Standards shift attention towards text 
     and away from skills
     •
          Since 2010, most states embraced the idea of 
          teaching students to read “complex text”
     •   They set levels of text students are to learn to    
         read in grades 2-12) 
     •   This is in stark contrast to past standards that          
         emphasized the learning of reading skills alone 
         without attention to text
   Reasons for the shift to an emphasis on 
     text complexity
     •
          Studies showing that students can’t read the  
          required texts when they leave high school   
          (Achieve, 2015; Military Officers Association of 
          America, 2018; Nale, et al., 1998; Williamson,  
          2006; Workforce Readiness Project, 2006) 
     •   Schools teach kids with below grade level texts 
         (Shanahan, 2013; Griffith & Duffett, 2018)
     Standards assign higher difficulty levels in grades 2-
     12
     • ATOS, Degrees of Reading Power, Flesch-Kincaid, Lexiles, 
       Reading Maturity, Source Rater
     • Set higher than in the past” (75-89% comprehension to ???)
                  Grades         Lexile Bands     CCSS Bands
                    K-1              N/A               N/A
                    2-3           450L-730L         420L-820L
                    4-5           640L-850L        740L-1010L
                    6-8           860L-1010L       925L-1185L
                    9-10          960L-1120L      1050L-1335L
                  11-CCR         1070L-1220L       1185L-1385L
    Standards assign higher difficulty levels in 
    grades 2-12
    • ATOS, Degrees of Reading Power, Flesch-Kincaid, Lexiles, 
     Reading Maturity, Source Reader
    • Set higher than in the past” (but not in grades K-1)
                          Flesch-          The Lexile
                          Kincaid         Framework®
                          1.98 –5.34       420 – 820
          2nd – 3rd
                          4.51 –7.73       740 – 1010
          4th – 5th
                         6.51 –10.34       925 – 1185
          6th – 8th
                         8.32 –12.12      1050 – 1335
          9th – 10th
                         10.34 –14.2      1185 – 1385
         11th –CCR
      Clarification: “Text complexity” carries 
       two meanings in standards
         •  Content/thematic sophistication
         •  Language complexity
         •  Both have to be honored