Common Core Standards and iTunesU

Investigating ELA Standards for College and Career Readiness

August 23, 2012

If you brought an iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad)…

• Please download the FREE iTunesU app from the app store.

• Open the app, and select “Catalog” in upper left-hand corner.

• In SEARCH box in upper right corner, type “New Milford School District.”

• Select: Investigating the Common Core in Literacy” course by choosing “Subscribe.”

• Course will appear on shelves of app.

Workshop Objectives

• Explore the vertical alignment of one anchor standard and how the concepts and skills included in that anchor standard manifest at my grade level and within a student’s elementary reading repertoire.

• Explore how text complexity is defined and measured, so that I can create a list of mentor texts for my reading instruction with appropriate text complexity as I move forward.

• Plan for deepening my understanding of the common core through on-demand professional development.

Anchor Standards for ReadingKEY IDEAS AND DETAILS

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.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text

and analyze their development; summarize the

key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CRAFT AND STRUCTURE

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used

in a text, including determining technical,

connotative, and figurative meanings, and

analyze how specific word choices shape

meaning or tone.

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how

specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger

portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter,

scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the

whole.

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

TEXT COMPLEXITY

10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE & IDEAS

7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in

diverse media and formats, including visually

and quantitatively, as well as in words.

8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and

specific claims in a text, including the validity of

the reasoning as well as the relevance and

sufficiency of the evidence.

9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar

themes or topics in order to build knowledge or

to compare the approaches the authors take.

Unpacking the Standards

• CONCEPTS--What will my students KNOW?

Underline the NOUNS in the standard.

• SKILLS—What will my students BE ABLE TO DO?

• Circle the VERBS in the standard.

CAUTION!

• Much of the rigor required by the common core is outlined in the ancillary materials, not the standards themselves.

• Beware of discreet lists of skills and concepts, and instead look at the progression of these skills and the deepening of these concepts across grades.

Reading Literature Standard 5

Craft and Structure:

Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Reading Literature Standard 5• RL 1.5: Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide range of text types.

• RL 2.5: Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

• RL 3.5: Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

• RL 4.5: Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer ot the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

• RL 5.5: Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

• RL 6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

• RL 7.5: Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.

In mixed grade level groups of 3-4:

Discuss:

1. What does this standard mean?

2. What has to happen in the grade before for my students to reach mastery?

3. What lessons would lead students to mastery of this standard?

4. What types of texts/authors would make sense to read within this standard?

Next Steps…

• We will analyze the instructional design for RL Standard 5 in units of study in grade level/collab. meetings: – Grade 2: Growing a Sense of Story– Grade 3: Traditional Literature– Grade 4: Reading Poetry– Grade 5: The Complexities and Themes of

Fantasy Fiction– Grade 6: Questioning Narrative Texts

Take 5!

12Source:

Overview of Text Complexity

Text complexity is defined by:

Qua

litat

ive2. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning,

structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands often best measured by an attentive human reader.

Quantitative

1. Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software.

Reader and Task

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.

Overview of Text Complexity

• A Four-step Process:

Determining Text Complexity

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QuantitativeQ

ualit

ativ

e

Reader and Task

4. Recommend placement in the appropriate text complexity band.

3. Reflect upon the reader and task

considerations.

2. Analyze the qualitative measures of the text.

1. Determine the quantitative measures of the text.

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

Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Bands

Kansas Common Core Standards

* 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

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Measures such as:• Word length• Word frequency• Word difficulty• Sentence length• Text length• Text cohesion

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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The Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4605

This document outlines the suggested ranges for each of the text complexity bands using:

1. Lexile Text Measures

---or---

2. ATOS Book Levels (Accelerated Reader)

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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Let’s imagine we want to see where a text falls on the quantitative measures “leg” of the text complexity triangle, using either the Lexile text measures or the ATOS book level (or both).

For illustrative purposes, let’s choose Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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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/access/

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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Finding a ATOS Book Level for Text: http://www.arbookfind.com/

Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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Step 1: Quantitative Measures

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Lexile Text Measure:

ATOS Book Level:

870L

5.6

In which of the text complexity bands would this novel fall?

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

Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Bands

Kansas Common Core Standards

* 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

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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 over-ruled by our examination of qualitative measures and the reader and task considerations.

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Step 2: Qualitative Measures

Measures such as:• Levels of meaning• Levels of purpose• Structure• Organization• Language conventionality• Language clarity• Prior knowledge demands

Step 2: Qualitative Measures

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The Qualitative Measures Rubrics for Literary and Informational Text: http://

www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4605

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.

Step 2: Qualitative Measures

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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

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Step 2: Qualitative Measures

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Lexile Text Measure:

ATOS Book Level:

870L

5.6

From examining the quantitative measures, we knew:

But after reflecting upon the qualitative measures, we believed:

Step 2: Qualitative Measures

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QuantitativeQ

ualit

ativ

e

Reader and Task

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.

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Step 3: Reader and Task

Considerations such as:•Motivation•Knowledge and experience•Purpose for reading•Complexity of task assigned regarding text•Complexity of questions asked regarding text

Step 3:Reader and Task Considerations

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The questions included here are largely open-ended questions without single, correct answers, but help educators to think through the implications of using a particular text in the classroom.

Step 3: Reader and Task Considerations

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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.

Step 4: Recommended Placement

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Lexile Text Measure:

ATOS Book Level:

870L

5.6

Step 4: Recommended Placement

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Based upon all the information—all three legs of the model—the final recommendation for To Kill a Mockingbird is….

Step 4: Recommended Placement

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Step 4: Recommended Placement

After reflecting upon all three legs of the text complexity model we can make a final recommendation of placement within a text and begin to document our thinking for future reference.

Step 4: Recommended Placement

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Next Steps…

• Introducing the ELA Common Core Course for iTunesU…

• Do you have an iOS device: iPad, iPhone, iPod?

• Discussion groups• Collab. meetings

No iOS device?

• You can progress independently at your own pace through the iTunes Store OR

• I will be offering the course as a collaborative discussion group. It will meet in half hour sessions after school. Watch your E-mail for more information…

Consider Deepening your Understanding of the Common

Core for Your APGP…• Vertical alignment of the standards

• Text complexity

• Writing in the Common Core

• Speaking and Listening in the Common Core

• Grammar in the Common Core

• Preparing for Assessment Shifts from SBAC