The Common Core State Standards English / Lang Arts

Agenda Overview of the Standards Focus: College and Career Readiness Priority 1: READ Priority 2: WRITE Priority 3: THINK Priority 4: DIFFERENTIATE

Preparing for Common Core State Standards English Language Arts

The Common Core State Standards Why do we care?

One Word: Rigor College and Career Readiness RIGOR Requires RIGOR

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education.

The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. America has fallen to 9th in the proportion of young people with a college degree.

ACT Study – Schmeiser, 2006 Unprepared in Reading Prepared in Reading Chance of later success 1% 32% Science 15% 67% Mathematics

out-innovate, out-educate, "We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world... The countries that out-teach us today out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. out-compete us tomorrow.”

Quick Facts Each year, approximately 1.2 million students fail to graduate from high school, more than half of whom are from minority groups. Percent of freshmen that enroll in at least one remedial course Community College Four-Year Institution 42%20% Alliance for Excellent Education, February 2009 edition.

Students who enroll in a remedial reading course are 41 percent more likely to drop out of college. (NCES, 2004a) Students Obtaining Bachelor’s Degree in Eight Years Alliance for Excellent Education, February 2009 edition.

Average Income by Educational Attainment

“If we can dramatically increase high school graduation rates, if we can dramatically increase the number of graduates who are college and career ready, that’s what this is about. Everything’s a means to that end. That’s the Holy Grail here. Are our students being prepared to be successful?” – Arne Duncan Education Week, December 9, 2009.

Change in text complexity in textbooks over the last century Source: Metametrics

Today’s text gap Source: Metametrics

Common Core: Common Success Align to Building Goals Great News: Content is 66% Aligned!

Read: Read: Nonfiction Write: Write: Literacy Across ContentThink: Critical Thinking

To Argue... and Inform... in Writing CCSS Requires Argument / Evidence- based Writing Source: National Assessment Governing Board (2007). Writing framework for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, pre-publication edition. Iowa City, IA. ACT, Inc. It follows that writing assessments aligned with the Standards should adhere to the distribution of writing purpose across grades outlined by NAEP. Distribution of Communicative Purposes by Grade in the 2011 NAEP Writing Framework

Percentage distribution of literary and informational passages: Nonfiction is Key Source: National Assessment Governing Board. Reading Framework for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Washington, D.C.: American Institutes for Research, 2007.

Cognitive Targets: CCSS Requires Focus on Rigorous Elements NAEP 2009PISA 2009 Locating / Recalling Integrating / Interpreting Critiquing / Evaluating Accessing and retrieving Integrating and interpreting Reflecting and evaluating

Text Lexile ® levels today and with Common Core: Rigor increased 3 Grade Levels Current Typical text measures (by grade) Common Core Text complexity grade bands and associated Lexile ranges

Common Core State Standards College and career ready kids for a competitive America

Preparing for Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts

National Pathway Phase I CCSS = P.L.A.N

Brief overview English Language Arts, History / Social Studies, Science and Technical subjects In secondary, Standards do not replace but AUGMENT content area standards Increase informational text Focus on critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and argument

The outcome? Read closely Understand complex text Read critically and evaluate text “Wide, deep thoughtful engagement to build knowledge with reasoning and use of evidence” Read, write, speak and listen

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science Students who fall short of ACT’s college readiness benchmarks have the greatest difficulty with the test items involving the most complex text. K-12 reading assignments have become much less demanding in the last half-century, with an especially large drop-off in high school expectations. Appendix A: Findings Weston, S.P. (2010). “The giant text complexity challenge inside the new literacy standards.” The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science College reading assignments have moved in the opposite direction, becoming a bit harder over the same fifty years. High school teachers commonly give students many kinds of support and coaching to help them figure out the material, but college teachers expect students to pull the knowledge from the text on their own, making the gap in practical ability even wider than the gap in the texts themselves. Appendix A: Findings

Meeting the same high standards It is also beyond the scope of the Standards to define the full range of supports appropriate for English language learners and for students with special needs. At the same time, all students must have the opportunity to learn and meet the same high standards if they are to access the knowledge and skills necessary in their post-high school lives. Each grade will include students who are still acquiring English. For those students, it is possible to meet the standards in reading, writing, speaking, and listening without displaying native-live control of conventions and vocabulary.

Key elements for WINNING! Read: Read: Nonfiction Write: Write: Literacy Across Content Think: Think: Critical Thinking.

Build strong content knowledge Build knowledge in different subjects Become proficient in new areas Read purposefully Refine knowledge and share it

Comprehend and critique Open-minded, skeptical readers Understand what authors are saying Question an author’s assumptions Assess the veracity of claims

Privilege evidence Cite text evidence for interpretations Make reasoning clear Evaluate others’ use of evidence

Use technology strategically and capably Employ technology thoughtfully Efficiently search online for information Integrate online and offline information Select best suited media for goals

Informational text Because most college and workplace reading is nonfiction, students need to hone their ability to acquire knowledge from informational texts

Independence and text The scaffolding for reading in school disappears in college and at work To become independent, students must encounter unfamiliar texts without supporting materials

What do YOU think is most important to do TODAY?

Priority for This Year 1.READ! 1.READ!50/55/75 nonfiction 2.WRITE! 2.WRITE! Especially persuasive 3.THINK! 3.THINK! Higher-levels of critical thinking Beyond TEXT – Onward to TASK

Goal: Accelerate Growth

Priority 1: Your Content 1.Rigorous content for each grade level 2.Sufficient informational text 3.Address ELL needs 4.Common standards for ALL students 5.Content that is coherent across themes 6.Review your library – large task ahead!

The problem with textbooks just got bigger Textbooks and supplemental materials may not align to... □ Rigor / textual complexity □ Informational text □ Consistent standards □ Content / theme coherence □ ELL needs

Solution 1: Nonfiction (READ!) Informational text Grade level rigor aligned to Common Core requirements Many students – the SAME standards ELL component Thematic coherence GO DEEPER!

Simply put... 1.Plan ahead: What nonfiction will you use? 2.Integrate Current Events 3.Biography is nonfiction 4.Prioritize “academic” vocabulary 5.Include History in the discussion of Literature 6.Use Science-based examples

Percentage distribution of literary and informational passages: Nonfiction is Key Source: National Assessment Governing Board. Reading Framework for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Washington, D.C.: American Institutes for Research, 2007.

Many levels One text Common standards Many levels One text Common standards

Priority 2: Rigorous instruction (CCR anchors & Critical Thinking)

Teacher ACTIVITY changes thinking The Common Core Standards emphasize student outcomes at higher levels of cognitive performance / critical thinking. understanding Instruction must expect higher levels of critical understanding. From test... moving to TASK!

Relationships between taxonomies English Language Arts and Reading Bloom Knowledge Comprehension Application & Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Webb Recall Skills & Concepts Strategic Thinking Extended Thinking SEC Memorize/Recall Perform Procedures/Explain Generate/Create/Demonstrate Analyze/Investigate Evaluate/Integrate

Solution 2: Write, Think The highest levels of cognitive demand Product, argument and interaction Many texts but common standards ELL supports Informational text Integrates best practices for vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension with:

Summarize Question Evaluate Summarize Question Evaluate

Analyze Interpret Evaluate Demonstrate proficiency Read closely Analyze Interpret Evaluate Demonstrate proficiency Read closely

Write Central ideas/theme Create product Argument/ evidence Vocabulary Write Central ideas/theme Create product Argument/ evidence Vocabulary

Priority 3: Critical Thinking □ Current State Standards? □ Content Standards? □ Common Core Standards? How can you simultaneously provide instruction which meets the requirements of...

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Solution 3: Rigor = Alignment The highest levels of cognitive demand Product, argument and interaction Many texts but common standards ELL supports Informational text CUE questions SPEECH Integrate best practices for vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension with:

Discuss Explore Debate Interact Discuss Explore Debate Interact

English Language Learner Support

Set schema Prior knowledge Argument Set schema Prior knowledge Argument

Use Bloom’s Cue Questions Plan: Speech / Performance

The Common Core State Standards Time = Align

FACTS! 10 – 20% of Curriculum is not effective Tightly aligning Instruction to goals can add ONE YEAR to K-12 Bell to Bell adds ONE MONTH

PRIORITY! Read: Non-Fiction Write: Argument Think: Critical Thinking Beyond the Text: Projects Focus on GAPs and CCRs Start. Stop. GO BEYOND.

Priority 4: Engage and Differentiate The Common Core Standards do not change what we know to be true... Differentiated instruction and engaged learners are critical for accelerated learning.

How have students’ Lexile ® reading levels progressed?

How have students’ mastery of state standards progressed?

How many students are using Achieve3000 after school?

ACT Study—Schmeiser, 2006 Chance of Later Success ScienceMathematics Unprepared In Reading 1%15% Prepared In Reading 32%67%

A partner on the path four critical priorities We are working with school districts to partner on four critical priorities related to immediate implementation of the Common Core State Standards.

Preparing for Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts Agenda Overview of the Standards Focus: College and Career Readiness Priority 1: READ Priority 2: WRITE Priority 3: THINK Priority 4: DIFFERENTIATE

Four areas of immediate impact 1.Rigorous, nonfiction content at all levels. All grades. Consistent. Coherent. 2.Rigorous instructional supports for teachers and students. Critical thinking, argument, reading/writing. 3.Alignment is defined by RIGOR. Focus on Critical Thinking! 4.The fastest acceleration of reading skills: differentiated, engaging, rigorous content.

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