Text Complexity - New Research to Help

Teachers grapple with finding complex text that matches students abilities.  The article includes a supplement to Appendix A of Common Core Standards that will teachers understand the various formulas that identify reading levels using quantitive measures and qualitative measures.
http://corestandards.org/assets/E0813_Appendix_A_New_Research_on_Text_Complexity.pdf

Pat's viewpoint.  For our purposes as Title I support teachers, this formality doesn't seem to be that essential to do our work.   It is the job of the school to identify levels for materials used in classrroms.  We have our own testing processes that also identifies reading levels for our students.  Our reading materials are leveled and Ed Helper has used formulas to assess reading levels for  selections posted on their website.  At some point we need to trust the work of others.  In day to day work with students, we already adjust levels of difficulty.  It is far more important for us as teachers to guide our students in the close reading process so that reading "complex" text becomes deeper as we frame text-dependent questions to guide them in the process.
What is your thinking?  Do you agree"

New Research Expands Thinking on Text Complexity.  Catherine Gewertz.8.15.12. Education Week - Curriculm Matters
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/08/new_research_expands_thinking_.html?cmp=ENL-CM-NEWS2

Find Complex Texts like a Librarian

We all know that close reading of complex text is a large part of Common Core Standards in reading.  How to implement close reading is a different matter.  This article is written by librarians to help teachers find examples of complex text as a base to teach close reading.  It is not an article about close reading strategies.  Tips are quite useful when using the internet to search for an appropriate text for a lesson.  Let us know how they worked for you.

A Librarian's Trick for Finding Those "Complex Texts' Cited in the Common Core.  Christopher Harris. 7.19.12 School Library Journal - The Digital Shift