Grade 3 Reading Item/Scoring Sampler -

Grade 3 Reading Item Sampler 2006–2007 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

General Scoring Guidelines for Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Reading Reporting Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Grade 3 Reading Passage 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Reading Multiple-Choice Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Reading Open-Ended Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Open-Ended Item-Specific Scoring Guideline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Open-Ended Item Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Grade 3 Reading Passage 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Grade 3 Reading Passage 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Reading Multiple-Choice Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Reading Open-Ended Item. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Open-Ended Item-Specific Scoring Guideline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Open-Ended Item Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23



INTRODUCTION

General Introduction

The Department of Education provides districts and schools with tools to assist in delivering focused instructional programs aligned to the state assessment system. These tools include assessment anchor documents, assessment handbooks, and content-based item and scoring samplers. This 2006–2007 Reading Item and Scoring Sampler is a useful tool for Pennsylvania educators in the preparation of local instructional programs and the statewide PSSA.

What Is Included

This item and scoring sampler contains reading passages with multiple-choice items and open-ended items that have been written to focus on and align with the 2007 Assessment Anchor Content Standards (Assessment Anchors). These items provide an idea of the types of items that will appear on the operational Spring 2007 PSSA. The passages represent some of the genres approved by PDE for appearance on the PSSA. Each item has been through a rigorous review process to ensure alignment with the Assessment Anchors.

Purpose and Uses

The passages with items in this sampler may be used as examples for creating assessment items at the classroom level, and they may also be copied and used as part of a local instructional program.* Classroom teachers may find it beneficial to have students respond to the open-ended items in this sampler. Educators can then use the sampler as a guide to score the responses either independently or together with colleagues within a school or district.

Item Format and Scoring Guidelines

The multiple-choice items have four answer choices. Each correct response to a multiple-choice item is worth 1 point.

Each open-ended item is designed to take about ten minutes to complete. During an actual testing event, students are given additional time as necessary to complete the test items. The open-ended items in reading are scored with item-specific scoring guidelines on a 0–3 scale. An item-specific scoring guide with examples of responses for each score point is presented with each item.

Also included are the General Scoring Guidelines for Reading used to develop the item-specific guidelines. The General Scoring Guidelines should be used to develop any item-specific scoring guidelines created for use within local instructional programs.*

* The permission to copy and/or use these materials does not extend to commercial purposes.


GENERAL SCORING GUIDELINES FOR READING

3 Points

• The response provides a complete answer to the task (e.g., a statement that offers a correct answer as well as text-based support).

• The response provides specific, appropriate, and accurate details (e.g., naming, describing, explaining, or comparing) or examples.

2 Points

• The response provides a partial answer to the task (e.g., indicates some awareness of the task and at least one text-based detail).

• The response attempts to provide sufficient, appropriate details (e.g., naming, describing, explaining, or comparing) or examples; may contain minor inaccuracies.

1 Point

• The response provides an incomplete answer to the task (e.g., indicating either a misunderstanding of the task or no text-based details).

• The response provides insufficient or inappropriate details or examples that have a major effect on accuracy.• The response consists entirely of relevant copied text.

0 Points

• The response provides insufficient material for scoring.• The response is inaccurate in all aspects.

Categories within zero reported separately:

• BLK (blank) – Blank, entirely erased or written refusal to respond• OT – Off task• IL – Illegible• LOE – Response in a language other than English


READING REPORTING CATEGORIES

Reading Scores will be reported in two categories:

A – Comprehension and Reading Skills B – Interpretation and Analysis of Fictional and Nonfictional Text

Examples of multiple-choice and open-ended items assessing these categories are included in this booklet.

SAMPLE ITEMS

There are three reading passages in this booklet. The first passage is followed by a set of multiple-choice items and one open-ended item. The second and third passages are a paired set. Multiple-choice items apply to only one or to both passages. One open-ended item is shown with this paired set.

The correct multiple-choice answer is indicated by an asterisk (*). Each open-ended item is displayed with an item-specific scoring guideline and examples of student responses with scores and annotations. Each item is preceded by the Assessment Anchor and Eligible Content coding.


READING

Secret MessageOwl sat at the top of an oak tree. He watched the wind chasing the leaves this way and that. Suddenly something white fluttered by. Owl swooped down and caught it with his beak. It was a scrap of paper. On it was written “CC - BW - RR.”

“This must be a secret message,” Owl said to himself.

Frog hopped out from behind a rock. “A secret?” he said. “I love secrets.”

Owl showed Frog the scrap of paper.

“CC - BW - RR,” Frog read. “Whatever can that mean?”

“CC,” Owl muttered. “Aha! CC must mean Careful, old chap. Someone is warning me to be careful. I’m in some kind of

danger. I’m in terrible danger. Oh, woe is me! What shall I do?”

“Calm down, Owl,” Frog said. “Maybe the letters BW will explain what to do.”

“BW. BW,” Owl muttered, running about in circles. “I’ve got it!” he screeched. “BW means Beware. Someone is telling me to beware. I’m in terrible danger. Oh, woe is me! What shall I do?”

“Wait a minute,” Frog cried. “Maybe that’s a message for me. Maybe someone is telling me to be careful. Maybe someone is telling me to beware.”

Owl didn’t listen. “I’m in terrible danger,” he screeched, flapping his wings. “I’m in dreadful, terrible, horrible danger.”

“I’m the one in danger,” Frog croaked, hopping up and down. “Oh, woe is me! What shall I do?”

“What to do? What to do?” Owl moaned. “Wait! There’s more to the message. RR.”

“RR? I know,” Frog shouted. “RR means Run! Run! I must run away from here.”

“Run!” Owl screeched. “I must run. I must run.”

They started to run at the very same moment and ran right into each other. They fell to the ground and lay there moaning.

Just then Hen came waddling down the

Directions Read the passage “The Secret Message.” Then do Numbers 1 through 6.

The Secret Messageby May R. Kinsolving


READING

path carrying a shopping basket.

“What in the world is the matter with the two of you?” she asked. “Why are you lying on the ground moaning?”

Owl handed the scrap of paper to Hen.

“Why, thank you,” Hen said. “You’ve found my grocery list. The wind blew it from my basket, and I’ve been looking for it everywhere.”

“Your grocery list!” Owl screeched.

“Your grocery list!” Frog croaked.

“My grocery list,” Hen said. “CC means cracked corn, of course. And BW means bag of worms. There’s nothing tastier than a dish of corn and worms.”

“What about RR?” Frog asked.

“Red raspberries,” Hen said. “My favorite dessert.”

Owl looked at Frog. Frog looked back at Owl. They began to chuckle. Then they began to chortle. Then they rolled from side to side chuckling and chortling.

Hen waddled off shaking her head. “I wonder what’s so funny about a tasty supper of corn and worms,” she clucked. “With red raspberries for dessert.”

B.1.1.1

1 What is the main problem in the passage?

Owl is trying to make new friends.

Owl and Frog fall to the ground.

Frog is trying to explain a message to his friends.

* a Owl and Frog think they are in danger.

A.1.2.2

2 Read the sentences from the passage.

“Someone is telling me to beware. I’m in terrible danger.”

What does the word beware mean in the first sentence?

make noise

* a watch out

read loudly

walk quickly

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READING

A.2.4.1

3 What is the main idea of the passage?

Two friends try to keep a secret to themselves.

* a Two friends misunderstand the meaning of a note.

Two friends make a secret shopping list.

Two friends look for someone who left a note.

A.1.3.1

4 Why do Owl and Frog chuckle at the end of the passage?

* a They learn about the shopping list.

They like to eat corn and worms for supper.

They learn to make their own message.

They like to go shopping.

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B.1.1.1

5 Which word best describes Hen at the end of the story?

silly

worried

* a puzzled

angry

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READING

6 In your own words, summarize the passage. Be sure to include at least one important event from the beginning, the middle, and the end of the passage.

A.1.5.1

STOP


READING

OPEN-ENDED ITEM-SPECIFIC SCORING GUIDELINEItem #6

This item will be reported under Category A, Comprehension and Reading Skills.

Assessment Anchor:A.1 Understand fiction appropriate to grade level.

Specific Eligible Content addressed by this item:A.1.5.1. Summarize the key details and events of a fictional text as a whole.

Scoring Guide:

Score In response to this item, the student—

3demonstrates complete knowledge of how to write a summary, in the student’s own words, about what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper, using at least one important event from the beginning, the middle, and the end of the passage.

2demonstrates partial knowledge of how to write a summary, in the student’s own words, about what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper. (Example: Student writes a summary, in the student’s own words, using two important events from the passage.)

1demonstrates incomplete knowledge of how to write a summary, in the student’s own words, about what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper. (Example: Student writes a summary, in the student’s own words, using one important event from the passage.)

0has given a response that provides insufficient material for scoring or is inaccurate in all respects.

Non- scorable

BLK – Blank, entirely erased or written refusal to respond OT – Off-task IL – IllegibleLOE – Response in a language other than English

Example—Top Scoring Response (3 Points):

Description with Examples

Owl sees a piece of paper fly past and reads it. He and Frog work out the meaning of the message. They get very worried when they figure CC means Careful, BW means Beware, and RR means Run. Then Hen arrives and thanks Owl and Frog for finding her grocery list.


READING


STOP

A.1.5.1 Response Score: 3

The student has given, in the student’s own words, a complete summary of what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper, using three important events from the beginning, the middle, and the end of the passage (“first owl finds a note with letters on it like cc and bw and rr,” “And frog thinks bw is BEWARE!,” and “misses hen comes over and says its only my shopping list and all the letters mean foods”).

OPEN-ENDED ITEM RESPONSES


READING


STOP


The student has given, in the student’s own words, a partial summary of what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper, using two important events from the passage (“First Owl found a note with letters all over it. He catches the note and reads it” and “He gets scared because he thinks cc means careful old chap and he thinks bw means beware and rr means run”).


READING


STOP


The student has given, in the student’s own words, a partial summary of what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper, using two important events from the passage (“Owl finds a secret code on some paper and gets worried” and “it wasn’t a secret code it is only Mrs. Hens shopping list”).


READING


STOP


The student has given, in the student’s own words, an incomplete summary of what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper by giving a general statement of the events of the passage (“Mr owl found a not full of cods so he showed it to Frog”).


READING


STOP


The student has given, in the student’s own words, an incomplete summary of what happens when Owl finds a scrap of paper using one important event from the passage (“Owl catch a piece of paper in his beak with letters on it”).


READING


STOP


The student’s response is inaccurate.


READING

Directions Read the following paired passages. Then do Numbers 7 through 13.

Butterflies Can Flutter by Your Room

by Marie E. Cecchni

Materials needed:

bow-tie pastacolored markers7 twist ties (from loaves of bread or sandwich bags)poster boardyarngluetapescissors

Butterflies Can Flutter

1. Use markers to decorate seven pieces of bow-tie pasta and to color seven twist ties.

2. Bend each twist tie around a pasta bow tie. Then twist the ends together to make antennae.

3. Cut out two identical butterfly shapes from poster board. For antennae, glue two pieces of yarn to one butterfly head. Decorate both butterflies.

4. To create a hanger, tape the ends of a piece of yarn to the wings of one poster-board butterfly.

5. Cut seven pieces of yarn of various lengths. Tie one end of each yarn piece around the base of the antennae of a different pasta butterfly. Tape the other end of each yarn piece to the back of one poster-board butterfly.

6. Glue the backs of the two poster-board butterflies together to cover the yarn ends and the tape. Let the glue dry before hanging your mobile.


READING

You Want Flies With That?by Lauren Michaels

1. With an adult’s help, cut three to five holes in the bottom of a margarine container.

2. Cut out a poster-board frog’s head.

3. Glue pieces of green tissue paper to cover the container (with the lid on) and the frog’s head.

4. Mix equal amounts of water and glue, and brush this over the tissue paper to give the frog’s head and body a hard finish.

5. Glue wiggle eyes onto two red pompoms, then glue the pompoms to the frog’s head. Glue on a chenille-stick mouth, and glue the frog’s head to the body.

6. For each leg, fold two green chenille sticks in half, then twist them together. (The four ends will be the toes.) Glue the legs onto the body, and glue a red bead onto each toe.

7. Now you can store your pencils, markers, or crayons in your frog container at home.

Materials needed:

scissorsmargarine container with lidposter boardgluegreen tissue paperwatersmall paint brushwiggle eyesred pompomsgreen chenille sticksred beads


READING

A.2.3.1

7 Why did the author of “Butterflies Can Flutter by Your Room” most likely choose bow-tie pasta for the mobile?

The pasta can be easily cut.

The pasta is easy to glue together.

* a The pasta has the shape of a butterfly.

The pasta is colorful like a butterfly.

A.2.1.1

8 Read the sentence from “Butterflies Can Flutter by Your Room.”

“Glue the backs of the two poster-board butterflies together to cover the yarn ends and the tape.”

Which sentence uses cover in the same way it is used in the passage?

* a The directions say to cover the cake with frosting.

The reporter wanted to cover the news story.

We gave the cashier money to cover the cost of the food.

We should walk faster if we want to cover more distance.

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B.3.3.1

9 How is the information in “Butterflies Can Flutter by Your Room” mainly organized?

Reasons for making a mobile are given.

Problems with decorating a mobile are solved.

Butterfly mobiles are compared to other mobiles.

* a Steps on how to make a butterfly mobile are given.

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READING

B.3.3.4

10 In “You Want Flies with That?,” which step should be completed right after gluing tissue paper on the container?

cutting a frog’s head out of poster board

gluing the frog’s head onto the body

* a brushing water and glue over the paper

cutting holes in the bottom of the container

A.2.6.1

11 What is the author’s main purpose in writing “You Want Flies with That?”

to describe the way frogs look

* a to instruct how to make a craft

to give facts about frogs

to tell how to mix glue

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Questions 12 and 13 refer to BOTH passages

B.1.2.1

12 What action is used in BOTH passages?

painting

* a twisting

hanging

taping

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13 Using details from both passages, describe two similarities and one difference between the two art projects.

READING

B.1.2.1

STOP


READING

OPEN-ENDED ITEM-SPECIFIC SCORING GUIDELINEItem #12

This item will be reported under Category B, Interpretation and Analysis of Fictional and Nonfictional text.

Assessment Anchor:B.1 Understand components within and between texts.

Specific Eligible Content addressed by this item:B.1.2.1. Identify, interpret, compare, and/or describe connections between texts.

Scoring Guide:

Score In response to this item, the student—

3demonstrates complete knowledge of understanding connections between texts by describing two similarities and one difference between the art projects, using details from both passages.

2

demonstrates partial knowledge of understanding connections between texts by describing the similarities and the differences between the art projects. (Example: Student describes one similarity and one difference between the art projects using details from both passages.)

1demonstrates partial knowledge of understanding connections between texts by describing the similarities and the differences between the art projects. (Example: Student describes one similarity between the art projects using details from one of the passages.)

0has given a response that provides insufficient material for scoring or is inaccurate in all respects.

Non- scorable

BLK – Blank, entirely erased or written refusal to respondOT – Off-taskIL – IllegibleLOE – Response in a language other than English

Example—Top Scoring Response (3 Points):

Description with Examples

Both art projects ask you to cut out animal shapes from poster board. Both art projects need art things (poster board, glue, and scissors) to make them. The butterfly project lets you choose whatever colors you want for the butterflies and the yarn. The frog project tells you what color to use for certain parts.



READING

B.1.2.1 Response Score: 3

The student has given a complete answer to the task by describing two similarities (“Both use things you have in your house” and “both art projects make animals”) and one difference (“you make the butterflies out of pasta which is noodles, but you make the frog out of a margarin box”) between the art projects using details from both passages.

STOP

OPEN-ENDED ITEM RESPONSES



READING


The student has given a partial answer to the task by describing two similarities (“they both make animals” and “they both use glue”) between the art projects using details from both passages.

STOP



READING


The student has given a partial answer to the task by describing one similarity (“They both needed sissors to make them”) and one difference (“the first one makes a mobile out of butterflies and the other doesnt make a mobile just a frog”) between the art projects using details from both passages.

STOP



READING


The student has given an incomplete answer to the task by describing one similarity (“They both make animals”) between the art projects using details from one passage.

STOP



READING


The student has given an incomplete answer to the task by describing one difference (“One makes a butterfly mobile. The other makes a frog you cant hang”) between the art projects using details from one passage.

STOP



READING


The student’s response is inaccurate.

STOP


Acknowledgements“The Secret Message” copyright © 1999 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

“Butterflies Can Flutter by Your Room” copyright © 2003 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

“You Want Flies With That”? copyright © 2003 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

Copyright ©2006 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The materials contained in this publication may be duplicated by Pennsylvania educators for local classroom use. This permission does not extend to the duplication of materials for commercial use.

Grade 3 Reading Item/Scoring Sampler -

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