1. Summer Leadership Institute
Authentic Writing
Common Core Template Tasks
Claudia Rowe/Rose Sedely
August 9, 2012

2. Common Board Configuration
Date: August 9, 2012
Vocabulary: template task, module, common core, complex test, argumentation, informational, narrative, rubric, LDC
Bell Ringer: Think about and discuss, with your shoulder partner, What writing in the Science classroom looks like .
Learning Goal: The participates will be able to understand the use for the LDC for increasing writing in the content areas.
Agenda:
a. 21st Century Skills
Highly Effective Indicators
Writing in the Content areas using LDC
Practice a task template
Reflect on the process
Benchmark:
Domain 1: Elements 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,
Domain 2: Elements 42 , 43, 44, 45,
Domain 3: Element 51 and 52
Domain 4: Element 55
Summarizing Activity:
Reflection slide
b. Participation Scale and Reflection
Objective: The participants will review the 4 sections of the LDC module and the implementation for the classroom.
Homework: Reflect on this session on how there can be an increase in writing across the content areas..
Essential Question: What components are necessary to have authentic writing in content area classrooms?

3. Lake County Schools Vision Statement
A dynamic, progressive and collaborative learning community embracing change and diversity where every student will graduate with the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education and the workplace.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Lake County Schools is to provide every student with individual opportunities to excel.
Lake County Schools is committed to excellence in all curricular opportunities and instructional best practices. This focus area addresses closing the achievement gap, increased graduation rate, decreased dropout rate, increase in Level 3 and above scores on the FCAT, achieving an increase in the number of students enrolled in advanced placement and dual enrollment opportunities and implementing the best practices in instructional methodology.
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4. 21st Century Skills Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Collaboration and Leadership
Agility and Adaptability
Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
Effective Oral and Written Communication
Accessing and Analyzing Information
Curiosity and Imagination
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: To compete in the new global economy, companies need their workers to think about how to continuously improve their products, processes, or services. “The challenge is this: How do you do things that haven't been done before, where you have to rethink or think anew? It's not incremental improvement any more. The markets are changing too fast.”
Collaboration and Leadership: Teamwork is no longer just about working with others in your building. “Technology has allowed for virtual teams. We have teams working on major infrastructure projects that are all over the U.S. On other projects, you're working with people all around the world on solving a software problem. Every week they're on a variety of conference calls; they're doing Web casts; they're doing net meetings.”
Agility and Adaptability: Ability to think, be flexible, change, and use a variety of tools to solve new problems. “We change what we do all the time. I can guarantee the job I hire someone to do will change or may not exist in the future, so this is why adaptability and learning skills are more important than technical skills.”
Initiative and Entrepreneurialism: Taking chances and being a risk-taker. “I say to my employees, if you try five things and get all five of them right, you may be failing. If you try 10 things, and get eight of them right, you're a hero.”
Effective Oral and Written Communication: The ability to be clear, concise, focused, energetic and passionate around the points they want to make. “We are routinely surprised at the difficulty some young people have in communicating: verbal skills, written skills, presentation skills. They have difficulty being clear and concise; it's hard for them to create focus, energy, and passion around the points they want to make. If you're talking to an exec, the first thing you'll get asked if you haven't made it perfectly clear in the first 60 seconds of your presentation is, ‘What do you want me to take away from this meeting?’ They don't know how to answer that question.”
Accessing and Analyzing Information: The ability to know how to access and analyze large quantities of information. “There is so much information available that it is almost too much, and if people aren't prepared to process the information effectively it almost freezes them in their steps.”
Curiosity and Imagination: The development of young people's capacities for imagination, creativity, and empathy will be increasingly important for maintaining the United States' competitive advantage in the future. “People who've learned to ask great questions and have learned to be inquisitive are the ones who move the fastest in our environment because they solve the biggest problems in ways that have the most impact on innovation.”
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5. High Effect Size Indicators
“The Department’s identified set of indicators on high effect size instructional and leadership strategies with a causal relationship to student learning growth constitute priority issues for deliberate practice and faculty development.”
-Florida Department of Education, 2012
Student learning needs and faculty and leadership development needs will vary from school to school and from district to district. However, contemporary research reveals a core of instructional and leadership strategies that have a higher probability than most of positively impacting student learning in significant ways. The indicators below link formative feedback and evaluation to contemporary research on practices that have a positive impact on student learning growth.
• Research on the cause and effect relationships between instructional and leadership strategies and student outcomes address the effect size of a strategy: What degree of impact does it have?
• In the context of district instructional and leadership evaluation systems, effect size is a statistical estimation of the influence a strategy or practice has on student learning. Effect size calculations result from statistical analyses in research focused on student learning where the correct and appropriate use of a strategy yields better student learning growth than when the strategy is not used or is used incorrectly or inappropriately.
• In research terms, those strategies often identified as “high effect size” are those with higher probabilities of improving student learning.
Classroom teachers need a repertoire of strategies with a positive effect size so that what they are able to do instructionally, after adapting to classroom conditions, has a reasonable chance of getting positive results. As school leaders and mentor teachers begin to focus on feedback to colleagues to improve proficiency on practices that improve student learning growth, emphasis should be on those strategies that have a high effect size. Where every Florida classroom teacher and school leader has
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6. Classroom Teacher High Effect Indicators
School Leadership High Effect Indicators
Learning Goal with Scales
Tracking Student Progress
Established Content Standards
Multi-tiered System of Supports
Clear Goals
Text Complexity
ESOL Students
Feedback Practices
Facilitating Professional Learning
Clear Goals and Expectations
Instructional Resources
High Effect Size Strategies
Instructional Initiatives
Monitoring Text Complexity
Interventions
Instructional Adaptations
ESOL Strategies
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7. Why Writing in a Content Area
“Writing allows students to organize their thoughts and provides a means by which students can form and extend their thinking, thus deepening their understanding” Vicki Jacobs Harvard Graduate School of Education

8. LITERACY DESIGN COLLABORATION
The LITERACY DESIGN COLLABORATIVE is a new way of thinking about and preparing all students to have the literacy skills they need to be college/career ready. It is not a program. It is not a random selection of curriculum ideas. It is a literacy framework that connects common core standards with secondary ELA, social studies and science classrooms.

9. A Systematic Approach
Modules written by the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) are designed to support core-content teachers in implementing the Common Core Standards. A standard format provides clarity and support for teachers as well as the flexibility to be creative. Each module focuses on a specific teaching task and includes the skills students need to be successful, a set of mini-tasks to guide instruction, and a scoring guide or rubric to help assess the students’ rate of success.

10. Common standards, local choices!
The LDC Framework
Common standards, local choices!
Courses
Modules
Tasks
New courses
Existing courses
Task
Skills
Instruction
Results
Prompt
Rubric
Scoring exemplars
LDC offers a framework that puts reading and writing at the center of teaching and learning
As an overview:
Tasks are at the center of the framework. LDC provides templates for helping practitioners to create meaningful reading and writing student tasks– or, in other words, what students are asked to do. The LDC system also includes rubrics and examples for the templates.
Wrapped around tasks are modules – or what supports teachers in identifying the skills students need to complete the task and designing intentional strategies to teach those schools over 2-3 weeks; the modules can be used within or in addition to content unit plans
The task and modules create the potential for new course design and development that scaffold the teaching and learning of reading and writing skills linked to content across time
We are going to give an overview of the framework structure then concentrate on the LDC tasks

11. Writing Structures 9 Text Structures Florida Academic Literacy Network
July 2012 11

12. Module Section 1: What Task?
What task sets clear, measurable goals for learning?
Guidebook pp
Teachers select task template
Common Core Standards are “hard-wired”
Teachers add state/local content standards
Teachers “plug and play” to build the teaching task
Task 2 Template (Argumentation/Analysis L1, L2, L3): [Insert essential question] After reading _____ (literature or informational texts), write an _________(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.
This slide is just an introduction about how tasks are situated within the module.
The task is the linchpin to the LDC strategy
Refer to the Template Task Collection for lots of examples.

13. Example: Template Task 2: Argumentation/Analysis
[Insert question] After reading ______________ (literature or informational texts), write _________________ (essay or substitute) that addresses the question, and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.
Look at this example again: This is Template Task 2 for Argumentation/Analysis using the question approach
There are two examples (social studies and LA) of this task changed into a teaching task on the next two slides.
See Guidebook p.27 for an explanation of L2 and L3
Writing type: Argumentation
Mode of Exposition: Analysis

14. Teaching Task: Argumentation/Analysis
In Social Studies:
How did the political views of the signers of the Constitution impact the American political system? After reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, write a report that addresses the question, and support your position with evidence from the text.
Discuss the depth and value of this task
2-3 weeks?

15. Teaching Task: Argumentation/Analysis
In ELA:
Would you recommend a Wrinkle in Time to a middle school reader? After reading this science fiction novel, write a review that addresses the question and support your evidence from the text.
Discuss the depth and value of this task
2-3 weeks?

16. Teaching Task: Argumentation/Analysis
In Science:
Does genetic testing have the potential to significantly impact how we treat disease? After reading scientific sources, write a report that addresses the question and support your evidence from the texts. L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Or L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position,
Discuss the depth and value of this task
2-3 weeks?

17. Reminder
It does not matter whether the evaluator agrees with the claim. What matters is whether the position is appropriately supported by the reading materials that were investigated. That is why finding credible sources must be part of the instruction.
Should I include this???

18. PRACTICE Template Task 11
After researching _____ (informational texts) on _____ (content), write a(n) _____ (report or substitute) that defines _____ (term or concept) and explains _____ (content). Support your discussion with evidence from your research. L2 What _____ (conclusions or implications) can you draw?
(Informational or Explanatory/Definition)
Writing type: Informational or Explanatory
Mode of Exposition: Definition

19. Practice Topic: Monsters Template Task 11
With a partner, write a Teaching Task from Template Task 11 on the topic monsters.
Share your Teaching Task and talk through what’s easy, what’s challenging, and what skills will be needed.
Revise as needed
Don’t show the example (from the Monster Module) until the team has completed the activities on this slide.

20. Monsters
After researching informational and fictional texts on real and fictional monsters, write a three to five page paper that defines what a monster is and explains the point at which wickedness crosses the line into “monsterness.” Support your discussion with evidence from your research. L2 What conclusions about human behavior can you draw?
This is from the Monster Module. Note how we combined fiction and non-fiction. Template Task 11

21. Module Section 2: What Skills?
What skills are needed for success?
Guidebook p. 71
Identify skills
Define skills
Organize by clusters
Skill
Definition
Skills Cluster 1: Preparing for the Task
1. Task engagement
Ability to connect the task and new content to existing knowledge, skills, experiences, interests, and concerns.
2. Task analysis
Ability to understand and explain the task’s prompt and rubric.
Once the task is defined, we need to think about what exactly students need to be able to do in terms of reading and writing to complete the task successfully
Each Skills List must have three elements: A named skill, a definition for the skill and a skill cluster (how the skills are organized in order to teach them)
The LDC design team has created an example Skills List ready to go for teachers
This slide shows an example skills cluster from the Skills List
Practitioners have the choice to edit or add to the Skills List—or create their own—
as they develop their module.
Use the Sample Module, p. 71 as reference to eliminate any confusion
Page 8 in Monster Module
Just introduce this idea. They will learn to build their skill clusters in June.

22. Module Section 3: What Instruction?
How will students be taught to succeed on the teaching task? What work will they do?
Establish the instructional plan – or instructional ladder – to teach students the skills necessary to succeed on the task
Include mini-tasks, scoring, and instructional strategies
The next section moves practitioner from thinking about what reading and writing skills students need to complete a task to the type of work student will need to do—and teachers will need to teach— in order for students to obtain those skills.
This is their instructional plan –or instructional ladder in LDC parlance--that takes teachers and students step-by-step to completing the final task.
We call each “step” a “mini-task” which directly ties to the skills practitioners identify
A mini-task includes a prompt, student product and scoring guide so that teachers can assess whether or not students are obtaining the skills and creating work products that will lead them to successfully complete the larger task.
Teachers also use this section to plan their instructional strategies and pacing.
The LDC design team has created an optional LDC instructional ladder with which teachers can use, adapt or create their own.
Again, the common elements and requirements allow for capturing and sharing of practitioner expertise as they design their own ladders and mini-tasks.
Just an introduction
Example is on the following slide
Guidebook pp. 72 – 76. How are the Skills Clustered?

23. Skills Cluster 4: Writing Process
Skill: Initiation of Task
Skill defined: Ability to establish a controlling idea and consolidate information relevant to task
Mini-Task on controlling idea, as part of argumentation teaching task
Prompt:
Write a draft claim in one to three sentences. (This claim can be modified as you develop your ideas.)
Product:
Draft claim, 1-3 sentences
Scoring Guide:
“Yes” – Writes a credible claim based on task and unit.
“No” – Fails to writes a credible claim based on task and unit.
We call each “step” a “mini-task” which directly ties to the skills practitioners identify
A mini-task includes a prompt, student product and scoring guide so that teachers can assess whether or not students are obtaining the skills and creating work products that will lead them to successfully complete the larger task.
Teachers also use this section to plan their instructional strategies and pacing.
The LDC design team has created an optional LDC instructional ladder with which teachers can use, adapt or create their own.
Again, the common elements and requirements allow for capturing and sharing of practitioner expertise as they design their own ladders and mini-tasks.
Just an introduction
Pages 9-14 Monster Module

24. Module Section 4: What Results?
How good is good enough?
Examine student work
Create classroom assessments by using the teaching task
Connect assessment to common rubric used for teaching task
Identify exemplars
Finally, What are the results? How good is good enough?
Each completed module includes the LDC rubric along with sample student work at each rubric level. Emerging examples thanks to the work of LDC partners and beginning benchmarking efforts by Stanford, Measured Progress and others.
In this section, you can also choose to develop and include pre/post assessments using the same template used for the larger task
Explain that the team will be examining student work, using the rubrics, and identifying exemplars
Just an introduction
Emerging examples with your help– and help from Stanford University, Measured Progress and many others!

25. Basic Task Design Process Guidebook p. 31
The process is not sequential and really shouldn’t be numbered. (I would start with the topic—ND)
This organizer attempts to capture the process of using an LDC template to design a high quality task
It breaks it into 5 steps to allow you to see the different elements you must think about and make decisions on
While this organizes and summarizes the process in order to allow all of us to see all of the pieces together, the process in reality is very fluid
You can enter it at different steps and use the elements in different order in order to create a task
Overall, you can refer to the graph as a reminder of what you are balancing and addressing as you design a task
Page 31, Guidebook

26. Texts Literature: novels, stories, poems, plays
Informational texts: Newspaper articles, journal articles, primary source documents
Opinion pieces: editorials, speeches, essays
Reference works: encyclopedias, almanacs, manuals, how-to books
Electronic text: EBSCO and the like
Others?
There are a variety of types of texts you can choose to use

27. Student Products Essays Reviews Articles Editorials Speeches
Lab reports
Manuals
Scripts
Others?
There are various products you could ask students to complete. This is not just about writing an essay.

28. Template Tasks All LDC tasks require students to:
Read, analyze, and comprehend texts as specified by the common core
Write products as specified by the common core (focusing on argumentation, informational/explanatory, and narrative)
Apply common core literacy standards to content (ELA, social studies, and/or science)
This slide transitions to our emphasis on tasks for this training.
The tasks are designed to ensure that students receive literacy and content instruction in rigorous academic reading and writing tasks that prepare them for success in college by the end of their high school career.
The connection of reading and writing in a task is critical. Recent research suggests this connection is key to developing students’ cognitive skills and that practicing/improving one skill improves the other (Writing to Read, 2010).
Note that tasks should be high interest to students as well as rigorous

29. REFLECTION QUESTIONS?
Will this project help to infuse Common Core into content area classes?
Will the modules meet the requirements of the state NGSSS for social studies and science?
Can this project help the teachers to teach out Common Core Literacy Standards?
Will the module process help have a more in-depth knowledge of the Common Core Literacy for their content areas?

30. Participant Scale and Reflection (Please complete and turn in)
0-Not Using
No understanding or implementation steps taken away
1-Beginning
Little understanding and inconsistent implementation steps taken away
2-Developing
Moderate understanding and implementation steps taken away
3-Applying
Consistent understanding and implementation steps taken away along with monitoring componets for effective execution
4-Innovating
In addition to criteria of Applying, enhanced understanding, implementation, monitoring, and execution take aways
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