1. Disciplinary Literacy

2. AGENDA
Overview of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
Role of content teacher in literacy practices
Examining classroom practices
Question and answer opportunities with ADE Panel

3. Big Shifts Appropriate Text Complexity
Increased Reading of Informational Texts
Disciplinary Literacy
Close Reading
Text-dependent Questions
General Academic and Domain-specific Vocabulary
Argumentative Writing
Short and Sustained Research Projects

4. Why do we need literacy standards for History/ Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects?
8th Grade: Only one third were able to perform at a proficient level involving more sophisticated disciplinary comprehension expectations. Only 3% scored advanced. 12th Grade: Only 5% scored at advanced levels, able to read specialized and complex texts. NAEP, 2009

5. International Studies
4th grade U.S. students performed among the best in the world
8th grade U.S. students performed considerably lower
10th grade U.S. students ranked among the lowest of the nations studied
Carnegie Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy, 2010

6. “Only 51 percent of 2005 ACT-tested high school graduates are ready for college-level reading – and , what’s worse, more students are on track to being ready for college-level reading in eighth and tenth grade than are actually ready by the time they reach twelfth grade.”
American College Testing Program, 2006

7. College Readiness
Almost half of the 3 million people in the United States who start their first year of college will drop out before they earn their degree, and 30% will drop out after their first year.
At the community college level, out of 6 million students, 1 million will take remedial courses.
Students who take remedial courses are highly likely to drop out.
Inadequate preparation is repeatedly cited as a central factor in the disappointing college success rates.
The College Completion Agenda: 2010 Progress Report, Lee & Rawls, 2010

8. The reading level of documents, technical manuals, and other materials required by entry level positions in most fields far exceed the reading level of many students.
Meeting the Challenge of Adolescent Literacy, Judith Irvin, et al

9. “All courses in high school, not just English and social studies but mathematics and science as well, must challenge students to read and understand complex texts.”
American College Testing Program (2006)

10. Common Core State Standards for
__________________________________________________
English Language Arts
&
Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects

11. Shared Responsibility
“The Standards insist that instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language be a shared responsibility within the school.”
CCSS, page 4

12. “…ultimately, our students are expected to develop as competent readers, writers, and thinkers in all academic disciplines.”
Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines, Doug Buehl

13. Students Who are College and Career Ready (CCR):
Demonstrate independence.
Build strong content knowledge.
Respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.
Comprehend as well as critique.
Value evidence.
Use technology and digital media strategically and capably.
Come to understand other perspectives and cultures.
CCSS, page 7

14. Demonstrate Independence
Comprehend and evaluate complex texts
Construct effective arguments
Convey intricate or multifaceted information
Discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions become self-directed learners

15. Build Strong Content Knowledge
Across a wide range of subject matter
Engage with works of quality and substance
Learn through research and study
Read purposefully to gain discipline-specific expertise
Refine and share their knowledge through writing and speaking

16. Respond to Varying Demands
Adapt their communication in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline
Know the different disciplines call for different types of evidence

17. Comprehend as Well as Critique
Engaged, open-minded, and discerning readers and listeners
Understand what the author is saying
Question the author’s assumptions and premises
Assess the veracity of claims
Assess the soundness of reasoning

18. Value Evidence Cite specific evidence Use relevant evidence
Exhibit clear reasoning
Constructively evaluate others’ use of evidence

19. Use Technology and Digital Media
Employ technology thoughtfully
Search online to acquire useful information
Integrate online sources with other information
Select tools best suited for their goals

20. Understand Other Perspectives and Cultures
Actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures
Communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds
Evaluate other points of views critically and constructively

21. Disciplinary Literacy
Literacy Development
Disciplinary Literacy
Intermediate Literacy
Basic Literacy
Shanahan and Shanahan (2008)

22. Comprehension Strategies All Good Readers Use
Pre-reading
Review vocabulary
Make predictions
Review text features

23. Comprehension Strategies All Good Readers Use
While reading
Monitor for understanding; rereading if needed
Draw a visual representation of the unfolding argument
Asking questions about the main ideas as they unfold
Make note of unfamiliar words, concepts, ideas to research later

24. Comprehension Strategies All Good Readers Use
After reading
Summarizing and restating the text’s main points
Comparing notes with other students
Discussion

25. Disciplinary Literacy
Literacy Development
Disciplinary Literacy
Intermediate Literacy
Basic Literacy
Shanahan and Shanahan (2008)

26. PARCC Model Content Frameworks “The bridge between CCSS and PARCC Assessments”
Support implementation of the Common Core State Standards
Inform the development of item specifications and blueprints for assessments in grades 3-8 and high school

27. “Asking a teacher to become a reading teacher is distinctly different from asking a teacher to help students master texts within the teacher’s own field. In fact, subject-area teachers are best qualified to help their students master texts in each course. Subject-area teachers should not be expected to teach basic reading skills, but they can help students develop critical strategies and skills for reading texts in each subject.”
Southern Regional Education Board, 2009 Policy Statement, page 5

28. “To become competent in a number of academic content areas requires more than just applying the same old skills and comprehension strategies to new kinds of texts. It also requires skills and knowledge and reasoning processes that are specific to particular disciplines. “
Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas, Heller and Greenleaf (2007)

29. Norms and Conventions of History Reading
History is interpretative, and authors and sourcing are central in interpretation (consideration of bias and perspective)
Often seems narrative without purpose and argument without explicit claims (need to see history as argument based on partial evidence; narratives are more than facts)
Single texts are problematic (no corroboration)

30. Norms and Conventions of Science Reading
Text provides knowledge that allows prediction of how the world works
Full understanding needed of experiments or processes
Close connections among prose, graphs, charts, formulas (alternative representations of constructs an essential aspect of chemistry text)
Major reading strategies include corroboration and transformation

31. Chemistry Note Taking “Structured Summary” Shanahan, Timothy, 2012
Substances
Properties
Processes
Interactions
Atomic Expression

32. Norms and Conventions of Math Reading
Goal: arrive at “truth”
Importance of “close reading” an intensive consideration of every word in the text
Rereading a major strategy
Heavy emphasis on error detection
Precision of understanding essential information

33. Disciplinary Reading Range and Content
Is critical to building knowledge in content areas
Requires an appreciation of the norms and conventions of each discipline
Necessitates an understanding of domain-specific words and phrases
Calls for an attention to precise details
Demands the capacity to evaluate intricate arguments, synthesize complex information , and follow detailed descriptions of events and concepts

34. Grade Span Specific Standards
Reading History/Social Studies (RH) page 61
Reading Science and Technical Subjects
( RST) page 62

35. Disciplinary Writing Range and Content
Key means of asserting and defending claims and showing what is known
Considers audience, task, and purpose
Uses technology strategically
Emphasizes writing arguments and informative/explanatory pieces

36. Grade Span Specific Standards
Writing History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
( WHST) pages 64-66
*note that narrative writing is not applicable as a separate requirement

37. Literacy in Other Disciplines

38. What can instructional leaders do to support content teachers?
• Be sure that content teachers have a clear and consistent message about their roles and responsibilities as they relate to literacy instruction (Heller & Greenleaf, 2007); • Give teachers initial and ongoing professional development in vocabulary and comprehension support (Deshler et al., 2001; Jacobs, 2008); • Help teachers in adapting literacy strategies to meet the unique needs of their content areas (Reed, 2008; Siebert & Draper, 2008); • Give content teachers incentives and appropriate tools, for incorporating reading and writing instruction (Bryant, Linan-Thompson, Ugel, Hamff, & Hougen, 2001; Heller & Greenleaf, 2007) . Alliance for Excellent Education

39. Resources
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History,/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects,
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History,/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, Appendix A,
Publishers’ Criteria for English Language Arts and Literacy, Grades K-2,
Publishers’ Criteria for English Language Arts and Literacy, Grades 3-12,
PARCC Model Content Frameworks for English Language Arts/Literacy, Grades 3-11,