1 “Stop asking me if we’re almost there! We’re nomads, for crying out loud!”

Common Core Literacy Standards for All Subjects Victor Jaccarino Hofstra University Educational Consultant Conference on English Leadership November 2012

3 Two Anchor Standards  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.  Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Grade Level Standards  Look through the grade level standards in ________ for your grade and determine how you might improve one specific area in your classroom

And let’s face it….  Shift happens….

The Six Shifts 6 Shifts (NYS) 1.Balance literature and informational text (K-5) 2.Literacy as part of science and social studies/history; informational text as part of ELA (6-12) 4.Questions regarding text are text-dependent 5.Writing to inform or argue using evidence 3.Appropriately complex text 6.Academic vocabulary

Why these shifts?  Building knowledge through content-rich informational text  Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational  Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

Vocabulary: 1. Pick words that student need to know to understand that text 2. Pick high value words: Words that are more abstract Words that are members of semantic networks (word families) Words that are going to keep showing up in the reading kids will do as they continue in school 3. Make sure kids are accountable for learning words in context 4. Wide ranging reading will then grow kids’ vocabulary 8

What’s In and What’s Out for Literacy? INOUT 1. Daily encounters w/complex texts1. Leveled texts (only) 2. Texts worthy of close attention2. Reading any text 3. Balance of literary and info texts3. Solely literature 4. Coherent sequences of texts4. Collection of unrelated texts 5. Mostly text-dependent questions5. Mostly text-to-self questions 6. Mainly evidence-based analyses6. Mainly writing without sources 7. Accent on academic vocabulary7. Accent on literary and content based terminology 8. Emphasis on reading & re-reading8. Emphasis on pre-reading 9. Reading strategies (as means)9. Reading strategies (as end goal) 10. Reading foundations (central, coherent and systematic) 10. Reading foundations (peripheral and detached)

Resources to Help  The PARCC model frameworks  PARCC sample items newly released (August 2012)  Revised Publishers’ Criteria for Grade 3-12  Exemplars that show attention to supporting teachers in learning how to support ALL students in this work  Qualitative Scales and Companion Guide  SCASS Qualitative Rubrics  Revised Band Ranges Chart by measurement tool  The Tri-State Rubric Guide to Creating Text Dependent Questions  Other resources from and EngageNewYork. 10

Students who struggle greatly to read texts within (or even below) their text complexity grade band must be given the support needed to enable them to read at a grade-appropriate level of complexity. Even many students on course for college and career readiness are likely to need scaffolding as they master higher levels of text complexity. From Appendix A, p.9 CCSS - ELA Students who struggle greatly to read texts within (or even below) their text complexity grade band must be given the support needed to enable them to read at a grade-appropriate level of complexity. Even many students on course for college and career readiness are likely to need scaffolding as they master higher levels of text complexity. From Appendix A, p.9 CCSS - ELA

NEED TO MAKE THREE TIGHTLY INTERRELATED INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS 1.Regular practice for all students with complex text and its academic vocabulary – Repeat: all students 2. Reading and writing (speaking and listening) grounded in evidence from text – Not from personal experience 3. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts – teaching content is teaching reading as long as…. 1.Regular practice for all students with complex text and its academic vocabulary – Repeat: all students 2. Reading and writing (speaking and listening) grounded in evidence from text – Not from personal experience 3. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts – teaching content is teaching reading as long as…. GETTING STARTED ON THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for LANGUAGE ARTS 12

Why the CCSS Emphasis on Complexity?  “Between the Lines” ACT 2006 Study  Complexity Gap between 12 th grade and college and career demands  6 th Grade McGuffey Reader circa 1961 was more difficult than average high school anthology is now  Too many students never get to complex text GETTING STARTED ON THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 13

Grade Band Old Lexile Level Lexile Aligned to the CCLS Expectations K-1N/A CCR Increasing Reading Complexity Find a book

WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF COMPLEX TEXT?  Subtle and/or frequent transitions  Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes  Density of information  Unfamiliar 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  Subtle and/or frequent transitions  Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes  Density of information  Unfamiliar 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

FEATURES CANNOT BE BROKEN DOWN AND SEQUENCED  Complex text can contain any possible combination of these features  Can’t possibly isolate these or control for these features in a scope and sequence or traditional skill based approach  Where does that leave you?  Subtle and/or frequent transitions  Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes  Density of information  Unfamiliar 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 genres

COMPLEX TEXT  To teach students how to read complex text we need to use complex text.  With extensive support!  Doing so will align with the standards in a number of ways  To teach students how to read complex text we need to use complex text.  With extensive support!  Doing so will align with the standards in a number of ways

CLOSE READING OF COMPLEX TEXT  Each question supports multiple standards  Each lesson addresses many of the standards  The CCSS are written so that reading, writing, listening and speaking are inextricably linked.  Excerpt from Linda R. Monk’s Words We Live By  Tom Sawyer example  Full exemplar and others can be found at

Text Dependent Questions  What is (and isn’t) the meaning of “popular sovereignty”? Why does Monk claim that this is the form of government in America?  Is Lucy Stone confused when she asks “Which ‘We the People’?” Explain your answer. Why does Monk say this question has “troubled the nation”?  What does the phrase “founding fathers” mean? Why does Marshall think the founding fathers could not have imagined a female or black Supreme Court Justice?

From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Question: Describe Tom’s state of mind prior to his inspiration. Work together to find as many phrases as possible that point to his mood.

CLOSE READING ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH  Need to look carefully at fluency program at every grade level.  Need to look carefully at how vocabulary and word study are taught  Need to look carefully at syntax  All of these aspects need to be carefully attended to if the achievement gap is to be reduced rather than enlarged by the advent of the CCSS for ELA.  Need to look carefully at fluency program at every grade level.  Need to look carefully at how vocabulary and word study are taught  Need to look carefully at syntax  All of these aspects need to be carefully attended to if the achievement gap is to be reduced rather than enlarged by the advent of the CCSS for ELA.

First, a short video….

Contact  Victor Jaccarino