The Keystone Literature Exam

1. The Keystone Literature Exam Overview 2012-2013

2. Purpose: The Keystone Literature test “will assess students’ masteries of the Literature Assessment Anchors as defined by the Eligible Content and be aligned to the Concepts and Competencies.” (see PSD district letter)

3. Structure: The Test and its Questions Change from PSSA: Reading versus Literature (John Kennedy Speech, excerpts from teen novels, from short story collections, governmental pamphlets, and surely poetry selections and classic novel excerpts). *The test is designed to evaluate how well takers understand the texts, not to evaluate writing skills.

4. Questioning Format Two literature passages with approximately eight multiple choice questions (worth one point each) for each followed by one or two constructed response questions (worth three points each). Three Literary Passages per Module (one serves as a field test) There will be a total of 52 points (Module 1 and Module 2 combined), with approximately 65% multiple choice points and 35% constructed response points.

5. Changes from PSSA Difference from the PSSA: Spelled out and direct instructions (PSSA) versus more open (analysis and other Keystone terms from the Scoring sampler) [see Keystone Item Scoring Sampler] and interpretive language on the constructed response section.

6. How to Respond Student Response Type: Question-text-explanation Systems/Techniques for responding to open-ended questions, Question-Text-Explanation Approaches (see handouts)

7. Formula for Keystone /Constructed Open Ended Responses A Good Response will 1. Answer the whole question 2. Use specific examples from the text to support reasoning 3. Extend beyond the text/insight Remember: The constructed response is not a writing task. It is a comprehension task. Clear & concise answer show that the answerers/writers understand what they read and that they can make connections.

8. Response Approaches 1.The Five Sentence Response Sentence #1-State your proposal/hypothesis using words from the prompt Sentence #2-Start with a transitional word: ”For example,”“Such as….” Sentences #2-4-These three sentences should provide support, examples, & references from the text to support the proposal. The 5th sentence should demonstrate insight, connections & how those examples support the proposal (Extend beyond the text).

9. 2. QASI QUESTION RESTATEMENT: Use and restate the question when answering the prompt. (This shows a familiarity with the text & also shows the graders that the student is aware of what is being asked) ANSWER: Answer all parts or the question SUPPORT: Most crucial. Direct support either in the form of quotations, paraphrases or summaries. Use a transitional word to start. INSIGHT- Offer insight/show how/make connections and write about those connections

10. 3. APE • ANSWER THE QUESTION • Start your answer with part of the question • PROOF FROM THE TEXT • The pictures showed that… • Using information from the text, the reader knows that…. • Evidence to support this idea is…. • In the text…. • The author writes… • On page ____ it says… • EXTEND OR MAKE AN OPINION OR CONNECTION & MAKE A SUMMARY STATEMENT

11. APE Examples This is true because… _______happens because… The author is trying to to suggest to the reader that… One reason this is… I also believe… The reader knows this because… Make a connection to another text, to the world, or to yourself Summary Statement: That is why… This is my… These are the reasons why….