English II STAAR Reading Test Basics

1. English II STAAR Reading Test Basics Here Comes the Boom!!!!! Ready or not--here comes the voice from STAAR!

2. Pre-Assessment—BOOM! • How did students do on the STAAR reading test last year? 2. What can I expect to see on the test and how long do I have to take it? 3. What are the reporting categories that will be on the STAAR reading test? 4. How are the short answer questions scored on STAAR? 5. How do I earn a top score on the short answer questions?

3. How Did You Do on the Pre-assessment?

4. When is the STAAR Reading Test? • Tuesday, April 2, 2013 • English I Reading • Thursday, April 4, 2013 • English II Reading

5. Learning Targets: • I understand STAAR results from English I STAAR Reading from last year. • I understand the test design. • I can explain the types of questions that will be on the STAAR Reading Test. • I understand how the short answer questions are scored on STAAR and know what a 1, 2, and 3 looks like.

6. What Happened in English I Reading in Spring 2012? Spring 2012 Results (334,825 students) • Level I: 32% Unsatisfactory • Level II: 60% Satisfactory • Level III: 8% Advanced

7. STAAR Reading Design STAAR Reading has 38 multiple choice questions and 2 short answer questions (as well as the field-tested items) STAAR reading assessments will emphasize students’ ability • to think critically/inferentially about different types of texts • to understand how to use text evidence to confirm the validity of their ideas

8. STAAR English I ReadingMultiple Choice

9. Example: Reading Multiple Choice Question • Reporting Category 1 (vocab)

10. Example: Reading Multiple Choice Question • Reporting Category 1 (connections across genres)

11. Example: Reading Multiple Choice Question • Reporting Category 2 (Literary selections)

12. Example: Reading Multiple Choice Question • Reporting Category 2 (Literary selections)

13. Example: Reading Multiple Choice Question • Report cat three (informational texts)

14. STOP and Talk In three sentences, explain the reporting categories on STAAR and what you should expect in each.

15. STAAR English I ReadingShort Answer Questions *NOTE—this is a problem area!!!! These two questions make up 32% of the test!

16. STAAR Reading PerformanceShort Answer Question Scores • Score Point 0—INSUFFICIENT • Score Point 1—PARTIALLY SUFFICIENT • Score Point 2—SUFFICIENT • Score Point 3—EXEMPLARY

17. Short Answer Results for the StateEnglish I 2012

20. STAAR Short Answer Questions English I short answer question for single selection: drama In this excerpt from Anne of Green Gables, do you think the stage directions enhance your understanding of the scene? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

21. STAAR Short Answer Questions Yes it does enhance my understanding, it describes Anne to me. It lets me know that she’s waiting for something or someone and that she might be unfortunate. “The child wears a too-large overcoat.” Response is 5 lines handwritten. Score Pointe 1 (partially sufficient): idea is specific but text evidence is only weakly linked to the idea

22. STAAR Short Answer Questions In “Anne of Green Gables” I believe the stage directions enhance the understanding of the scene. Some evidence to prove it is all of the first paragraph. It enhances the understanding of the scene by introducing the main character, setting the scene, and setting the mood. Without the stage directions it’s all confusing. Some more text evidence is all of paragraph 8. It enhances the scene by introducing a man who is to adopt Anne and what his character is like. In conclusion I believe the stage directions enhance the scene because without them it’s very confusing. Response is 7 lines handwritten. Score point 1(partially sufficient): idea is specific but text evidence is only a general reference.

24. STAAR Short Answer Questions The stage directions help a lot because you can create better pictures in your head about what is going on. When the story says “[Anne clutches her bag. She is terrified]” shows Anne is scared without Anne having to say it. Response is 5 lines handwritten. Example of Score Point 2 (sufficient): idea is specific and text evidence is relevant and accurate

26. STAAR Short Answer Questions The stage directions most definitely help to get an image of the scene in the play. In a short story or novel, authors use words to describe the setting that the characters are in, which helps to paint a visual image in the reader’s mind. Descriptions like “a small figure, a child, sits on a battered suitcase” and directions as to who a character is turned talking to like “to Anne” help the reader see what is happening, just like descriptions in a novel or short story. The reader can definitely see the play being acted out in their minds, which helps them to understand the scenes better and connect with the characters just by reading. Response is 9 lines handwritten. Example of SP 3 (exemplary): idea is perceptive and text evidence is specific and well chosen.

27. STAAR Short Answer Questions English II short answer question for paired selections: poetry and literary nonfiction How are the themes of “Those Winter Sundays” and “All My Babies are Gone Now” similar? Support your answer with evidence from both selections.

28. English I, II, and III Reading Two short answer reading questions and 38 multiple choice on each test (for a total of 56 points—18 points are short answer and 38 are multiple choice) 10 lines to write short answer questions or about 650 characters (if online) May use Thesaurus Allowable dictionaries now include bilingual and handheld non-internet-capable electronic dictionaries Four hours total Field test is embedded

29. Post-Assessment—BOOM! • How did students do on the STAAR reading test last year? 2. What can I expect to see on the test and how long do I have to take it? 3. What are the reporting categories that will be on the STAAR reading test? 4. How are the short answer questions scored on STAAR? 5. How do I earn a top score on the short answer questions?

30. Here Comes the Boom! • How you like it now? • Ready or not? What else do you need?