Preparing for TAKS Elementary English Language Arts

1. Preparing for TAKS Elementary English Language Arts

2. New Vision for Statewide Assessment • Completely reconceived testing program • Reflection of actual classroom practice • Questions clearly worded, asked in authentic ways

3. Background 1999–2000 • TEKS selection by educator committees, objectives drafted • Eleventh grade surveys distributed 2000–2001 • Third through tenth grade and second draft eleventh grade surveys distributed • Survey results and prototypes examined by educator committees 2001–2002 • Field test items reviewed by educator committees • Information booklets distributed • Field test administered

4. Information Booklets • Reading Grades 3–6 • Reading Grades 5–8 • Writing Grades 4 and 7 • Reading Grade 9 and English Language Arts Grades 10 and 11 Exit Level

5. Organization of the TAKS Objectives • “Umbrella statements” • Headings for grouping Student Expectations • Identical for grades 3–8 (elementary/middle school system) and 9–11 (high school system) • Reporting unit TEKS Student Expectations • Grouped under appropriate objective • May be repeated (writing composition vs. revising/editing)

6. Clarification of Terms • The term “including” is used when the specific examples that follow it must be taught. • The term“such as” is used when the specific examples that follow function only as representative illustrations that help define the expectation for teachers However, in both cases other examples may be used in addition to those listed. • Any skill or concept in [brackets] is not tested.

7. Culturally Diverse Text The term culturally diverse simply means “pertaining to a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.” We are committed to finding selections that will represent, as much as possible, the wide range of backgrounds of the student population in Texas. At the same time, each selection must be accessible to all students, regardless of ethnicity or background.

8. Grade 3–5 Reading Selections • Title • Introduction with background information, when necessary • Paragraphs numbered where appropriate • Photographs, illustrations • Clear, focused questions and statements in items

9. Grade 3–5 Reading Selections • Narrative (stories, letters, diary entries) • Expository (information, explanation) • Mixed • Paired (except at grade 3) • Grades 3–4: 500–700 words • Grade 5: 600–900 words

10. Grades 3–5 Reading Objective 1 • Basic understanding of texts Objective 2 • Knowledge of literary elements to understand texts Objective 3 • Use of strategies to analyze texts Objective 4 • Application of critical thinking skills to analyze texts

11. Objective 1 Items • Vocabulary in Context • Underlined word will be above grade level. • Student is expected to know and use different strategies (e.g., word structure, word origin, analogies, or connotation depending on grade level). • Context clues will be provided in the selection. • Multiple-meaning words will be tested through a dictionary entry.

12. Objective 1 Items, continued • Important, relevant details/events • Main idea/gist • Summary

13. Objective 2 Items • Characterization • Setting • Story problem, plot • No literary point of view • Narrative mostly, expository or mixed if appropriate

14. Objective 3 Items (Grade 3) • Relationship of one event to other events • Representation of text in different ways, including graphic organizers, or interpretation of information from a graphic source • Different forms of text, characteristics of stories and informational texts, purpose • Different genres, distinguishing characteristics

15. Objective 3 Items (Grades 4–5) • Text structure or progression of ideas, organization, pattern, relationships between ideas • Similarities and differences across texts • Representation of text in different ways • Internal consistency/logic of story, what is or is not typical of a character • Author’s purpose • Story variants • Author’s perspective/point of view

16. Objective 4 Items (Grades 3–5) • Deeper, more complete understanding of the text, inferential thinking • Fact/opinion only with expository/mixed when author’s intent is to persuade • Support/evidence from text

17. Objective 4 Items (Grades 4–5) • Organizational patterns • Ability to connect, compare, contrast ideas, themes, or issues (single or paired selections)

18. Reading Sample

19. Sample Question

20. Sample Question

21. Sample Question

22. Sample Question

23. Reading Sample

24. Reading Sample, continued

25. Sample Question

26. Story Variants, Sample 1

27. Story Variants, Sample 2

28. 8 Look at this web about the second man. Sample Question Which of these belongs in the empty circle? A Refuses the guard’s request to empty his pockets B Admits to stealing the gold coins that are missing C* Is accused of stealing the king’s cocoa beans D Asks the guard to find an empty basket for him Objective 3

29. Sample Questions

30. Grade 4 Writing Composition • No unique purposes for writing • Open-ended prompts • Student’s choice of an approach that best expresses his/her ideas about the topic • Standard English prose • Focused, holistic scoring 1–4

31. Grade 4 Writing Revising and editing (multiple choice) • Samples of student writing/peer editing (approximately one page in length, may have photograph or illustration) • Grade 4: 175–225 words • Numbered sentences • No isolated assessment of objectives—all four objectives will be assessed together

32. Grade 4 Writing Revision and Editing • Editing items—What change, if any, needs to be made in Sentence 5? • Revision items

33. Grade 4 Writing • Objectives 1 and 2 Composition • Objectives 3, 4, 5, and 6 Revising/Editing

34. Objective 1—Composition • Respond directly to the prompt. • Organize ideas to show a logical progression of thought. • Remain focused on the topic. • Develop ideas thoroughly and specifically. • Express an individual voice (authentic, personal, natural).

35. Objective 2—Composition Holistic judgment of the strength of conventions overall: • Some errors are more serious and have greater impact on communication (unclear pronoun antecedent vs. incorrect capitalization). • Degree of sophistication of student attempts at sentence construction and use of words is taken into account.

36. Grade 4 Sample Prompt Write a composition about a time when you made a new friend. The information in the box below will help you remember what you should think about when you write your composition. • REMEMBER—YOU SHOULD • write about a time when you made a new friend • make sure that each sentence you write helps the reader understand your composition • write about your ideas in detail so the reader really understands what you are saying • try to use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

37. Objective 3 Items • Recognize irrelevant sentences to be deleted. • Identify sentences that should be added to elaborate.

38. Objective 4 Items • Recognize and correct fragments and run-ons. • Combine sentences effectively. • Improve awkward/wordy sentences.

39. Objective 5 Items Recognize and correct errors in: • Subject-verb agreement • Pronoun referents • Parts of speech • Adverbs, adjectives, and their forms • Use of double negatives • Misuse of homonyms • Use of indefinite reference • Vague wording

40. Objective 6 Items Recognize and correct errors in: • Capitalization • Punctuation • Spelling

41. Revising and Editing Sample

42. TEACH THE TEKS!

43. Vertical Alignment (Articulation) • Connects learning across the grade levels • Builds cumulative, coherent,comprehensive, increasingly complex sequences of learning experiences • Creates seamless education PreK–12 • Applies systems thinking

44. Instructional Implications • What changes in instruction should occur in our district, school, or classroom based on what we’ve learned about the new objectives, TEKS expectations, and format? • What professional development does our staff need?

45. Resources • www.tea.state.tx.us/list • ELA-Reading listserv • Assessment listserv • www.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/index.html • www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ • Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts www.texasreading.org • Education service centers • Professional organizations (NCTE, IRA, TCTE, TSRA, CREST) • Critical Issues Report #1—Texas Mentor School Network

46. TEA Contacts • Assessment: 512-463-9536 • Victoria Young • Joan Mims • Barbara Tutt • Curriculum: 512-463-9581 • Muffet Livaudais • Sarah Crippen • Casey McCreary