ACT Aspire. January 2015

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1 ACT Aspire January 2015

2 ACT Aspire

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4 ACT Aspire - Reading Each ACT Aspire Reading assessment contains several passages, including literary narratives (prose fiction, memoirs, personal essays) and informational texts (social science, natural science). Within and across grade levels, the passages span a range of complexity levels in order to provide students, teachers, and parents with information about how well students understand texts of increasing difficulty. Students answer a series of selected response, technology-enhanced, and constructed-response questions that assess their abilities to recognize meaning in, reason logically about, and make connections between and among texts. ACT Aspire Reading questions operate at various depth-of-knowledge (DOK) levels, or cognitive complexities, and reflect a range of difficulty appropriate for the grade level. All levels of ACT Aspire Reading assessments include constructed-response tasks that measure the higher-order cognitive processes necessary for reading and understanding increasingly complex texts. Constructedresponse tasks are scored according to rubrics that allow students to receive varying amounts of credit for responses that are correct or partially correct, enabling differentiation between multiple skill levels.

5 Reading continued The types of constructed-response tasks in ACT Aspire Reading assessments include the following examples: Formulate a conclusion by making connections within a passage, and provide support using specific details from the text. Formulate a conclusion by making connections between a pair of passages, and provide support using specific details from both texts. Identify cause-and-effect relationships within a passage, and provide support using specific details from the text. Identify similarities and differences between the key ideas of paired passages, and provide support using specific details from both texts. ACT Aspire Reading Test (p. 37 Grade 4) Constructed Response Rubric and Example p

6 ACT Aspire - English Introduction ACT Aspire English tests assess students developed ability to revise and edit texts. A typical English test contains several stimuli, or texts, and a series of selected-response and technology-enhanced questions. Texts used in the assessments represent various content areas (including English language arts, the humanities, and the social and natural sciences),and, considered collectively, reflect a range of text complexity levels from simple to complex, as appropriate for students age and educational attainment. The questions fall under the following reporting categories.

7 English Categories Conventions of Standard English The questions in this category require students to apply an understanding of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics to revise and edit text. Punctuation Conventions These questions require students to edit text to conform to standard English punctuation. Usage Conventions These questions require students to edit text to conform to standard English usage. Sentence Structure and Formation These questions test understanding of relationships between and among clauses, placement of modifiers, and shifts in construction.

8 English Categories continued Production of Writing The questions in this category require students to apply an understanding of the rhetorical purpose and the focus of a piece of writing to develop a topic effectively; to use various strategies to achieve logical organization, topical unity, and general cohesion; and to employ knowledge of language to ensure that writing is precise, concise, and stylistically consistent. Topic Development These questions require students to demonstrate an understanding of and control over the rhetorical aspects of texts by identifying the purpose of parts of texts, determining whether a text has met its intended goal, and evaluating the relevance of material in terms of a text s focus. Organization, Unity, and Cohesion These questions require students to use various strategies to ensure that text is logically organized, flows smoothly, and has an effective introduction and conclusion. Knowledge of Language These questions require students to demonstrate effective language use through ensuring precision and concision in word choice, maintaining consistency in style and tone, and using references. ACT Aspire English Test (p. 20 Grade 4)

9 ACT Aspire - Writing Writing Framework The ACT Aspire writing assessments consist of 30-minute summative writing tasks for grades 3 through 8 and early high school. They ask students at each grade level to respond in essay form to a single writing stimulus. The assessments are designed to provide a strong indication of whether students have the writing skills they will need to succeed as they begin work at their next grade level. Student responses are evaluated according to analytic rubrics that assess the generation, development, organization, and communication of ideas in standard written English.

10 3 Modes of writing The Reflective Narrative mode appears at grades 3 and 6. The assessments at grades 4,7, and early high school are in the Analytical Expository mode. The grade 5 and grade 8 assessments are in the Persuasive/Argumentative mode. The ACT Aspire assessments are designed to give students at every grade level an opportunity to display the higher-order thinking skills needed for meaningful reflection, analytical explanation, and persuasive argument. The means for evaluating students abilities to display these skills are built into the ACT Aspire rubrics. ACT Aspire Writing Test Handouts of rubrics/competency model

11 ACT Writing Competencies Model Mode Competency Persuasive/Argumentative Analytical Expository Reflective Narrative Generate ideas Judgment Analysis Narration and Reflection Evaluate an issue Recognize complexity Multiple perspectives Implications and complicating factors Counterarguments Take a position Present a thesis Comprehend a subject/ situation Recognize complexity Multiple perspectives Implications and complicating factors Underlying assumptions, ideas, or values Provide an explanation Articulate insight/depth of understanding Select a relevant event, experience, or situation to recount Recognize complexity Situated perspectives Implications and complicating factors Multiple meanings Reflect on the meaning/ significance Develop Ideas Develop a Position Support an Explanation Give an Account Support thesis using persuasive Evidence facts, experience, authority Reasoning/logic Appeals to emotion/feeling Move between general statements and specific reasons, examples and details Identify and explain elements essential for understanding Identify and explore relevant underlying assumptions, ideas, or values Arrive at insight/deeper understanding through well reasoned discussion Describe event, experience, or situation Identify and convey elements essential for understanding Select and convey relevant supporting details Identify and convey connected abstract ideas Arrive at insight/deeper understanding through thoughtful consideration Sustain ideas Focus Focus Focus Maintain focus on Elements of issue relevant to thesis Persuasive purpose and context Maintain focus on Elements of subject/ situation essential to understanding and analysis Expository purpose and context Maintain focus on Relevant event, experience, or situation Abstract ideas relevant to reflection Narrative purpose and context Organize ideas Organization Organization Organization Communicate Ideas Group ideas logically Sequence ideas in progression Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas Provide an effective introduction and conclusion Group ideas logically Sequence ideas in progression Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas Provide an effective introduction and conclusion Group ideas logically Sequence narrative elements effectively Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas and narrative elements Provide an effective introduction and conclusion Language use Language use Language Use Use a variety of sentence structures Employ conventions of standard written English Use varied and precise vocabulary Use appropriate voice and tone Use a variety of sentence structures Employ conventions of standard written English Use varied and precise vocabulary Use appropriate voice and tone Use narrative techniques Employ conventions of standard written English Use descriptive vocabulary Use appropriate voice and tone

12 Rubric Grade 3 Score: 5 Responses at this score point demonstrate capable skill in writing a reflective narrative. Reflective Narrative Development Organization Language Use Response engages with task Presents a capable reflective narrative Conveys the importance of the event Thoughtful reflection on the event and meaning of the experience Purposeful movement between specific and generalized ideas Score: 4 Response shows clear understanding of Responses at this task score point Presents an adequate reflective narrative demonstrate Demonstrates the importance of the event adequate skill in Some reflection on the event and meaning writing a of the experience reflective Connections between specific and narrative. generalized ideas are mostly clear Rubric for Grade 3 Reflective Narrative Writing Ideas strongly developed Well thought explanation of action, sensory details and/or character Experience and meaning supported with detailed description/explanation Details enhance the story and help explain the importance of the event Ideas developed using sensory details and/or character Experience and meaning mostly supported with description/explanation Details may enhance the story and help explain the importance of the event Planned, well thought organizational structure Logical progression in narrative Transitions clearly bring together all the elements of the narrative Exhibits structure with logic Transitions help bring together all the elements of the narrative Successfully and clearly explain meaning Word choice is precise Sentence structures are clear and varied Voice and tone are represented and maintained in entire narrative Any errors in grammar, usage and mechanics do NOT impede understanding Clearly explains meaning Word choice is sometimes precise Sentence structures are occasionally varied and usually clear Voice and tone are represented in narrative but not consistently maintained While errors in grammar, usage and mechanics are present they rarely impede understanding Score: 3 Responses at this score point demonstrate some developing skill in writing a reflective narrative Score: 2 Responses at this score point demonstrate weak or inconsistent skill in writing a reflective narrative. Response has limited understanding of task Presents a reflective narrative somewhat on grade level Some reflection on the event and meaning of the experience-but is limited Connections between specific and generalized ideas are somewhat connected Response shows some basic understanding of task Weak or inconsistent skill in reflecting Reflection on the event and meaning of the experience is unclear or incomplete or may be irrelevant Connections between specific and generalized ideas are weak and inconsistent Narrative somewhat developed Some explanation using action, sensory details and/or character Experience and meaning somewhat supported with description/explanation Development is weak-reported rather than described Reflection on experience is weak Description is weak, inconsistent or not clearly relevant Some structure present but simplistic or digress at times Transitions sometimes explain connections between all the elements of the narrative Organization is below grade level Logic is unclear Transitions misleading or poorly formed Some ability to share meaning Word choice is general and at times imprecise Sentence structures show little variety and inconsistently clear Voice and tone are present but are inconsistently maintained Distracting errors in grammar, usage and mechanics are present they sometimes impede understanding Weak ability to express meaning Word choice is below grade level and vague Sentence structures are often unclear Voice and tone not used correctly Distracting errors in grammar, usage and mechanics are present and they impede understanding Score: 1 Little to no understanding of task Responses at this No narrative score point Lacks reflection of meaning connected to demonstrate little experience or no skill in writing a reflective narrative. Little to no development No action, sensory detail or character Little to no reflection No evidence of organization Transitions may be present but fail to relate elements Little to no ability to express meaning Word choice is imprecise-ideas difficult to understand Sentence structures are mostly unclear Voice and tone not used correctly Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics are consistently and significantly present and impede understanding Score: 0 Unscorable The response is blank, voided, off-topic, illegible, or not written in English.

13 Rubric Grade 4 Score: 5 Responses at this score pointdemonstrate capable skill in writing an analytical essay Analysis Development Organization Language Use Response engages with task Thoughtful analysis Addresses implications and complications Purposeful movement between specific details and generalized ideas Ideas well explained Well thought out supporting reasons and detailed examples Claims and supports are integrated Purposeful organizational strategy Logical sequence helps the writer s analysis be effective Transitions between and within paragraphs consistently explain relationships among ideas Successfully and clearly explains the meaning Word choice is usually precise Sentence structures are clear and often varied Voice and tone are appropriate for analytical purpose and maintained in entire response Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be present, they do NOT impede understanding Score: 4 Responses at this score point demonstate adequate skill in writing an analytical essay Response shows clear understanding of task Presents an analysis Recognizes implications and complications Clear movement between specific details and generalized ideas Ideas explained Supporting reasons and detailed examples Clear but simple organizational structure Ideas logically grouped Transitions between and within paragraphs show relationships among ideas Clearly explains the meaning Word choice is sometimes precise Sentence structures are usually clear and occasionally varied Voice and tone are appropriate for analytical purpose but inconsistently maintained Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be present, they rarely impede understanding Score 3: Responses at this score point demonstrate skill in writing and essay. Response shows basic understanding of task Analysis over simplified or imprecise Implications and complications are somewhat clear and relevant Specific details and generalized ideas are somewhat connected Limited explanation of ideas Some supporting reasons and detailed examples Evidence of some organizational structure Some ideas logically grouped Transitions between and within paragraphs sometimes show relationships among ideas Some ability to explain the meaning Word choice is general and occasionally imprecise Sentence structures show little variety and sometimes unclear Voice and tone are somewhat appropriate for analytical purpose but inconsistently maintained Distracting errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be present, they sometimes impede understanding Score 2 Response shows below grade level Responses at this understanding of task score point Analysis weak or inconsistent demonstrate weak Implications and complications are not or inconsistent skill in clear and relevant writing an analytical Specific details and generalized ideas essay. are unclear and incomplete Score 1 Responses at this score pointdemonstrate little or no skill in writing an analytical essay. Response shows little to no understanding of task Lacks connection between specific details and generalized ideas Unclear explanation of ideas Little use of supporting reasons and examples Lacks explanation No use of supporting reasons or relevant examples Little evidence of organizational structure Logical grouping of ideas is inconsistent and unclear Transitions between and within paragraphs missing, misleading or poorly formatted No evidence of organizational structure Ideas not logically grouped Transitions may be present but do not relate ideas Weak ability to explain the meaning Word choice is basic and frequently imprecise Sentence structures are often unclear Voice and tone are not grade level for analytical purpose Distracting errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be present, impede understanding Little to no ability to explain the meaning Word choice imprecise and difficult to understand Sentence structures are mostly unclear Voice and tone are not grade level for analytical purpose Errors in grammar, usage and mechanics may be present, significantly impede understanding Score 0 Unscoreable The response is blank, voided, off-topic, or not in English.

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