Indicator 2b

Indicator 2h Materials support students in developing their ability to comprehend complex

ideas within and across texts through opportunities to analyze and evaluate

texts.

Scoring

2 points

Materials meet ALL of the

requirements of this indicator.

1 point

Materials DO NOT meet ALL of the

requirements of this indicator.

0 points

Materials DO NOT meet ANY of

the requirements of this indicator.

● Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze key ideas and details (according to grade-level

standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in making meaning.

● Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level

standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in making meaning.

● Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas (according

to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in deepening

their understanding on a topic.

About this indicator:

What is the purpose of this Indicator?

This indicator considers the types of questions, tasks, and assignments that students complete throughout the

program as they interact with texts. Materials should provide opportunities for higher-order thinking skills,

specifically analysis and evaluation, which are essential for deep comprehension of complex ideas. Within the

CCSS, the reading standards are grouped into three different types of analyses that students should be able to

do with texts: analyzing key details and ideas, analyzing craft and structure, as well as analyzing the integration

of knowledge and ideas. Analyzing and evaluating texts enables students to understand not just the

surface-level information but also the underlying themes, concepts, and interconnections between various texts,

leading to a more profound comprehension of the material. Overall, this indicator ensures that the questions,

tasks, and assignments in a program are diversified and require students to implement these varying types of

analyses as they engage with complex texts.

Research or Standards connection:

The Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of using evidence from both literary and

informational texts in reading, writing, and speaking. Rather than relying solely on students' prior knowledge and

experiences, the standards require them to answer questions based on careful reading and analysis of the texts.

The reading standards encourage students to comprehend information, arguments, and details by answering

text-dependent questions that necessitate inferences derived from the texts (Key Shifts in English Language

Arts).

In “Implementing the Common Core State Standards: A Primer on ‘Close Reading of Text',” Brown and Kappes

(2012) provide a definition of Close Reading and explain its importance in developing students' reading

comprehension skills and their ability to analyze complex texts. They argue that close reading is not just an

English language arts strategy, but can be effectively used across all academic disciplines. It also emphasizes

that prior knowledge plays a crucial role in close reading and that teachers must be mindful of this when

planning lessons. Finally, the document outlines key considerations for implementing close reading in practice,

including the importance of situating it within a broader literacy framework, understanding text complexity, and

using text-dependent questions effectively.

In Text-Dependent Questions: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading, Fisher and Frey (2014) provide educators

with strategies for designing effective text-dependent questions that facilitate close and critical reading among

students. The book emphasizes the importance of questions that require students to return to the text for

evidence, thereby deepening their comprehension and analytical skills. Fisher and Frey outline how to craft

questions that address different levels of understanding, from literal comprehension to inferential analysis and

evaluative thinking. They offer practical examples and guidance on implementing these strategies across grade

levels, from K-5 to 6-12, showing how text-dependent questions can enhance students' engagement with

complex texts and support their development as critical thinkers.

Resources:

● CCSS Key Shifts in English Language Arts

● CCSS Appendix A

● CCSS ELA Reading Anchor Standards (p.35)

Indicator 2h Guiding Question:

Do the materials support students in developing their ability to comprehend complex ideas within and across

texts through opportunities to analyze and evaluate texts?

Evidence Collection

Note:

● The first scoring bullet of this indicator attends to the key ideas and details (RI and RL.1-3) of the CCSS.

The second scoring bullet of this indicator attends to craft and structure (RI and RL.4-6) of the CCSS. The

third scoring bullet addresses integration of knowledge and ideas (RI and RL 7-9) of the CCSS.

In the Instructional Materials being reviewed:

● Open the CCSS for Reading and Literature for the appropriate grade-level(s) on the CCSS website.

● Ensure that materials offer activities or questions that require students to identify and discuss the main

ideas, themes, and supporting details of a text.

● Look for questions and tasks that encourage comparison and synthesis of information across multiple

texts, fostering a deeper understanding of texts.

● Check for alignment with grade-level standards, ensuring the complexity and depth of analysis are

appropriate for the students’ developmental stage.

● Review whether the materials prompt students to examine literary elements such as narrative voice, point

of view, and text structure.

● Assess if there are opportunities for students to explore how word choice (including figurative and

connotative meanings), sentence complexity, and paragraph organization impact meaning and tone.

● Look for questions and tasks that support students in understanding the author’s purpose and

perspective, encouraging them to evaluate how structure enhances the text’s meaning.

● Look for tasks that require students to connect ideas within and between texts, such as comparing

arguments, identifying conflicting information, and synthesizing information.

● Evaluate if the materials encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, prompting students to use

evidence from the text to support their analysis and conclusions.

● Review whether materials engage students in interdisciplinary connections, drawing on knowledge from

history, science, or other areas to deepen understanding, when applicable.

Cluster Meeting

Preparing for the cluster meeting:

● Do the materials include activities or questions that require students to identify and discuss the main

ideas, themes, and supporting details of a text? Do the materials include activities or questions that

require students to identify and discuss a text’s main ideas, themes, and supporting details?

● Are there questions and tasks that encourage students to compare and synthesize information across

multiple texts, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the material?

● Are the materials aligned with grade-level standards in terms of complexity and depth of analysis,

ensuring appropriateness for the students’ developmental stage?

● Do the materials prompt students to examine literary elements such as narrative voice, point of view, and

text structure?

● Is there an opportunity for students to explore how word choice (including figurative and connotative

meanings), sentence complexity, and paragraph organization impact meaning and tone?

● Are there questions and tasks that help students understand the author’s purpose and perspective, and

do they encourage evaluation of how structure enhances the text’s meaning?

● Do the materials include tasks that require students to connect ideas within and between texts, such as

comparing arguments, identifying conflicting information, and synthesizing information?

● Do the materials encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, prompting students to use evidence

from the text to support their analysis and conclusions?

● Do the materials engage students in interdisciplinary connections, drawing on knowledge from history,

science, or other areas to deepen understanding when applicable?

During the cluster meeting:

● Share evidence of the indicator.

● Look for and discuss whether the indicator was met fully, partially, or did not meet any scoring bullet in

the scoring section.

● Agree on the final rating.

● Discuss whether the materials include activities or questions that require students to identify and discuss

the main ideas, themes, and supporting details of a text.

● Discuss whether there are questions and tasks that encourage students to compare and synthesize

information across multiple texts, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the material.

● Discuss whether the materials are aligned with grade-level standards in terms of complexity and depth of

analysis, ensuring appropriateness for the students’ developmental stage.

● Discuss whether the materials prompt students to examine literary elements such as narrative voice,

point of view, and text structure.

● Discuss whether there is an opportunity for students to explore how word choice (including figurative and

connotative meanings), sentence complexity, and paragraph organization impact meaning and tone.

● Discuss whether there are questions and tasks that help students understand the author’s purpose and

perspective, and whether they encourage evaluation of how structure enhances the text’s meaning.

● Discuss whether the materials include tasks that require students to connect ideas within and between

texts, such as comparing arguments, identifying conflicting information, and synthesizing information.

● Discuss whether the materials encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, prompting students to use

evidence from the text to support their analysis and conclusions.

● Discuss whether the materials engage students in interdisciplinary connections, drawing on knowledge

from history, science, or other areas to deepen understanding when applicable.

Gateway 2: Comprehension Through Texts,

Questions, and Tasks

Criterion 2.2 Materials include questions, tasks, and assignments that are meaningful,

evidence-based, and support students in making meaning and building

knowledge as they progress toward grade-level mastery of literacy skills.

Materials include clear, explicit instruction guidance for teachers across all

literacy skills.