Summer Leadership InstituteAdministrative “Look-Fors”: Text ComplexityKaren Colarossi, Kimberly Natal, Rose Sedely

August 9-10, 2012

Common Board ConfigurationDate:

Benchmark: RI.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Bell Ringer: What do you already know and how have you seen complex text utilized in your school?

Essential Question: Why does text complexity matter?

Vocabulary: Complex Text, Comprehension Instructional Sequence, NGCAR-pd

Objective: Administrators will be able to demonstrate an understanding of what should be observed in a classroom using complex text.

Agenda: 1. Overview2. Reviewing complex text3. Resources for complex text4. Meeting the needs5. Classroom Look-Fors

Summarizing Activity: Rate how your knowledge about text complexity has changed as a result of this overview.

Homework:

Learning Goal: Administrators will have a better understanding of what they should see in a classroom with regard to using complex text and know what the plan is for training teachers.

Lake County SchoolsVision Statement A dynamic, progressive and collaborative learning community

embracing change and diversity where every student will graduate with the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education and the workplace.

 Mission Statement The mission of the Lake County Schools is to provide every student

with individual opportunities to excel.

Lake County Schools is committed to excellence in all curricular opportunities and instructional best practices. This focus area addresses closing the achievement gap, increased graduation rate, decreased dropout rate, increase in Level 3 and above scores on the FCAT, achieving an increase in the number of students enrolled in advanced placement and dual enrollment opportunities and implementing the best practices in instructional methodology.

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21st Century Skills Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap

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1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving2. Collaboration and Leadership3. Agility and Adaptability4. Initiative and Entrepreneurialism5. Effective Oral and Written Communication6. Accessing and Analyzing Information7. Curiosity and Imagination

High Effect Size Indicators

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“The Department’s identified set of indicators on high effect size instructional and leadership strategies with a causal relationship to student learning growth constitute priority issues for deliberate practice and faculty development.”

-Florida Department of Education, 2012

Learning Goal with Scales

Tracking Student Progress

Established Content Standards

Multi-tiered System of Supports

Clear Goals Text Complexity ESOL Students

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School LeadershipHigh Effect Indicators

Classroom TeacherHigh Effect Indicators

Feedback PracticesFacilitating Professional

LearningClear Goals and

Expectations Instructional ResourcesHigh Effect Size Strategies Instructional InitiativesMonitoring Text

Complexity Interventions Instructional AdaptationsESOL Strategies

7

Text complexity is the key to accelerating

student achievement in reading.

Bell-RingerWhat do you already know about, and what

have you seen teachers implement with regard to teachers using complex text?

Think, write, share

What is Complex Text?How do you know if your teachers are using

complex text?How often should you see it used in the

classroom?Where can your teachers find resources for

complex text?Who is available to support your teachers?What is the plan going forward?

How Do You Know if Your Teachers are Using Complex Text?

In the folder you will see two text samples- one is complex and one is simple. Use the matrix and the “cheat sheet” and your

table partners to read each piece of text then discuss each piece in terms of complexity.

Choose the piece you believe is complex- be prepared to support your choice with evidence from the text and details from the cheat sheet.

Where Can Teachers Find Resources?

Use available resources to determine the text complexity of other materials on our own.

Choose an excerpt of text from Appendix B as a starting place:

Additional ResourcesEbsco

Lake County Home PageEBSCO

lakecounty (Username) lakecounty (Password)

DBQ Essays

How Often Should You See Complex Text Used by Students?

Students should be interacting with complex texts1/3 of the time by October½ of the time by January 2/3rds of the time by April

Interaction with complex texts should be throughout the student’s day

Use of Informational Text

What is Informational Text?

Who Can Help?Literacy Coach

Your Literacy Coach was trained to identify complex text using the Fl DOE matrix.

All Secondary and two Elementary Literacy Coaches are trained to deliver NGCAR-pd and/or CIS(Comprehension Instructional Sequence) which assists teachers in understanding how to teach students in their content area to use complex text.

Other Elementary Coaches are encouraged to team up with their middle school/high school feeder Coach to attend or deliver NGCAR-pd or CIS training.

What is the Plan Going Forward?Your Literacy Coach should deliver NGCAR-

PD training to a selected cadre of content area teachers.

Already Reading Endorsed/Reading Certified or CAR-PD trained teachers should have training on implementing complex text through the Comprehension Instructional Sequence.

Elementary Coaches/CRT’s will have continued training on CIS to begin training teachers at the school level.

In Summary: What you should see-Students reading and interacting with

complex, content area text in the reading block and/or content area course.

Students interacting with complex text by marking the text, using directed note-taking, and generating their own questions about text while working in groups and pairs.

Authentic student writing (short and extended) based on informational, complex text which includes citing from the text in every subject area. (e.g. Argument/support essays, DBQ’s etc. )

MORE….An increase in the use of complex, informational

text at all grade levels in all subjects. Teachers using scaffolding and support

strategies to assist students with complex text. Think Aloud strategyDeliberately formatted reading groups: pairs or

triadsOpportunities for student directed dialogue Organizers to assist and support student

questioning, understanding, and reflectionTeacher Read Aloud (as needed)Socratic Seminar

What you should NOT see-Students reading complex informational text

independently with packets of work sheets and questions to answer.

Students reading complex text as homework packets.

Silent classrooms with no text based discussion and no writing.

How Can You Monitor?OBSERVE teachers and students in the

classrooms.EXAMINE the text being used in the

classrooms. ASK teachers how they evaluated their text

for complexity.REVIEW samples of student writing,

including short and extended essays in all subjects, DBQ’s and Science Fair Projects.

ATTEND a Comprehension Instructional Sequence (CIS) or NGCAR-PD training conducted at your school.

Rate YourselfOn a scale of 1-4 (one low, four high) rate

yourself on your comfort level with understanding what you should see in a classroom using complex text.

Participant Scale and Reflection(Please complete and turn in)

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0-Not Using

•No understanding or implementation steps taken away

1-Beginning

•Little understanding and inconsistent implementation steps taken away

2-Developing

•Moderate understanding and implementation steps taken away

3-Applying

•Consistent understanding and implementation steps taken away along with monitoring componets for effective execution

4-Innovating

• In addition to criteria of Applying, enhanced understanding, implementation, monitoring, and execution take aways