Essential Understandings About
Rigorous ELA/Literacy
Instruction
Urban Superintendents’ Network Meeting
November 14, 2014
Goals for this session
To establish a shared definition of “a rigorous
ELA/literacy experience for all students;”
To gain a deeper understanding of what rigor
looks like in practice
22
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Part 1: Rigor
Bringing Theory to Practice
Questions from schools and districts
 “What are we asking students to do (to meet
the expectations of the MA Frameworks, MCAS
and PARCC?)”
 “ How do we get everybody (not just ELA)
ready for PARCC?”
 “How do we move from test prep to teaching
kids to think independently?”
44
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
What is rigor?
 rig·ornoun \ˈri-gər\ rigors :the quality or state of
being very exact, careful, or strict.
Also, a condition that makes life difficult…and rigor
mortis
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rigor
Learning in the classroom of accomplished teachers is
“rarely silent and deadening, and it (is) often intense,
buzzing, and risky.”
Hattie, J. 2009. Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to
Achievement. New York: Routledge. p. 26
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
5
Rigor Myths
66
http://www.teachthought.com/learning/7-myths-aboutrigor-in-the-classroom/
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Working Definition
Rigor is the level of engagement, skills and
knowledge needed to successfully meet
challenging expectations.
77
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
New Bloom’s
4 Domains: Factual, Conceptual, Procedural,
Meta-cognitive
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
88
3 Worlds of Learning . . .
Surface - knowledge telling
Deep understanding- thinking skills
Constructing knowledge and
reality
99
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
. . . as reflected in MA
ELA/Literacy Framework
1. Surface – Knowledge
 Key Ideas and Details/Text Types and Purposes
2. Deep(er) understanding – Skillfulness
 Craft and Structure/Production and Distribution
3. Constructing Knowledge – Integration
 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas/Research
To gain independence
10
10
 Range of reading/writing
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
But what does it look like?
11
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
PARCC as one representation of rigor in
the MA ELA/Literacy Framework
12
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Question:
In what ways do the following 3 items from
PARCC represent the rigor of the MA
ELA/Literacy standards?
13
13
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
PARCC – grade 11
Sample Item #7—Part A
In his letter, John Adams tells his wife that “through all the gloom, I
can see the rays of ravishing light and glory.” Which paraphrase
explains what Adams means by this statement?
a) Although I see the gloom (the announcement of
independence), I also see the light and glory (the fighting we
will have to do against Great Britain).
b) Although I see the gloom (the war we must continue to fight), I
also see the light and glory (the complete independence of our
new country from Great Britain).*
c) Although I see the gloom (the disgrace of declaring
independence from Great Britain), I also see the light and glory
(the many causes of the revolution).
d) Although I see the gloom (the hope with which independence
from Great Britain was declared), I also see the light and glory
(the approval of future generations).
14
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
14
Sample Item #7—Part B
Which quotation from the text best reflects the meaning of “through all
the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory”?
a) “You will see in a few days a Declaration setting forth the
causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution, which
will justify it…” (paragraph 1)
b) “…I am surprised at the suddenness as well as greatness of this
revolution.” (paragraph 2)
c) “It is the will of Heaven that the two countries should be
sundered forever. It may be the will of Heaven that America
shall suffer calamities still more wasting, and distresses yet
more dreadful. (paragraph 2)*
15
d) “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding
generations as the great anniversary festival.” (paragraph 5)
15
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Sample Item #10
Both John and Abigail Adams believed strongly in
freedom and independence. However, their letters
suggest that each of them understood these terms
differently based on their experiences.
Write an essay that explains their contrasting views on
the concepts of freedom and independence. In your
essay, make a claim about the idea of freedom and
independence and how John and Abigail Adams add to
that understanding and/or illustrate a
misunderstanding of freedom and independence.
16
Support your response with textual evidence and
inferences drawn from all three sources.
16
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
PARCC and Rigor in MA
ELA/Literacy Framework
1. Surface – Knowledge
 Key Ideas and Details/Text Types and Purposes
 Item 7A –knowledge - paraphrasing
2. Deep(er) understanding – Skillfulness
 Craft and Structure/Production and Distribution
 Item 7B – Understanding-Applying –direct quote
3. Constructing Knowledge – Integration
 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas/Research
 Item 10 –Analyzing, Evaluating – claim/evidence
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
17
17
Part 2: Rigor in the
classroom
How can we support students in meeting
these rigorous expectations?
Video - Background building to…
Lesson 4: Supporting a Thesis with Textual
Evidence from g. 12 Model Unit - Hamlet and
Psychological Criticism
Students develop criteria for the qualities of strong
use of textual evidence. In small groups and then
as a whole class, they use what they have learned
about psychological criticism to analyze the
character Polonius. They develop a thesis
19
statement and use evidence from the text to
support their thesis.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
…Performance Assessment
Summary/Overview g. 12 Hamlet and Psychological Criticism
You are a crime scene investigator who has been charged with
writing a full report on one of the deaths in the royal family or
the nobility in the court of Denmark.
 You may choose to investigate the death of Prince Hamlet,
Queen Gertrude, King Claudius, Laertes, or Ophelia.
 The records show how they died – but why did they die? How
did their beliefs and desires – conscious or unconscious – lead
to their deaths?
 Your evidence should come from Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, 20
from what others have written about the characters, and from
your research and knowledge of psychological criticism.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Video - rigor in the classroom
Model Curriculum Unit Project –
 View the video of one lesson from the grade 12 unit
Hamlet and Psychological Criticism - English/Literacy
High School 9-12 (from Chris Wright’s classroom, Everett High
School)
 Practice “close watching” to respond to:
What evidence do you see of rigorous content,
skills and instruction?
This video and others are available at the Model Curriculum Unit file
page: http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/model/files.html
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
21
21
Rigor in the Classroom
1. Surface – Knowledge
 Key Ideas and Details/Text Types and Purposes
 eg. Research on definition of psych. terms
2. Deep(er) understanding – Skillfulness
 Craft and Structure/Production and Distribution
 eg. Analysis of text; seeking evidence
3. Constructing Knowledge – Integration
 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas/Research
 eg. Analyze, Evaluate, Create – create,
defend thesis with strategic quotes
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
22
22
It’s not that surface knowledge is
necessarily bad and that deep
knowledge is essentially good. It’s
about balance… so that students
become “teachers of their own
learning.”
Paraphrased from Hattie, J. 2009. p. 29
23
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Questions, comments, or requests
Dave Buchanan
781-338-6235
dbuchanan@doe.mass.edu
24
24
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education