PARCC Sample Items Webinar

1. PARCC Sample Items Webinar ELA/Literacy

2. PARCC’s Core Commitments to ELA/Literacy Assessment Quality Questions Worth Answering: Sequences of questions that draw students into deeper encounters with texts are the norm (as in an excellent classroom), rather than sets of random questions of varying quality.

3. PARCC’s Core Commitments to ELA/Literacy Assessment Quality Texts Worth Reading: The assessments use authentic texts worthy of study instead of artificially produced or commissioned passages.

4. PARCC’s Core Commitments to ELA/Literacy Assessment Quality Better Standards Demand Better Questions: Instead of reusing existing items, PARCC is developing custom items to the Standards.

5. PARCC’s Core Commitments to ELA/Literacy Assessment Quality Fidelity to the Standards: • PARCC evidence statements are rooted in the language of the Standards so that expectations remain the same in both instructional and assessment settings. • Two standards are always in play—whether items are focused on reading or writing. These standards are: • Reading Standard One (Use of Evidence) • Reading Standard Ten (Complex Texts) ELA Evidence Tables

6. Three Innovative Item Types That Showcase Students’ Command of Evidence with Complex Texts Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR)— Combines a traditional selected-response question with a second selected-response question that asks students to show evidence from the text that supports the answer they provided to the first question.

7. Three Innovative Item Types That Showcase Students’ Command of Evidence with Complex Texts Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR)— Uses technology to capture student comprehension of texts in authentic ways that have been difficult to score by machine for large scale assessments (e.g., drag and drop, cut and paste, shade text, move items to show relationships).

8. Three Innovative Item Types That Showcase Students’ Command of Evidence with Complex Texts Prose Constructed Responses (PCR)— Elicits evidence that students have understood a text or texts they have read and can communicate that understanding well both in terms of written expression and knowledge of language and conventions. There are three of these items of varying types on each annual performance-based assessment; the Literary Analysis Task, the Research Simulation Task, and the Narrative Task. Writing Forms for PCR ItemsTask Models

9. Literary Analysis Task • Students carefully consider two literary texts worthy of close study. • They are asked to answer a few EBSR and TECR questions about each text to demonstrate their ability to do close analytic reading and to compare and synthesize ideas. • Students write a literary analysis about the two texts.

10. 10th Grade – Item 1Literary Analysis Task Part A Which of the following sentences best states an important theme about human behavior as described in Ovid’s “Daedalus and Icarus”? a. Striving to achieve one’s dreams is a worthwhile endeavor. b. The thoughtlessness of youth can have tragic results. c. Imagination and creativity bring their own rewards d. Everyone should learn from his or her mistakes.

11. 10th Grade – Item 1Literary Analysis Task Part B Select three pieces of evidence from Ovid’s “Daedalus and Icarus” that support the answer to Part A. a. "and by his playfulness retard the work/his anxious father planned" (lines 310-311) b. "But when at last/the father finished it, he poised himself" (lines 312-313). c. "he fitted on his son the plumed wings/ with trembling hands, while down his withered cheeks/the tears were falling" (lines 327-329). d. "Proud of his success/the foolish Icarus forsook his guide” (lines 348-349)." e. "and, bold in vanity, began to soar/rising upon his wings to touch the skies" f. "and as the years went by the gifted youth/began to rival his instructor's art " g. "Wherefore Daedalus/enraged and envious, sought to slay the youth " h. "The Partridge hides/in shaded places by the leafy trees…for it is mindful of its former fall "

12. 10th Grade – Item 2Literary Analysis Task Part A What does the word vanity mean in these lines from the text “Daedalus and Icarus ” ? “ Proud of his success, the foolish Icarus forsook his guide, and, bold in vanity, began to soar ” (lines 348-350) a. arrogance * b. fear c. heroism d. enthusiasm

13. 10th Grade – Item 2Literary Analysis Task Part B Which word from the lines of text in Part A best helps the reader understand the meaning of vanity? a. proud * b. success c. foolish d. soar

14. 10th Grade – PCR 1Literary Analysis Task Use what you have learned from reading “Daedalus and Icarus“ by Ovid and “To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph“ by Anne Sexton to write an essay that provides an analysis of how Sexton transforms Daedalus and Icarus. As a starting point, you may want to consider what is emphasized, absent, or different in the two texts, but feel free to develop your own focus for analysis. Develop your essay by providing textual evidence from both texts. Grades 6-11 Writing Rubric

15. 10th Grade – PCR 2Literary Analysis Task Use what you have learned from reading “ Daedalus and Icarus ” by Ovid and “ To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph ” by Anne Sexton to write an essay that analyzes how Icarus’s experience of flying is portrayed differently in the two texts. Develop your essay by providing textual evidence from both texts. Grades 6-11 Writing Rubric

16. Research Simulation Task Students begin by reading an anchor text that introduces the topic. EBSR and TECR items ask students to gather key details about the passage to support their understanding.

17. Research Simulation Task Then students read one (grade 3) or two (grades 4-11) additional sources and answer a few questions about each text to learn more about the topic, so they are ready to write the final essay and to show their reading comprehension.

18. Research Simulation Task Finally, students mirror the research process by synthesizing their understandings into a writing that uses textual evidence from the sources.

19. Purpose Setting Statement Today you will research two people who lived long ago. As you read these passages, you will gather information and answer questions. Then you will write an article for your school newspaper to teach your classmates about how these two people made a difference in America.

20. 3rd grade – Item 1Research Simulation Task Sample Part A: The article includes these details about life: • She wrote newspaper articles to tell others about what she saw in Alaska to inform those who had not been there. (paragraph 1) • She wrote the first guidebook about Alaska. (paragraph 1) • She was the first woman to work at the National Geographic Society, where she wrote many articles and books. (paragraph 11)

21. 3rd grade – Item 1Research Simulation Task Sample What do these details help show about? • They show that she shared the benefits of her experiences with others.* • They show she had many important jobs during her lifetime, but becoming a photographer was one of her proudest moments. • They show that her earlier travels were more exciting than the work she did later in her life. • They show that she had a careful plan for everything she did in her life.

22. 3rd grade – Item 1Research Simulation Task Sample Part B: Ideas from paragraphs 1 and 11 were used to help you learn about Eliza. Click on two other paragraphs that include additional support for the answer to Part A. There are more than two paragraphs that include additional support, but you need to only choose two.

23. 3rd grade – Item 2Research Simulation Task Sample Part A: Which statement best describes how the events in paragraphs 13 through 15 are related to each other? • They explain how Washington, D.C., would change if cherry trees were planted around the city. • They show that Eliza found a new way to get cherry trees planted in Washington, D.C. * • They compare the ways Eliza and Mrs. Taft tried to add beauty to Washington, D.C. • They describe how Mr. Takamine gave Eliza the idea to bring cherry trees to Washington, D.C.

24. 3rd grade – Item 2Research Simulation Task Sample Part B: Which sentence from the article best supports the answer in Part A? • “When they bloomed, the trees became clouds of pink blossoms.” • “She kept trying for more than twenty years!” • “She wrote a letter to the president’s wife, Mrs. Taft.” * • With the help of Mr. Takamine, a generous Japanese scientist, they had the trees sent from Japan.

25. 3th Grade – Prose Constructed Response (PCR) You have read two texts about famous people in American history who solved a problem by working to make a change. Write an article for your school newspaper describing how Eliza and Carver faced challenges to change something in America. • In your article, be sure to describe in detail why some solutions they tried worked and others did not work. • Tell how the challenges each one faced were the same and how they were different. 3rd grade scoring rubric

26. Narrative Writing Task • Students read one brief text and answer a few questions to help clarify their understanding of the text. • Students then write a narrative story.

27. 6th Grade – Item 1Narrative Writing Task Sample Part A: Which statement best describes the central idea of the text? • Miyax is far from home and in need of help. * • Miyax misses her father and has forgotten the lessons he taught her. • Miyax is cold and lacks appropriate clothing. • Miyax is surrounded by a pack of unfriendly wolves.

28. 6th Grade – Item 1Narrative Writing Task Sample Part B: Which sentence best helps develop the central idea? • “Miyax pushed back the hood of her sealskin parka and looked at the Arctic sun.” • “Somewhere in this cosmos was Miyax; and the very life in her body, its spark and warmth, depended upon these wolves for survival.”* • “The next night the wolf called him from far away and her father went to him and found a freshly killed caribou.” • He had ignored her since she first came upon them, two sleeps ago.”

29. 6th Grade – Item 2Narrative Writing Task Sample Part A: What is the purpose of this sentence in paragraph 1: “No roads cross it; ponds and lakes freckle its immensity”? • It illustrates the theme that human beings should keep the natural would pure and unpolluted. • It shows how beautiful the setting seems to Miyax. • It helps develop the theme that nature connects all living things together. • It emphasizes how the setting of the story creates great challenges for Miyax.*

30. 6th Grade – Item 2Narrative Writing Task Sample Part B: Which other sentence from the story serves a similar purpose? • “Quietly she put down her cooking pot and crept to the top of a dome-shaped frost heave, one of the many earth buckles that rise and fall in the crackling cold of the Arctic winter.” • “They were wagging their tails as they awoke and saw each other.” • “Winds scream across it, and the view in every direction is exactly the same.”* • “Unfortunately, Miyax’s father never explained to her how he had told the wolf of his needs.”

31. 6th Grade – Item 3Narrative Writing Task Sample Part A: What does the word regal mean as it is used in the passage? • generous • threatening • kingly* • uninterested

32. 6th Grade – Item 3Narrative Writing Task Sample Part B: Which of the phrases from the passage best helps the reader understand the meaning of regal? • “wagging their tails as they awoke” • “the wolves, who were shy” • “their sounds and movements expressed goodwill” • “with his head high and his chest out”*

33. 6th Grade – Item 4Narrative Writing Task Sample Part A: Based on the passage from Julie of the Wolves, how does Miyax feel about her father? • She is angry that he left her alone. • She blames him for her difficult childhood. • She appreciates his thorough knowledge of nature.* • She is grateful that he planned out her future.

34. 6th Grade – Item 4Narrative Writing Task Sample Part B: Which sentence from the passage best shows Miyax’s feelings for her father?” • “She had been lost without food for many sleeps on the North Slope of Alaska.” • “This could be done she knew, for her father, an Eskimo hunter, had done so.”* • “Unfortunately, Miyax’s father never explained to her how he had told the wolf of his needs.” • “And not long afterward he paddled his kayak into the Bering Sea to hunt for seal, and he never returned.”

35. 6th Grade – Item 5Narrative Writing Task Sample Part A: Choose one word that describes Miyax based on evidence from the text. There is more than one correct choice listed below. • reckless • lively • imaginative* • observant* • impatient • confident

36. 6th Grade – Item 5Narrative Writing Task Sample Part B: Drag and drop two details from the passage that support your response to Part A into the box labeled “Supporting Details.”

37. 6th Grade – Prose Constructed Response (PCR) In the passage, the author developed a strong character named Miyax. Think about Miyax and the details the author used to create that character. The passage ends with Miyax waiting for the black wolf to look at her. Write an original story to continue where the passage ended. In your story, be sure to use what you have learned about the character Miyax as you tell what happens to her next. grades 6-11 scoring rubric

38. End of Year (EOY) Assessment • Students will be given several passages to read closely. • EBSR and TECR questions will be sequenced in a way that they will draw students into deeper encounters with the texts and will result in thorough comprehension of the concepts that can also provide models for the regular course of instruction. • These tasks will draw on higher order skills such as critical reading and analysis, the comparison and synthesis of ideas within and across texts, and determining the meaning of words and phrases in context.

39. 5thGrade – Item 1 End of Year (EOY) Assessment Part A - What is the meaning of the word dictate as it is used in paragraph 23? • hint • fix • understand • decide* Part B - Which phrase helps the reader understand the meaning of dictate? • “recreate the tree house” • “determine the shape”* • “is less expensive to build” • “has all the time in the world”

40. 5th Grade - Item 2Choose the two correct main ideas and drag them into the empty box labeled “Main Ideas.” Then choose one detail that best supports each main idea. Drag each detail into the empty box labeled “Supporting Details.” Supporting Details Main Ideas

41. 5th Grade - Item 3 End of Year (EOY) Assessment Part A: What is the purpose of the braces described in paragraph 6 of the article? • They fix broken tree limbs, so a tree house will not fall down. • They lock several trees together, so almost any kind of tree can be used. • They join two trees into one unit, so a tree house looks secure. • They help trees hold up a tree house, so the trees will not break.*

42. 5thGrade - Item 3End of Year (EOY) Assessment Part B: Which two details from the article help support the answer to Part A? • “Designing unique tree houses may sound tough, but Jonathan says it's no sweat.” • "’Hardwoods such as oak, maple, or hickory make the best trees for houses—but I did once build a wonderful tree house in a crabapple tree.’” • “’My tree house is in two trees—an oak and a fir—and has three posts to support the weight.’”* • “As a certified arborist, Jonathan tries to never harm the trees.”* • "The tree's center of gravity is at the top and the ends of its branches, so I build a house down at the center of the tree. . . ” • "The tree grows over the artificial limbs, and they become part of the tree, . . .”

43. 5th Grade - Item 4End of Year (EOY) Assessment Part A: Which idea is found in both the article about Fairoaks and the side bar about Nelson? • Each tree house should be special for its owner.* • People should climb trees for practice before building a tree house. • Having a tree house is good for people. • Going to a tree house school can be helpful in getting started. 

44. 5thGrade – Item 4End of Year (EOY) Assessment Part B: Choose one detail from the article and one detail from the side bar that support the answer to Part A. Drag each of the details into the box labeled "Supporting Details." 

45. Additional Materials Released with the Sample Items • PARCC has revised the draft generic rubrics based on results from two research studies completed in spring/summer of 2013. The rubrics remain in draft form to allow for results of the upcoming field test to ensure effective rubric design. • A white paper sharing ideas on potential means to use the draft generic rubrics is being shared with the release of the revised draft generic rubrics. • In addition, PARCC has provided a white paper giving examples of the types of forms that may be elicited with PARCC Prose Constructed Response items.