Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at Work?, Grades 6-8

Explore strategies for integrating the Common Core State Standards for English language arts for grades 6-8 in this resource, which focuses on areas of instruction, curriculum, assessment, and intervention. You'll also learn how to implement the CCSS within the powerful PLC at Work™ process. Critical chapter-opening questions guide discussion and help you leverage the CCSS to optimize student learning.

Benefits:

• Master the CCSS for English language arts, and develop common understandings to strengthen instructional practice.
• Learn the five fundamental shifts in literacy instruction necessary to enhance students' language development.
• Plan successful collaborative team meetings with a variety of reproducibles to examine the standards.
• Gain tools to reflect on and assess students' knowledge and understanding of writing, reading, speaking and listening, and using language.
• Obtain sample student activities and peer response forms for individual and group work.
• Discover how to use the CCSS to support English learners and students with special needs.
• Develop high-quality formative and summative assessment strategies, including tasks for speaking and listening, questioning, writing, designing projects and presentations, and giving feedback.
• Move learners through important writing stages--novice (emergent) to mature (self-extending).

Contents:
Chapter 1: Using Collaborative Teams for English Language Arts
Chapter 2: Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Reading
Chapter 3: Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Writing
Chapter 4: Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Speaking and Listening and for Language
Chapter 5: Implementing Formative Assessments to Guide Instruction and Intervention

Dr. Fisher received an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award for his work on literacy leadership. For his work as co-director of the City Heights Professional Development Schools, Dr. Fisher received the Christa McAuliffe award. He was co-recipient of the Farmer Award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English for the article, Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School, published in The English Journal.

Dr. Fisher has written numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design. His books include Creating Literacy-Rich Schools for Adolescents, Checking for Understanding, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, and Content-Area Conversations.

He earned a bachelor's degree in communication, a master's degree in public health, an executive master's degree in business, and a doctoral degree in multicultural education. Dr. Fisher completed post-doctoral study at the National Association of State Boards of Education focused on standards-based reforms.

Nancy Frey, PhD, is a professor of literacy in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Through the university's teacher-credentialing and reading specialist programs, she teaches courses on elementary and secondary reading instruction and literacy in content areas, classroom management, and supporting students with diverse learning needs. Dr. Frey also teaches classes at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego. She is a board member of the California Reading Association and a credentialed special educator and reading specialist in California.

Before joining the university faculty, Dr. Frey was a public school teacher in Florida. She worked at the state level for the Florida Inclusion Network helping districts design systems for supporting students with disabilities in general education classrooms. She is the recipient of the 2008 Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference and the Christa McAuliffe Award for excellence in teacher education from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She was corecipient of the Farmer Award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English for the article 'Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School.'

Dr. Frey is coauthor of Checking for Understanding, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, and Content-Area Conversations. She has written articles for The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, The English Journal, Voices in the Middle, Middle School Journal, Remedial and Special Education, and Educational Leadership.