Tools for Teachers: Text Complexity Implementing Key Shifts in the CCSS—Part One
Session Objectives As a result of this session, participants will‌ Review the major elements of text complexity in the context of the CCSS. Learn how to employ a structured process for evaluating text complexity and choosing complex texts for instruction. Understand the importance of implementing the new balance between literary and informational texts demanded by the CCSS. Understand the importance of providing access to all learners, regardless of ability, to complex texts and rich instruction aligned to them. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Common Core Design: Anchor Standards Anchor Standards that are common to all grades offer an integrated focus
Anchor Standards clearly specify College and Career Readiness Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Common Core Design: Grade Level Standards Each Grade has specific end-ofyear expectations for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, & Language Across Grades there is a cumulative progression of understandings & skills Each Standard has a 1:1 correspondence with its Anchor Standard
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Standard Trajectories
Expectations grow over time. Cumulative progressions of skills and understandings build over time. Skills and their application are the focus of instruction. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Key Shifts in the Standards
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Selecting Complex Texts Texts must be evaluated as to whether they meet the grade-band requirements for complexity.
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Why Selecting Grade Band Appropriate Complex Text Matters The ability to read complex texts is the single greatest predictor of success in college. Text complexity in elementary and secondary texts has declined steadily. Less that 50% of high school graduates are able to read college and career ready complex text.
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Measuring Text Complexity Appendix A in the CCSS identifies the following factors as determining text complexity: Quantitative measures look at factors impacting “readability” as measured by particular computer programs. Qualitative measures examine levels of meaning, knowledge demands, language features, text structure, and use of graphics as measured by an attentive reader. Reader and Task considers additional “outside” factors that might impact the difficulty of reading the text. © 2012 The Aspen Institute
Tools for Selecting Complex Text: Text Complexity Analysis Worksheet Quantitative Measures using new, more demanding CCR Lexile Requirements. Qualitative Measures that analyze critical features of the text that computers cannot analyze. Considerations for Reader and Task that guide the use of the text in the classroom.
Final Placement Recommendation that sums up the findings of all three factors. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity ATOS by Renaissance Learning Degrees of Reading Power by Questar Flesch Kincaid Lexile Framework by MetaMetrics Reading Maturity Metric by Pearson Education Source Rater by Educational Testing Service
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Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity These metrics give different weights to the following proxies for semantic and syntactic complexity: Word Length Word Frequency Word Difficulty Sentence Length Text Length Text Cohesion Educators can use any of the available software programs to determine reliably the quantitative complexity of a text. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Quantitative Measures and the CCSS The CCSS include a staircase of increasing text complexity from elementary through high school keyed against recalibrated Lexile scores.
Grade Band
Old Lexile Ranges
CCR Lexile Ranges
2-3
450-725
420-820
4-5
645-845
740-1010
6-8
860-1010
925-1185
9-10
960-1115
1050-1335
11-CCR
1070-1220
1185-1385
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Quantitative Measures and Real Texts
Lexile Score: 680 Grade Band Placement: 2-3 (?!!)
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Quantitative Measures: Process, Strengths and Limitations Start by performing a quantitative analysis to determine the complexity band level of a text (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10, or 11-CCR). Quantitative metrics are excellent at situating informational texts, good at offering a starting point for placing narrative fiction, but unable to rate drama and poetry and not helpful for K-1 texts. Then turn to qualitative analysis to place a text at the upper, lower, or middle of a complexity band. These measures lie on a continuum and are not grade or band specific, and therefore are most helpful when used in conjunction with quantitative measures.
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Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity There are additional qualitative factors to consider when determining the complexity of a text: Meaning/Purpose Knowledge Demands Language Features Text Structures Use of Graphics
Judgments about these factors add additional information to the process of determining text complexity that Quantitative Measures cannot assess. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity Because these factors lie on a continuum, measuring them involves judgment about the kind of complexity present.
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Qualitative Measures and Real Texts
Lexile Score: 870 Grade Band Placement: 4-5
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Qualitative Measures and Real Texts: To Kill a Mockingbird Knowledge Demands: The book asks readers to wrestle with serious moral issues—how both an individual and southern society before the era of civil rights conceive of justice. Meaning/Purpose: The book explores the protagonist’s discovery of how her town and her family understand race and prejudice.
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Qualitative Measures and Real Texts: To Kill a Mockingbird Text Structure: While the narrative is largely linear in fashion, flashback is employed to look back on events when the protagonist was young, and the narrative perspective is not wholly reliable as a result of her youth. Language Features: The book contains both slang and southern dialect, but the vocabulary the text employs is accessible to average readers. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Reader and Task Analysis Finally, there are factors relating to reader and task that should be considered when evaluating the complexity of a text: Complexity of Content Cognitive Capacities Reading Skills Motivation & Engagement Prior Knowledge Tasks and Assessment Evaluation of these factors plays an important role in helping teachers think through the implications of using a particular text in the classroom and situating it appropriately in a grade band. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Reader and Task Analysis and Real Texts
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Final Recommendation and Real Texts
Weighing each measure equally, use professional judgment to factor together the results of the Quantitative, Qualitative, and Reader and Task Analyses to produce a Final Placement Recommendation.
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Next Steps: Aggregating Analyses into Playlists Districts and states can develop their own complex text playlists of evaluated texts that exemplify the process of assessing text complexity using all three measures. The notations recorded on the worksheets can provide educators with a deeper, more multidimensional picture of text complexity that they can use in selecting and placing appropriate texts within a given grade band.
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Time to Reflect Texts must be evaluated as to whether they meet the grade-band requirements for complexity.
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Shifts in Choosing Complex Texts Curricula must be adjusted to strike the required balance of literary and informational texts.
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Why Shifting Emphasis to Informational Text Matters Informational text is the single greatest source for building knowledge base. Unfamiliarity with informational text makes it harder to comprehend than narrative text… … and creates a significant gap in preparation Therefore the CCSS specifies 50% of elementary texts should be informational trending to 70% by graduation. © 2012 The Aspen Institute
Tools for Shifting Complex Texts: Informational Text Resources
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Real Texts: K-1 Appendix B Informational Text Resources
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Next Steps: Generating Informational Text Resources Using GoodReads.com An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston Wild Tracks: A Guide to Nature's Footprints by Jim Arnosky The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells Storms by Seymour Simon How a Book Is Made by Aliki Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Time to Reflect Curricula must be adjusted to strike the required balance of literary and informational texts.
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Sharing Complex Texts Districts must take steps to ensure that all students are exposed to and taught complex texts.
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Why Sharing Complex Texts Matters Some students had lots of books available to them at home and had caregivers who read to them in their early years with great regularity. had teachers who augmented textbooks with adequately complex reading.
Other students were isolated from texts before arriving at the schoolhouse door. were classified as unable to succeed within the regular curriculum and hence given materials pitched at a much lower level. became identified as struggling readers because they were never given the opportunity to grapple with adequately complex texts.
became eager and independent readers because they learned how to read well in their first years of their schooling. Š 2012 The Aspen Institute
Why Sharing Complex Texts Matters Working with complex text is needed to gain the mature language skills for college & careers. Giving students only simplified texts robs them of critically important exposure to academic vocabulary. There is no evidence that struggling readers catch up by gradually increasing the length or volume of simpler texts. Therefore, the CCSS specifies “clear sign posts” so all students can “meet the same high standards.”
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Next Steps: Sharing Complex Texts Use the same tools and real texts discussed earlier in “Selecting Complex Texts” and “Shifting towards Informational Texts” for all students. Offer complex text reading selections that focus on shorter text selections that can be read and re-read closely. Make sure all readers, regardless of their reading ability, are exposed to complex text.
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Time To Reflect Districts must take steps to ensure that all students— including ELs—are exposed to and taught complex texts.
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Choosing Complex Texts: Summing Up Select Complex Texts Shift towards Informational Texts Share Complex Texts with All Students
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