Transcript How Can I Use Data To Help Me Prepare For the Test

Welcome and thank you for
coming!
• How can we support our children to be successful on the 2014
Common Core aligned English Language Arts State Exam?
Agenda
• Overview of the Common Core
aligned ELA State Exam
• Activity: Sample short response
question
• Resources available on our website
• Questions/Answer
What do I need to know about the exam?
• Day One: 70 minutes (grades 3 and 4)/90 minutes (grade 5);
30/42 multiple choice questions (5/7 texts)
• Day Two: 70/90 minutes;
- Book 2A: 7 multiple choice questions (off 1 passage);
- Book 2B: 3 short response questions, 1 extended (off 2 texts)
• Day Three: 70/90 minutes:
- 3 passages, 5 short responses, 1 extended
• - 500/700 (grades 3,4) – 800/900 (grade 5)words in length
• - 2 point short response questions: test reading
• - 4 point extended responses: test writing from sources
• - Paired texts related by theme, genre, tone, time period, or
other characteristics. For paired texts, students will be
expected to synthesize ideas between and draw evidence
from both texts.
Question Formats - ELA
Multiple-Choice Questions
• Multiple-choice questions are designed to assess Common Core Reading and
Language Standards. They will ask students to analyze different aspects of a given
text, including central idea, style elements, character and plot development, and
vocabulary. Almost all questions, including vocabulary questions, will only be
answered correctly if the student comprehends and makes use of the whole
passage. For multiple-choice questions, students will select the correct response from
four answer choices. Multiple-choice questions will assess Reading Standards in a
range of ways. Some will ask students to analyze aspects of text or vocabulary. Many
questions will require students to combine skills. For example, questions may ask
students to identify a segment of text that best supports the central idea. To answer
correctly, a student must first comprehend the central idea and then show
understanding of how that idea is supported. Questions will require more than rote
recall or identification. Students will also be required to negotiate plausible, textbased distractors. Each distractor will require students to comprehend the whole
passage.
• (A distractor is an incorrect response that may appear to be a plausible correct
response to a student who has not mastered the skill or concept being tested.)
Question Formats continued
Short-Response Questions
• Short-response questions are designed to assess Common Core Reading and
Language Standards. These are single questions in which students use textual
evidence to support their own answers to an inferential question. These questions
ask the student to make an inference (a claim, position, or conclusion) based on his
or her analysis of the passage, and then provide two pieces of text-based evidence
to support his or her answer. The purpose of the short-response questions is to
assess a student’s ability to comprehend and analyze text. In responding to these
questions, students will be expected to write in complete sentences. Responses
should require no more than three complete sentences. A rubric is used to evaluate
these types of responses.
Extended-Response Questions
• Extended-response questions are designed to assess Writing from Sources. They will
focus primarily on Common Core Writing Standards. Extended-response questions
will require comprehension and analysis of a text or texts. Many extended-response
questions will ask students to express a position and support it with text-based
details. Extended-response questions allow students to demonstrate their ability to
write a coherent essay using textual evidence to support their ideas. Student
responses will be evaluated based on Common Core Writing Standards and a
student’s command of evidence to defend his or her point.
Common Core “Shifts” embodied in the
2014 ELA exam:
• Close Reading - Prove what it says in the text by following
the text closely
• Writing From Sources - In writing, students will need to
give details from the text to support your points.
• Balancing Informational & Literary Text –
Narrative/Literary, Argument and Informational Passages
• Knowledge in the Disciplines – Students will encounter
passages that connect to content they have studied in
social studies and science – their understanding of this
content will support them.
Reading shifts
To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students:
• Must read widely and deeply from among a broad range of highquality, increasingly challenging literary and informational texts.
• Through extensive reading of stories, dramas, poems, and myths
from diverse cultures and different time periods, students gain
literary and cultural knowledge as well as familiarity with various
text structures and elements
• By reading texts in history/social studies, science, and other
disciplines, students: build a foundation of knowledge in these fields
that will also give them the background to be better readers in all
content areas.
• Students can only gain this foundation when the curriculum is
intentionally and coherently structured to develop rich content
knowledge within and across grades.
• Students also acquire the habits of reading independently and
closely, which are essential to their future success
Writing shifts
To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students need
to:
• Learn to use writing as a way of offering and supporting opinions,
demonstrating an understanding of the subjects they are studying
and conveying real and imagined experiences and events
• Learn to appreciate that a key purpose of writing is to communicate
clearly to an external, sometimes unfamiliar audience, and begin to
adapt the form and content of their writing to accomplish a
particular task and purpose
• Develop the capacity to build knowledge on a subject through
research projects and to respond analytically to literary and
informational sources
• To meet these goals students must devote significant time and
effort to writing, producing numerous pieces over short and
extended time frames throughout the year.
Language shifts
To build a foundation for college and career readiness,
students:
• Must gain control over many conventions of standard English
grammar, usage, and mechanics, as well as learn other ways to
use language to convey meaning effectively.
• Must also be able to determine or clarify the meaning of
grade-appropriate words encountered through listening,
reading, and media use.
• Come to appreciate that words have non-literal meanings,
shadings of meaning, and relationships to other words, and
expand their vocabulary in the course of studying content.
Speaking and Listening Common Core Standards
• While Speaking and Listening Standards will NOT be assessed
on the state test, they remain two of the most important
components of college and career readiness and critical
building blocks in students’ ability to read and write at grade
level.
To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students:
• Must have ample opportunities to take part in a variety of rich,
structured conversations—as part of a whole class, in small groups,
and with a partner.
• To be productive members of these conversations requires that
students contribute accurate, relevant information
• (Shift 4: Text-based Answers); respond to and develop what others
have said; and make comparisons and contrasts, analyzing and
synthesizing a multitude of ideas in various domains (Shift 2:
Knowledge in the Disciplines).
• The complete CCLS for English Language Arts & Literacy are available at
• http://engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-
Activity
•The Story of Tu-tok-a-nu-la
Retold by James Bruchac and Joseph Bruchac
• What did Measuring Worm do differently from the others that
made her able to save the three bears? Use two details from
the story to support your response.
The Story of Tu-tok-a-nu-la
Retold by James Bruchac and
Joseph Bruchac
• http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attach
ments/grade_4_ela_released_questions.pdf
• Page 19
What questions to ask your
children about their books
Students need to be alert for what kind of people characters
are:
• What do they want?
• Why do they feel certain ways about situations or other
characters?
• What challenges do they face?
• How do they overcome these challenges?
• How do they change?
• What do they achieve?
• What lessons are learned?
• Follow up with: How do you know? What evidence from the
text supports your thinking?
Historical fiction, biography,
folktales, and myths
• Students should be comfortable making inferences about the
setting and time period based on the details in the text.
• Students will likely need to infer a lesson or theme from the
story. They will probably answer a question about how the
character changes and how that change happens.
• They will also likely be asked to consider the author’s
perspective, perhaps inferring about what the author hopes
to show about the time period, a character, or a lesson.
Continued..
• Furthermore, across all genres, you’ll want to make sure that
students are not only able to discuss an author’s intent, but
to identify the actual craft or structural moves the author
made to convey that purpose. For example, the way the text is
structured, word choice, use of figurative language or
description, and so on).
• • How does the ____ scene contribute to the overall story?
• • Why did the author likely describe ____ as “....”?
• • Which of the following best describes the way (the text) was
organized?
Predicted Questions on the test
When students are asked about big ideas in texts, they might
see questions such as:
• • What is the central message of this text? (Third Grade)
• • What is a theme/central message of this text? (Fourth
Grade)
• • Which piece of dialogue supports the story’s main theme
(Fourth Grade)
• Which sentence best describes a theme of this text? (Fifth
Grade)
Predicted Questions on the test
When students are asked about characters, they might see
questions such as:
• • As she waits her turn, how does ____(character) feel about
______(an upcoming event)? Use two details from the story
to support your answer. (Third Grade short response)
• • _____ (character) gets angry with ____(other characters)
because he thinks they are being…. (Fourth Grade)
• • Which sentence suggests that ____(character) feels it is a
bad idea to trust the ____(other characters)? (Fourth Grade)
• • What makes ____(character) ____ (feel a certain way)
_____(while in a specific situation)? Use two details or
examples from the passage to support why _____(character)
____(feels this way). (Fifth Grade)
When students are asked about the
craft/structure that is used in the text, they might
see questions such as:
When students are asked questions about words/phrases used
in context they might be asked:
• Why is ___(character) “swelling like a blowfish” (description
that uses non literal language) in paragraph 39? Use two
details from the story to support your response. (Third grade
short response question)
• Read these sentences from paragraph 23 of the story. “...”
What does the word “resist” (to figure out the contextual
meaning, students need to interpret the character’s feelings
and the character’s negative response) mean in these lines?
(Fourth Grade multiple choice)
• When ____(character) says in paragraph 6 that ___(another
character) is “not wanting in intelligence,” (a word or phrase
that must be determined from context and is likely unfamiliar)
he means that she ...(Fifth grade multiple choice)
Questions about structure and/or literary
devices used in context
• Paragraph 3 is most important to the plot of the story because
it shows …. (Third Grade multiple choice)
• The story has a third person point of view. Explain why this is a
good choice for the story. How does the author develop the
characters of____ and ____? (Fourth grade short response)
• Both stories are told from the perspective of an ______ . How
does this perspective affect how the stories are told? Compare
and contrast how ____ and ______ view their surroundings.
(Fifth Grade)
• The author uses flashback at the beginning because …. (Fifth
Grade multiple choice)
Informational text questions
Questions will address grade-specific expectations of the CCSS
and may each be designed to assess understanding of more
than one standard.
• For example, when students are asked about big ideas in
texts, they might see questions such as:
• • What‘s the main idea of this part of the text? (Third Grade)
• • Which details help support the main idea of the text?
(Fourth Grade)
• • Which of the following best summarizes a main idea of the
passage? (Fifth Grade)
Informational Continued
When students are asked about relationships or interactions
between individuals, events, or concepts in a text, they might
see questions such as:
• What causes __________ to _________? (Third Grade)
• What can NASA learn from studying people living in Antarctica
that would help astronauts? (Fourth Grade)
• The most important feature of a wind tunnel used to test
vehicles that can land on Mars is the ability to test how….
(Fifth Grade)
When students are asked about the
craft/structure that is used in the text, they might
see questions such as:
(questions about words/phrases used in context)
• Read this sentence from paragraph 6 of the passage:
If soil crumbles between your fingers, then the weather has
probably been dry.
Based on the text, the word crumbles means (Third Grade)
• • What is the meaning of the word “...” as it is used in
paragraph 1? (Fourth Grade)
• • Which phrase helps you understand what the word “...”
means? (Fifth Grade)
Questions about structure and/or literary
devices used in context
• Read these two sentences from paragraph 5: “Soil in a forest
might be gritty, which means more sand.” “Soil in a meadow
might be smooth, which means more silt.” Which of the
following describes the relationship between these two
sentences? (Third Grade)
• How does the author of the “_____” organize her ideas in
paragraph ___? (Fourth Grade)
• Explain why the author might have used an _______ to start
this informational text. (Fourth/Fifth Grade short response)
• Which statement from “...” gives information about the text
structure? (Fifth Grade)
Argumentative texts for third
graders
• For third graders
• This work will involve looking at the relationships between
sentences to see how authors make points. The CCSS does not
yet expect them to think about how an author uses reasons
and evidence to support points. Third grade teachers focus the
work around argument texts much as they have done around
informational―(What is this mostly about? Why does the
author seem to have written this? ) in addition to looking
closely at how one sentence relates to another, how one part
relates to another, etc.
Argumentative test questions
• Read the sentence from the article. “...” (paragraph 3) How does
paragraph 7 support this sentence? (Third Grade―this sort of
question may be seen in any informational text not necessarily only
in an “argumentative text”)
• What reason does the author give to support her point that…?
(Fourth Grade―this sort of question may been seen in any
informational text not necessarily only in an “argumentative text”
• Which sentence from the passage best explains why NASA uses wind
tunnels to test spacecraft models? (Fifth Grade―this question is
asking students what information best supports a central point in the
text―it relates to standard 5.8 which is about analyzing the author’s
argument. This type of question may be seen in any informational
text not necessarily only an “argumentative text”)
• Which sentence supports the reason for the evidence the author
discusses in paragraph 10? (Fifth Grade―this sort of question may
been seen in any informational text not necessarily only in an
Questions about poetry
• What are the first two stanzas of the poem mainly about?
(Third Grade)
• • Which statement supports the idea that the poem uses a
particular type of meter to help make its rhythm? (Fourth
Grade)
• • State what the poet tells the readers in the last stanza to
make the early stanzas seem even funnier. Explain your
answer, referring to both events and elements of the poem.
(Fourth Grade short response)
• • How has the poet created the tone of this poem? (Fifth
Grade)
• • Read this line from the poem. “....” What is the poet
describing in this simile? (Fifth Grade)
• • What choice best describes how what happens in stanza ___
Short Response Questions
Guidelines for Answering Short Response Questions:
• Read the question carefully.
• Ask: ‘What is the question asking me to do?’ Mark up the question
to highlight key words and phrases.
• Answer the question, making sure to address all parts.
• Use details from the text to support your answer. Make sure these
are specific details and that they clearly reference the text (either by
quoting or using the precise vocabulary from the text). You will
probably write a sentence that answers the question, then a
sentence with specific text-details giving evidence to support one
part, then another sentence with specific text-details giving
evidence to support another part, and a final sentence about how
the evidence connects with your answer.
• Write in complete sentences.
• Your response is not a full essay―it is just 3-5 sentences. Do not
restate the question or attempt a fancy introduction or conclusion.
Text types
General Categories:
•Narrative: called “literary” – may include literary nonfiction
•Informational
•Argumentative
Questions from argument passages
ask students…
- To understand the author’s point of view and purpose
- To be able to discern well-supported arguments from
those that are not.
- To read and analyze opinions and theories with which
not all readers may agree.
- To find and analyze the author’s supporting evidence in
subjects that they will encounter both in other academic
classes and in their daily lives.
Written Response Criteria
• Text-based Answers – Student will need to refer
closely to the text to answer selected response and
constructed response questions.
• Academic Vocabulary - Students will confront
transferable Tier II vocabulary in the passages, in the
questions, and in the possible multiple choice responses –
their understanding of this vocabulary will support them. They
will also confront domain-specific vocabulary and will need to
be able to determine meaning within the context of the
passage.
Grades
3rd
4th
5th
Main Idea
main idea of a text main idea of a text two or more main
ideas
Relationships
relationship
between
procedures
relationships or
interactions
Theme
central message
theme /central
message
theme
Scene
scene
Multiple scenes
Contrasting
scenes
Point of View
Communicate
Perspective
Multiple
perspectives
Arrangements
Sequence
Chronological
Classification
3
4
5
3.4 Determine the meaning
of words and phrases as
they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from
non-literal
language.
4.4 Determine the meaning
of words and phrases as
they are used in a text,
including those that allude
to significant characters
found in mythology
5.4 Determine the meaning
of words and phrases as
they are used in a text,
including figurative
language such as
metaphors and similes.
3.4 Determine the meaning
of general academic and
domain- specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to
a grade 3 topic or subject
area.
4.4 Determine the meaning
of general academic and
domain- specific words or
phrases in a text relevant to
a grade 4 topic or subject
area.
5.4 Determine the meaning
of general academic and
domain- specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to
a grade 5 topic or subject
area.
3.8
4.8
5.8
Describe the logical
connection between
particular sentences and
paragraphs in a text (e.g.,
comparison, cause/effect,
first/second/third in a
sequence).
Explain how an author uses
reasons and evidence to
support particular points in
a text.
Explain how an author uses
reasons and evidence to
support particular points in
a text, identifying which
reasons and evidence
support which point(s).
Read these two sentences
from paragraph 5:
“Soil in a forest might be
gritty, which means more
sand.” “Soil in a meadow
might be smooth, which
means more silt.”
Which of the following
describes the relationship
between these two
sentences?
A The sentences make a
comparison.
How does the author of the
“Dust Bowl” Dairy organize
her ideas in paragraph 1?
A.By giving her the cause of
the Dust Storm and some of
the effects
B.By listing some of the
areas damaged by the Dust
Storms
C.By listing why dishes and
clothes were so dirty
D.By comparing current
dust storms with other dust
Both stories are told from
the perspective of an
animal. How does this
perspective affect how the
stories are told? Compare
and contrast how Black
Beauty and the robin view
their surroundings
Writing Scoring for the English Language Arts:
• Meaning—the extent to which the response exhibits sound
understanding, interpretation, and analysis of the task and text
• Development—the extent to which ideas are supported through
the use of specific, accurate, and relevant evidence from the text
• Organization—the extent to which the response exhibits
direction, shape, and coherence
• Language Use—the extent to which the response exhibits clear
and effective use of vocabulary and sentence structure
• Conventions—the extent to which the response exhibits correct
spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, grammar, and usage
This is a lot of information…
• What is the most important thing I should be doing at home?
•ENCOURAGE
VOLUME AND
STAMINA!!!
**The goal is to create flexible and resilient readers who
can transfer and apply what they know about reading to
a variety of genres and text types. **
Independent Reading
Benchmarks for March-April
• Grade 3: Level O is grade level
• Grade 4: Level R is grade level
• Grade 5: Level U is grade level
Resources
• There will be a folder of resources to support your child on the
PS166.org website