Louisiana Reading Association Update April 21, 2012

Louisiana Department of Education General Agenda Key ELA CCSS Concepts –Content Shifts –Aligning Planning and Instruction New Direction for ELA Professional Development Preparing to Implement the CCSS

Key ELA CCSS Concepts

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Content Shifts in ELA/Literacy Key advances of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy Make the CCSS for ELA/Literacy different from most state standards Present in the content of the standards and emphasized in supporting documents

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Content Shifts in ELA/Literacy Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary (Reading Foundations) Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Students will read and understand grade-level complex text independently and proficiently and express that understanding clearly through writing and speaking about text. Main Goal of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts 1.Select texts that meet CCSS criteria and organize/sequence those texts within a unit of instruction and a school year in a purposeful way. 2.Teach each text so that students are able to meet the expectations established in the CCSS. Two Critical Pieces for Aligning Planning and Instruction

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts CCSS and its accompanying appendices establish criteria for what constitutes the appropriate text to teach at each particular grade level. The Publishers’ Criteria further refines that criteria. Revised criteria available on achievethecore.org. Selecting the “Right” Texts Understand text and express understanding (What?)

Louisiana Department of Education Reading Standard 10

Louisiana Department of Education Other Sources In the CCSS: –Page 32 –Page 33 –Page 58 Appendix A (how to determine text complexity) Appendix B (exemplar texts)

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Text Selection document Next Steps? –Engaging librarians in the process –Engaging content area experts in the process –Additional training on the pieces (i.e., text complexity) Selecting the “Right” Texts

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Balance Structure Text complexity Selecting the “Right” Texts

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Text Complexity Process –Quantitative – place in grade-level band Lexile, ATOS, Flesch-Kincaid, etc. Appendix A Revisions; updated chart –Qualitative – further define where to use within band Rubrics Professional judgment –Reader and Task – further define how best to teach text What areas are potentially difficult for students? Is the content appropriate for age level? How can I sequence text within unit? Selecting the “Right” Texts

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Read and analyze the selected text before teaching: –(Some analysis occurs during text selection.) –Identify areas in the text that might be difficult for students. –Identify what vocabulary should be taught (academic and domain specific). Teaching Texts to Meet CCSS Expectations

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Aligning Planning and Instruction Planning Instruction Activities/ Methods/ Strategies (How?) CCSS for ELA and Literacy Understand text and express understanding (What?)

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts Planning Instruction Activities/ Methods/ Strategies (How?) CCSS for ELA and Literacy Understand text and express understanding (What?) Aligning Planning and Instruction

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts After planning and instructing the selected text, evaluate the evidence gathered through instruction. Did students meet the expectations of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy? –Review student work against the expectations of the CCSS for ELA/Literacy that are aligned to student understanding(s). –Determine what needs to be done next, i.e., teach the same text again with more individualized work in small groups, use a different related text? Evaluate Student Work 11:00

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. Meeting CCSS Expectations by Grade Levels W.1.2 Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Louisiana Department of Education Key ELA CCSS Concepts W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. Meeting CCSS Expectations by Grade Level W.1.2 Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

New Direction for ELA Professional Development

Louisiana Department of Education New Direction for ELA PD K-1 ELA Curriculum –Strengths (external expert reviewer) –Weaknesses Some remaining CCSS issues not fully addressed Additional training needed Resources –Basals and additional available texts may or may not be aligned –Lots additional tools for implementing CCSS Training and Support –New LCC PD Lessons Learned

Louisiana Department of Education New Direction for ELA PD Lessons Learned: K-1 ELA Curriculum –Strengths (external expert reviewer) –Weaknesses Some remaining CCSS issues not fully addressed Additional training needed Our Response: Over the course of the year, phase in CCSS for ELA/Literacy while providing training (curriculum pieces used in training) Result – teachers will experience similar process as curriculum writers; learn how to teach the CCSS and create own aligned lessons and units K-1 ELA Curriculum

Louisiana Department of Education New Direction for ELA PD Lessons Learned: Resources –Basals and additional available texts may or may not be aligned –Lots of additional tools for implementing CCSS Our Responses: Align current basal questions and tasks to CCSS –Training at the beginning of the school year –Use as transition until better, aligned resources are available Creation of additional tools and guides/resources based on need (Ex: identify text sets that meet CCSS criteria, example Student-Learning Targets (SLTs) for Compass) Resources

Louisiana Department of Education New Direction for ELA PD Lessons Learned: Training and Support –New LCC PD Our Responses: Additional training based on need –Currently working with outside consultants to identify next steps –Possible training topics Selecting the “right” texts to teach Ex: text complexity or building students’ knowledge with informational texts (integrating and coordinating ELA with science and social studies) Teaching texts so students meet the expectations of CCSS Ex: close reading, using evidence, text-dependent questioning, systematic and varied vocabulary instruction, tying systematic and explicit instruction in reading foundations with comprehension instruction Training and Support

Preparing to Implement CCSS

Louisiana Department of Education What has already been developed? May 2011 – General Awareness Webinar October 2011 Regional Training Materials –ELA & Math - Grade Level Content Comparison Reports –ELA - Overview on Text Complexity November 2011 – Revised General Awareness Presentation with videos, ELA and Math content, and opportunities for group discussion January 2012 – Regional Training Materials –Math - Math Practices –ELA - Understanding the Standards/Content Shifts

Louisiana Department of Education What has already been developed? February 2012 – Transitional Assessment Webinar –Changes to transitional assessment for ELA/Math for DTCs March 2012 – Regional Training Materials –Math - Critical Focus Areas for K & 1/Evaluated student work –ELA - Changing planning and instruction for K & 1/Evaluated student work March 2012 – Curriculum and Assessment Summaries –Identifies specifically what should be taught and assessed at each grade and content area –

Louisiana Department of Education What trainings are coming up? Math LCC PD – June 2012 Summer Institute (Math and ELA) – June and July 2012

Louisiana Department of Education How Can Curriculum Leaders Prepare Now? Connect with your District Curriculum Staff and principal about: –Redelivering ELA and Math training materials for teachers –Ensuring teachers have identified the standards they are responsible for teaching in , using the Curriculum and Assessment Summaries

Louisiana Department of Education How Can Teachers Prepare Now? Identify the standards they are responsible for teaching in Math –Incorporate the Standards for Mathematical Practice –Be familiar with the critical focus areas for the grade level taught –Be familiar with the fluency standards for the grade level taught ELA –Begin using grade-level complex text (both literary and informational) and increase students’ opportunities to express their understanding of text through writing and speaking –Be familiar with the 3 main content shifts (science and social studies teachers should be familiar with these as well)

Louisiana Department of Education Contact Information Thank you for your time! Whitney Whealdon ELA Program Coordinator