Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Education Symposium March 27, 2014

L O U I S I A N A S TAT E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T O F E D U C AT I O N J O H N W H I T E

Why do we need Common Core State Standards?

http://www.commoncoreworks.org/domain/157

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What Every Parent Should Know About the Standards

What the Standards are:

A coherent progression of learning expectations in English language arts and mathematics designed to prepare K-12 students for college and career
Drafted by experts and teachers from across the country Focus on developing critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students need to be successful
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What Every Parent Should Know about the Standards

What the Standards are:

Designed to require independent thinking to solve problems much like the demands of the American workforce
Designed to be more rigorous than standards previously used in Louisiana Designed to bring what our students are learning more in line with high-performing states
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Benefits for Parents

Ensure that all students, no matter where they live, will not have to adjust to new learning expectations Designed to prepare students to compete and succeed in a competitive global economy Give parents an awareness of what students should know and be able to do at each grade level
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Key Features of the Standards for English Language Arts

Reading: Text complexity and growth in comprehension Writing: Responding to texts with specific types of writing:
Argument, Informative, Narrative

Speaking and Listening: Developing useful oral

communication and collaborative skills

Language: Developing essential conventions of standards

for written and spoken English; in addition, understanding an authors craft
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Instructional Shifts to Meet Literacy Standards

Regular practice with complex text and its academic language Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
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Shift 1: Regular Practice with Complex Texts and Their Academic Language
Standards emphasize the increasing complexity of the texts students must read and comprehend to be college/career ready. Standards do not include a required reading list, but do provide sample grade-level texts worthy of study. Standards focus on academic vocabulary: words that appear in a variety of content areas (ignite, commit). Academic vocabulary instruction should be integrated into reading, writing, speaking and listening.
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Why is this Shift important?

What students can read, in terms of complexity is the greatest predictor of success in college (ACT study). Standards include a staircase of increasing text complexity from elementary through high school.
Standards also focus on building general academic vocabulary so critical to comprehension.

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Shift 2: Reading, Writing, and Speaking Grounded in Evidence from Texts, Both Literary and Informational
Standards go beyond asking students to respond solely from prior knowledge and experience, but from having read the texts with care.

Student writing should be based on texts and will cite evidence from the texts to support their ideas. Standards require teachers to ask text-dependent questions.
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Examples of Text-Dependent Questions

NON TEXT-DEPENDENT TEXT-DEPENDENT

In Casey at the Bat, Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something.

What makes Caseys experiences at bat humorous?

In The Gettysburg Address Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?
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The Gettysburg Address mentions the year 1776. According to Lincolns speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

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Example of Student Writing Example

Fifth Grade Writing Prompt

Read the passage about school gardens. As you read the passage, think about whether you believe your school should or should not have a garden.

Write a multi-paragraph letter to convince your principal whether or not to have a school garden. Use details from the passage to help you convince your principal.

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Shift 3: Building Knowledge through Content-rich Nonfiction

Students are required to read very little informational text in elementary and middle school. Informational text can be more challenging than narrative text. Informational texts are a vital part of building students content knowledge as well as academic vocabulary. Non-fiction makes up the vast majority of required reading in college/workplace.
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Informational Text and Literary Texts

Grades K 5: 50-50 balance between informational and literary reading.

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Examples of Reading Skills Across Grade Levels READING FOR INFORMATION

KINDERGARTEN
With help from the teacher, students identify what person, place, thing, or idea a picture shows.

GRADE ONE
Students use the illustrations and details in a text to describe key ideas.

GRADE TWO
Students explain how specific illustrations (such as a diagram of how a machine works) are useful.

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What Your Child Will Be Working on by 2nd Grade

Paying close attention to details to answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions Using text features to locate key facts or information Writing an opinion about a book read Retelling key information or ideas from books read aloud.

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Examples of Reading Across Grade Levels READING FOR INFORMATION

GRADE THREE
Students ask/answer questions by referring directly to the text.

GRADE FOUR
Students refer to details when explaining and drawing inferences from the text.

GRADE FIVE
Students quote text accurately when explaining and drawing inferences.

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Examples of Writing Skills Across Grade Levels

GRADE THREE
Students introduce a topic and use facts and details to develop points

GRADE FOUR
Students introduce a topic and clearly develop with facts, definitions, details, quotations, etc.

GRADE FIVE
Students introduce a topic clearly, providing a general observation/focus and develop.

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What Your Child Will Be Working on by 6th Grade

Evaluating the argument and specific claims in written materials or a speech, and distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not
Writing brief reports that examine a topic, have a clear focus, and include relevant facts, details, and quotations

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What can parents do to support their students ?

Set aside a time and place at home for students to study. Sit with your child as much as possible as he addresses homework. Discuss with your child what he is learning and try to get an idea about where he needs help. Read aloud with your child, perhaps with you reading every other paragraph. Ask your child to explain what he or she has just read. Encourage your child to read to siblings or younger friends and family. To find worthy grade-level texts go to: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf
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What can parents do to support their students?

Encourage your child to write, especially about texts they are reading. Urge your upper elementary child to use logical arguments to defend his or her opinion. Have them research texts to find support for their opinion.

Talk about the news together. Pick a story, read it together, and engage in a discussion with your child about its meaning.
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What can parents do to support their students?

Keep books, magazines, and newspapers at home, and let your child see you reading. Keep books and magazines around the house that align with your childs interests. Read and discuss them together.

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What can parents do to support their students?

Form a partnership with your childs teacher and ask questions such as the following:
Is my child reading on grade level? Can my child understand challenging reading material? Is my child becoming an effective writer? Can my child write about what he or she is reading? What are my childs strengths and weaknesses? What support can I provide at home to make sure that my child is successful?
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Where To Go For More Information

Go to www.louisianabelieves.com Choose the Parents + Students box Choose Common Core State Standards
http://www.louisianabelieves.com/academics/commoncore-state-standards

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QUESTIONS?

Symposium Panel Discussion

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