RELEASED TEST ITEMS
Sample Student Work
Illustrating LEAP Achievement Levels
Fall 2011
Science
Grade
Ollie S. Tyler
Acting State Superintendent of Education
8
Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Ms. Penny Dastugue
Mr. Charles E. Roemer
President
Member-at-Large
6th BESE District
Mr. James D. Garvey, Jr.
Vice President
1st BESE District
Mr. Dale Bayard
7th BESE District
Ms. Glenny Lee Buquet
Secretary/Treasurer
3rd BESE District
Ms. Linda Johnson
8th BESE District
Ms. Louella Givens
2nd BESE District
Mr. John L. Bennett
Mr. Walter Lee
Member-at-Large
4th BESE District
Mr. Keith Guice
Ms. Connie Bradford
5th BESE District
Member-at-Large
Ms. Catherine Pozniak
Executive Director
For further information, contact
Claudia Davis
Division of Assessments and Accountability
1-877-453-2721, [email protected]
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© 2011 by Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP)
GRADE 8 SAMPLE ITEMS AND STUDENT WORK
2010–2011
LEAP is an integral part of the Louisiana school and district accountability
system passed by the state legislature and signed into law in 1997. The primary
purposes of the accountability system are to raise achievement expectations for
all Louisiana public school students and to improve public education in the state.
In March and April of 2011, grade 8 students took Phases I and II of the LEAP
English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies tests. The
test scores are combined with other relevant data to create school and district
accountability scores, which serve as a means of measuring educational quality
and improvement in educational programs over time.
LEAP Reports
Louisiana’s grade 8 students are tested each year in the spring. Individual
student, school, district, and state test results are released in phases in May and
July. School and district accountability results are reported in the fall.
For LEAP, student scores are reported at five achievement levels: Advanced,
Mastery, Basic, Approaching Basic, and Unsatisfactory. The percentage of
students scoring at each level is reported for individual schools, districts, and the
state. General definitions for achievement levels are on page 2. Achievement level
descriptors for all content areas can be found on the Louisiana Department of
Education website. Go to w
­ ww.louisianaschools.net/topics/leap_achievement
_descriptors.html.
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
1
LEAP
General Achievement Level Definitions
Achievement Level
Definition
Advanced
A student at this level has demonstrated superior
performance beyond the level of mastery.
Mastery
A student at this level has demonstrated competency
over challenging subject matter and is well prepared for
the next level of schooling.
Basic
A student at this level has demonstrated only the
fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next
level of schooling.
Approaching Basic
A student at this level has only partially demonstrated
the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the
next level of schooling.
Unsatisfactory
A student at this level has not demonstrated the
fundamental knowledge and skills needed for the next
level of schooling.
Purpose of This Document
This document is part of a series of materials meant to promote understanding
of the knowledge and skills students must have and the kinds of work they must
produce to be successful on the LEAP. Other documents providing background
and further information on the LEAP tests can be found on the Louisiana
Department of Education website at w
­ ww.louisianaschools.net/topics/
leap.html.
NOTE: Teachers are encouraged to use the test items presented in this
document as part of a practice test or study guide and doing so is not a
violation of test security.
This document presents student work in a Science test, which was completed as
part of a LEAP assessment. The document includes multiple-choice and shortanswer items that exemplify what students scoring at specified achievement
levels should know and be able to do. A discussion of each item highlights the
knowledge and skills it is intended to measure.
As you review the items, it is important to remember that a student’s achievement
level is based on his or her total test score (cumulative score for all questions in
the test) in a content area, not on one particular item or section, and that the
sample items included represent only a small portion of the body of knowledge
and skills measured by the LEAP tests.
2
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Science
The grade 8 LEAP Science test is composed of forty multiple-choice items, four
independent short-answer items, and one comprehensive science task. The
science task consists of three inquiry-based short-answer items and one extended
constructed-response item, all based on a given problem or scenario. A student
earns 1 point for each correct answer to a multiple-choice item, from 0 to 2
points for the answer and work shown for each short-answer item, and from 0 to
4 points for the answer and work shown for the extended constructed-response
item.
The short-answer items are scored using the following rubric:
Score
Description
2
• The student’s response provides a complete and correct answer.
1
• The student’s response is partially correct.
• The student’s response demonstrates limited awareness or contains
errors.
0
• The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate,
or blank.
The extended constructed-response item is scored using the following rubric:
Score
Description
4
• The student’s response demonstrates in-depth understanding of the
relevant content and/or procedures.
• The student completes all important components of the task
accurately and communicates ideas effectively.
• Where appropriate, the student offers insightful interpretations
and/or extensions.
• Where appropriate, the student uses more sophisticated reasoning
and/or efficient procedures.
3
• The student completes most important aspects of the task
accurately and communicates clearly.
• The student’s response demonstrates an understanding of major
concepts and/or processes, although less important ideas or details
may be overlooked or misunderstood.
• The student’s logic and reasoning may contain minor flaws.
2
• The student completes some parts of the task successfully.
• The student’s response demonstrates gaps in conceptual
understanding.
1
• The student completes only a small portion of the task and/or shows
minimal understanding of the concepts and/or processes.
0
• The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate,
or blank.
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
3
It is important to recognize that score points for constructed-response items and
LEAP achievement levels do not share a one-to-one correspondence. For example,
it should not be assumed that a student who scores at the Advanced level in the
assessment has earned a score of 4 on the extended constructed-response item.
It is possible for a grade 8 student to earn a total of 58 points on the LEAP
Science test. The number of raw score points a student would have to achieve
to reach each achievement level may change slightly from year to year given the
difficulty of that particular form of the test. The spring 2011 raw score range for
each achievement level is shown below.
Spring 2011 Science Test, Grade 8
Achievement Level
Raw Score Range
Advanced
52 – 58 points
Mastery
44 – 51 points
Basic
34 – 43 points
Approaching Basic
25 – 33 points
Unsatisfactory
  0 – 24 points
The following section of this document presents four multiple-choice items,
each taken from four of the five science strands: Science as Inquiry, Physical
Science, Earth and Space Science, and Science and the Environment.
The items were selected because they illustrate results from four of the five
achievement levels used to report LEAP results—Advanced, Mastery, Basic,
and Approaching Basic. Examples of Unsatisfactory work are not included;
by definition, work classified as Unsatisfactory exhibits a narrower range of
knowledge and skills than work classified as Approaching Basic. Information
shown for each item includes
• the strand and benchmark each item measures,
• the achievement level or score point,
• the correct answer, and
• commentary on the skills/knowledge measured by the item.
4
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Grade 8—Science
Multiple-Choice Items
Strand: Physical Science
Benchmark PS-M-B1: describing and graphing the motions of objects
Achievement Level: Advanced
Use the graph below to answer question XX.
Distance Traveled by a Cyclist
The graph shows the distance traveled by
a cyclist on a six-hour trip. During which
time was the cyclist’s speed the greatest?
A. between hours 0 and 2
* B. between hours 2 and 3
C. between hours 3 and 4
D. between hours 4 and 6
* correct answer
This item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score
at the Advanced level. The item requires students to interpret a graph of the
motion (speed) of an object (cyclist). Students who choose option A or
option D may overlook that for these options, the cyclist was traveling at a speed
of approximately 9–10 kilometers per hour (about 20 kilometers in 2 hours)
compared to the fastest rate of 22 kilometers per hour between hours 2 and 3.
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
5
Students who choose option D may also misread the graph and think that the
cyclist traveled 60 kilometers between hours 4 and 6, when in fact 60 kilometers
was the total distance traveled between hours 0 and 6. Students who choose
option C may not understand that speed equals distance traveled per unit
of time, or they may misread the graph and think that the cyclist traveled
40 kilometers in one hour, when the cyclist actually traveled 0 kilometers in
one hour (the cyclist had stopped). Students who choose option B correctly
interpret the graph and recognize that the fastest speed at which the cyclist
traveled was 22 kilometers per hour between hours 2 and 3.
6
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Strand: Earth and Space Science
Benchmark ESS-M-A1: understanding that the earth is layered by density with
an inner and outer core, a mantle, and a thin outer
crust
Achievement Level: Mastery
Dennis believes that Earth’s crust is
evenly thick everywhere around the
globe. Charlie says that Dennis is
wrong, but he does not know any
facts to help him win the argument.
Which fact would help Charlie?
A. Earth is somewhat flattened at the
Poles due to its rotation.
* B. The continents are thick rock
masses, unlike the ocean floors.
C. Earth has a solid spherical inner
core that is mostly iron.
D. Earth’s plates are constantly
moving at a very slow rate.
* correct answer
This item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at the
Mastery level and above. The item requires students to recognize that Earth
is layered and that Earth’s shape and crust are affected by different factors.
Students who choose option C or option D select facts that do not directly
explain the variations in the thickness of Earth’s crust; these facts describe the
composition of Earth’s core and the movement of Earth’s crust/plates. Students
who choose option A may know that the rotation of Earth causes it to bulge at the
equator and flatten at the poles, but they may have the misconception that this
is a surface phenomenon that thins the crust at the poles and thickens the crust
at the equator. Students who choose option B recognize that Earth’s crust is
composed of plates and that the crust is thickest under continents and thinnest
under oceans and understand that these facts support Charlie’s argument.
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
7
Strand: Science as Inquiry
Benchmark SI-M-B3: understanding that mathematics, technology, and
scientific techniques used in an experiment can limit
or enhance the accuracy of scientific knowledge
Achievement Level: Basic
Which technique has helped scientists
more accurately determine the age
of fossils and draw conclusions about
changes in organisms over time?
A. time-lapse photography
* B. radioactive dating
C. electron microscopy
D. color staining
* correct answer
This item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at
the Basic level and above. The item requires students to understand that the
scientific techniques used in an experiment, such as the method chosen to
determine the age of fossils, can limit or enhance the accuracy of scientific
knowledge. Students who choose option A may not recognize that fossils are
typically formed over many millions of years. Although time-lapse photography
could be used to study present-day factors affecting fossils, such as weathering,
it is not a practical method for determining the age of a fossil. Students who
choose option C may know that an electron microscope can be used to study the
structure and composition of fossils, but they do not realize it cannot be used to
determine the age of fossils. Students who choose option D may not understand
that color-staining techniques that utilize staining reagents (e.g., crystal violet,
methylene blue, iodine) to identify cell structures, organelles, or processes would
not help determine the age of fossils. Students who choose option B recognize
that radioactive dating techniques are commonly used to accurately determine
the age of fossils.
8
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Strand: Science and the Environment
Benchmark SE-M-A1: demonstrating knowledge that an ecosystem includes
living and nonliving factors and that humans are an
integral part of ecosystems
Achievement Level: Approaching Basic
In which group of animals below are all
of the members well adapted to living in
a forest ecosystem?
A. field mouse, rabbit, pheasant
B. gull, tree frog, grasshopper
C. coyote, antelope, bison
* D. squirrel, deer, woodpecker
* correct answer
This item would most likely be answered correctly by students who score at the
Approaching Basic level and above. The item requires students to differentiate
animals that are well adapted to living in a forest ecosystem from those that
are not. Students who choose option A, option B, or option C may confuse the
ability to live for a short period of time in a forest with being well adapted to
living in a forest ecosystem. The animals listed in option A are well adapted to
grassland ecosystems, but they may also be seen, at times, in forests. Only one
of the animals listed in option B, the tree frog, is well adapted to living in a forest
ecosystem; the gull is well adapted to coastal ecosystems and the grasshopper
to prairie ecosystems. All of the animals listed in option C are well adapted to
prairie ecosystems. Students who choose option D recognize that the squirrel,
deer, and woodpecker are well adapted to a forest ecosystem. Their forest-specific
adaptations include their sources of food (nuts, woody plants, and insects found
in trees), their nesting places (in trees or in thickets), and their coloration or that
of their young (e.g., white spots on fawns simulating the spots of sunlight on the
forest floor from light that penetrates the forest canopy).
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
9
Grade 8—Science
Short-Answer Items
A science short-answer item for a LEAP test may require students to reflect on
an idea, demonstrate understanding of the unifying concepts and processes
of science, make meaning of a given set of data, or critique the design or
interpretation of results from an experiment. Frequently, the short-answer items
have more than one part. In addition to writing, students may be asked to work
with graphics, tables, or other materials.
The items, scoring rubrics, and sample student work are shown on the following
pages. The student responses at each score point (0 to 2) are annotated to explain
how each score was derived and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the
responses.
10
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Strand: Earth and Space Science
Benchmark ESS-M-A10: explaining (illustrating) how water circulates, on
and through the crust, in the oceans, and in the
atmosphere, in the water cycle
Use the diagram below to answer question XX.
The arrows in the diagram illustrate how water circulates in the water cycle.
Identify and explain two of the processes represented by these arrows.
1. Identify:
Explain:
2. Identify:
Explain:
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
11
Scoring Rubric
Score
2
Description
The student identifies and completely explains two water cycle
processes. Response contains no errors.
The student identifies one or two water cycle processes and explains
one of these processes
or
1
the student identifies two processes without correctly explaining the
processes
or
the student explains two processes without actually identifying the
processes. Response contains errors, misconceptions, or omissions.
0
The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate,
or blank.
Scoring Notes
• Evaporation
— the change of water from a liquid to a gas (water vapor), moving it from Earth’s surface to the atmosphere
• Transpiration — evaporation of water from the leaves of plants, moving it from the plants to the atmosphere
• Condensation — the change of water from a gas (water vapor) to a liquid, forming clouds in Earth’s atmosphere
• Precipitation — the liquid or solid forms of water (rain, sleet, snow, hail) that fall to Earth’s surface from clouds
• Runoff
— the water that flows downslope on Earth’s surface, moving water from higher elevations to low-elevation lakes, streams, oceans, etc.
• Infiltration
— movement of water into the ground
12
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Score Point 2
Use the diagram below to answer question XX.
The arrows in the diagram illustrate how water circulates in the water cycle.
Identify and explain two of the processes represented by these arrows.
1. Identify:
Explain:
2. Identify:
Explain:
The student earns a total of 2 points for correctly identifying and explaining two
water cycle processes. The student earns 1 point for identifying condensation and
explaining that this is when evaporated water (i.e., water vapor) rises in the sky
and then cools, changing back into its liquid form. The student earns a second
point for correctly identifying precipitation and explaining that this is water that
falls to Earth in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail.
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
13
Score Point 1
Use the diagram below to answer question XX.
The arrows in the diagram illustrate how water circulates in the water cycle.
Identify and explain two of the processes represented by these arrows.
The student earns 1 point for correctly identifying precipitation as a water
cycle process and explaining that this is when water falls to the ground (Earth)
as rain, sleet, snow, and ice (hail). In Part 2, the student correctly identifies
evaporation as a water cycle process but does not earn a second point because
the explanation of evaporation is incomplete. The student states that the Sun
“soaks the water up off of the ground” but does not explain that water changes
from a liquid to a gas (vapor) when it evaporates.
14
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Score Point 0
Use the diagram below to answer question XX.
The arrows in the diagram illustrate how water circulates in the water cycle.
Identify and explain two of the processes represented by these arrows.
1. Identify:
Explain:
2. Identify:
Explain:
The student receives no credit for this response. In Part 1, the student correctly
identifies runoff as one process of the water cycle; however, the student provides
a description of the illustration rather than an explanation of the process.
The student neglects to explain that runoff occurs when the Earth’s surface
is saturated or impervious to water, and the water flows downslope to lowerelevation bodies of water. In Part 2, the student’s identification of “underground
water” is not a process of the water cycle. The student may be attempting to
explain infiltration but does not explain how the water “goes back into the ocean,
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
15
river, lake, or pond.” Since only one water cycle process is identified but is not
explained correctly, this response receives a score of 0.
16
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Strand: Life Science
Benchmark LS-M-B2: describing the role of chromosomes and genes in
heredity
In one species of rabbit, the gene for short hair (S) is dominant over the gene
for long hair (s). One pair of these rabbits, both with short hair, had a large
number of offspring. About one-fourth of the offspring had long hair. What could
you conclude about the parents’ genes for hair length?
Scoring Rubric
Score
2
Description
Student states that both parents must have had one dominant and
one recessive gene.
1
Student describes genes for each parent but makes errors.
0
The student’s response is incorrect, irrelevant, too brief to evaluate,
or blank.
Scoring Notes
Each parent must have had one dominant and one recessive gene for hair length.
Two parents with Ss gene pairs would produce 25% SS (short hair), 50% Ss
(short hair), and 25% ss (long hair).
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
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Score Point 2
In one species of rabbit, the gene for short hair (S) is dominant over the gene
for long hair (s). One pair of these rabbits, both with short hair, had a large
number of offspring. About one-fourth of the offspring had long hair. What could
you conclude about the parents’ genes for hair length?
The student earns 2 points. The student correctly states that each parent carried
the recessive long-hair gene and uses a Punnett square to illustrate that each
parent had one dominant and one recessive gene.
18
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Score Point 1
In one species of rabbit, the gene for short hair (S) is dominant over the gene
for long hair (s). One pair of these rabbits, both with short hair, had a large
number of offspring. About one-fourth of the offspring had long hair. What could
you conclude about the parents’ genes for hair length?
The student earns 1 point. The student describes the hair-length genes of each
parent, but he or she makes an error in the process: the statement that one
parent had the gene pair Ss is correct, but the conclusion that the other parent
had the gene pair SS is incorrect.
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
19
Score Point 0
In one species of rabbit, the gene for short hair (S) is dominant over the gene
for long hair (s). One pair of these rabbits, both with short hair, had a large
number of offspring. About one-fourth of the offspring had long hair. What could
you conclude about the parents’ genes for hair length?
The student receives no credit. The student repeats the information that both
parents had short hair but does not describe the genes for either parent.
20
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
Grade 8 Science Sample Items and Student Work—2011
21
Fall 2011
Louisiana Department of Education
Office of Standards, Assessments, and Accountability
Division of Assessments and Accountability