Reading Achievement Center
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
ARTS SYMPOSIUM
February 4, 2015
Grades 6-8
Sari Brecosky
Megan Cicconi
Heather Moschetta
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PSSA BLUE PRINT
Demystifying the assessment
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EVIDENCED BASED
SELECTED RESPONSE
Two Part Questions
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Two levels of instruction. . .
•Procedural
•Evidential Support
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EBSR Example
Part 1 Question:
How are the events in paragraphs 1
and 2 important to the theme of the
story?
a. They list the many lessons that Lynn
taught her younger sister, Katie.
b. They explain that Katie’s family had
very high expectations of her when she
was young.
c. They show how strong the relationship
is between Katie and Lynn.
d. They introduce the idea that Katie and
Lynn want to learn more
about the Japanese language.
Part 2 Question:
Which one sentence
from the story provides the best
support for the answer in Part A?
a. “My sister, Lynn, taught me my
first
word: kira-kira.”
b. “When I grew older, I used kirakira to describe everything I liked:
the beautiful blue sky, puppies,
kittens, butterflies, colored Kleenex.”
c. “She was dismayed over how unJapanese we were and vowed to
send us to Japan one day.”
d. “I didn’t care where she sent me,
so long as Lynn came along.”
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EBSR – Evidenced Based Selected Response
Directions for Selected-Response Questions:
Some questions will have two parts and will ask you to select one or
more answers in each part.
For the selected-response questions:
Read Part One of the question and choose the best answer.
You may look back at the passage to help you answer Part One of
the question.
Record your choice to Part One in the answer booklet.
Only one of the answers provided in Part One is correct.
Then, read Part Two of the question and choose the best answer or
answers based on your answer to Part One. If Part Two tells you to
select two answers, be sure to select two answers.
You may look back at the passage to help you answer Part Two of
the question.
Record your choice or choices to Part Two in the answer booklet.
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Evidence-Based Selected Response
(EBSR): AKA Selected Response (SR)
• Two question structure
• Part one requires one response
• Part two requires one or two
responses
• Three responses will be FT only
• Answer choices between four- six
• Points awarded for
answer
any correct
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Proceduralral Training. . .
• Kids have a hard time following
directions
• Prior experience with test taking
reinforces
Test-takers get in a rhythm. . .
Distributed instruction can help prevent
mix-ups
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Part One
• Part One will ALWAYS ask the student to select
1
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Part Two
requires the answering two questions.
1. How many?
How many should I choose?
2. What?
Information that supports what?
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Part Two -- How many? What?
This question has two parts. Answer Part One and then
answer Part Two.
Part One
Which trait best describes Brian?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Part Two
Which details from the passage best supports the answer
in Part One? Choose two answers.
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Evidential Support
1. Can be more subtle than what students are
used to finding.
2. Might be dialogue. . .
3. Good chance it will contain an ellipsis
4. Could be an action or comment grounded in
inference
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Crafting an EBSR
• Part One:
• Must ask for one thing
• It has to have the evidence to support it
• So if there is only one piece of evidence you
cannot ask for two!
• Distractors need to be plausible
• Asking for a personality trait do not include a
physical trait as a selection
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Crafting an EBSR
• Part Two:
• Correct answers cannot be too obvious
• Choices should pair with incorrect
answers above
• Do not make them look too good!
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This question has two parts. Answer Part One and then answer Part Two.
Part One
What best describes Mr. Branson’s classroom?
a) scary
b) boring
c) interesting
d) exciting
Part Two
Which details from the passage best support the answer in Part One?
Choose two answers.
a) “I quietly took very detailed notes….”
b) “Feeling safe, I pulled out my history binder….”
c) “Mr. Branson’s dull lecture…”
d) “…students jerk awake and wipe the side of their mouths….”
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The New Standards. . .
• Focus on close and careful reading
• Learning from the text NOT learning the story
• Support positions/ideas/concepts
with textual sources
• Aka use EVIDENCE
Measured by TDA’s
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TEXT DEPENDENT
ANALYSIS
What is it? What is it not? What instructional foci yield
results?
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TDA Rubric Details
A holistic rubric
• Single scale with all criteria to be included in the
evaluation being considered together
• The rater assigns a single score based on an
overall judgment of the student’s work
• The rater matches an entire piece of student work
to a single description on the scale
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Text Dependent Analysis 4-8: TDA
• Informational & Literature -Rubric
• Effectively addresses all parts of the task demonstrating in-depth
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
understanding of the text(s)
Effective introduction, development, and conclusion identifying an opinion,
topic, or controlling idea related to the text(s)
Strong organizational structure that effectively supports the focus and
ideas
Thorough analysis of explicit and implicit meanings from text(s) to
effectively support claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences
Substantial, accurate, and direct reference to the text(s) using relevant
key details, examples, quotes, facts, and/or definitions
Substantial reference to the main idea(s) and relevant key details of the
text(s) to support the writer’s purpose
Skillful use of transitions to link ideas
Effective use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary drawn
from the text(s) to explain the topic and/or to convey experiences/events
Few errors, if any, are present in sentence formation, grammar, usage,
spelling, capitalization, and punctuation; errors present do not interfere
with meaning
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THE SNOW CAVE
& THE SEA WOLF
Text Dependent Analysis
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Text Dependent Analysis
• Authors appeal to readers through a variety
of techniques. Write an essay analyzing
how the settings in both “The Snow Cave”
and “The Sea Wolf” reveal the passages’
mood. Use evidence from both passages to
support your response.
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ACTIVITY TIME: READ &
RATE
Seventh Grade TDA
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Text Dependent Analysis
• Authors appeal to readers through a variety
of techniques. Write an essay analyzing
how the settings in both “The Snow Cave”
and “The Sea Wolf” reveal the passages’
mood. Use evidence from both passages to
support your response.
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The descriptive settings in both stories reveal the ominous mood intended by the author. In
“The Sea Wolf”, Jack London portrays the setting as ominous through his specific description
of the storm. In describing how the storm was impacting the ship he states “As she arrived at
right angles to the sea, the full force of the wind caught us.” This ominous mood continues to
be revealed in the setting when the author states, “Then it descended, pandemonium broke
loose, everything happened at once.” The ‘it’ that the author refers to is the storm. The storm
is painting a very dangerous picture for the characters in the story especially as the narrator
almost drowns. “I was under water, and the thought passed through my mind that this was
the terrible thing of which I had heard, the being swept in the trough of the sea.” As the main
character continues to try to save himself, the mood stays ominous due to the setting. When
the author states, “the air was thick with flying wreckage, detached ropes and stays were
hissing and coiling like snakes, and down through it all crashed the gaff of the foresail”, the
reader can picture the chaaos around him, and the ominous setting reveals the doom of the
situation and its dark mood. The setting was key to creating such a dark mood in this story.
The wind, water, waves, and crashing of the boat together build the mood for the reader.
Similarly in “The Snow Cave “ the author creates an ominous mood. As soon as Erik makes
a wrong turn the reader is aware that he is in a dangerous situation as the story is set on a
snow covered mountain- hardly a safe place to be lost. Moments after being lost, the reader
realizes that the mood is becoming even darker because it was almost night. “To make
matters worse, the sun was sinking into the horizon, and the moon hung ominously
overhead.” The author helps the reader picture this situation by clearly describing the setting
which leads to the ominous mood. In this story the weather is certainly part of the setting and
leads readers to understand the level of danger when the author writes “The temperature
would surely drop well below freezing”. The setting continues to set an ominous when the
author describes the ice cave that Erik must build to survive the night. The reader
understands that this small, cold place with a few air holes is all that is keeping Erik alive.
In both stories the authors use very descriptive settings to reveal the ominous mood that
helps readers understand the story better.
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The authors of both of the passages appeal to readers through a variety of
techniques. The settings reveal the mood in “The Snow Cave” and “The
Sea Wolf”. In “The Sea Wolf’s” setting is one filled with danger. They are
on a ship lost at sea in a terrible storm. The setting is described as “On all
sides there was a crashing of wood and steel and canvas”. The ship is in a
terrible shape and the characters are also impacted by the storm’s setting.
The author describes this by writing “I tried to rise, but struck my head and
was knocked back on hands and knees.” The setting showed mood in “The
Sea Wolf”. It also revealed mood in “The Snow Cave” when the setting
begins at the top of a mountain before dinner with two brothers that are
skiing. They begin to race and that is when everything goes very badly. One
brother, Erik, decides to take a short cut. He is hungry for dinner and his
mind drifts off. He realizes that he is not sure where he is at saying “he
realized that he was lost”. He doesn’t panic. He thinks back to when he
took a survival class. It is now night time, and he realizes that it is too late
to try to find his way back, so he looks to see what he has in his bag. He
will be safe with water and a few granola bars. He then decides to build a
snow cave to stay safe and warm. He safely sleeps there through the
night. When he wakes, he is disappointed that no one has come to rescue
him yet. He eats and drinks and decides to try to walk a bit in case anyone
is nearby looking for him. It is now daylight and rather quickly he is found.
In both stories the setting is described and reveals the moods.
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The settings in The Snow Cave and The Sea Wolf reveal both passages dangerous
mood. The Sea Wolf’s dangerous mood is revealed through the author’s description of
the story’s setting. The air is described as “It stood up against me like a wall, filling my
lungs with air which I could not expel” The air reveals the dangerous mood as it is
almost suffoccating. Without even describing events on this ship the author again
reveals the dangerous mood by describing “Then it descended, pandemonium broke
loose, everything happened at once”. This description is a setting completely out of
control and it leads to the dangerous mood of the story. The reader can imagine how
everything is flying around when the author says that quote. The setting shapes a
dangerous mood in that passage, and also in The snow cave.
In The snow cave, Erik becomes lost in the snow. The settings dangerous mood
revealed when the author lets the readers know it is night time. Night on a mountain of
snow is very dangerous. “To make matters worse, the sun was sinking into the horizon,
and the moon hung ominously overhead.” This setting is very dangerous and leads to
that dangerous mood. Once Erik realizes he won’t be found at night he builds a cave of
snow. A cave of snow will protect him, but it still sets a dangerous mood. It is freezing
and “– but frostbite was another matter.” He is surrounded by snow and must stay alive
with nothing but a snow cave and a few pine needles to keep him safe and warm. This
sleeping outside in the night on a freezing, snow covered mountain is a setting that
creates a dangerous mood.
In both stories the authors use setting to create dangerous moods. One is on a boat in
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dangerous seas and one is on a mountain in dangerous temperatures.
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ACTIVITY TIME: FEEL THE
TDA
Grade 8: “New Country, New School” & “A Subway Story”
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• Authors write in various points
of view. Write an essay
analyzing how the point of view
in the beginning of “New
Country, New School” and “A
Subway Story” set the mood in
both texts. Use evidence from
both passages to support your
answer.
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ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
OF THIS ANSWER
Debrief
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Essential components
• Identify the POV
• First person point of view allows readers to understand
exactly what the character is thinking
• Identify the mood
• First person point of view evinces a tense mood, as POV
builds suspense – both narrator and reader don’t know what
is going to happen
• Put it together: How does the POV set the mood?
• Supporting evidence, analysis, and inferential thinking
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Possible evidence
New Country, New School
A Subway Story
• “Certainly she would not be
• “My heart pounded, my
speaking in my language.
Supposedly there was
always a person at the
school who could speak
Spanish. I had hoped so.”
• “We froze and awaited her
greeting, hoping ever so
desperately, that her voice
would be mild and kind.”
stomach gurgled, and my
palms were sweating.”
• “I tried my best to wipe my
nervousness off my face. I
walked into the classroom
real slow and took a seat
right in front. “Get it
together”, I thought.”
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WHAT MUST STUDENTS DO?
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Answer the question
• Perhaps the hardest…
• Requires instructional modeling
• We assume that students get the question
• Think Aloud- What is required to answer it
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Cite from text
• Direct reference to text
• Explicit supports
• Implicit supports
• Erroneous connections minimally
impede flow of writing
• Over-citing is a rookie oversight
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Craft introductory sentences
• Complete Sentence Restate the Question will not suffice
• Authors choose their words carefully to help readers understand
the information in a text. Write an essay analyzing how the author
used specific information to communicate the main idea clearly.
Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
• Authors use words carefully to help readers understand information and
authors use specific information to communicate the main idea clearly and in
“Life in the Limbs” the do this.
• Authors use words carefully to help readers understand information and
authors use specific information to communicate the main idea clearly in
“Life in the Limbs” that is there are many purposes for trees.
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Craft introductory sentences (cont)
• Anecdotes, questions, other weak
introductions will not be penalized
• Academic form and structure are a
safe bet
• Over coordination is penalized
• Remember how they are graded
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Use transitions appropriately
• Transition words
• Transitional phrases
• Fluidity of writing matters
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Attend to grammar and mechanics
• Grammar is back
• Avoid awkward sentence structure
• End sentences with PERIODS
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CREATING TEXT
DEPENDENT ANALYSIS
So much more than a template
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Text Dependent Analysis
• Authors write in various points of view.
Write an essay analyzing how the point of
view in the beginning of “New Country,
New School” and “A Subway Story” set the
mood in both texts. Use evidence from
both passages to support your answer.
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Avoid, Avoid, Avoid…
Corrupt questions
List magnets
The give away
The lure of
templates
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Released Prompts from PSSA Sampler
• Grade 4 When Shelly tells Marisa about the Mystery Club, she is immediately
interested and asks, “Could I join?” In order to join, Marisa first has to solve a mystery.
Write an essay analyzing the importance of solving the mystery to both Marisa and the
members of the Mystery Club. Use evidence from the passage to support your
response.
• Grade 5 The passages discuss the impact that people have had on the bald eagle.
Write an essay analyzing how people are helping the bald eagle increase in numbers.
Use information from all three passages to support your response.
• Grade 6 The passage and the poem address a similar theme. Write an essay
analyzing how the passage and the poem develop this theme. Use evidence from both
the passage and the poem to support your response.
• Grade 7 The drama focuses on events in the life of Florence Nightingale. Write an
essay analyzing how the three-scene structure of the drama emphasizes certain
characteristics of Florence. Use evidence from the drama to support your response.
• Grade 8 The plot of “Joe’s Reward” is driven by specific events that take place. Write
an essay analyzing how the passage draws on elements commonly found in myths.
Use evidence from the passage to support your response.
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Implications?
• Cannot rely on PSSA released items
• Must write own TDAs
• Writing own = more ownership into the instruction required
• Using someone else’s = less understanding of what students really
need to do
• BUT…
• Labor-intensive
• Time-intensive
• So…
• Must make TDA a priority
• Planning, instruction
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TDA SORT
Identifying the Merit of a TDA
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Strong
TDAs
The passage “Little by Little, Piece by Piece.” is about three brothers who each
•
experience a change in life. Write an essay analyzing how the title of the passage
conveys the central message of the text. Use evidence from the passage to
support your response.
• Authors use dialogue to convey characters’ motives. Write an essay analyzing
how the use of dialogue reveals Paolo’s motives in the passage. Cite evidence
from the text to support your answer.
• Authors use many techniques when developing main characters. Write an essay
analyzing how the author's precise word choice effectively developed Miyax in the
text excerpt. Be sure to use evidence from the text to support your analysis.
• The passages discuss the impact that people have had on sea levels. Write an
essay analyzing how the changes in sea levels affect humans. Use information
from all three passages to support your response.
• At the end of the passage, ‘Drawing Horses’, Marisa states, “But I already know
that when this drawing is finished, I’ll be signing it Marisa.” Write an essay
analyzing why she makes this statement. Cite evidence to support your answer.
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The Giveaway
• In "The Marble Champ", Lupe's lack of confidence and
skills in sports lead her to practice very hard to become
better at the sport of marbles. Write an essay analyzing
the story's events to explain how Lupe persevered to
prove her worth in the story. Be sure to use evidence
from the text to support your analysis.
• The passage "Little by Little Piece by Piece," is about
three brothers, one who works hard everyday and gains
wealth through perseverance. Write an essay analyzing
how the youngest brother is a role model for his older
brothers. Cite evidence form the text to support your
answer.
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Corrupt Questions
• The author of "Because of Winn Dixie" uses a dog to introduce two
people. Write an essay analyzing how the characters' actions and
motivations lead to the author's choice of title. Be sure to use evidence
from the text to support your analysis.
• Skye's emotions change throughout "the Perfect Swim." Write an
essaying analyzing how Skye's emotions are revealed through the
setting and plot. Cite evidence from the text to support your analysis.
• Authors choose words carefully to help readers understand the
information. Write an essay analyzing how the author used figurative
language and foreshadowing to communicate the main idea. Be sure to
clearly cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
• Authors use various techniques when developing and explaining
motivations of characters. Write an essay analyzing how the author of
"The Raft" reveals Dewey's character and his motivations throughout the
passage. Use evidence from the passage to support your response.
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List Magnets
• In the text excerpt from "Because of Winn Dixie", an unlikely
friendship emerges. Write an essay analyzing how the Opal's actions
led to an unlikely friendship. Be sure to use evidence from the text to
support your analysis.
• In the passage "Drawing Horses" Marisa demonstrates a will to
improve. Write an essay analyzing how she perseveres to become a
better artist. Use evidence from the text to support your analysis.
• Authors often use figurative language to describe objects, characters,
and situations in their stories. Write an essay analyzing figurative
language in "Luke's Big Night Out". Use evidence from the text to
support your analysis.
• In "Off and Running" the characters use formal language during their
election speeches. Write an essay analyzing how the author uses
formal language in the speeches. Use evidence from the text to
support your analysis.
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Anchor Papers
• Find your solid 2s, 3s, and 4s
• Essential Elements
• Analysis Trumps All
• Flow of Writing
• Appropriate Citations
• In Text
AND
• Inferential Support
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Instructional Prerequisites
• Read (reread), Think, Create, and Write
• Complex and Varied Texts
• Inferences
• Modeled, Group, Scaffold, Independent
• Grammar and Mechanics
Read Think Discuss
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Considerations for TDA Instruction
• Modeled TDA think-alouds
• Partner writing with a debrief
• Individual with a debrief
• Individual with a score
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Finally. . .
• Knowing what is expected is key
• This is NOT about pure test prep
• This will assist incorporating thinking in instruction
• Test prep comes near the test
• Do NOT be exhausting with these before the test
• Use to teach over the course of the year.
Thank you for what you do for students!