1. Using the Publishers’ Criteria for ELA/Literacy to Better Understand the Standards

2. Icebreaker Question
What is the intention of the Publishers’ Criteria? Who is it intended for? How can it support these different audiences?

3. Goals for this Session
We will closely examine the Publishers’ Criteria in an effort to:
Gain a deeper understanding of the Common Core State Standards and the shifts they require
Discuss the Standards’ implications for instructional materials
Judge materials for alignment and reflect on the appropriate use of existing classroom resources and strategies

4. ELA/Literacy: 3 shifts
Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

5. Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Literacy
Designed to guide publishers and curriculum developers as they work to ensure alignment with the CCSS.
Focuses on the most significant elements of the Standards.
Not intended to dictate classroom practice.
Comprised of two documents: grades K-2 and 3-12.
Aimed to support the responsibilities of both producers and purchasers of instructional materials.

6. Document Organization
Four sections:
Key Criteria for Text Selection
Key Criteria for Questions and Tasks
Key Criteria for Academic Vocabulary
Key Criteria for Writing to Sources and Research

7. I. Key Criteria for Text Selection
Text Complexity
Align with grade by grade complexity requirements outlined in the Standards
Give all students access to and support with grade-level complex text
Include shorter, challenging texts
Include novels, plays, and other full-length readings
Increase regular independent reading

8. 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 pull
things together for the student
Longer paragraphs
Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes
structures
Use of passive voice

9. (materials, PD, assessment tools)?
Time to reflect…
Text Complexity
What practices and materials are currently in place in our instructional setting to support all students in accessing appropriately complex text?
Where do we have needs
(materials, PD, assessment tools)?

10. Key Criteria for Text Selection
Range and Quality of Texts
In grades 3-5, literacy programs include equal measures of literary and informational texts.

11. Key Criteria for Text Selection
Range and Quality of Texts
In grades 3-5, literacy programs include equal measures of literary and informational texts.
In grades 6-12, ELA programs include substantially more literary nonfiction.
The quality of the texts is high.
Specific texts and text types named in the standards are included.
Specific anchor texts are selected for especially careful reading.

12. How do the current reading selections
Time to Reflect…
Range and Quality of Texts
How do the current reading selections
in our instructional setting align
to the expectations of the Common Core?
Who is engaged in conversations about text selection in our district?
How are content area teachers engaged?

13. Key Criteria for Questions and Tasks
High-Quality Text-Dependent Questions and Tasks
A significant portion of the tasks and questions are text-dependent.
High-quality sequences of text-dependent questions elicit sustained attention to the specifics of the text and their impact.
Questions and tasks require the use of textual evidence.
Instructional design cultivates student interest and engagement in reading rich texts carefully.
Materials provide opportunities to build knowledge through texts.
Questions and tasks attend to analyzing the arguments and information central to informational text.

14. Non-Examples and Examples
Not Text-Dependent
Text-Dependent
In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair. In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?
What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous?
What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received?
“The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

15. Key Criteria for Questions and Tasks
Cultivating Students’ Ability to Read Complex Texts Independently
Scaffolds enable all student to experience rather than avoid the complexity of a text.
Reading strategies support comprehension of specific texts, focus on building knowledge.
Design for whole-group, small-group, and individual instruction cultivates responsibility and independence.
Questions and tasks require careful comprehension of the text first.
Materials make the text the focus of instruction.
Materials offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure progress.

16. Key Criteria for Academic Vocabulary
“Tier 2” words
Present across content areas (in contrast to domain-specific words)

17. What is our current practice of vocabulary instruction?
Time to Reflect…
Academic Vocabulary
What is our current practice of vocabulary instruction?
Is it aligned to the requirements of the Common Core?
Does it support college and career readiness?
Does it support access to complex text?
How are we supporting English Language Learners with vocabulary acquisition through complex text?

18. Key Criteria for Writing to Sources and Research
Materials portray writing to sources as key task.
Materials focus on forming arguments as well as writing to inform.
In elementary school 30% writing to argue 35% writing to explain/inform 35% narrative writing
In middle school 35% writing to argue 35% writing to explain/inform 30% narrative writing
In high school 40% writing to argue 40% writing to explain/inform 20% narrative writing

19. Key Criteria for Writing to Sources and Research
Materials portray writing to sources as key task.
Materials focus on forming arguments as well as informative writing.
Materials make it clear that student writing should be responsive to the needs of the audience and the particulars of the text in question.
Students are given extensive practice with short, focused research projects.

20. Putting it all together
The four strands of ELA– reading, writing, speaking and listening– are meant to be woven together. This is as true in instructional materials as in curriculum mapping.
All three shifts are meant to be in play at once.
There is no either/or here: good materials need all of this.
Be wary of materials and approaches that seek to segregate the standards.

21. What’s In and What’s Out?
Daily encounters w/complex texts
Texts worthy of close attention
Balance of literary and info texts
Coherent sequences of texts
Mostly text-dependent questions
Mainly evidence-based analyses
Accent on academic vocabulary
Emphasis on reading & re-reading
Reading strategies (as means)
Reading foundations (central and integrated)
Leveled texts (only)
Reading any ‘ol text
Solely literature
Collection of unrelated texts
Mostly text-to-self questions
Mainly writing without sources
Accent on literary terminology
Emphasis on pre-reading
Reading strategies (as end goal)
Reading foundations (peripheral and detached)

22. Questions Worth Answering!
It all boils down to. . .
Texts Worth Reading
and
Questions Worth Answering!