2011 Grade 4 New York English Language Arts Test Specifications

Transcription

1 2011 Grade 4 New York English Language Arts Test Specifications The New York State Education Department redesigned the 2011 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts tests. The intent of the redesign is to assess a wider range of performance indicators for each grade level. To accomplish this, the state changed the format, time, and administration dates for the tests. Standards Assessed The 2011 (and 2012) tests will continue to address the New York State Learning Standards, based on the 2005 ELA Standards. Specifically, the ELA tests will assess standards for listening, reading, and writing. After , tests will be based on the Common Core Standards and State Standards ( On the 4th grade test, the approximate percentage of assessing each of the standards is: Standard Grade 4 1. Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking for Information and Understanding 2. Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking for Literary Response and Expression 3. Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking for Critical Analysis and Evaluation 36% 44.5% 19.5% Genres The fourth grade ELA along with other grades will have literary and informational reading passages. Literary passages may include: short stories, folktales, poetry, or other forms of literary writing. Informational passages may include: articles, excerpts from biographies or autobiographies, essays, or other forms of informational writing. Possible genres for the 2011 grades 3-8 tests include: Folktales Reports Letters Stories Informative pieces Poems Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

2 Literary pieces Interviews How-to pieces Classical works Plays A minimum of four genres will be covered for interest and literary diversity. Higher-order thinking skills will be required on some of the that accompany the reading passages. These skills include: summarizing, analyzing, inferring, interpreting, predicting, and evaluating information. Structure of Grade 4 ELA for 2011 In 2011,the ELA Tests in all grades will have more reading passages and more multiplechoice in Book 1. In the 4 th grade, there will be 59 on the 2011 test. In 2010, there were only 35. This reflects an increase of 69% for According to an from the office of State Assessment, in addition to more pages, there will also be higher order thinking to mirror the NAEP. There will be 3 days of testing and three books. However one fairly big difference is that writing mechanics (grammar, punctuation, and word usage) will now be addressed through multiple-choice only. In prior years, writing mechanics had been assessed through the editing paragraph and two extended-responses (Guide to the 2011 Grades 3 8 Testing Program, 15). Student writing will not be scored for mechanics). Writing mechanics may test any of the skills found in the NY State Core Curriculum including the following: 1) the elements of a complete sentence 2) subject-verb agreement 3) capitalization and punctuation 4) combining of sentences 5) separation of sentences The length and complexity of test and answer choices will vary with the grade. Specific performance indicators concerning writing mechanics for each grade are listed in the next section. Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

3 4 th Grade 2011 ELA Day Section Subject Number of Multiple- Choice Questions Number of Short- Response Questions Number of Extended- Response Questions Total Number of Questions Approximate Testing Time One 1 Reading minutes Two 2 Listening/Writing Mechanics minutes Three 3 Reading/Writing minutes Total minutes Day One/Book 1 Day Two/Book 2 Day Three/ Book 3 Total 7 8 passages (literary and informational) 43 multiple-choice 1 listening selection (literary) 5 multiple-choice 3 short-response 3 5 multiple-choice (writing mechanics) 70 minutes 30 minutes (excluding reading listening selection aloud) 2 paired passages (literary and informational) 4 short-response 1 extendedresponse question passages multiplechoice 7 short-response 1 extended-response question 60 minutes 160 minutes Day One: Reading - 43 points, 61% of score On the first day the students will be asked 43 multiple-choice. These will all be based on reading passages, both literary and informational. - There will be 7-8 passages on the first day. - The students will have 70 minutes to read the passages and answer 43. Day Two: Listening/Writing Mechanics points, 20%-23% of score On day two there will be 5 multiple-choice asked on the listening, 3 short-response, and 3-5 multiple-choice writing mechanics. - The listening passage will be literary. - Students will have thirty minutes to answer 11 (8-10 multiple-choice, which include writing mechanics, and 3 short-response). Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

4 The 4 th grade example of a writing mechanics multiple choice question (from the NYSED Guide to the Grades 3-8 Testing Program) addressed the combining of sentences (below): o Which sentence best combines the two sentences? The train sped through the tunnel. The train sped across the bridge. A. The train sped through the tunnel and across the bridge. B. The train sped through and across the tunnel and the bridge. C. The train that sped through the tunnel sped across the bridge. D. The train sped through the tunnel and it sped across the bridge. Day Three: Reading/Writing - 12 points, 17% of score On day three, students will be asked to read two PAIRED passages. - Students will be asked to complete 4 short-response and 1 extendedresponse question. - One of the passages will be literary and one of the passages will be informational. Scoring for the 4th Grade test: - Multiple-choice - 1 point each. - Short-response items - 2 points each. - Extended-response items - 4 points each. There will be multiple-choice (51-53 points, 74-77% of total score), 7 shortresponse (14 points, 20% of total score), and 1 extended-response (4 points, 6% of total score), for a total of points. It s possible that the multiple-choice may be weighted differently. We won t know this until the item analysis is revealed after the test is scored. Short-response and Extended-response Scoring The short-response will be scored individually, each question scored a 0,1,or 2. The extended-response will be scored holistically 0,1,2,3,4. Scores for all of the constructed responses are based on evidence of the following qualities: Meaning the extent to which the response exhibits sound understanding, interpretation, and analysis of the task and text Development the extent to which ideas are supported through the use of specific, accurate, and relevant evidence from the text Scores for the extended-responses are also based on evidence of the following qualities: Organization the extent to which the response exhibits direction, shape, and coherence Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

5 Language Use the extent to which the response exhibits clear and effective use of vocabulary and sentence structure The short-response and extended-response in the Listening and Reading sections of the test are scored individually with holistic rubrics. The short-response rubric allows for the scoring of meaning and development. The extended-response rubric allows for the scoring of meaning, development, organization and language use. 4th Grade Reading Standards and Performance Indicators Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. Acquire information by locating and using library media resources, with some assistance/ Collect and interpret data, facts, and ideas from unfamiliar texts. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: finding the relevant detail, comparing and contrasting, drawing conclusions.) - According to the article, what can an adult dragonfly do? - Which fact from the article best describes how dragonflies are different from each other? - What is the most likely reason Experiment 3 is called for the brave? - According to the passage, what does a comet travel around? - According to the passage, some comets have been captured by the sun. What does this phrase mean? - According to the article, why did George Washington want a new flag? Understand written directions and procedures. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: determining sequence and identifying right there answers.) - What should you do right after filling the glass halfway with water? - What should you do right before letting the stalk stand overnight? - What should you do right before letting the stalk stand overnight? - In Experiment 1, what should you do before giving your friend a piece of food? - According to the article, which of these foods is needed for Experiment 2? - In Experiment 2, what should you do right after holding the piece of apple under your friend s nose? Locate information in a text that is needed to solve a problem. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: identifying right there answers, drawing conclusions.) - According to the article, what is the best way to keep dragonflies from disappearing? - Which of these items is needed for Step 1 of the experiment? - According to the daily schedule which activity happened once a day? Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

6 Identify a main idea and supporting details in informational texts. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: finding the main idea, drawing conclusions, identifying right there answers.) - What is this article mostly about? - What is this passage mostly about? - Why do comets look as if they are motionless when we see them? - According to the passage, what is one way your body tells you that you need sleep? Recognize and use organizational features, such as table of contents, indexes, page numbers, and chapter headings/subheadings, to locate information. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: identifying right there answers, conducting a think and search. ) - Which detail from the article best supports the idea that dragonflies are built to hunt? - In which section of the article can you find how the water moves through plants? Identify a conclusion that summarizes the main idea. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: drawing conclusions, summarizing.) - After reading this article, what could the reader conclude about dragonflies? - After reading the article, a reader could conclude that - According to this article, what could a reader conclude about food? Use text features, such as captions, charts, tables, graphs, maps, notes, and other visuals, to understand and interpret informational texts. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: identifying right there answers.) - What information can be found in the section Big Facts About Little Horses? Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression. Make predictions, draw conclusions, and make inferences about events and characters. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: determining the author s purpose, inferring, drawing conclusions, summarizing, predicting.) - Why does the author describe the deck as a wooden ice rink? - What will Tanya and Brian most likely do the next time they need to name a pet? - Why does Abigail have to carry her home with her? - What will most likely happen if Abigail decides to go back to the garden? - Why does Brian run inside to get a book? - The penguin most likely wants to race because she - Why does the penguin most likely help the tortoise and the hare? - According to the poem, what do you know about the speaker? - What is the most likely reason the narrator s mother has learned sign language? Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

7 Use specific evidence from stories to identify themes; describe characters, their actions, and their motivations; relate a sequence of events. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: finding the main idea, drawing conclusions, summarizing, predicting.) - This story is mostly about how - What is this story mostly about? - Why is it taking Tanya and Brian so long to name their puppy? - Why does Brian run inside to get a book? - Which event happens first in the poem? - Which detail from the poem best shows that the speaker is forgetful? - This passage is mostly about a girl who - Why does the speaker think she deserves an A++ for effort? - Why does Caroline refuse to let Frances stand in front of her in line? Use knowledge of story structure, story elements, and key vocabulary to interpret stories. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: drawing conclusions, identifying the character, determining cause and effect, identifying right there answers.) - What brings Lewis closest to his goal in the story? - In the poem, what is Abigail most afraid of? - Why does the poet most likely include so many different reasons for the missing homework? - According to the passage, what do the narrator s mother and Geneva have in common? Use graphic organizers to record significant details about characters and events in stories. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: identifying right there answers, determining sequences) Read this chart about the story. Sport What Happens Lewis Tries Golfing He misses the ball entirely. Diving? Bowling He throws the ball into the wrong lane. Which statement best completes the chart? Grade 4 ELA TCRWP

8 Read the chart below. The penguin pulls her friends across the pond. The tortoise makes a path through the thicket. Which event best completes the chart? Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues, dictionaries, and other classroom resources. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: drawing conclusions, finding context clues to help with meaning.) - Read these sentences from the story. Lewis hopped on a surfboard and caught the waves. He swerved to the left, leaned to the right, and tumbled off the board. The word tumbled in the second sentence most likely means - Read these lines from the poem. Was it bitten by a kitten? Was it gnawed on by a dog? What does the word gnawed most likely mean? Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation. Evaluate the content by identifying... (You might notice the following skills are assessed: determining the author s purpose, drawing conclusions) - The author s purpose - Why does the author most likely include Kirby in the story? - Which event from the poem could not really happen? - How does the author help the reader understand what a comet looks like? - Why did the author most likely write this passage? - Whether events, actions, characters, and/or settings are realistic. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: drawing conclusions.) - Which part of the story tells something that could really happen? - Important and unimportant details. (You might notice the following skills are assessed: finding main idea and supporting details, drawing conclusions, identifying right there answers.) - Which statement about Lewis best tells what this story is about? - Which event from the poem could not really happen? - The tortoise is able to help his friends get to the lighthouse because he Note: the testing specifications in this document were compiled from the NYSED s Guide to the 2011 Grades 3-8 Testing Program in English Language Arts and Mathematics, which can be found in its entirety at: Grade 4 ELA TCRWP