Transformational Literacy: Making the Common Core Shift with Work That Matters

The ELA skills prioritized by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) demand different cognitive capacities in students and different instructional approaches by teachers. In a study published in Educational Researcher, Andrew Porter from the University of Pennsylvania compared the CCSS to state standards from a range of states; his team concluded that the CCSS were dramatically different from current state standards, the most powerful change being an increase in higher order cognitive demand for students. The big challenge for schools implementing the CCSS is not tweaking state standards at grade levels, but a whole different set of teaching practices that build higher order thinking and work in students. Drawing on its 20-year history of building independence, responsibility and student-ownership of learning, Expeditionary Learning has an important role to play in helping teachers make the instructional shifts necessary to build these skills in students. From its Outward Bound roots to its recent focus on student-engaged assessment, the EL model has been centered on imbuing students with responsibility for their growth, active and engaging pedagogy, and relevant curriculum that motivates students to do more than they think possible.  This book focuses on the instructional shifts required to help students meet the rigorous new literacy standards of the Common Core. The authors explore common misconceptions about the Common Core and provide practical guidance to teachers and school leaders seeking to implement the CCSS through relevant and engaging classroom practices. Filled with case studies, resources, and high quality videos of master teachers at work, the book will offer educators a vision of the Common Core at its best.