Deep Sea Diving with Complex Text Shoals Elementary School August 24, 2012 Professional Development

Text Complexity Matters Text complexity is the key to accelerating student achievement in reading. 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.

What constitutes a complex text? “Complex text is typified by a combination of longer sentences, a higher proportion of less-frequent words, and a greater number and variety of words with multiple meanings.” PARCC Model Content Frameworks

It was found in a study of ACT scores that.. Question type and level (main idea, word meanings, details, drawing conclusions, etc.) 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. In other words you need both: complex passages and highly cognitive demanding questions.

Overview of Text Complexity Text complexity is defined by: 1.Qualitative measures- levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands 2.Quantitative measures- word length or frequency, sentence length, and text cohesion 3.Reader and task considerations- motivation, knowledge, and experiences

Common Core Focus on Four Strands (reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language) The benefits of an integrated literacy approach (both in terms of reaching out to content areas beyond ELA and also in terms of research and media skills being integrated into the four strands) A focus on results rather than means (“the Standards leave room for teachers, curriculum developers, and states to determine how those goals should be reached and what additional topics should be addressed” (p. 4).)

Conversion of state levels to lexiles L Quantitative Measure Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Spans (Lexile Levels)

Where do we find texts with appropriate text complexity? Choose an excerpt of text from here as a starting place : We could…. or… Use available resources to determine the text complexity of other materials on our own.

Determining Text Complexity A Four-step Process: Quantitative Qualitative 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. 9

Step 1: Quantitative Measures Measures such as: Word length Word frequency Word difficulty Sentence length Text length Text cohesion Quantitative Measures 10

Step 1: Quantitative Measures The Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity : This document outlines the suggested ranges for each of the text complexity bands using: 1.Lexile Text Measures ---or--- 2.ATOS Book Levels (Accelerated Reader) 11

Step 1: Quantitative Measures Let’s imagine we want to see where a text falls on the quantitative measures “leg” of the text complexity triangle, using either the Lexile text measures or the ATOS book level (or both). For illustrative purposes, let’s choose the text, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. 12

Step 1: Quantitative Measures Lexile Text Measure: ATOS Book Level: 1080L 7.9 In which of the text complexity bands would this text fall? 13

Step 1: Quantitative Measures 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. 14

Step 2: Qualitative Measures Measures such as: Structure Language Demands and Conventions Knowledge Demands Levels of Meaning/Purpose 15

Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity Structure (could be story structure and/or form of piece) Simple  Complex Explicit  Implicit Conventional  Unconventional Events 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 graphics Graphics unnecessary or merely supplemental to understanding the text  Graphics essential to understanding the text and may provide information not elsewhere provided

Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity Language Demands: Conventionality and Clarity Literal  Figurative or ironic Clear  Ambiguous or purposefully misleading Contemporary, familiar  Archaic or otherwise unfamiliar Conversational  General Academic and domain specific Light vocabulary load: few unfamiliar or academic words  Many words unfamiliar and high academic vocabulary present Sentence structure straightforward  Complex and varied sentence structures Though vocabulary can be measured by quantifiable means, it is still a feature for careful consideration when selecting texts Though sentence length is measured by quantifiable means, sentence complexity is still a feature for careful consideration when selecting texts 17

Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity Knowledge Demands: Life Experience (literary texts) 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 18

Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity Knowledge Demands: Cultural/Literary Knowledge (chiefly literary texts) Everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions required  Cultural and literary knowledge useful Low intertextuality (few if any references/allusions to other texts)  High intertextuality (many references/allusions to other texts 19

Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity Levels of Meaning (chiefly literary texts) or purpose (chiefly informational texts) Single level of meaning  Multiple levels of meaning Explicitly stated purpose  Implicit purpose, may be hidden or obscure 20

Step 2: Qualitative Measures 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 ccss.com/downloads/Complexity_4-5.pdf ccss.com/downloads/Complexity_2- 3.pdf

Step 2: Qualitative Measures How is the rubric used? And how would Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass fair when analyzed through the lens of the Text Rubric? 22

Step 2: Qualitative Measures 23

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 24

Step 3: Reader and Task Ten Guiding Principles 1.Make close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons. 2.Provide scaffolding that does not preempt or replace text. 3.Ask text dependent questions from a range of question types. 4.Emphasize students supporting answers based upon evidence from the text. 5.Provide extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence). 25

Step 3: Reader and Task Ten Guiding Principles 6.Offer regular opportunities for students to share ideas, evidence and research. 7.Offer systematic instruction in vocabulary. 8.Ensure wide reading from complex text that varies in length. 9. Provide explicit instruction in grammar and conventions. 10. Cultivate students’ independence. 26

“The use of qualitative and quantitative measures to assess text complexity is balanced in the Standards’ model by the expectation that educators will employ professional judgment to match texts to particular students and tasks.” Appendix A

Shift in Instruction “... it is important to recognize that scaffolding often is entirely appropriate. The expectation that scaffolding will occur with particularly challenging texts is built into the Standards’ grade-by-grade text complexity expectations, for example. The general movement, however, should be toward decreasing scaffolding and increasing independence both within and across the text complexity bands defined in the standards.” Appendix A

All students should have access to complex texts Students who are not reading at grade level should have access to complex texts with appropriate scaffolding and support. Even many students who are reading at grade level may need scaffolding as they master higher levels within the text complexity band.

What does this mean for under- achieving students? STUDENTS WHO ARRIVE BEHIND IN READING OR CLOSE TO GRADE LEVEL ARE OFTEN TAUGHT THROUGH COURSES THAT DON’T DEMAND MUCH READING. Many students are engaged in shallow reading, skimming text for answers, focusing only on details and failing to make inferences in order to integrate different parts of the text. Years of reading in this superficial way will cause a student’s reading ability to deteriorate. The decline of text demands over time take both an immediate and long term impact on student achievement. Take Away: What type of texts do you use for remediation?

Take Aways: Was your passage a complex text? Do you now have the ability to determine complex text in your classroom? How will this change your instruction? Remember the resources that you already have to use on a daily basis! Text complexity matters because…. “making textbooks easier ultimately denies students the very language, information, and modes of thought they need most to move up and on.” -Marilyn Jager Adams

Sources Appendix A: Research Supporting Key Elements of the Standards, Appendix B: Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks Library/commonCoreEnglish.shtml David Coleman Presentations: Bringing the Common Core to Life CC in ELA/Literacy literacy-an-overview/ PARCC Model Content Frameworks for ELA/Literacy Library/commonCoreEnglish.shtmlhttp://vimeo.com/ literacy-an-overview/