School leaders will be able to explain how UDL/UBD/ and DI work together in curriculum design.
Principals will learn features of text complexity and practice critiquing text selections using the EngageNY modules and additional texts.

Curriculum Development Workshop: Creating a Stable Foundation

Curriculum Development Workshop: Developing Text Sets

Leaders Critique Curriculum

Analyzing text complexity requires quantitative and qualitative measures as well as attention to task and reader.

Features of text complexity can be determined using rubrics for informational and literary text.
March 2015 —Page 1
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New York State Common Core
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of this session?

Leaders will be able to lead professional conversations with teachers and coaches around text complexity.

Leaders will be able to identify features of appropriately complex texts.
How will we know that they are able to do this?
Aligned Survey Question:
Which of the following statements about leading professional conversations about text complexity are true?
A. Quantitative measures of text complexity generally measure measures of word difficulty (frequency, length) and sentence length.
B. Text complexity is accurately determined by quantitative measures.
C. Reader and task play a role in determining the complexity of a text.
D. Qualitative analysis of informational and literary texts can be completed most consistently through the use of rubrics.
March 2015 —Page 2
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New York State Common Core
Section
Introduction
Time
3 min
Think!
What is Text
Complexity?
How do we
Determine Text
Complexity
(Quantitative)?
How do we
Determine
Complexity in Literary
Texts (Qualitative)?
10 min
20 min
3 min
7 min
Overview
In this section, participants will receive an introduction to the session and session objectives.
In this section, participants will participate in an activity to stimulate thoughts on text complexity.
In this section, participants will learn text complexity as described in CCSS Appendix A and understand the importance this knowledge plays in thier role as a leader.
In this section, participants will learn what quantitative measures of text complexity are and some tools for measuring.
In this section, participants will learn to use a rubric to complete a qualitative analysis of literary text complexity.
Prepared Resources

Session PPT

Quotes







Session PPT
Quotes
Session PPT

CCSS Appendix A pages
4 –9
What is Text Complexity? note catcher
Session PPT
Session PPT
Qualitative Analysis of
Text Complexity Rubric
(literary)
Facilitator Preparation

Download and review all session materials.




Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
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New York State Common Core
Using the Rubric
Example(s):
Literature
Practice
How do we
Determine
Complexity in
Informational Text
(Qualitative)?
Using the Rubric
Example(s):
Informational
25 min
10 min
7 min
15 min
In this section, participants will practice using rubric to complete a qualitative analysis of literary text complexity.

Session PPT

Blank Rubric
 “On the Rainy River” from
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
 “The Red Convertible” from The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich

Session PPT

Homework
In this section, participants will practice using rubric to complete a qualitative analysis of literary text complexity.
In this section, you participants learn to use a rubric to complete a qualitative analysis of informational text complexity.

Session PPT

Qualitative Analysis of
Text Complexity Rubric
(informational)
In this section, participants will practice using rubric to complete a qualitative analysis of informational text complexity.

Session PPT
Texts from Lesson 10.2.1
 “Letter from Birmingham
Jail” by Martin Luther
King, Jr.
 “In This Blind Alley” by
Ahmad Shamlu

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
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New York State Common Core
Practice
Reader and Task
Considerations
Wrap-up – How to support teachers
10 min
30 min
20 min
160 min
In this section, participants will practice using rubric to complete a qualitative analysis of informational text complexity.
In this section, participants will review sample performance tasks and learn how reader and task impacts text complexity.
In this section, participants will plan next steps for supporting teachers to appropriately gauge text complexity.
Total for this session
 “Freedom” by
Rabindranath Tagore
 “Women” by Alice Walker


Session PPT
Homework

Session PPT

Sugar Changed the
World “Satyagraha” (pp.
121 –126)

Curriculum – 9.4.1
Lesson 22 Pages 1, 5 –10

Performance Tasks
CCSS Appendix B

Text Complexity and
Task Considerations
–
Sample Performance
Tasks Activity

Write Performance task based on lesson and text

Session PPT

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.

Position mic runners at various spots around the room for report out.
March 2015 —Page 5
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New York State Common Core
Section: Introduction
In this section, you will receive an introduction to the session.
Slide Time Picture
1 2 min
Materials used include: Session PPT
Script/Activity Directions
Welcome participants to this session.
March 2015 —Page 6
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
2 1 min
Script/Activity Directions
Tell participants the objectives of the session:

Leaders will be able to lead professional conversations with teachers and coaches around text complexity.

Leaders will be able to identify features of appropriately complex text
Total
Time:
3 min
Section: Think!
In this section, participants will participate in an activity to stimulate thoughts on text complexity.
Materials used include: Session PPT, Quotes
March 2015 —Page 7
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New York State Common Core
3 10 min
Ask participants to review the following quotes and find a connection to text complexity. Participants discuss and share at table groups and report one to whole group.
Quotes and possible responses:
 “If you're not confused, you're not paying attention.” ― Tom Peters,
Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution
Students should be engaged in productive struggle when working with complex text, especially a new text. If they are not challenged regularly, they will not be prepared for more challenging text when it appears.
 “I never knew anybody . . . who found life simple. I think a life or a time looks simple when you leave out the details.” ― Ursula K. Le
Guin, The Birthday of the World and Other Stories
Students can sometimes get through complex texts, but do not fully engage in the text if they are missing details.
 “Simplicities are enormously complex. Consider the sentence "I love you".” ― Richard O. Moore, Writing the Silences
Complex texts require students to interact, understand context, analyze interpretations, etc.
 “It's simple, it's not that simple; or life is simple, but the things in it are not. When a man does not understand it, he tends to inflate it.
When he does, he tends to deflate it. In the end, neither images are fully accurate.” ― Criss Jami, Killosophy
March 2015 —Page 8
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New York State Common Core
Even if a text appears simple by quantitative measures, it may not be. If it is not fully understood, the significance may be filled with unintended meaning. However if the reader takes the meaning in a literal way, there is no true understanding.
Total time:
10 min
Section: What is Text Complexity?
In this section, participants will learn text complexity as described in CCSS
Appendix A.
Materials used include: Session PPT, CCSS Appendix A (pages
4 –9), What is Text Complexity? (activity)
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New York State Common Core
4 2 min
Briefly explain the measures of text complexity written on the slide, including quantitative, qualitative, and impact of reader and task.
March 2015 —Page 10
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New York State Common Core
5 18 min
Total time:
20 min
Provide participants with copies of CCSS Appendix A, pages 4 –9 and What is Text Complexity note catcher.
Ask participants to read and annotate CCSS Appendix A, pages 4 –9 independently, focusing on the key points of the following: (8 –10 min)

Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity

Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity

Reader and Task Considerations
Ask participants to discuss their annotations in their table groups and record key points on note catcher. (4 –5 min)
Ask table groups to discuss the following questions and share with whole group:

As a leader, which measure of text complexity is your primary focus? Why?

As a leader, why is it critical that you understand how to determine text complexity?
Responses should include conversation about the use in planning, supporting curriculum development, pre-observation conferences, and observations.
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New York State Common Core
Section: How do we Determine Text Complexity (Quantitative)?
In this section, participants will learn what quantitative measures of text complexity are and some tools for measuring.
Slide Time Picture
6 2 min
Materials used include: Session PPT
Script/Activity Directions
Remind participants that these features of quantitative text complexity were discussed in previous NTI, ensuring the following points were discussed about quantitative measures

The quantitative dimension of text complexity refers to those aspects that are difficult for a human reader to evaluate when examining a text.

These factors are more efficiently measured by computer programs.

Quantitative measures of text complexity generally measure measures of word difficulty (frequency, length) and sentence length.

Some metrics add other features of words, sentence syntax, and text cohesion, creating a broader range of text and linguistic measures.
March 2015 —Page 12
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
7 1 min
Script/Activity Directions
Direct participants to slide 7. Remind participants of the tools provided as examples at previous NIT. The examples on the screen are tools used to determine text complexity in terms of quantitative characteristics and important for leaders to understand when reviewing teacher selected texts.
Total time:
3 min
Section: How do we Determine Complexity in Literary Texts? (Qualitative)
In this section, participants will learn to use rubrics to complete a qualitative Materials used include: Session PPT, Qualitative Analysis of Text analysis of literary text complexity. Complexity Rubric (literature), Texts:
• “On the Rainy River” from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• “The Red Convertible” from The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich
March 2015 —Page 13
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
8 7 min
Script/Activity Directions
Provide participants with copies of Qualitative Analysis of Text Complexity
Rubric (literature). Ask participants to read each rubric independently and then discuss in table groups using the following guiding questions:

What key differences do you find as you move from most to least complex texts?

What impact does text complexity have on instruction? Scaffolding?

Where, how, and by whom do you see this rubric used currently?
March 2015 —Page 14
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
9 25 min
Script/Activity Directions
Practice using Rubric:
 Provide participants with copies of “On the Rainy River” from The
Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien or “The Red Convertible” from
The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich.

Tell participants they will be completing one of the rubrics for the provided text. Ask participants to read the text and complete the rubric, citing evidence for the choices they select.

Ask participants to share rubric ratings and discuss in table groups using the following guiding questions:
Why did you select the rating?
What evidence backs the selected rating?

Facilitate whole group share out/discussion
Provide participants with another blank rubric and allow time for completing with a chosen text (homework assignment)
Total time:
10 min
42 min
Section: How do we Determine Complexity in Informational Texts? (Qualitative)
In this section, you will learn to use rubrics to complete a qualitative analysis of informational text complexity.
Materials used include: Session PPT, Qualitative Analysis of Text
Complexity Rubric (informational)
March 2015 —Page 15
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
7 min
Texts from Lesson 10.2.1:
• “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “In This Blind Alley” by Ahmad Shamlu
• “Freedom” by Rabindranath Tagore
• “Women” by Alice Walker
• Homework
Script/Activity Directions
Provide participants with copies of Qualitative Analysis of Text Complexity
Rubric (informational). Ask participants to read each rubric independently and then discuss in table groups using the following guiding questions:

What key differences do you find as you move from most to least complex?

What impact does text complexity have on instruction? Scaffolding?

Who, how, and when do you see this rubric used?

How does it differ from the literary rubric?
March 2015 —Page 16
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
10 15 min
Total time:
10 min
32 min
March 2015 —Page 17
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Script/Activity Directions
Practice using Rubric:

Provide participants with copies of
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“In This Blind Alley” by Ahmad Shamlu
“Freedom” by Rabindranath Tagore
“Women” by Alice Walker

Assign a number 1 –4 to each participant to determine which text they will read. Ask participants to read the text and complete the rubric, citing evidence for the choices they select.

Ask participants to share rubric ratings and discuss in table groups using the following guiding questions: o Why did you select the rating? o What evidence backs the selected rating?

Ask participants to group according to text read and continue discussion with the same guiding questions.
Provide participants with another blank rubric and allow time for completing with a chosen text (homework assignment)

New York State Common Core
Section: Reader and Task Considerations
In this section, you will review sample performance tasks and learn how reader and task impacts text complexity.
Materials used include: Session PPT, Sugar Changed the World
“Satyagraha” (pp. 121–126), Curriculum – 9.4.1 Lesson 22 Pages 1,
5-10, Performance Tasks CCSS Appendix B
Slide Time Picture
11 10min
Script/Activity Directions
Ask participants to think about factors that impact text complexity that have not yet been discussed and share with table group.
Provide participants with Performance Tasks CCSS Appendix B (Grades 9-
10, 11-112) and ask them to read independently. Ask participants to discuss briefly why performance tasks are important.
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New York State Common Core
Slide
12
Time
20min
Picture Script/Activity Directions
Provide participants with a copy of
Sugar Changed the World “Satyagraha”
(pp. 121
–126) and 9.4.1 Lesson 22 (Pages 1, 5-10)
Ask participants to read the text and lesson (Activity 3), noting the impact the activity has on the complexity of the text.
Ask participants to discuss in table groups using the following guiding questions:

How does the text support the assigned task and questions?

Could you write a performance task based on the text and the tasks in the lesson? Give an example.
Provide participants with Sample Performance Tasks Activity and ask them to work collaboratively with table group to write a performance task based on the lesson and text.
Total time:
30 min
Section: Supporting teachers with critiquing text complexity
In this section, participants will wrap up and plan next steps for supporting teachers.
Materials used include: Session PPT
March 2015 —Page 19
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New York State Common Core
Slide Time Picture
13 20 min
Total time:
20 min
March 2015 —Page 20
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Script/Activity Directions
Lead group wrap up and asks participants to discuss and note the following:

What are the immediate and long term needs?

What are your priorities for implementation?

What steps will you take to support teachers with understanding text complexity?

New York State Common Core

Session PowerPoint

CCSS Appendix A pages 4-9

What is Text Complexity?

Qualitative Analysis of Text Complexity Rubric

9.4.1 Lesson 22 (Pages 1, 5-10)

Performance Tasks CCSS Appendix B

Sample Performance Tasks Activity
March 2015 —Page 21
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