Transcript Defining Rigor through the Common Core Standards

DEFINING RIGOR THROUGH
THE COMMON CORE
STANDARDS
Vertical Alignment
Text Complexity
Rigor and the Common Core
What does it mean?
“As specified by the CCSSO and NGA, the standards
are (1) research and evidence based, (2) aligned with
college and work expectations, (3) rigorous, and (4)
internationally benchmarked.”
Introduction, p. 3

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
Independently, locate five words that define rigor in
the article you read.
Working with others who read the same article,
reach agreement about which five words from your
article best define rigor.
Be prepared to share your words with the large
group.
Rigor defined
Essential Characteristics
Non-Essential Characteristics
Definition: Rigor
is
Rigor
Examples
Non-Examples
Rigor
6
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Rigor is the expectation that students will be able to
perform at levels of cognitive complexity necessary for
proficiency at each grade level, and readiness for
college and the workplace. Alignment of instruction and
assessment with standards/objectives that are at those
levels of cognitive complexity is a critical part of
increasing rigor in schools.
Typically, the gap between the levels of cognitive
complexity in the standards and the levels in
assignments increases as students progress through
grade levels.
What implies “rigor” in the CCSS?
7

Focus on
 Increase
in informational text
 Increased complexity of text with increasing independence
 Using academic vocabulary
 Making evidence-based arguments to support writing and
reading discussion

Design elements
 Progression
of learning within the standards themselves
Vertical Articulation
Coordinated Structure
•
•
•
•
Standards are usually somewhat random lists of skills,
knowledge, and strategies
The Common Core State Standards have very strong
progressions and an organization that requires
attention
Strong connections across reading, comprehension,
oral language, and writing
Vertical articulation requires careful study
Example of Grade-Level Progression in Reading
11
CCSS Reading Standard 3: Analyze how and why
individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the
course of a text.
Back-mapping the ELA CCSS
12

Starting with college and career readiness

Standards for each grade level are identified

Working backward from grade 11-12 to 9-10 to 8 etc.

Establishes a clear, aligned K-12 pathway, linking
elementary, middle, high school, and end-of-high school
college and career readiness
What is Vertical Articulation
13
Vertical alignment asks:

How are the content standards/objectives related
from one year/grade to the next?
 Knowledge or skills extend to a wider range of
content
 Deeper understanding of the (cognitive process)
for same content
 New content or skills
A vertical view of the standards
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Analyzing the Standards
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READING STANDARDS FOR LITERATURE
Key Ideas and Details
College and Career Ready Anchor Standards #1:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences
from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions
drawn from the text.
Grade 11-12
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves
matters uncertain.
Grade 9-10
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Grade 8
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Grade 7
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Grade 6
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
Grade 5
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
Grade 4
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
Grade 3
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the
text as the basis for the answers.
Grade 2
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
Grade 1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Grade K
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Your turn…
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
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With a partner, choose a standard
Highlight the additions of the grade level standard
as it progresses from Kindergarten toward College
and Career Ready Anchor Standards (CCRS)
When you have finished:
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Using the standard you have highlighted.


Underline the key concepts
important nouns or noun phrases
Circle the verbs describing skills required of
students
Observations
18
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What do you notice about the vertical articulation
of the standard?
What do you learn about the standard as a result
of highlighting the additions and refinements?
In what ways is rigor reflected in the progression of
the standard?
What are the implications for instruction and
curricular planning?
Cognitive Rigor Matrix
by Karin Hess


Combines Bloom’s Taxonomy with Webb’s Depth of
Knowledge framework.
A tool for:
Designing units of study that have a range of cognitive
demand.
 Assessing tasks for the thinking they require of a student

Bloom’s Taxonomy
Labels the type of thinking (verbs) needed to
complete a task; tracing the verbs reveals a
deepening of the cognitive processes through a
standard from K-12.
This is important because…
Task Predicts Performance
CONTENT
Elevate the cognitive
demand of the task,
and you elevate the
performance.
TASK
TEACHER
STUDENT
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy: Brief Review
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Taxonomy of cognitive objectives
1950s- developed by Benjamin Bloom
Means of qualitatively expressing different kinds of thinking
Adapted for classroom use as a planning tool and continues to be one
of the most universally applied models
Provides a way to organize thinking skills into six levels, from the most
basic to the higher order levels of thinking
1990s- Lorin Anderson (former student of Bloom) revisited the
taxonomy, and as a result, a number of changes were made
(Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, pp. 7-8)
A Comparison
Original
Revised

Evaluation
•Creating

Synthesis
•Evaluating

Analysis
•Analyzing

Application
•Applying

Comprehension
•Understanding

Knowledge
•Remembering
(Based on Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 8)
Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels
Cognitive process
1. Remembering:
Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant
knowledge from long-term memory
choose, define describe, find, identify, label, list, locate, match,
name, recall, recite, recognize, record, relate, retrieve, say, select,
show, sort, tell
Verbs Associated with Level/Process
2. Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral,
written, and graphic messages through interpreting,
exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring,
comparing, and explaining.
categorize, clarify, classify, compare, conclude, construct, contrast,
demonstrate, distinguish, explain, illustrate, interpret, match,
paraphrase, predict, represent, reorganize, summarize, translate,
understand
3. Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure
through executing, or implementing.
apply, carry out, construct, develop, display, execute, illustrate,
implement, model, solve, use
4. Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent
parts, determining how the parts relate to one another
and to an overall structure or purpose through
differentiating, organizing, and attributing.
analyze, ascertain, attribute, connect, deconstruct, determine,
differentiate, discriminate, dissect, distinguish, divide, examine,
experiment, focus, infer, inspect, integrate, investigate, organize,
outline, reduce, solve (a problem), test for
5. Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria
and standards through checking and critiquing.
appraise, assess, award, check, conclude, convince, coordinate,
criticize, critique, defend, detect, discriminate, evaluate, judge,
justify, monitor, prioritize, rank, recommend, support, test, value
6. Creating: Putting elements together to form a
coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements
into a new pattern or structure through generating,
planning, or producing.
adapt, build, compose, construct, create, design, develop,
elaborate, extend, formulate, generate, hypothesize, invent, make,
modify, plan, produce, originate, refine, transform
Remember…
Depth of Knowledge (DOK) is a scale of
cognitive demand.
Cognitive Demand
Why Depth of Knowledge?
Why Use a Depth of Knowledge?
It does not require an inference about
the skill knowledge, and background
of the student, but is based solely on
what is being asked cognitively. The
Depth of Knowledge classification
scheme classifies assessment items
or tasks, not students or student
work.
Why Depth of Knowledge (DOK)?
Mechanism to ensure that the intent of the
standard and the level of student demonstration
required by that standard matches the
assessment items
To ensure that teachers are teaching to a
level that will promote student
achievement
DOK is NOT...
•
•
•
a taxonomy (Bloom’s)
the same as difficulty
about using “verbs”
It’s NOT about the verb...
The Depth of Knowledge is NOT
determined by the verb (Bloom’s
Taxonomy), but by the context in
which the verb is used and the
depth of thinking required.
Verbs are not always used appropriately...
Words like explain or analyze have to be
considered in context.
• “Explain to me where you live” does not raise
the DOK of a simple rote response.
• Even if the student has to use addresses or
landmarks, the student is doing nothing more
than recalling and reciting.
DOK is about what follows the verb...
What comes after the verb is more
important than the verb itself.
“Analyze this sentence to decide if the commas have
been used correctly” does not meet the criteria for
high cognitive processing.
The student who has been taught the rule for using
commas is merely using the rule.
Same Verb—Three Different DOK Levels
DOK 1- Describe three characteristics of metamorphic rocks.
(Requires simple recall)
DOK 2- Describe the difference between metamorphic and
igneous rocks. (Requires cognitive processing to determine
the differences in the two rock types)
DOK 3- Describe a model that you might use to represent the
relationships that exist within the rock cycle. (Requires
deep understanding of rock cycle and a determination of
how best to represent it)
DOK is about intended outcome, not difficulty
DOK is a reference to the complexity of mental
processing that must occur to answer a question,
perform a task, or generate a product.
• Adding is a mental process.
• Knowing the rule for adding is the intended outcome
that influences the DOK.
• Once someone learns the “rule” of how to add, 4 +
4 is DOK 1 and is also easy.
• Adding 4,678,895 + 9,578,885 is still a DOK 1 but
may be more “difficult.”
DOK is not about difficulty...
Difficulty is a reference to how many students answer a question
correctly.
“How many of you know the definition of exaggerate?”
DOK 1 – recall
If all of you know the definition, this question is an easy question.
“How many of you know the definition of ennui?”
DOK 1 – recall
If most of you do not know the definition, this question is a difficult
question.
DOK is about complexity
• The intended student learning outcome determines the
DOK level.
• Instruction and classroom assessments/tasks must
reflect the DOK level of the objective or intended learning
outcome.
Partner Check
1) Give an example of a statement that uses a verb that
“sounds” like a high DOK but is used inappropriately.
2) Fill in the blanks: What _____ the verb is more _____
than the verb itself when deciding the DOK level.
3) What is the difference between difficulty and
complexity?
4) What really determines the DOK level?
Partner Check
1) Give an example of a statement that uses a verb
that “sounds” like a high DOK but is used
inappropriately. answers vary
2) Fill in the blanks: What follows the verb is more
important than the verb itself when deciding the
DOK level.
3) What is the difference between difficulty and
complexity? answers vary, but do not rely on the
verb
4) What really determines the DOK level? the intended
learning outcomes
What is Depth of Knowledge (DOK)?
• A scale of cognitive demand (thinking) to align
standards with assessments
• Based on the research of Norman Webb,
University of Wisconsin Center for Education
Research and the National Institute for Science
Education
• May guide item development for state
assessments
Webb’s Four Levels of
Cognitive Complexity
•
•
•
•
Level 1: Recall and Reproduction
Level 2: Skills & Concepts
Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Level 4: Extended Thinking
DOK Level 1:
Recall and Reproduction
•
•
Requires recall of information, such as a
fact, definition, term, or performance of a
simple process or procedure
Answering a Level 1 item can involve
following a simple, well-known procedure or
formula
Recall and Reproduction DOK Level 1
Examples:
• List animals that survive by eating other
animals
• Locate or recall facts found in text
• Describe physical features of places
• Determine the perimeter or area of
rectangles given a drawing or labels
• Identify elements of music using music
terminology
• Identify basic rules for participating in
simple games and activities
Skills/Concepts: DOK Level 2
• Includes the engagement of some mental
processing beyond recalling or reproducing a
response
• Items require students to make some decisions as
to how to approach the question or problem
• Actions imply more than one mental or cognitive
process/step
Skills/Concepts: DOK 2 Examples
• Compare desert and tropical environments
• Identify and summarize the major events,
problems, solutions, conflicts in literary text
• Explain the cause-effect of historical events
• Predict a logical outcome based on information in
a reading selection
• Explain how good work habits are important at
home, school, and on the job
• Classify plane and three dimensional figures
• Describe various styles of music
Strategic Thinking: Level 3
• Requires deep understanding exhibited through
planning, using evidence, and more demanding
cognitive reasoning
• The cognitive demands are complex and
abstract
• An assessment item or classroom task that has
more than one possible answer and requires
students to justify the response would most likely
be a Level 3
DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking Examples
• Compare consumer actions and analyze how these
actions impact the environment
• Analyze or evaluate the effectiveness of literary
elements (e.g., characterization, setting, point of view,
conflict and resolution, plot structures)
• Solve a multiple-step problem and provide support
with a mathematical explanation that justifies the
answer
DOK Level 3 Examples
Develop a scientific model for a complex idea
• Propose and evaluate solutions for an
economic problem
• Explain, generalize or connect ideas, using
supporting evidence from a text or source
• Create a dance that represents the
characteristics of a culture
•
Extended Thinking: Level 4
• Requires high cognitive demand and is very complex
• Students are expected to make connections, relate
ideas within the content or among content areas, and
select or devise one approach among many alternatives
on how the situation can be solved
• Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK 4
often requires an extended period of time
Extended Thinking: DOK 4 Examples
• Gather, analyze, organize, and interpret
information from multiple (print and non print)
sources to draft a reasoned report
• Analyzing author’s craft (e.g., style, bias, literary
techniques, point of view)
• Create an exercise plan applying the “FITT
(Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) Principle”
“Extending the length of an activity
alone does not necessarily create
rigor!”
DOK levels can be cumulative
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An item/standard written to DOK 3 often contains
DOK 1 and DOK 2 level demands.
Determining DOK: Science Example
Sample Science Assessment Limit
(based on Webb)
DOK
Ceiling
Level
Potential DOK Levels
for Assessment
Example A: Perform a simple science
process or a set procedure to gather data
1
1
(Measure temperature of
water)
Example B: Represent data collected over a
period time, making comparisons and
interpretations
2
1
(Measure temperature of water at
different times/places)
2
(Construct a graph to organize,
display, and compare data)
Example C: Interpret data collected for a
research question for a scientific problem
related to your environment
3
1
(Measure temperature of water at
different times/places)
2
(Construct a graph to organize,
display, and compare data)
3
(Design an investigation to explain
the affect of varying temperatures
of the river in different locations)
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Remember DOK is...
…descriptive
…focuses on how deeply a
student has to know the
content in order to respond
…NOT the same as difficulty.
…NOT the same as Bloom’s
Taxonomy
The Cognitive Rigor Matrix
Depth +
thinking
Level 1
Recall &
Reproduction
Remember
- Recall, locate basic facts,
details, events
Understand
Level 2
Skills & Concepts
Level 3
- Select appropriate words
to use when intended
meaning is clearly evident
- Specify, explain
relationships
- summarize
– identify main ideas
- Explain, generalize, or
connect ideas using
supporting evidence
(quote, example…)
- Explain how concepts or
ideas specifically relate to
other content domains or
concepts
Apply
- Use language structure
(pre/suffix) or word
relationships
(synonym/antonym) to
determine meaning
– Use context to identify
meaning of word
- Obtain and interpret
information using text
features
- Use concepts to solve
non-routine problems
- Devise an approach
among many alternatives
to research a novel
problem
Analyze
- Identify whether
information is contained in
a graph, table, etc.
– Compare literary
elements, terms, facts,
events
– analyze format,
organization, & text
structures
- Analyze or interpret
author’s craft (literary
devices, viewpoint, or
potential bias) to critique
a text
– Analyze multiple sources
- Analyze
complex/abstract themes
– Cite evidence and
develop a logical
argument for conjectures
- Evaluate relevancy,
accuracy, & completeness
of information
- Synthesize information
within one source or text
- Synthesize information
across multiple sources or
texts
Evaluate
Create
- Brainstorm ideas about a
topic
- Generate conjectures
based on observations or
prior knowledge
Strategic Thinking/
Reasoning
Level 4
Extended
Thinking
Appendix B
Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks
Grade-level Exemplars

Appendix B
 Locate
your grade level in the Table of Contents. You
will find exemplars of grade-level text and sample
performance tasks
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
Sample Performance Tasks
“These sample tasks illustrate specifically the
application of the Standards to texts of sufficient
complexity, quality, and range.”
Appendix B, p. 2
Appendix B :
Sample Performance Tasks
Sample Performance Tasks for Stories, Drama, and Poetry

Students summarize the development of the morality of
Tom Sawyer in Mark Twain’s novel of the same name and
analyze its connection to themes of accountability and
authenticity by noting how it is conveyed through
characters, setting, and plot. [RL.8.2]

Students compare and contrast Laurence Yep’s fictional
portrayal of Chinese immigrants in turn-of-the-twentiethcentury San Francisco in Dragonwings to historical accounts
of the same period (using materials detailing the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake) in order to glean a deeper
understanding of how authors use or alter historical
sources to create a sense of time and place as well as
make fictional characters lifelike and real. [RL.7.9]

Students cite explicit textual evidence as well as draw
inferences about the drake and the duck from Katherine
Paterson’s The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks to support their
analysis of the perils of vanity. [RL.6.1]

Students explain how Sandra Cisneros’s choice of words
develops the point of view of the young speaker in her
story “Eleven.” [RL.6.6]

Students analyze how the playwright Louise Fletcher uses
particular elements of drama (e.g., setting and dialogue) to
create dramatic tension in her play Sorry, Wrong Number.
[RL.7.3]

Students compare and contrast the effect Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” has on
them to the effect they experience from a multimedia
dramatization of the event presented in an interactive
digital map (http://www.paulreverehouse.org/ride/),
analyzing the impact of different techniques employed that
are unique to each medium. [RL.6.7]
Text Complexity

“The Common Core Standards hinge on students
encountering appropriately complex texts at each grade level in
order to develop the mature language skills and the conceptual
knowledge they need for success in school and life.”
Career Readiness
“A survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, Anderson, and the Center for
Workforce Success (2001) found that 80 percent of businesses had a moderate to
serious shortage of qualified candidates, citing poor reading as a key concern.”
“Another survey, published in 2000, found that 38 percent of job applicants taking
employer-administered tests lacked the reading skills needed for the jobs for which
they applied; this percentage had doubled in four years, not just because applicants
lacked basic skills but also because the reading requirements for these jobs had
increased so rapidly (Center for Workforce Prevention, 2002).”
Appendix A
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

Read pages 2-4 in the Appendix. Skim the
remainder of the material through page 16.
Take note of:
 Three
surprising points
 Two points affirming what you already know or
suspected
 One question or concern you have

Be prepared to discuss your reading with people at
your table, thinking about how this relates to rigor.
Key requirement for college and career readiness
All students must be able to comprehend texts of
steadily increasing complexity as they progress
through school.
What are the current realities in college
and career readiness?
ACT, INC. Report (2006)
The ACT: College Readiness
“Based on 2005 ACT-tested high school graduates, it appears that only about half of our nation’s ACT-tested
high school students are ready for college-level reading. Unfortunately, the percentage…is substantially
smaller in some groups.”
“Since 1999, readiness has declined – the current figure of 51 percent is the lowest of the past 12 years.”
Comprehension Level
As performance on one level increases, so does the performance on the other and
to the same degree.
Textual Elements
As performance on one level increases, so does the performance on the other and to
the same degree.
Text Complexity
“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.”
Summary of Findings:
Literal and inferential questions
No clear differentiator of
readiness for college
Textual elements
No clear differentiator of
readiness for college
Performance with complex text
Clear differentiator of readiness
for college
Text Complexity
Specifically, within reading standard #10:
Anchor Standard:
R.CCR.10
Read and comprehend complex literary and
informational texts independently and proficiently.
Example Grade-level Standard (6th grade):
RI.6.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
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Overview of Text Complexity
Text complexity is defined by:
1. Quantitative measures – readability and
other scores of text complexity often best
measured by computer software.
2. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning,
structure, language conventionality and
clarity, and knowledge demands often best
measured by an attentive human reader.
3. 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.
Reader and Task
Where do we find texts in the appropriate text
complexity band?
We could….
Choose an excerpt of text
from Appendix B:
Use available resources
to determine the text
complexity of other
materials on our own.
or…
Determining Text Complexity
A Four-step Process:
1. Determine the quantitative
measures of the text.
2. Analyze the qualitative
measures of the text.
3. Reflect upon the reader and
task considerations.
Reader and Task
4. Recommend placement in the
appropriate text complexity
band.
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Step 1: Quantitative Measures
Measures such as:
• Word length
• Word frequency
• Word difficulty
• Sentence length
• Text length
• Text cohesion
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Step 1: Quantitative Measures
The Quantitative Measures
Ranges for Text Complexity
This chart outlines the
suggested ranges for each of
the text complexity bands
using:
Text
Gr. Band
Complexity
Grade
K - 1Bands
2–3
K-1
Lexile Range
100 - 500
450 - 725
100L – 500L*
Suggested
Stretched
Lexile
ATOS
Book
N/A Level
Range**
450 – 790
1.0 – 2.5
4–5
645 - 845
770 – 980
6–8
860 – 1010
955 – 1155
9 –6-8
10
960955L
- -1115
– 1155L
2-3
Current Lexile Text Levels
&
“Stretched” Lexile Levels
Suggested
Current
Lexile
4-5
11 - 9-10
CCR
11-CCR
450L – 790L
770L – 980L
2.0 – 4.0
3.0 – 5.7
10804.0
– 1305
– 8.0
1080L
– 1305L 1215
4.6- 1355
– 10.0
1070
– 1220
1215L – 1355L
4.8 – 12.0
* The K-1 suggested Lexile range was not identified by the Common Core State Standards and was added by Kansas.
** Taken from Accelerated Reader and the Common Core State Standards, available at the following URL:
http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R004572117GKC46B.pdf
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
Let’s imagine we want to see where a text falls on
the quantitative measures “leg” of the text
complexity triangle, using the Lexile text measures.
For illustrative purposes,
let’s choose Harper Lee’s
1960 novel To Kill a
Mockingbird.
77
Step 1: Quantitative Measures

Finding a Lexile Measure for Text:
http://www.lexile.com/findabook/
78
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
79
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
80
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
For texts not in the Lexile database, consider using the Lexile
Analyzer: http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/
• Registration is required (free)
http://www.lexile.com/account/register/
• Allows user to receive an
“estimated” Lexile score
• Accommodates texts up to
1000 words in length
• Texts of any length can be
evaluated using the
Professional Lexile
Analyzer—educators can
upgrade to this tool for free by
requesting access
http://www.lexile.com/account/profile/acces
s/
81
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
Additional Resources for Lexile Measures:
•Overview video
http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-video/
•“What Does the Lexile Measure Mean?”
http://lexile.com/m/uploads/downloadablepdfs/WhatDoestheLexi
leMeasureMean.pdf
•“Lexile Measures and the Common Core State Standards”
http://www.lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/
• ATOS Text Analyzer
http://www.renlearn.com/ar/overview/atos/
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
Lexile Text
Measure:
ATOS Book
Level
870L
5.6
In which of the text complexity
bands would this novel fall?
83
Kansas Common Core Standards
Quantitative Measures Ranges for
Text Complexity Grade Bands
Text Complexity
Grade Bands
Suggested
Lexile Range
Suggested ATOS
Book Level Range**
K-1
100L – 500L*
1.0 – 2.5
2-3
450L – 790L
2.0 – 4.0
4-5
770L – 980L
3.0 – 5.7
6-8
955L – 1155L
4.0 – 8.0
9-10
1080L – 1305L
4.6 – 10.0
11-CCR
1215L – 1355L
4.8 – 12.0
* The K-1 suggested Lexile range was not identified by the Common Core State Standards and was added by Kansas.
** Taken from Accelerated Reader and the Common Core State Standards, available at the following URL:
http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R004572117GKC46B.pdf
Step 1: Quantitative Measures
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 overruled by our examination of
qualitative measures and
the reader and task
considerations.
85
Step 2: Qualitative Measures
Measures such as:
• Levels of meaning
• Levels of purpose
• Structure
• Organization
• Language
conventionality
• Language clarity
• Prior knowledge
demands
86
Step 2: Qualitative Measures
The Qualitative Measures Rubrics
for Literary and Informational Text:
The rubric for literary text and the rubric for informational text
allow educators to evaluate the important elements of text that
are often missed by computer software that tends to focus on
more easily measured factors.
87
Step 2: Qualitative Measures
Because the factors for literary
texts are different from
information texts, these two
rubrics contain different content.
However, the formatting of each
document is exactly the same.
And because these factors
represent continua rather than
discrete stages or levels, numeric
values are not associated with
these rubrics. Instead, four points
along each continuum are
identified: high, middle high,
middle low, and low.
Step 2: Qualitative Measures
So…
How is the rubric used?
And how would To Kill a Mockingbird fair when analyzed
through the lens of the Literary Text Rubric?
Step 2: Qualitative
Measures
90
Step 2: Qualitative Measures
From examining the quantitative measures, we knew:
Lexile Text Measure:
870L
ATOS Book Level:
5.6
But after reflecting upon the qualitative measures, we believed:
Step 2: Qualitative Measures
Our initial placement of To Kill a Mockingbird into a text
complexity band changed when we examined the qualitative
measures.
Remember, however, that we have
completed only the first two legs of
the text complexity triangle.
The reader and task considerations
still remain.
Reader and Task
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Step 3:Reader and
Task Considerations
Considerations such as:
• Motivation
• Knowledge and
experience
• Purpose for reading
• Complexity of task
assigned regarding
text
• Complexity of questions
asked regarding text
93
Step
3:Reader
and
Reader & Task
Task Considerations
“Texts can be difficult or easy,
depending on factors inherent
in the text, on the relationship
between the text and the
knowledge abilities of the
reader, and on the activities in
which the reader is
engaged…When too many of
these factors are not matched
to a reader’s knowledge and
experience, the text may be too
difficult for optimal
comprehension to occur.”
Step 3:Reader and
Task Considerations
Questions for Professional
Reflection on Reader and Task
Considerations:
The questions provided in this
resource are meant to spur
teacher thought and reflection
upon the text, students, and any
tasks associated with the text.
95
Step 3:Reader and
Task Considerations
The questions included
here are largely openended questions without
single, correct answers,
but help educators to
think through the
implications of using a
particular text in the
classroom.
96
Step 3: Reader and
Task Considerations
Based upon our examination of
the Reader and Task
Considerations, we have
completed the third leg of the text
complexity model and are now
ready to recommend a final
placement within a text
complexity band.
97
Step 4:
Recommended
Placement
Step 4: Recommended Placement
After reflecting upon all
three legs of the text
complexity model, we
can make a final
recommendation for
placement of a text and
begin to document our
thinking for future
reference.
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Step 4:
Recommended Placement
Lexile Text
Measure:
870L
ATOS Book
Level:
5.6
99
Step 4:
Recommended Placement
Based upon all the information—all three
legs of the model—the final
recommendation for To Kill a Mockingbird
is….
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Step 4:
Recommended Placement
In this instance,
Appendix B
confirms our
evaluation of the
novel. To Kill a
Mockingbird is
placed within the
grade 9-10 text
complexity band.
101
Step 4:
Recommended Placement
Template for Text Complexity
Analysis and Recommended
Placement Form:
The one-page template provides
an opportunity to record the
thinking involved in
recommending the placement of a
specific text into a text complexity
band.
Keeping a record of such analysis
and thinking might be useful
documentation in the case that
any questions arise in the future.
102
Step 4: Recommended
Placement
103
Additional Ideas for Extending the Utility of
the Text Complexity Model
• Involving students in analyzing text
complexity
• Involving educators in selecting
common, appropriately complex
texts to be used for explicit
instruction at each grade level
105
Tim Shanahan
“To succeed, we will need to…strive to
identify what makes a book hard and then to
provide the scaffolding and motivation that
would sustain students’ efforts to learn from
such challenging texts.”
Common Core Standards: Are We Going to Lower the Fences or Teach Kids to Climb?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Reflection:
 What
key messages stand out for you?
 What
are the implications for your
program/curriculum?
 What
questions do you still have?
Research Base

ACT, INC. Report (2006)

Common Core State Standards (2010)

National Reading Panel Report (2000)



Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts and Literacy Grades K-2 and Grades 3-12 (2011)
RAND Report: Reading for Understanding: Toward an R&D Program in Reading
Comprehension (Snow, 2002)
Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenge of Adolescent Literacy (Lee &
Spratley, 2010)
Resources
Grade Level One-Pagers
created by teachers in
Washington State
See the Resource page for the
link to these documents.
110
Resources for Implementation


ELA overview documents (one-pagers) as connected with WA
standards: http://k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/Transition.aspx#ELAGradeLevel
Publisher’s Criteria in ELA and Literacy:
http://k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/Resources.aspx

Alignments cross-walk documents:
http://k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/Transition.aspx#Analyses

Parent Resource Guides:
http://www.pta.org/4446.htm
For More Information
112
•
Common Core Website:
•
http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards
•
•
Common Core Questions:
– Email: [email protected] OR
– Greta Bornemann, OSPI CCSS Project Director, E-mail:
[email protected]
– Liisa Moilanen Potts, OSPI ELA Director Teaching and Learning; E-mail:
– [email protected]
Hunt Institute Videos
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IGD9oLofks&feature=player_detail
page (overview)
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_2jI010WU&feature=related
(writing)
Acknowledgements
Kansas State Department of Education
Vermont State Department of Education
THANK YOU