ela standards & core programs

ELA Standards & Core Programs Maximizing Your Core Resources to Raise the Level of Rigor in

the Classroom

Outcomes I can - Describe how the key shifts in the ELA standards influence

my planning for core instruction.

- Discuss the standards’ implications for instructional materials.

- Begin to note ideas that will be helpful in planning and implementing effective instruction that will embed rigor in teaching and learning to meet the CCRS standards.

Tri-Fold Note-taking Tool To Keep Track of Our Thinking

CCRS Shift Resources What Instructional Implications Does This Have for Me and My Students?

Revised Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards in English

Language Arts

• Curriculum materials should have a clear and documented research base.

• Curriculum should show evidence of usability with a wide range of students, including English language learners.

• Programs that already have a research base should build on that base by continuing to monitor their efficacy with the whole range of common core standards.

David Coleman President of the College Board

Achieve the Core

ELA Standards

http://alex.state.al.us/index.phphttp://alex.state.al.us/ccrs/

http://alex.state.al.us/ccrs/





Three Key Shifts in ELA/Literacy

1. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts.

2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational.

3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language.

Shift #1

Building knowledge through content-rich

nonfiction and informational texts.

Text Selections That Are Worth Reading and Rereading

• The standards maintain that high quality text selections should be consistently offered to students because they will encourage students to dig more deeply into their meanings.

• Students should reread deliberately and slowly to probe and ponder the meanings of words and discover how the ideas develop over the course of the text.

What Might This Look Like In Action?

http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/rd14t/assetBuckets.professionalDevelopment.do?rootCategoryId=7WS869S18PEZ3NQG74F9OXL6E1





Close Reading

“Close Reading – an intensive analysis of a text in order to come to terms with what it says, how it says it, and what it means.”

Tim Shanahan

How To Do a Close Reading

1. Read with a pencil in hand; annotate the text. Mark the big ideas and skills.

2. Reread to look for patterns in the things you’ve noticed about the text – repetitions, contradictions, similarities. Find the commonalities.

3. Ask and/or answer questions about the patterns you’ve noticed – how and why are these patterns important to the overall text?

A Close Reading of Non-Fiction Text

Read to get the gist. Reread, with a pencil in hand, to jot or

note significant moments in the text. Reread, with a pencil in hand, to jot or

note big ideas. Reread, with a pencil in hand, to jot or

note evidence to support the author’s purpose for writing the text.

Let’s Practice Reading Closely

1. Read the selected text (Scott-Foresman Reading Street 4th grade ELL Reader) independently one time through to get the gist.

2. With a partner, decide on a purpose for rereading. (Each partner should choose a different purpose for discussion afterwards.)1. Read the same text again to find significant moments.2. Read again to note the big ideas in the text. 3. Read again to find evidence of the author’s purpose.

3. Discuss your findings with your partner and then with a small group.

How Could Rereading In This Way Benefit Students?

Reading in this way allows students to fully understand

informational texts as well as analyze works of literature

effectively.

Consider Shift #1- Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction and informational text.

• Add this shift to your trifold graphic organizer.• What resources do you already have that will help your

students with making this shift in thinking?• Do you need additional resources?• Where might you find these resources?• Can you use the resources that you already have if you

change some of the instruction that goes with it?• What instructional implications does this have for you and

for students?

Shift #2

Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text,

both literary and informational.

Questions and Tasks Cultivate Students’ Abilities to Ask and Answer Questions Based on the Text

• Rigorous text dependent questions require students to demonstrate that they not only can follow the details of what is explicitly stated but are able to make valid claims that square with all the evidence in the text.

• Questions and tasks should require thinking about the text carefully and finding evidence in the text to support the response.

Questions and Tasks Cultivate Students’ Abilities to Ask and Answer Questions

Based on the Text

• Discussion tasks, activities, questions, and writings following readings should draw on a full range of insights and knowledge contained in the text in terms of both content and language.

Key Criteria for Questions and Tasks

1. High-Quality Text-Dependent Questions and TasksA. A significant portion of the tasks and questions are text-

dependent. B. High-quality sequences of text-dependent questions elicit

sustained attention to the specifics of the text and their impact.

C. Questions and tasks require the use of textual evidence.D. Instructional design cultivates student interest and

engagement in reading rich texts carefully. E. Materials provide opportunities to build knowledge

through texts.F. Questions and tasks attend to analyzing the arguments

and information central to informational text.20

Consider Shift #2 - Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both

literary and informational.


students with making this shift in thinking?• Do you need additional resources?• Where might you find these resources?• Can you use the resources that you already have if you

change some of the instruction that goes with it?• What instructional implications does this have for you and

your students?

Shift #3

Regular practice with complex text and its academic

language.

Texts Should Align With the Complexity Requirement Outlined in the Standards.

• The standards hinge on students encountering appropriate texts at each grade level to develop the mature language skills and conceptual knowledge they need for success in school and life.

• Instructional materials should also offer advanced texts to provide students at every grade the opportunity to read texts beyond their current level to prepare them for the challenges of more complex texts.

Features of Complex Text

•Subtle and/or frequent transitions•Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes•Density of information•Less common 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

Some Key Criteria for Complex Text

A.Align with grade by grade complexity requirements outlined in the Standards

B.Give all students access to and support with grade-level complex text

C.Include shorter, challenging textsD.Include novels, plays, and other full-

length readings29

Scaffolds

• Non-text sources (movies, photos, art work)• Supplemental texts/apprentice texts • Direct instruction in key words and concepts • Instructional scaffolding • Note-taking; annotation • Explicit instruction in reading comprehension

strategies: using prior knowledge, setting purpose, monitoring comprehension, asking questions, summarizing, visualizing

• Repeated reading with different purposes

Consider Shift #3 - Regular practice with complex text and its academic

language.


students with making this shift in thinking?• Do you need additional resources?• Where might you find these resources?• What existing resources might you use if you modify some

of the instruction in it?• What instructional implications does this have for you and

your students?

Gallery Walk • Each wall contains 3 posters with a statement. Each of

you will begin at one of the posters.

• Please take a marker and something to record notes.

• Gather around a poster with about 8 people in the group.

• Read the statement on that poster and write some initial thoughts.

• When the facilitator calls time, each group will move to another statement on a different wall. We will rotate in a clockwise pattern until you are back at your home poster.

Gallery Walk

• As a group, review the comments and select 3 that represent your thinking regarding that statement.

• Choose someone from your group to report to the whole group.

#1 Myth About Rigor - Lots of Homework is a Sign of Rigor

The dilemma is that all homework is not equally useful. Some of it is just busy work, assigned by teachers because principals or parents expect it. Too often, “difficulty is equated to the amount of work done by students, rather than the complexity and challenge“(Williams and Johnston, 1999).

4 Myths About Rigor in the Classroomwww.eyeoneducation.com

http://www.eyeoneducation.com/

#1 Myth About Rigor - Lots of Homework is a Sign of Rigor

Students learn in many different ways. Just as instruction must vary to meet the needs of students, so must homework.

Rigorous and challenging learning experiences will vary with the student.

The design of each experience will vary, as will the duration.



#2 Myth About Rigor -Rigor Means Doing More

Rigor is more than just content and cannot be measured by the amount of things students must do. Tony Wagner (2008) studied classrooms across America and found that many of them were characterized by low-level, rote activity. The focus was too often on covering material or preparation for the next test.



#2 Myth About Rigor -Rigor Means Doing More

True rigor is expecting every student to learn and perform at high levels. This requires instruction that allows students to delve deeply into their learning, to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving activities, to be curious and imaginative, and to demonstrate agility and adaptability (Wagner 2008).



#3 Myth About Rigor - Rigor Is Not For Everyone

Rigor is anchored in the belief that every student can be successful given adequate time and sufficient support. Tony Wagner (2008) suggests that our society’s success rests on a commitment to providing students with a set of skills that will allow them to become “productive citizens who contribute to solving some of the most pressing issues we face” and to thrive in a collaborative environment.



#4 Myth About Rigor - Providing Support Means Lessening

Rigor

When Ron Williamson and Howard Johnston conducted their study, they asked teachers and parents about their experiences with rigor. Both groups repeatedly told stories of how successful they were on rigorous tasks when they were given a high level of support, a safety net.




Rigor

Often, people described tasks that were initially unsuccessful. Only after additional time or effort did they experience success. In fact, many people said that they would not have been successful without strong support.




Rigor

According to Blackburn (2008), supporting students so they can learn at high levels is central to the definition of rigor. As teachers design lessons moving students toward more challenging work, they must provide scaffolding to support them as they learn.



Closing Thoughts About Rigor

“Rigor does not necessarily mean throwing away everything you are doing. Rigor in many cases means adjusting what you do to increase your expectations and the learning of your students. Rigor is ensuring that all students are provided with opportunities to grow in ways they cannot imagine”.

Williamson and Blackburn.(2010).4 Myths About Rigor in the Classroom. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education

Time To Reflect …

What teaching and learning implications come to mind

as you think about rigor now?

Reader and TaskTen Guiding Principles

46

1. Make close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.

2. Provide scaffolding that does not preempt or replace text.

3. Ask text dependent questions from a range of question types.

4. Emphasize students supporting answers based upon evidence from the text.

5. Provide extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

Reader and TaskTen Guiding Principles

47

6. Offer regular opportunities for students to share ideas, evidence, and research.

7. Offer systematic instruction in vocabulary.

8. Ensure wide reading from complex text that varies in length.

9. Provide explicit instruction in grammar and conventions.

10. Cultivate students’ independence.

Ticket Out the Door

3 things I found helpful

2 things I will learn more about

1 additional comment

Resources Coleman, David & Pimentel, Susan (2012). Revised Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards in English Language Art and Literacy, Grades K-2 and Grades 3-12.

http://www.achieve.org/equip

http://www.achievethecore.org

http://www.principals.org/tabid/3788/default.aspx?topic=Recognizing_Rigor_in_Classrooms_Four_Tools_for_School_Leaders_




http://www.achievethecore.org/




Resources

http://suite101.com/article/the-seven-myths-of-instructional-rigor-a407235

http://www.textproject.org/frankly-freddy/fyi-for-kids-building-students-capacity-for-complex-text/

http://textproject.org/professional-development/webinars/77-sec-on-text-complexity-/77 Sec on Text Complexity: What Are Good Books to Use With Beginning Readers?

Williamson, Ronald & Blackburn, Barbara (2010). 4 Myths About Rigor in the Classroom. Eye on Education, Inc.

http://suite101.com/article/the-seven-myths-of-instructional-rigor-a407235




http://textproject.org/professional-development/webinars/77-sec-on-text-complexity-/



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ela standards & core programs

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