During this session, participants will learn about the overarching priorities of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy. Alberti will discuss the major instructional shifts required by the standards, including the evidence behind the shifts. These same shifts will be represented in both consortia assessments. Additionally, Alberti will present a few recommendations regarding how to introduce changes in a thoughtful, concrete way to prepare both teachers and students for full implementation of the standards.

How do the Common Core English language arts standards differ from their predecessors? What do they emphasize? What are logical focus points for early implementation? The English and language arts standards depart radically from their predecessors with their insistence on text complexity and close reading skills.

This session, presented by David Liben from Student Achievement Partners, offered a look at various aspects of text complexity: how it is defined by the standards, as well as a range of measurement tools—including some newly developed and tested by the Race to the Text project—and how to use the tools for professional development. The focus on text complexity, close reading, and informational text has clear education implications as well. The presenter will examine some strategic focus areas for literacy instruction and explore ideas for bringing all constituencies to a fuller understanding of the Common Core standards and the features that make text complex.

The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts shift the balance of literature in the elementary grades to 50 percent informational texts and 50 percent literature. This balance is important in preparing students for later grades and non-literary texts.

This document is based on an analysis that determined the sub-skills students need to achieve in each of the Foundational Skills (K–5) in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). It contains five sections, each targeting one grade level in: Print Concepts, Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition, and Fluency. It also includes instructional examples aligned to the sub-skills, giving teachers samples of activity types that facilitate acquisition of the sub-skills. Each chart includes up to three grade levels to inform instruction for students who are either struggling and need extra support or intervention, or for students performing above grade-level expectations and require enrichment, to allow a teacher to see which skills should have been mastered in the previous year and what students are preparing for in the upcoming years.

Pennsylvania Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content eBook to assist educators in preparing student for the Keystone Exams.

Thorough explanation of the how and why of text-dependent questions for close, analytic reading. Includes examples.

The Common Core State Standards for reading strongly focus on students gathering evidence, knowledge, and insight from what they read. Indeed, eighty to ninety percent of the Reading Standards in each grade require text dependent analysis; accordingly, aligned curriculum materials should have a similar percentage of text dependent questions.

As the name suggests, a text dependent question specifically asks a question that can only be answered by referring explicitly back to the text being read. It does not rely on any particular background information extraneous to the text nor depend on students having other experiences or knowledge; instead it privileges the text itself and what students can extract from what is before them.

Students are more likely to meet Common Core expectations for reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language if they are working with texts on a regular basis. Organizing a curriculum around a series of text sets can provide those opportunities for students. This organization is supported by the PARCC Model Content Frameworks.

Students are more likely to meet Common Core expectations for reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language if they are working with texts on a regular basis. Organizing a curriculum around a series of text sets can provide those opportunities for students. This organization is supported by the PARCC Model Content Frameworks.

This 1-2 hour module provides participants with an introduction to the key shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for ELA / Literacy.

This 1-2 hour module provides participants with an introduction to the key shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for ELA / Literacy.

This 1-2 hour module provides an introduction to the key shifts required by the CCSS for Literacy in the content areas: history / social studies, science, and technical subjects.

The Common Core Standards in English Language Arts are standards for a wide-range of literacies, including reading and understanding History, Social Science, Science and Technical subject texts. This focus helps students build knowledge through reading and writing in the disciplines, as they are able to analyze primary and secondary sources, reference material, and experimental results.

The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts expands the study of literary non-fiction in later grades. This allows English Language Arts teachers to utilize their expertize to cultivate students' deeper understanding of complex and varied texts.

The Common Standards in Literacy provide opportunities for students to delve more deeply into more varied texts, especially literary non-fiction. These texts inform us about the world and people's thinking about it, including many of the founding documents of our nation.

Rather than focusing exclusively on literacy skills, the Common Core State Standards set expectations for the complexity of texts students need to be able to read to be ready for college and careers.

This resource outlines three steps that will help teachers choose texts that are on grade level for the CCSS.

A California Guide to Align Civic Education and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects. This resource guide provides educators with practices to equip all students with reading, writing, listening and speaking skills and the knowledge, skills and dispositions to become responsible engaged citizens of the 21st century in a coherent, integrated manner that will be meaningful and relevant. The practices in the guide provide civic education approaches to meet the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. The lesson activities in each of the grade spans follow a natural progression that builds students’ historical knowledge of the foundations of democracy, an understanding of how America’s constitutional principles are reinterpreted over time, and the skills and dispositions needed for effective citizenship. Applied knowledge of history, government and civics is necessary for developing civic competency. Therefore, each series of lessons calls for students to actively participate in activities that strengthen reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the context of civic dialogue, debate, persuasion and action.

Student collaboration is key to success in college and career, and the Common Core standards for Speaking and Listening include collaboration standards. These standards focus on collaboration in multiple settings and ask students to be prepared and respectful, and to engage in problem-solving in formal and informal situations.

What does it look like to read a high-quality work of literary non-fiction? This presents a picture of how to present an in-depth analysis and discussion of Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Examples are drawn from specific, well-argued paragraphs, with an explanation of the cognitive requirements of the Standards.

Through close examination of the Publishers’ Criteria in ELA / Literacy for Grades 3-12, this 1-2 hour module intends to give teachers and administrators a deeper understanding of the Standards and their implication for instructional resources. This information will help educators judge classroom materials and reflect on the appropriate use of existing resources and strategies.