Implications of Text Complexity By Edwina Howard-Jack, NBCT, English Language Arts Coordinator,...
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Implications of Text Complexity By Edwina Howard-Jack, NBCT, English Language Arts Coordinator, Office of Instruction, WVDE & Dr. Vaughn Rhudy, NBCT, WESTEST
Implications of Text Complexity By Edwina Howard-Jack, NBCT,
English Language Arts Coordinator, Office of Instruction, WVDE
& Dr. Vaughn Rhudy, NBCT, WESTEST 2 RLA/Online Writing
Assessment Coordinator, Office of Assessment and Accountability,
WVDE
Slide 2
Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, of
course. Piracy, for example, is a tradition that has been carried
on for hundreds of years, but that doesnt mean we should all attack
ships and steal their gold. Horseradish by Lemony Snicket
Slide 3
Embargoed until NCES release
Slide 4
4
Slide 5
What do you know about selecting a text that is appropriate for
students?
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Text Complexity
Slide 7
AHHHH SHIFT! Your students will be reading increasingly complex
texts to acquire language skills including academic
vocabulary.
Slide 8
The Crisis of Text Complexity Complexity of texts students are
expected to handle K-12 has eroded : High school textbooks have
declined in all subject areas over several decades. Average length
of sentences in K-8 textbooks have declined from 20 to 14 words.
Vocabulary demands have declined, e.g., 8 th grade textbooks
equivalent to former 5 th grade texts; 12 th grade anthologies
equal to former 7 th grade.
Slide 9
Complexity of college and careers texts have remained steady or
increased: Lexile scores of college textbooks have not decreased in
any block of time since 1962 and in fact have increased. Vocabulary
difficulty of newspapers has remained stable. Word difficulty of
scientific journals and magazines 19301990 has increased since
1930.
Slide 10
Recap of ACT Findings Question type (main idea, word meanings,
details) is NOT the chief differentiator between students scoring
above and below the benchmark. Question level (higher order vs.
lower order; literal vs. inferential) is NOT the chief
differentiator between students either. What students could read,
in terms of its complexity--rather than what they could do with
what they read--is greatest predictor of success.
Slide 11
Whats wrong with the simplified text approach? Simplified texts
are often synonymous with restricted, limited, and thin in meaning.
Academic vocabulary can only be learned from complex textsby
noticing how it works in texts, engaging with, thinking about, and
discussing their more complex meanings with others. Mature language
skills needed for success in school and life can only be gained by
working with demanding materials. No evidence that struggling
readersespecially at middle and high school--catch up by gradually
increasing the complexity of simpler texts...
Slide 12
Ahhh Shift!
Slide 13
Text Complexity in CSOs Your Assignment: 1.Quickly sort the
cards at your table to create a K-12 text complexity progression.
2.Summarize what you notice and the implication at your tables.
3.Create a poster using words or pictures and be prepared to
share.
Slide 14
Resources
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TEACH21
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Lexile Alignment to College & Career Readiness to Close the
Gap Grade BandOld Lexile Ranges New Lexile Ranges 2-3450-725450-790
4-5645-845770-980 6-8860-1010955-1155 9-10960-11151080-1305
11-CCR1070-12201215-1355
Slide 17
ELA SCASS Work Vaughn Rhudy, Susan Pimentel, Edwina
Howard-Jack, Rachel Hull English Language Arts SCASS Meeting, San
Antonio, Texas February 6-7, 2012
Slide 18
Placemat
Slide 19
Evaluate a Text The Grapes of Wrath Excerpt Steinbeck, John.
The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Viking, 1967 (1939). If we were
analyzing Grapes of Wrath
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Quantitative
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Qualitative
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Reader and Task Briefly describe the reader. Explain the task
associated with the text. Consider these variables Students
motivation Knowledge Experiences Purpose and the complexity of the
task assigned and the questions posed.
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What did the authors say?
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Resources
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Implications Discuss the implications for you as Chief
Instructional Leaders regarding: the increase in text complexity
within the standards, the intentional selection of texts using the
placemats and the shifts in teaching all students using complex
texts while varying the level of and removal of scaffolding so that
students can access these texts. Be prepared to share.
Slide 28
noun, the systematic killing of the love of reading, often
exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools
(Gallagher, 2009)