An Introduction to the Literacy Design Collaborative

A framework to move from Common Core to classrooms

The Literacy Design Collaborative

An expanding set of classroom, district, state and service providers with the will to meet the challenge of expecting high levels

of secondary literacy, head-on.

The Collaborative

KY pilot districts: Kenton, Jessamine, Daviess, Boone, and Fayette

Pioneering state-wide efforts: KY – with GA, CO, LA, and PA!

National partners such as the National Writing Project, New Visions for Public Schools, Center for Teacher Quality and others.

Outcomes

After this introduction, you should be ready to:Identify the Literacy Design Collaborative’s work as a strategy for achieving the Common Core State Standards and equipping students with the necessary reading and writing skills to be successful in post-secondary education and careers.Generally describe the main components of the LDC frameworkIdentify the ways in which LDC draws on the expertise and collaboration of participating educators.

Common Core State Standards

Are a blueprint.

They Set Clear Goals

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.

http://www.corestandards.org

They Define Literacy in Content Areas

While the English language arts classroom has often been seen as the proper site for literacy instruction, this document acknowledges that the responsibility for teaching such skills must also extend to other content areas.

http://www.corestandards.org

They Create New Challenges

Unlike mathematics, secondary literacy is not a discipline. It is “homeless” in that it

belongs to everyone and no one. Literacy is used in secondary classrooms, but it is not

taught in a systematic way.

And They Offer Great Opportunity!

With the Common Core of Standards, many things now become possible. Because states will be working from the same core, we can create broad-based sharing of what works but, at the same time, provide local flexibility to decide how best to teach the core.

– Vicki Phillips & Carina Wong (PDK, February 2010)

But We Need to Move …

From blueprint to action!

Where are We Starting From?

If students are not proficient when they enter a course, what is the chance that teachers will “stop, drop and teach them to read and write?”

Grade 9 Reading Writing

English

U.S. History

Math

Science

PE/Health

World Language

Elective

Elective

Too Often, the Common Answer is …

Grade 9 Reading Writing

English Low Low-Medium

U.S. History Low Low

Math Low Low

Science Low Low

PE/Health Low Low

World Language Low Low

Elective Low Low

Elective (Reading) High Low

LDC Offers a Different Choice!

So teachers don’t have to ‘move from blueprint to action’ alone.

The LDC Framework

Common standards, local choices!

Tasks

The tasks students engage in are at the center!

Template Tasks

Template tasks are the beginning point for the LDC strategy. An LDC template task is a fill-in-the-blank assignment or assessment based on the common core literacy standards.

Template Tasks

‘The real accountability system is in the tasks that students are asked to do.’

Why the emphasis on tasks?

“What was different in the four classrooms was what students were actually being asked to do, and the degree to which the teacher was able to engage students in the work by scaffolding their learning up to the complexity of the task she was asking them to do.”

– Richard Elmore

Template Task: An Example

After researching ______(informational texts) on _________(content), write __________ (essay or substitute) that argues your position on____________ (content). Support your position with evidence from your research. L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate, clarify, and support your position.

Template Tasks

All LDC tasks require students to: Read, analyze, and comprehend texts as specified by

the common core

Write products as specified by the common core (focusing on argumentation, informational/explanatory, and narrative)

Apply common core literacy standards to content (ELA, social studies, and/or science)

The tasks are designed to ensure that students receive literacy and content instruction in rigorous academic reading and writing tasks that prepare them for success in college by the end of their high school career.

Template Tasks

Teachers use the template tasks to design their own teaching, starting by selecting:

content standards to address (for example, state science, history, or English standards for the class they are teaching)

texts students will read (or which issues students will research)

the issue students will address in their writing

Template Tasks

Teachers use additional “plug and play” flexibility within the template to adjust:

Task level: Select level 1, 2, or 3 task

Reading requirements: Vary text complexity, genre, length, familiarity, etc.

Writing demands: Vary product, length, etc.

Pacing requirements: Vary workload and time allowed to complete

Here’s How it Plays Out…

After researching academic articles on censorship, write an editorial that argues your position on the use of filters by schools. Support your position with evidence from your research. L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

After researching technical and academic articles on the use of pesticides in agriculture, write a speech that argues your position on its use in managing crop production. Support your position with evidence from your research. L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

Take a Shot at It!

After researching ______(informational texts) on _________(content), write __________ (essay or substitute) that argues your position on____________ (content). Support your position with evidence from your research. L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate, clarify, and support your position.

Connections Across Grade & Content Areas

After researching ______ (informational texts) on ______ (content), write ____ (essay or substitute) that argues your position on ______ (content). Support your position with evidence from your research.

ALI

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cross

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DISTRIBUTION across content areas

LDC Template Task Collection …The first collection with more to come!

Argumentation

Informational or Explanatory

Narrative

Definition N/A ELA, social studies, science N/A

Description N/A ELA, social studies, scienceELA, social

studies

Procedural-Sequential

N/A social studies, scienceELA, social

studies

Synthesis N/A ELA, social studies, science N/A

AnalysisELA, social

studies, scienceELA, social studies, science N/A

ComparisonELA, social

studies, scienceELA, social studies, science N/A

EvaluationELA, social

studies, scienceN/A N/A

Problem/Solution

social studies, science

N/A N/A

Cause/Effectsocial studies,

sciencescience, social studies N/A

ModulesModules wrap a teaching plan around the task.

Modules

Support a system for literacy instruction.

Module templates support practitioners in developing instruction to use over about 2-4 weeks. They support teachers in designing instruction – their choice – focused on guiding students in completing a single literacy task linked to content.

LDC Module Template

Module Section 1: What Task?

What task sets clear, measurable goals for learning?

Practitioners select template Common Core Standards are “hard-

wired” in Practitioners add state/local content

standards Practitioners “plug and play” to build

teaching task Template Task connected to

common rubricTask 2 Template (Argumentation/Analysis L1, L2, L3): [Insert essential question] After reading _____ (literature or informational texts), write an _________(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

Module Section 2: What Skills?

What skills do students need to successfully complete the task?

Practitioners select template Common Core Standards are “hard-

wired” in Practitioners add state/local content

standards Practitioners “plug and play” to build

teaching task Template Task connected to

common rubricTask 2 Template (Argumentation/Analysis L1, L2, L3): [Insert essential question] After reading _____ (literature or informational texts), write an _________(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

Module Section 3: What Instruction?

How will students be taught to succeed on the teaching task?

Skills Cluster 2: Reading ProcessSkill: Essential Vocabulary: Ability to apply strategies for developing an understanding of a text by locating words/phrases that identify key concepts and factsMini-Task: In your notebook, identify key words or phrases as you read and define them denotatively and connotatively in context of the passage in the work you are reading. Add terms we identified as the “language of the discipline.” Scoring Guide: Meets:

Selects appropriate text(s) for task Creates a first draft of a bibliography (if applicable). Writes in readable prose.

Practitioners establish the instructional plan – or instructional ladder – to teach students the skills necessary to succeed on the task

Plan includes mini-tasks, scoring, instructional strategies

Module Section 4: What Results?

How good is good enough?

Under construction!

Practitioners share sample student work

Practitioners select to create classroom assessments by using same template task

Assessment connected to common rubric used for teaching task

Modules

Modules are designed for teachers to share:

With teachers in other schools, districts, and states

Everywhere common core standards are being used

LDC is developing systems for:

Jurying work submitted by participating teachers to identify great modules

Sharing those great modules electronically across the country

CoursesCourses can combine varied modules and varied other kinds of teaching in systematic approaches to building student skills.

LDC Course Options

How might you situate modules….

In science, history, English and other courses Interdisciplinary units or courses (e.g, English

and Social Studies) Combining the core subjects with electives

(e.g., English plus art or science plus health) With reading and writing skills as the main

focus (e.g., English composition or literacy blocks)

LDC Course Options

Imagine how you might sequence two or more modules…

In a unit on _____(the Civil War, earth science, or the novel- pick one)

During a term or semester in ____(English, science, or history – pick one)

In an interdisciplinary unit or course______(English/arts or science/social studies)

LDC Course Options

How might you distribute kinds of modules …

By type: Argumentation, Informational or Explanatory, or Narrative

By template task level 1, 2 or 3

By level of writing difficulty and/or reading difficulty

By product to evidence of learning (e.g., essay, report, article, memo, proposal, etc.)

Where Are We Starting From…

Grade 9 Reading Writing

English Low Low-Medium

U.S. History Low Low

Math Low Low

Science Low Low

PE/Health Low Low

World Language Low Low

Elective Low Low

Elective (Reading) High Low

If students are not proficient when they enter a course, what is the chance that teachers will “stop, drop and

teach them to read and write?”

Where Can We Go?

Reading and writing to develop student success in multiple subjects over multiple years. Think about a semester like this:

Grade 9 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

English Task 2 Task 11

U.S. History Task 2 Task 11

Math

Science Task 2 Task 17

PE/Health Task 17

World Language

Task 1

Elective Task 12

Elective

Now think of replacing grades 6-12 with 28 Quarters like that!

The Sky’s the Limit …

On what we can build. Together.

What are Educators Saying?

Imagine the Possibilities!

By Working Together

The Literacy Design Collaborative