Clancy  Ratliff  Alignment  of  WPA  Outcomes  Statement  and  Common  Core  State  Standards  for  English  Language  Arts  (Grades  11-­‐12,  College  and  Career  Readiness)         WPA  Outcomes  Statement  

for  First-­‐Year  Writing  Common  Core  State  Standards  for  11th-­‐12th  grade  English  Language  Arts  

Rhetorical  Knowledge  

Focus  on  a  purpose   Produce  clear  and  coherent  writing  in  which  the  development,  organization,  and  style  are  appropriate  to  task,  purpose,  and  audience.  

  Respond  to  the  needs  of  different  audiences  

Develop  claim(s)  and  counterclaims  fairly  and  thoroughly,  supplying  the  most  relevant  evidence  for  each  while  pointing  out  the  strengths  and  limitations  of  both  in  a  manner  that  anticipates  the  audience’s  knowledge  level,  concerns,  values,  and  possible  biases.  

  Respond  appropriately  to  different  kinds  of  rhetorical  situations  

 

  Use  conventions  of  format  and  structure  appropriate  to  the  rhetorical  situation  

Establish  and  maintain  a  formal  style  and  objective  tone  while  attending  to  the  norms  and  conventions  of  the  discipline  in  which  they  are  writing.  

  Adopt  appropriate  voice,  tone,  and  level  of  formality  

  Understand  how  genres  shape  reading  and  writing  

 

  Write  in  several  genres    Critical  Thinking,  Reading,  and  Writing  

Use  writing  and  reading  for  inquiry,  learning,  thinking,  and  communicating  

Conduct  short  as  well  as  more  sustained  research  projects  to  answer  a  question  (including  a  self-­‐generated  question)  or  solve  a  problem;  narrow  or  broaden  the  inquiry  when  appropriate;  synthesize  multiple  sources  on  the  subject,  demonstrating  understanding  of  the  subject  

under  investigation.     Understand  a  writing  

assignment  as  a  series  of  tasks,  including  finding,  evaluating,  analyzing,  and  synthesizing  appropriate  primary  and  secondary  sources  

Gather  relevant  information  from  multiple  authoritative  print  and  digital  sources,  using  advanced  searches  effectively;  assess  the  strengths  and  limitations  of  each  source  in  terms  of  the  task,  purpose,  and  audience;  integrate  information  into  the  text  selectively  to  maintain  the  flow  of  ideas,  avoiding  plagiarism  and  overreliance  on  any  one  source  and  following  a  standard  format  for  citation.  

  Integrate  their  own  ideas  with  those  of  others  

  Understand  the  relationships  among  language,  knowledge,  and  power  

 

Processes   Be  aware  that  it  usually  takes  multiple  drafts  to  create  and  complete  a  successful  text  

Develop  and  strengthen  writing  as  needed  by  planning,  revising,  editing,  rewriting,  or  trying  a  new  approach,  focusing  on  addressing  what  is  most  significant  for  a  specific  purpose  and  audience.  

  Develop  flexible  strategies  for  generating,  revising,  editing,  and  proof-­‐reading  

  Understand  writing  as  an  open  process  that  permits  writers  to  use  later  invention  and  re-­‐thinking  to  revise  their  work  

  Understand  the  collaborative  and  social  aspects  of  writing  processes  

Use  technology,  including  the  Internet,  to  produce,  publish,  and  update  individual  or  shared  writing  products  in  response  to  ongoing  feedback,  including  new  arguments  or  information.  

  Learn  to  critique  their  own  and  others'  works  

  Learn  to  balance  the  advantages  of  relying  on  others  with  the  responsibility  of  doing  their  part  

  Use  a  variety  of  technologies  to  address  a  range  of  audiences  

Knowledge  of  Conventions  

Learn  common  formats  for  different  kinds  of  texts  

 

  Develop  knowledge  of  genre  conventions  ranging  from  

Use  precise  language,  domain-­‐specific  vocabulary,  and  

structure  and  paragraphing  to  tone  and  mechanics  

techniques  such  as  metaphor,  simile,  and  analogy  to  manage  the  complexity  of  the  topic.  Use  appropriate  and  varied  transitions  and  syntax  to  link  the  major  sections  of  the  text,  create  cohesion,  and  clarify  the  relationships  among  complex  ideas  and  concepts.  

  Practice  appropriate  means  of  documenting  their  work  

 

  Control  such  surface  features  as  syntax,  grammar,  punctuation,  and  spelling.  

Use  words,  phrases,  and  clauses  as  well  as  varied  syntax  to  link  the  major  sections  of  the  text,  create  cohesion,  and  clarify  the  relationships  between  claim(s)  and  reasons,  between  reasons  and  evidence,  and  between  claim(s)  and  counterclaims.  

Composing  in  Electronic  Environments  

Use  electronic  environments  for  drafting,  reviewing,  revising,  editing,  and  sharing  texts  

Use  technology,  including  the  Internet,  to  produce,  publish,  and  update  individual  or  shared  writing  products  in  response  to  ongoing  feedback,  including  new  arguments  or  information.  

  Locate,  evaluate,  organize,  and  use  research  material  collected  from  electronic  sources,  including  scholarly  library  databases;  other  official  databases  (e.g.,  federal  government  databases);  and  informal  electronic  networks  and  internet  sources  

Write  informative/explanatory  texts  to  examine  and  convey  complex  ideas,  concepts,  and  information  clearly  and  accurately  through  the  effective  selection,  organization,  and  analysis  of  content.  

  Understand  and  exploit  the  differences  in  the  rhetorical  strategies  and  in  the  affordances  available  for  both  print  and  electronic  composing  processes  and  texts  

 

Common  Core  State  Standards  

Introduce  precise,  knowledgeable  claim(s),  establish  the  significance  of  the  claim(s),  distinguish  the  claim(s)  from  

that  have  no  clear  counterpart  in  the  WPA  Outcomes  

alternate  or  opposing  claims,  and  create  an  organization  that  logically  sequences  claim(s),  counterclaims,  reasons,  and  evidence.  

  Provide  a  concluding  statement  or  section  that  follows  from  and  supports  the  argument  presented.  

  Introduce  a  topic;  organize  complex  ideas,  concepts,  and  information  so  that  each  new  element  builds  on  that  which  precedes  it  to  create  a  unified  whole;  include  formatting  (e.g.,  headings),  graphics  (e.g.,  figures,  tables),  and  multimedia  when  useful  to  aiding  comprehension.  

  Provide  a  concluding  statement  or  section  that  follows  from  and  supports  the  information  or  explanation  presented  (e.g.,  articulating  implications  or  the  significance  of  the  topic).  

  Write  narratives  to  develop  real  or  imagined  experiences  or  events  using  effective  technique,  well-­‐chosen  details,  and  well-­‐structured  event  sequences.  

  Engage  and  orient  the  reader  by  setting  out  a  problem,  situation,  or  observation  and  its  significance,  establishing  one  or  multiple  point(s)  of  view,  and  introducing  a  narrator  and/or  characters;  create  a  smooth  progression  of  experiences  or  events.  

  Use  narrative  techniques,  such  as  dialogue,  pacing,  description,  reflection,  and  multiple  plot  lines,  to  develop  experiences,  events,  and/or  characters.  

  Use  a  variety  of  techniques  to  sequence  events  so  that  they  build  on  one  another  to  create  a  coherent  whole  and  build  toward  a  particular  tone  and  outcome  (e.g.,  a  sense  of  mystery,  suspense,  growth,  or  resolution).  

  Use  precise  words  and  phrases,  telling  details,  and  sensory  language  to  convey  a  vivid  picture  of  the  experiences,  events,  setting,  and/or  characters.  

  Provide  a  conclusion  that  follows  from  and  reflects  on  what  is  experienced,  observed,  or  resolved  over  the  course  of  the  narrative.  

  Write  routinely  over  extended  time  frames  (time  for  research,  reflection,  and  revision)  and  shorter  time  frames  (a  single  sitting  or  a  day  or  two)  for  a  range  of  tasks,  purposes  

  Write  arguments  to  support  claims  in  an  analysis  of  substantive  topics  or  texts,  using  valid  reasoning  and  relevant  and  sufficient  evidence.  

     

Immediate  impressions  of  the  differences  between  the  CCSS  and  the  WPA  OS:    1. Contexts  are  emphasized  more  in  the  WPA  OS.  School  (academic  writing)  is  

assumed  to  be  the  major  or  only  context  in  the  CCSS.  The  WPA  OS  has  the  outcome  “Respond  appropriately  to  different  kinds  of  rhetorical  situations,”  and  there  isn’t  anything  in  the  CCSS  that  captures  that  outcome.  Another  bit  of  evidence  is  the  critical  pedagogy-­‐informed  outcome  “Understand  the  relationships  among  language,  knowledge,  and  power”  from  the  WPA  OS,  which  also  has  no  counterpart  in  the  CCSS.  Same  with  the  WPA  OS  outcome  “Understand  and  exploit  the  differences  in  the  rhetorical  strategies  and  in  the  affordances  available  for  both  print  and  electronic  composing  processes  and  texts.”  

2. Genres  are  treated  differently  in  the  two  sets  of  outcomes.  The  CCSS  makes  no  mention  of  the  term  “genre,”  but  rather  seems  to  follow  the  outdated,  discredited  model  of  “the  modes,”  exposition,  description,  narration,  and  argument  (EDNA).  Outcomes  are  neatly  divided  into  “arguments,”  “informative/explanatory  texts,”  and  “narratives.”  The  WPA  OS  doesn’t  define  “genre”  as  they’re  using  it,  but  it’s  safe  to  assume  they  mean  different  texts  like  proposals,  letters  to  the  editor,  op-­‐ed  pieces,  white  papers,  abstracts,  recommendation  letters,  minutes  of  meetings,  etc.    

3. The  CCSS  devote  much  more  attention  to  issues  of  organization:  introductions,  transitions,  conclusions.  They  have  specific  outcomes  devoted  to  these.  Presumably  the  WPA  OS  understands  organization  as  implicit  in  rhetorical  strategies  for  particular  audiences.    

4. The  CCSS  has  a  section  of  outcomes  devoted  to  narrative:  literary  techniques  for  fiction  and  nonfiction.    

5. Going  back  for  a  moment  to  the  “power”  outcome  in  the  WPA  statement,  in  the  CCSS  introduction  (not  part  of  the  standards  themselves),  this  description  is  given  for  “college-­‐  and  career-­‐ready”  students:    

Students  appreciate  that  the  twenty-­‐first-­‐century  classroom  and  workplace  are  settings  in  which  people  from  often  widely  divergent  cultures  and  who  represent  diverse  experiences  and  perspectives  must  learn  and  work  together.  Students  actively  seek  to  understand  other  perspectives  and  cultures  through  reading  and  listening,  and  they  are  able  to  communicate  effectively  with  people  of  varied  backgrounds.  They  evaluate  other  points  of  view  critically  and  constructively.  Through  reading  great  classic  and  contemporary  works  of  literature  representative  of  a  variety  of  periods,  cultures,  and  worldviews,  students  can  vicariously  inhabit  worlds  and  have  experiences  much  different  than  their  own.  

By  eliding  the  issue  of  power,  the  CCSS  suggests  that  everyone  has  equal  status  and  is  in  an  equally  strong  position  from  which  to  evaluate  and  critique.  I  think  this  is  naive  and  a  copout.    

   

Comparison  of  Categories  in  WPA  OS  and  CCSS      The  alignment  I  did  was  oriented  toward  the  WPA  OS  –  it  was  for  people  who  are  familiar  with  the  WPA  OS  and  used  its  categories,  which  are  in  the  far  left  column.  The  CCSS  outcomes  are  also  in  categories,  and  I  think  it’s  important  to  compare  these:    WPA  Outcomes  Statement  Categories  

Common  Core  State  Standards  Categories  

Rhetorical  Knowledge   Text  Types  and  Purposes  Critical  Thinking,  Reading,  and  Writing   Production  and  Distribution  of  Writing  Processes   Research  to  Build  and  Present  Knowledge  Knowledge  of  Conventions   Range  of  Writing  Composing  in  Electronic  Environments