Common Core/FCAT 2.0 Reading/Language Arts February Welcome. Please sign in.

Todays Agenda This morning: -Overview of Current Initiatives and Implications for the Classroom - A Presentation on Close Reading - Laurie Lee - Just Read Florida This afternoon: - Working with the FCAT Cara Zatoris, Lincoln High School 2

Lets Take a Look at the Current State Initiatives.

What groups are most affected by the State Board of Educations recent decision to change the FCAT Reading Achievement Levels?

New FCAT Reading 2.0 Achievement Levels

Students (grades 6-12) who scored Level 3 on the 2011 FCAT Reading who would be 2s Under the New Achievement Levels Chiles – 3Deerlake – 44 Godby – 4Fairview - 81 Lincoln – 3Ft. Braden - 34 Rickards – 1Griffin - 52 Cobb – 56Montford - 84 Nims – 52Raa – 76 Swift Creek - 52

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative and where did it originate? knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education so that they will graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). English-language arts and math were the first subjects chosen for the common core state standards because these two subjects are skills, upon which students build skill sets in other subject areas. The Common Core State Standards Initiative was and will remain a state-led effort

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative and where did it originate? The Common Core Initiative also includes 6–12 literacy standards in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. States may incorporate these standards into their content courses or adopt them as content area literacy standards. Floridas adoption of Common Core includes implementation of the content area literacy standards. Florida Statute includes Next Generational Content Area Professional Development (NGCARPD) for content area teachers.

Correlation Between Sunshine State Standards and Common Core Standards Focus: Literary Elements Informational Text

How are the Common Core Standards different from the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards? Review the organization of both sets of standards. How are they organized differently? What is significant about this difference? Do not focus on the standards at this point.

Comparing FCAT 2.0 and Common Core for your Grade Level Highlight references to literary elements throughout the Sunshine State Standards for Reading/Language Arts. Highlight references to literary elements throughout the CCSS for English Language Arts/Science standards. How are they different?

Comparing FCAT 2.0 and Common Core for your Grade Level Highlight references to informational text throughout the Sunshine State Standards for Reading/Language Arts. Highlight references to informational text throughout the CCSS for English Language Arts/Science standards. How are they different?

What are the PARCC Assessments? The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a 24-state consortium working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math. The PARCC assessments will be ready for states to administer during the school year. PARCC is contracting with two research universitiesto develop models of innovative, online- delivered items and rich performance tasks proposed for use in the PARCC assessments. These prototypes will include both assessment and classroom-based tasks.

Working with Common Core Performance Items Review the Performance Items provided for you. Select the literary standards from Common Core you identified earlier. Locate the corresponding literature performance task. What challenges will this present for teachers of language arts/reading? How will it impact our teaching?

Determining Complexity of Text Why does text complexity matter? What factors determine complexity of text? How can I determine if a text is appropriate for my class? Are there resources to help me?

Text Complexity - ACT Study Purpose: Determine what distinguished the reading performance of students likely to succeed in college and not. Process: Set benchmark score on the reading test shown to be predictive of success in college (21 on ACT composite score). Looked at results from a half million students. Divided texts into three levels of complexity: uncomplicated, more challenging, and complex. 18

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. Texts used in the ACT Reading Test reflect three degrees of complexity: uncomplicated, more challenging, and complex. 19 ACT Study Findings

Recap of ACT Findings Question type and level (main idea, word meanings, details) 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. FCAT has complex passages and highly cognitive demanding questions. 20

Text Complexity Text complexity is defined by: Qualitative Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands often best measured by an attentive human reader. Quantitative Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software. Reader and Task Reader and Task considerations – background knowledge of reader, motivation, interests, and complexity generated by tasks assigned often best made by educators employing their professional judgment. 21

Determining Text Complexity A Four-step Process: 22 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.

Step 1: Quantitative Measures 23 Measures such as: Word length Word frequency Word difficulty Sentence length Text length Text cohesion Quantitative Measures

24 Read and discuss the article entitled Lexile-to- Grade Correspondence. As you read, consider the following questions: What is the purpose of Lexile Measures? For what purposes should teachers NOT use Lexile Measures? What is IQR? What function does it serve? What is a stretch text? What other considerations exist for text selection in a classroom?

Quantitative Measures 25 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.

Quantitative Measures 26 Additional Resources Lexile Measures and the Common Core State Standards Accelerated reader and the Common Core State Standards Coh-Metrix Coh-Metrix calculates the coherence of texts on a wide range of measures. It replaces common readability formulas by applying the latest in computational linguistics and linking this to the latest research in psycholinguistics.

Step 2: Qualitative Measures Measures such as: 1.Structure 2.Language Demands and Conventions 3.Knowledge Demands 4.Levels of Meaning/Purpose 27 At your table, provide one or two examples of the four components that are considered in qualitative measures. When possible, cite a piece of text that illustrates your example. The Declaration of Independent has a cause-effect structure/organization, which is more challenging than a simple narrative.

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 28

Determining Text Complexity A Four-step Process: 29 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.

Where do we find texts in the appropriate text complexity band? Choose an excerpt of text from Appendix B as a starting place: 30 We could…. or… Use available resources to determine the text complexity of other materials on our own.

Common Core Lesson Plans by Grade Common Core Curriculum Maps

The Common Core Standards also focus on Performance Tasks that include written response to complex texts Review the texts for your particular grade and subject. See CCSS Appendix Table of Contents. 2.Discuss with your colleagues the appropriateness of documents in the Appendix for your standards and students. Also discuss the question: How can we ensure that the documents we use in our classes are appropriately complex? 3.Be prepared to share with the group.

Lunch Time 33

2012 FCAT 2.0 Please answer questions on pretest to the best of your knowledge.

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test 1. More standards are addressed on the 9 th and 10 th grade tests than are addressed on the 6 th, 7 th, or 8 th grade tests. 2.Each FCAT 2.0 question must be written to address only one benchmark.

3. One benchmark may be broken down into multiple tasks reflected by different types of questions. 4.Words used in vocabulary questions may be two grade levels above the tested grade. FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test

5. Test writers may use the exact wording from the passage for correct answer choices in low complexity questions. 6.In multiple choice items, one- word answer choices are always arranged alphabetically; longer answer choices are always arranged by length.

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test 7. What is the passing score, or score to achieve a level 3, for your grade level?

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test 8. What is the percentage of literary text vs. informational text for your grade level?

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test 9. What is the percentage of points in each reporting category for your grade level?

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test 10. What is the average length of a text for your grade level?

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test 11. What is the percentage of low, moderate, and complex questions for your grade level?

FCAT 2.0 Pre-Test Low Complexity – may require a student to solve a one-step problem Moderate Complexity – may require multiple steps High Complexity – may require a student to analyze and synthesize information The complexity of a question can be affected by the complexity of its answer choices!

If youve got the time, check the specs!

Test Prep: The Elephant in the Room Talk with your table about lesson/activities that you do to help prepare students for FCAT. List strategies on chart paper. Be prepared to share with the group.

M/HS Content Focus & Sample Item Crosswalk

With a partner or a group, choose a passage from the provided common core text exemplars. Using the sample questions as a guide, write at least two multiple choice questions (with 4 answer choices). Make sure to represent 2 different reporting categories.

Beyond Test Prep Comprehension increases when all teachers implement the following 5 practices: Making close reading and rereading of texts and complex questions central to lessons, Providing scaffolding that does not preempt or replace text, Asking text dependent questions from a range of question types. Emphasizing students supporting answers based upon evidence from the text Providing extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence). -Just Read, Florida!