Exploring Quality Language Arts Instruction in a Common Core Era

• In Event: How Can We Improve Literacy Education?

Abstract

With the introduction of CCSS, teachers need more support to shift their instructional practice to reflect these standards. Classroom observational tools can provide teachers with information about CCSS-aligned teaching so that they can better understand how to help all students meet these standards. To date, none of the existing language arts tools have been adapted to examine CCSS-aligned instruction. This study introduces the IPRT-ELA, a newly developed tool that focuses on text-based instruction. In 2016-2018, the authors applied the IPRT-ELA and CLASS, a content-generic tool, to 611 language arts lessons from upper elementary school teachers. Results suggest that teachers were more likely to engage in text-based instruction when they used complex texts or if they managed their classrooms more efficiently.

Authors

• Julie Jackson Cohen, University of Virginia

• Erik Ruzek, NWEA

• Rosalie Hiuyan Chung, Harvard University

• Emily Wiseman, University of Virginia