Sample of new Common Core standards

7th Grade Literacy Common Core Standards

RL 7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Cite textual evidence Support analysis of text Differentiate between implicit and explicit Implicit, explicit, inferences
RL 7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. Determine theme or central idea Analyze theme development over text Provide summary of text Theme, summary
RL 7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot). Analyze interaction of story elements
Craft and Structure
RL 7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. Determine meaning of words and phrases in text Analyze impact rhymes, sound repetitions (poem, story, drama) Figurative, connotative
RL 7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning. Analyze how structure contributes to meaning in drama or poem. Per text such as soliloquy or sonnet
RL 7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. Analyze development of point of view of character or narrator For more complex text, contrast points of view of different characters, narrators
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL 7.7 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film). Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to audio version. Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to filmed/staged version. Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to multimedia version. Multimedia
RL 7.9 Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. Compare and contrast fictional and nonfictional accounts of time period to understand authors use of fiction.

Compare and contrast fictional and nonfictional accounts of time period to understand authors altering of history.
Alternate history
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL 7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Eduhonesty: I’d like to start by saying that standards are essential in education. We must figure out what targets we want to hit in order to plan instruction. States have always had standards. But I have misgivings about the above demands.

What about the low end of the range? What about the many, many American students who are not currently reading close to grade level? What will happen with/to this group?

We are reinventing the wheel here and I would like to observe that the Illinois standards and other state standards covered at least the bulk of these topics. Schools were already creating “Power Standards” to teach in Illinois schools. Power Standards are standards you pick to teach because you can’t possibly teach ALL the standards in one school year.

One of my major complaints with Common Core: It is better to do fewer tasks well than to gloss over the surface of many tasks, barely introducing ideas that are then likely to be forgotten. We only have so much time.

What I expect to happen is further gutting of social studies, science, electives and vocational/technical education (yes, I am fully aware that “vocational” designation is now supposed to have the word “career” in there somewhere) as schools try to get ready for the Common Core language and math tests. If there is not enough time to cover items likely to be on the test — there’s not if you read all the Core standards — then schools will steal the time from somewhere since substantial federal dollars ride on their success.