[CALIBK12] CA State Standards - Bibliographic Citation Questions

Mon Jul 9 18:20:57 PDT 2007

Dear Barbara,

Thank you so much for your informative, carefully thought-out reply. As soon as I heard from you, I thought, "Duh! Why didn't I write Barbara in the first place? Of course, she's the best source for information and insight regarding my concern!" When I communicated with the CDE, the representative from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program for English-Language Arts gave me the contact information I included in my post. I'm so glad to learn that those contacts do not have the legislative authority to change the Standards, nor does any other entity. I hope Sacramento gets that one figured out soon. As times change, the Standards will need to be modified.

In the meantime, you're right: we need to teach the Standards as written to help our students do well on the CA Standardized Tests (CSTs). I am familiar with all the standards and know the ELA and History-Social Science standards for grades 7-8 inside and out. I have also administered some of the CSTs over the years, but it wasn't until recently that I actually read each of the questions on two given ELA CSTs. I was surprised to see questions such as the one pasted below, because I never realized that such intricate details as the ones called for in the example would be included on a Grade 7 CST. 

I do teach our 7th grade students how to create in-text citations correctly (and repeat that instruction for 8th graders), but I still have my doubts if many of them can recall exactly how to do them when it comes time to take the ELA CST near year's end. As long as the CSTs call for recollection of exacting specifics, we'll need to encourage our students to memorize rules that in the past we may have put less emphasis on, telling students that such rules can easily be looked up and referred to when needed. I will definitely be changing my tune come September.

Thank you again, Barbara, for your time and expertise. I'm so glad you are in Sacramento representing California's K-12 library educators. You and CSLA work hard in your efforts to make California school library programs exemplary and accessible to all CA students. I speak for many when I say I appreciate you.

Grade 7 ELA CST Example:

About one month after the test run, the Clay Street Hill line opened for public use. (Kessler 21)
What is the correct way to punctuate the in-text citation?

A use (Kessler, 21)
B use. (Kessler, 21)
C use (Kessler 21).
D use. (Kessler 21).

Vickie Rabourn
Los Osos Middle School Library Media Teacher
San Luis Coastal USD
San Luis Obispo County, CA

"And he reads to them, as he does every night, 
as if watering them, as if turning earth at their feet."
                                                       --James Salter             

>>> "Barbara Jeffus" <BJeffus at cde.ca.gov> 6/1/2007 5:26 PM >>>
Vickie and all,

Vickie raises a very interesting concern; however, writing letters to the two groups she suggests will not work. Let me tell you why and then I will suggest an alternate approach. 

HOW STATE STANDARDS ARE DEVELOPED
First, who has the ability to change or update the California content standards? That's a big question and has been since the various commissions originally developed the standards. Since the State Board adopted each commission's work, the legislature has looked into how to make changes. No related bill has made it through the legislative process thus no changes have been made to the standards. Neither of the offices mentioned below has the power to make changes to standards without legislative authority. 

TEACHING TO THE STANDARDS
In a standards world, we're supposed to be teaching to the standards rather than making the standards reflect the way we teach.  A quick pass through the English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools revealed the following standards that deal with bibliographic citations. To get to the number of questions on a standard in the California Standards Test (CST), see the test blueprints at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/blueprints.asp. To see released test questions, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/css05rtq.asp. 

Grade 4, WRITING Strategies 1.5: Quote or paraphrase information sources, citing them appropriately. (No. of questions on CST: 1)
Grade 5, WRITING Strategies 1.3: Use organizational features of printed text (e.g. citations, end notes, bibliographic references) to locate relevant information. (Number of questions on CST: 1)
Grade 6, WRITING Applications 2.3: Write research reports...Include a bibliography. (Not tested)
Grade 7, WRITING Strategies 1.5: Give credit for both quoted and paraphrased information in a bibliography by using a consistent and sanctioned format and methodology for citations. (No. of questions on CST: 2)
Grade 7, SPEAKING Applications 2.3: Deliver research presentations...d. Cite reference sources appropriately. (Not tested)
Grade 8, WRITING Applications 2.3: Write research reports. No mention of citations. (Not tested)
Grade 8, LISTENING AND SPEAKING Applications 2.3. Deliver research presentations. No mention of citations. (Not tested) 
Grades 9 and 10, READING COMPREHENSION 2.2: Prepare a bibliography of reference materials for a report using a variety of consumer, workplace, and public documents. (No. of questions on CST: 2)
Grades 9 and 10, WRITING Strategies 1.7: Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern Language Association Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style). (No. of questions on CST: 2)
Grades 9 and 10, WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS 1.5: Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including title page presentation, pagination, spacing and margins, and integration of source and support material (e.g., in-text citation, use of direct quotations, paraphrasing) with appropriate citations. (No. of questions on CST: 1)
Grades 11 and 12, WRITING Strategies 1.7: Use systematic strategies to organize and record information (e.g., anecdotal scripting, annotated bibliographies). (No. of questions on CST: 2) 
Grades 11 and 12, WRITING Applications 2.4: Write historical investigation reports...include a formal bibliography. (Not tested) 

Here are a couple of examples from the released test questions. 
Grade 4. Q 51. "If Carrie quotes an article when writing her report, her bibliography should include all of these except the A. title of the article. B page number of the article. C author who wrote the article. D date she read the article." 

Grade 9. Q26. "Which of the following questions is answered in the bibliography in Document A? A Are special running shoes needed for beginners? B Is Scanlon-Van Horn Publishers located in New York? C. Is James Gleick related to Libby Mendez? D Is Runner's Magazine published weekly or semimonthly?"  

Grade 9. Q27. "If this book were to be added to the bibliography in Document A, which of the following entries would be correct?" (Students offered four choices of bibliographic styles. Only one right answer.) 

ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION
Don't write letters now. CFIR and the State Board will only tell you they are not authorized to change the standards. 
Instead, let's look at this as a professional development issue, perhaps for a CSLA ad hoc committee to address. Whether it's a CSLA committee, a district committee, or you alone, I hope this overly long message demonstrates that bibliographic citations make up only one thread among the many possibilities for teaching to the standards "in and with" the library. You can see how important it is to student performance on the California Standards Test. If you haven't taken the time to mark up a copy of the standards or a framework that contains the standards, it is a worthwhile activity. There will be sessions related to testing/libraries/student achievement at the annual CSLA State Conference and one workshop for sure 'cuz Cindy Bender and I are doing it. In the meantime, if your end-of-school schedule allows, please share with others on this listserv the positive steps you have taken to identify information literacy-related state standards and what you have done with that valuable information.  

Barbara

Barbara Jeffus
School Library Consultant
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite  3207
Sacramento, CA 95814

PHONE: 916-319-0445
FAX: 916-319-0172
bjeffus at cde.ca.gov 
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/ 

>>> "Vickie Rabourn" <VRABOURN at slcusd.org> 5/31/2007 5:25 PM >>>
Please consider joining me in requesting that the English-Language Arts
standards that focus on bibliographic citations be altered. The
standards should reflect the way we currently teach citation
development: showing students how to locate and identify the essential
elements that make up bibliographic citations and plugging those
elements into one of the outstanding online bibliographic citation
instruments (such as KnightCite).

Knowing when and why it is essential to cite sources and knowing the
components that make up bibliographic citations is critical, but to
expect students to memorize the nitty-gritty of order and punctuation is
too much. There are more important matters on which to focus. 

Letters may be addressed to the following:

Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division 
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

California State Board of Education
1430 N Street, Suite #5111
Sacramento, CA 95814

Vickie Rabourn
Los Osos Middle School Library Media Teacher
San Luis Coastal USD
San Luis Obispo County, CA

"And he reads to them, as he does every night, 
as if watering them, as if turning earth at their feet."
                                                       --James Salter  

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