Transcript Slide 1

3-5 Common Core
Reading/Language Arts
September 22, 2011
Clock Appointments
12
What would you do if you
won the lottery? Why?
9
3
If you could go on your
dream vacation, where
would you go and why?
Compare today’s
cartoons to those you
watched as a kid. Do
any have value? Justify
your response.
1.
Mingle and stop with signal.
2.
Take turns discussing the topic. Write your partner’s name on the line.
3.
Repeat. Keep your clock!
6
Would you rather
read the book of an
upcoming movie
FIRST or wait for
the movie and then
read the book? Why?
Mission Statement
for the Common Core State Standards
The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear
understanding of what students are expected to learn, so
teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.
The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real
world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people
need for success in college and careers. With American students
fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best
positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. –
(found on www.corestandards.org)
Common Core State Standards Training
Reading/Language Arts
Today’s Agenda:
•Understand the purpose of the adoption of the Common Core State
Standards.
•Get to know your documents.
•Begin unpacking the standards to determine what students should be
able to do/know.
•Discuss how Speaking/Listening/Writing can provide an easy
transition into CCSS implementation.
Why Were Common Core
Standards Developed?

Currently, each state has its own set of academic standards,
and states are defining proficiency in their own ways. All
proficient students don’t have the same skill-sets. All students
exiting our high schools are not college and career ready.

All students must be prepared to compete with not only their
American peers in the next state, but with students from
around the world. We are losing jobs in the US and most
students do not have the critical thinking and problems
solving skills to compete globally.
What Do We Know About CCS
Implementation & Assessment?
 As of April 2011, 43 states and Washington, DC had adopted
the full set of state standards. Washington State’s adoption is
pending and Minnesota adopted RLA but not Math.
 Two consortia (PARCC & Smarter Balanced) are currently
developing assessments. MS is a member of PARCC.
 Assessments are expected to be ready for use by the 2014-
2015 school year.
English/Language Arts
Common Core State Standards
Purpose (P.3)
•
To create the next generation of K-12 standards in order to ensure that all
students are college and career ready in literacy no later than the end of
high school.
As specified by CCSSO & NGA, standards are (P.3):
•
•
•
•
Research and evidence-based
Aligned with college and work expectations
Rigorous
Internationally benchmarked
** (P. 3)The Standards are intended to be a living work: as new and better
evidence emerges, the Standards will be revised accordingly.
**There are no history or science standards, but it is implied that we adopt
our state history and science standards into our content area literacy
standards (English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects).
English/Language Arts
Common Core State Standards
A literate student is defined as (P. 3):
 A student who readily undertakes the close, attentive reading to
enjoy complex literature.
 A student who habitually performs the critical reading necessary
to pick carefully through the staggering amount of the print and
digital information we have today.
 A student who actively seeks the wide, deep, thoughtful
engagement with high quality literary and informational texts that
builds knowledge, enlarges experience, and broadens worldviews.
 A student who reflexively demonstrates the reasoning and use of
evidence that is essential to private deliberation and responsible
citizenship in a democratic republic.
Design and Organization (P.4)
RLA has 4 Strands:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reading (including Reading Foundational Skills)
Writing
Speaking and Listening
Language
*Students are expected to meet the grade-specific standards, retain or
further develop skills mastered in preceding grades, and work steadily
toward meeting the more general expectation defined by CCR standards.
RLA ‘s Key Design Considerations Include:
*A focus on results rather than means
* An integrated model of literacy
*Research and media skills blended into the standards as a whole
*Shared responsibility for students’ literacy development
Key Advances
Reading
•
•
•
Balance of literature and informational texts – 50% of EACH
Text complexity, Text complexity, Text complexity 
Teach students what they need to learn to read, not what they already know. 
Writing
•
•
•
Emphasis on argument and informative/explanatory writing – not just responding to
prompts
Write to communicate clearly to an unfamiliar audience
Allow students to write often and produce numerous pieces over short and extended
time frames throughout the year. 
Speaking and Listening
•
•
•
Focus on comprehension and presentation
Respond to what others have said – compare/contrast or build on it
Provide opportunities for equal participation and maximum use of time for
sharing/responding. 
Language
•
Inseparable from all other contexts of the Common Core. 
Intentional Design Limitations
The Standards do NOT define:






How teachers should teach
All that can or should be taught (Differentiated Instruction to
grow All Learners)
The nature of advanced work beyond the core (Growing Even
Our Top Students)
The interventions needed for students well below grade level
(RtI/Tiered Instruction)
The full range of support for English Language Learners and
students with special needs (ELL/IEP Students)
Everything needed to be college and career ready
Text Complexity
Why Text Complexity Matters
 One of the key requirements of the Common Core State
Standards for Reading is that all students must be able to
comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity as they
progress through school.
 The clearest differentiator was students’ ability to answer
questions associated with complex texts.
 These findings held true for male and female students,
students from all racial/ethnic groups, and students from
families with widely varying incomes.
Defining Text Complexity – P. 31, P. 32, P. 33
•Purpose
•Structure
•Language
•Motivation
•Knowledge
•Experiences
•Word Length
•Sentence Length
•Text Cohesion
•Purpose of task
•Complexity of task
•Questions posed
Appendix A
Text Complexity
Text
Complexity
Grade Band
Old Lexile
Ranges
Lexile Ranges
Aligned to
CCR
Expectations
K-1
N/A
N/A
2-3
450–725
450–790
4–5
645–845
770–980
6–8
860–1010
955–1155
9–10
960–1115
1080–1305
11–CCR
1070–1220
1215–1355
Let’s Get To Know Our Documents
 Reading Standards for Literature = RL
 Reading Standards for Informational Text = RI
 Reading Standards: Foundational Skills = RF
 Writing Standards = W
 Speaking & Listening Standards = SL
 Language Standards = L
How do we reference the standards in lesson
plans?
 Grade Level. Standard Abbreviation. Standard #
OR
 Standard Abbreviation. Grade Level. Standard #
Let’s Practice! 
3.RL.3
5.RL.4
RL.4.5
5.SL.3
4.L.5
W.3.2
Scavenger Hunt
Appendix A—
** What are the standards’ 3 text types?
** How do the “Language Progressions” help you understand
the standards better?
**Why does the research point out the 3 tiers of vocabulary?
**What else is useful in Appendix A?
Walking Through
Appendix B
 Contains sample texts to serve as models for text complexity – “text




exemplars” – Do you currently use any of the suggested selections?
Organized into K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 texts
Samples include stories, poetry, and informational texts – as
well as read alouds (stories and informational text) for K-3
*****Followed by sample performance tasks
*****Not intended to be a comprehensive list, but a “springboard”
Appendix C
 Samples of student writing – Take a look at your grade level.
What do you think?
Appendices -- Recap
 Appendix A --Supplemental material on reading, writing,
speaking and listening + Glossary
 Appendix B – Text exemplars that illustrate the complexity,
quality, and range of reading appropriate for each grade level
+ sample performance tasks.
 Appendix C – Annotated samples demonstrating at least
adequate performance in student writing.
So why was K-2 implementation urgent?
and
Why are we studying 3-5 today if we
aren’t implementing it until next year?
Taking It Back to the Building
Your role! 
 September/October – Know your documents.
 October – Unpack your standards.
 November – Speaking/Listening/Writing Discussion
Unpacking the Standards
&
Planning for Instruction
 Tip #1 – VERBS -- Look closely at all the verbs – These signal the level
of understanding.
 Tip #2 – NOUNS/NOUN PHRASES – This is the knowledge or
content that must be known.
 Tip #3 – MODIFIERS/ADVERBS – These define the criteria for level
of performance.
 Tip#4 – APPENDICES – Examine sample performance tasks, writing
samples, etc.
How do I know what to do?
Step One:
Analyze the Standard --“Unwrap” It or “Unpack” It
 Look at the vertical progression (grade above and below) to get the full
meaning and analyze the depth of RLA Standards. Use the “tips” to gain
meaning.
2.RL.6
3.RL.6
4.RL.6
5.RL.6
Step Two: Look at other standards you
can “hook on” and teach together.
 CCSS are not intended to be taught in isolation, nor are
they intended to be taught one time in the classroom–
Approach them as we did our state objectives and cluster
them when related and logical. Provide multiple
exposures using different genres and new experiences. If
students cannot apply the standard to a new
experience, assume it is not mastered.
Step Three: Ask yourself, “How can I make this rigorous and
relevant? What are appropriate performance tasks?”
Step Four: Put It Together –
How do I get students there?
Plan your student activities, keeping in mind that we should
not “spoon feed” students any more – Students should have to
think to learn our “tricks” on their own, not be instructed
using the “trick” so that answers are correct and
processes/thinking are not understood.
Let’s Analyze YOUR Standards! 
 Discuss assigned standard. Mark verbs, nouns, and modifiers. Then
examine appendices.
 Read and interpret your grade level standard, then read the same
standard above and below to truly understand what is being asked
of students.
 Connect standards (or cluster them by writing their abbreviations
together) as you plan. Standards are not meant to be taught in
isolation.
Taking It Back to the Building-Your role! 
 September/October – Know your documents.
 October – Unpack your standards.
 November – Speaking/Listening/Writing Discussion
What standards did the clock appointments
address?
Can you adapt the activity for your grade
level?
How can you make it more “academic”?
How does this activity ensure
“equal participation” from all students,
not just a few?
Speaking, Listening, Writing
•Examine the SL & W standards for your grade.
•Report out – How is this different than today’s
classroom instruction?
Final Thoughts on CCSS -- RLA
Literature and Informational Text are equally important. Weekly Readers are excellent sources
of informational text, but we should not assume that’s enough. Be pro-active and identify books
for your science/social studies topics and use them in the reading classroom. Science and
Soc.Studies aren’t separate subjects anymore! 
Speaking & Listening AND Writing Standards lead to the depth we need in Core standards.
Students must share knowledge learned, explain their thinking and understanding, and justify
their thoughts. 
Small group instruction will be necessary for the SL and W standards to occur…otherwise you
will be overwhelmed with grading and never reaching the depth intended…nor will you expose
all students to the text complexity desired AND instruct struggling readers at their
level…Guided Reading and/or Literature Circles are expected by the district. Small groups will
need to be “flexible” to reach the intended performance task.
More heads are better than one! No one is an expert with instruction for core standards and it
will take lots of interaction, discussion, and sharing to get there. You are not alone! 
Your Thoughts
Although we are only implementing core standards
next year for K-2, there are some changes in
instructional practices that will lend to students’
better understanding of standards/objectives and
serve as a “bridge” to common core at your grade
level.
Take 2 minutes to reflect on your teaching. Decide
on 3 ways you can change instruction in your
classroom to get ready for common core. Share with
the group.
Taking It Back to the Building
Your role! 
 September/October – Know your documents.
 October – Unpack your standards.
 November – Speaking/Listening/Writing Discussion