedreading/leveling_chart.htm

What is the purpose of the assigned task?
In what way will the task help students meet the standards?
How complex is the assignment?
(Consider Bloom’s Taxonomy and/or Depth of Knowledge.)
Task Considerations

Task Considerations
http://programs.ccsso.org/projects/common%20core%20resources/documents/Reader%20and%20Task%20Considerations.pdf

Other Considerations
When Selecting Complex Texts
Genre
Content
Gender

Balance of Fiction/Nonfiction
(By Grade)
Recommended by the
National Assessment of Educational Progress
Percentage
50%
50%
55%
45%
70%
30%
Fiction Nonfiction

Are All Nonfiction Texts Equal?
IF
students are reading nonfiction to
Broaden background knowledge,
Provide exposure to a variety of text structures, and
Enrich Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary
THEN
Consider using nonfiction texts OTHER than biographies and
autobiographies.
These genres typically follow a narrative structure similar to the
structure of many fictional pieces, so they will not necessarily
help students achieve goals stated above.

Choosing Informational Texts
Expository text has five text structures–description,
problem/solution, cause/effect, compare/contrast, and
sequence–the last of which actually has two different types,
procedural and chronological. . . [T]he CCSS specification of
both procedural and chronological structures, actually gives
us six, distinct text structures to teach.
[S]ince biography and autobiography are generally
presented in chronological order and chronology is only one
of six informational text structures–that is, ⅙ of 50%–then
narrative nonfiction should only represent one-twelfth of
instructional texts.
http://www.burkinsandyaris.com/do-the-math-three-reasons-biography-and-autobiography-should-be-minimized-in-your-informational-text-
instruction-part-1

Reader Considerations:
Finding Books for Boys
• Plot-driven texts
• Purpose-driven texts (informational rather than fictional)
• Visually appealing (including graphic novels)
• Humorous
• Shorter texts
• Reduce after-reading activities
• Encourage social aspects of reading

88
Finding Complex Texts For Your Classroom
Ask a Colleague
Ask a Librarian
Ask a Bookseller
Join an Online Discussion
Check Bibliographies
Subscribe to Related Publications
Take a MOOC

•
With a grade-level partner select a
complex text to present to students.
Questions to Consider:
How does this text support your curriculum and
the standards?
In what ways is this a complex text?
In what ways will this text challenge readers and
prepare them for the next level?
What scaffolding will students need? (Consider
both the needs of struggling students and
students on or above grade level.)

Putting it All Together: A Rubric

91
Presenting
Complex Texts in the
Classroom

92
Close Reading is one of many strategies
needed to teach reading effectively.

95
“Close reading is an instructional
routine in which students critically
examine a text, especially through
repeated readings.”
Fisher, Douglas, and Nancy Frey. "Close Reading in Elementary Schools." The Reading
Teacher 66.3 (2012): 179. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.americanreading.com/documents/close-reading-in-elementary-schools.pdf>.

96
Close reading has two main purposes:
(1). . . examine the deep structures of a piece of text . . .
[including] the way the text is organized, the preccision
of its vocabulary to advance concepts, and its key
details, arguments, and inferential meanings.
(2) . . . Build the necessary habits of readers when
they engage with a complex piece of text. These
[habits] include building stamina and persistence
when confronted by a reading that isn’t easily
consumed . . .
Fisher, Douglas, and Nancy Frey. "Close Reading in Elementary Schools." The Reading
Teacher 66.3 (2012): 179. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.americanreading.com/documents/close-reading-in-elementary-schools.pdf

97
Close Reading Jigsaw
Group A: Read from “Short Passages” to “Limited Frontloading”
Group B: Read from “Repeated Readings” to “Annotation”
Group A: “Frontloading” (pp. 182-184)
Group B: “Develop Text-Dependent Questions” (pp. 184-186)
Group C: “Teaching Annotation” (pp. 186-187)

98
What does close reading look like in an
elementary classroom classroom?

99
Have a silent conversation with the people at your table:
On a sheet of paper, write down one thing you noticed that you
would like to try, one thing you noticed that you wondered
about, and one thing you noticed that troubles you.
Pass your sheet of paper to the right and take the paper from the
person on your left. Respond to that person’s comments.
Continue passing papers, reading and responding to comments,
until you get your own sheet back. Read over the conversation and
make a final statement.

100
What does close reading look like in a
high school classroom classroom?

101
Have a silent conversation with the people at your table:
On a sheet of paper, write down one thing you noticed that you
would like to try, one thing you noticed that you wondered
about, and one thing you noticed that troubles you.
Pass your sheet of paper to the right and take the paper from the
person on your left. Respond to that person’s comments.
Continue passing papers, reading and responding to comments,
until you get your own sheet back. Read over the conversation and
make a final statement.

103
http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/common-core-shifts.pdf
Choosing and Teaching Vocabulary

Choosing words
Jose avoided playing the ukulele.
Which word would you choose teach?
Which word?
www.isbe.net/common_core/pls/level2/ppt/vocab-instruction.pptx

avoided
Why avoid?
 Verbs are where the action is
 Teach avoid, avoided, avoids
 Likely to see it again in grade-level text
 Likely to see it on assessments
 We are going to start calling these useful words “Tier 2
words”
Why not ukulele?
 Rarely seen in print
 Rarely used in stories or conversation or content-area
information

How do I determine that a word is TIER 2?
Is this a generally
useful word?
Does the word
relate to other
words and ideas
that students know
or have been
learning?
Is the word useful
in helping students
understand text?
If you answer “yes”
to all three
questions, it is a
Tier 2 word. If not,
it is probably a Tier
3 word.
avoid Yes
Yes:
avoidance,
avoiding, etc.
Yes Tier 2
ukelele No No Yes Tier 3

107
How do students develop Tier 2 vocabularies?
Through context.
Through explicit instruction.
Through close reading.

109
Try It Out:
Tadpoles in Space:
Exotic galaxies provide snapshots of the Milky Way

110
Why read this text?
• “Tadpoles in Space” is a short, complex nonfiction text on a
topic related to 9th grade science curriculum (Earth Science,
which includes astronomy).
• Text demonstrates that astronomy is an evolving, not static,
field that still has many questions to ask and answer.
• Text demonstrates how real scientists work.
• Text might motivate students to delve deeper into the topic.
• Text uses interesting word choices, syntax, and figurative
language.

111
Group Reasons for Selecting Text
CONTENT CRAFT
Topic related to 9th grade science
curriculum
Rich vocabulary
Demonstrates how scientists work Complex syntax
Reveals that astronomy is an evolving, not
static field, with many questions remaining
Figurative language
Might motivate students to learn more

112
Analyzing “Tadpoles in Space,” by Ken Croswell
Crosell, K. (2013, May). Tadpoles in space. Scientific American, 308(5), 19.
Quantitative
Analysis
Qualitative
Analysis

113
Review 9/10 Standards (since topic matches 9th grade curriculum)
STANDARD HOW TEXT SUPPORTS STANDARD TEACHING POINTS
RI1 Analyze what text says explicitly
as well as inferences
Article explicitly describes research about evolution of galaxies;
implicitly communicates that the field is changing
What does the article say about tadpole galaxies?
Explicitly
Implicitlly
RI2 Central idea (development) Discovery of data explaining evolution of galaxies Summarize the article and identify a central idea.
Explain how this idea develops in the article.
RI3 Explain how ideas interact and
develop in text
Descriptive; Chronological; cause/effect How does Croswell organize information? What
text structures support his ideas?
RI4 Meanings of words & phrases Galactic; luminous; component; spawn; scrutinized; abounds;
forge; expel; pristine; intergalactic; altered; primordial; inferno;
scenario; nasecent; harbor; celestial; terrestrial; primitive;
ultimately
Personification ([galaxies] grew so large both by swallowing
lesser galaxies and by grabbing gas from space around them.
Metaphor: [T]adpole galaxies sport bright heads, which spawn
brilliant new stars, and long, faint tails . . . [T]hey are primitive
creatures that are growing larger.
RI5 Development of ideas in
sentences, paragraphs, chapters,
etc.
Use of transition words – Thus .. . however . . .Yet . . . Study links
RI6 Point of View ? Does Croswell have one? (Of course, but do we
see it? Where?)
RI7 Multi. Sources X N/A
RI8 Analyze argument/reasoning ? Not really presenting an “argument” here .
RI9 Seminal US texts
(literary/historical significance)
X N/A
RI10 Increasing complexity 12th grade Lexile

115
Use Backward Design
to ensure that instruction and assessment
are aligned and focused on standards.
1. Choose one reading standard per lesson that students
must master in order to make sense of this text.
2. What formative assessment can you use to measure
student success?
3. What will students need to be able to do in order to
complete the formative assessment successfully?
4. How can close reading help students access the text?

116
Select most important standards supported by text:
RI1 – First close read focuses on what information is in the
text
RI2 – Second close read focuses on how information links to
support a central idea
RI4 – Third close read focuses on how language supports text

118
Try It Out:
A. INTRODUCING THE TEXT
1. Read the title and the subtitle of the article.
a. With a partner share one question you have based on the title and subtitle
and one idea you have based on the title, the subtitle, and the accompanying
image.
b. Share your ideas with a nearby partnership.

119
Try It Out:
B. STANDARD RI.1 –Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
1. Read with a partner to find the “gist,” annotating new words or phrases and/or areas
of confusion.
2. Whole class: Determine gist; note areas of difficulty; gloss necessary words.
3. Reread with a partner to answer the following questions:
a. What are two pieces of information the text provides about tadpole galaxies?
b. Why are scientists interested in tadpole galaxies?
c. What do tadpole galaxies look like?
d. How are tadpole galaxies similar to and different from spiral galaxies?
e. How do scientists know this?
f. How do scientists explain differences between tadpole and spiral galaxies?
4. Write a one-sentence summary of the article explaining what the article is mostly
about.
Notice that answering these questions is a relatively low-level task, requiring few
demands of the reader other than persistence. The questions are very literal and
answers are “right there” in the text

120
Try It Out:
C. STANDARD RI.2 –Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide and
objective summary of the text.
1. What word does Ken Croswell first use to describe tadpole galaxies? What impact
does this have on the text?
2. What is the relationship between the 3rd sentence in Paragraph 1 and the 2nd sentence
in Paragraph 6?
3. What does Croswell suggest is important about tadpole galaxies? What evidence
supports this?
4. Why does Croswell review the history of the discovery of tadpole galaxies?
These questions are somewhat more demanding. As students become more familiar
and comfortable with the text, the difficulty of the task can increase.

121
Try It Out:
D. STANDARD RI.4—Determine the words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices
on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
Focus on : galactic and intergalactic
1. Locate where these words are used in the text.
2. How are these words similar? How are they different?
3. What do you know about the suffix –ic? (What other words have this suffix and how
are they used in sentences?
4. Given what you know about the –ic suffix, what type of words are galactic and
intergalactic?
5. Return to the text. If Andromeda and the Milky Way are galaxies, what are their
pees? Knowing this, and using what you know about word parts, what could galactic
mean?
6. What do you know about the prefix inter--? (What other words have this prefix and
what is similar about the meanings of these words?)
7. Given what you know about the prefix inter– and the meaning of the word galactic,
what does intergalactic mean?
8. Complete a graphic organizer to explain the meaning of the word galactic.

122
To prepare for a close reading . . .
1. Choose a short, complex text.
2. Limit pre-reading activities that limit
actual reading time.
3. Plan for repeated readings with varied
areas of focus.
a. Teach annotating skills
b. Prepare text-dependent questions

123
Choose a short, complex text.
Identify a worthwhile complex text that
supports both the curriculum and the
standards.
Choose either a short, complete text OR an
excerpt from a longer passage.
Remember to consider quantitative and
qualitative features as well as reader and
task considerations.

124
Limit pre-reading activities that
limit actual reading time.
Is background knowledge ABSOLUTELY
essential to understand this text?
Can students infer critical information from
the text itself?
Gloss only essential Tier 3 words or Tier 2
words that cannot be determined from context.

125
Pose text-dependent questions that anticipate
areas of difficulty and build comprehension.
Pose questions that clarify basic comprehension.
Flag vocabulary – Tier 2 and 3 words, words with
multiple meanings, figurative language, etc.
Design questions to help students handle text
features that might hinder student comprehension,
such as complex structures (e.g., flashbacks),
dialogue, dialect, visual lay-outs, etc.
Structure questions to focus students on central
ideas in the text.

126
Text: ______________________________________
Author: ___________________________________
• In what ways is this text complex?
•How will this text enhance student learning?
•What vocabulary might be difficult? Sort Tier 2 and Tier
3 words and circle words you would either gloss or teach
through TDQs.
•What text-dependent questions will help students understand
the vocabulary?
•What structural features might help students better comprehend
the text?
•What questions will focus students’ attention on these features?
•What central ideas might students notice while reading?
•What questions will focus students’ attention on these ideas?
Ask . . .Don’t lead!

127
DIY
Complex Texts
Choose a grade-appropriate complex text and
design a lesson to introduce this text to your class.

128
Share!
Share your work with another group and explain
how your text selection and instruction supports
students as they read a complex text.

129
Look at the grade levels you
assigned to the books on the
table at the beginning of the day.
Use what you have learned today to
explain why you would keep the
original grade levels you assigned to
the books or how you might change
the assignments.

130
Questions? Concerns? Comments?
Let’s talk!
Please complete a survey to provide constructive feedback.

Staircase of Complexity

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