Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Tests. By Catherine LoMonico

Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Tests By Catherine LoMonico

Introduction Beginning in the spring of 2014, Measuring Up to the Common Core will provide Diagnostic Practice Tests aligned to PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments. Each set of consortium-specific practice tests will prepare students for all item types and tasks they will experience in assessments throughout the year. to be more efficient and should provide information about each student in a period of weeks rather than months. Each consortium also will offer performance-based components that require a significant amount of writing. Although some computer algorithms are being developed to digitally score essays, the written responses are currently intended to be hand-scored. The Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Tests will cover both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics in grades 1 8. These PARCC and Smarter Balanced aligned diagnostic tests will each include: Looking beyond these key similarities, there are important distinctive features of the PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments. It is for this reason that Measuring Up to the Common Core is providing two distinct sets of Diagnostic Practice Tests. About the Author Catherine LoMonico is an educational consultant who specializes in Common Core State Standards implementation, literacy across the curriculum, instructional coaching, and curriculum development. She has been a middle and high school English teacher, administrator, and curriculum coordinator. ELA 2 Practice Tests for Informational Text 2 Practice Tests for Literary Text 2 End-of-Year Practice Tests 6 Prescriptive Answer Guides Mathematics 5 Practice Tests; 1 for each Domain 2 End-of-Year Tests 7 Prescriptive Answer Guides Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Tests reflect the same rigor of both consortia s assessments, and each Diagnostic Practice Test follows the progression of Webb s Depth of Knowledge guide and the Revised Bloom s Taxonomy. Student responses to ELA diagnostic questions require close reading, textual evidence, and analytic writing, and math diagnostic questions require explanation, reasoning, and multi-step problem solving. All standards, targets, and claims are covered in each set of Diagnostic Practice Tests. Both sets of Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Tests were designed based on sample items and test blueprints provided by PARCC and Smarter Balanced (grades 1 2 were created from grade 3 test blueprints). Assessments created by each consortium are similar in that they are intended to support fully the Common Core State Standards and are to be delivered digitally. These computer-delivered assessments are intended The questions in the ELA PARCC assessments are grouped as sequences of questions that draw students into deeper encounters with texts (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment, slide 53.); are organized around a specific literary, research or narrative task; and for each task include a combination of: Evidence-Based Selected-Response items (EBSRs) Technology-Enhanced Constructed-Response items (TECRs) Prose Constructed Response items (PCRs) Similarly, the PARCC Math assessments are sequences of questions organized around three types of task (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.): Type I Tasks - assessing concepts, skills and procedures Type II Tasks - assessing expressing mathematical reasoning Type III Tasks - assessing modeling/ applications In order to understand further the reasoning behind Measuring Up to the Common Core s development of two separate sets of Diagnostic Practice Tests, it is helpful to look closely at the specific features of PARCC assessments and how Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Tests are designed to meet the demands of this particular set of tests. 3

4 Distinctive Features of the PARCC Assessment PARCC assessments are distinct in that their items are grouped around a specific text or writing task (ELA) or problem/ situation (math). PARCC assessments also are designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate what they know with items that allow for partial credit, with purposeful options for student expression of divergent thinking, and with questions that require evidence-based answers. (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment.) Furthermore, PARCC assessments are designed to focus on the three key shifts embodied in each of the ELA and Math Common Core State Standards. It is the aim of PARCC that their ELA assessments will embody the following significant shifts in instruction: 1. Complexity: Regular practice with complex text and its academic language. PARCC builds a staircase of text complexity to ensure students are on track each year for college and career reading. PARCC rewards careful, close reading rather than racing through passages. PARCC systematically focuses on the words that matter most not obscure vocabulary, but the academic language that pervades complex texts. 2. Evidence: Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text, literary and informational. PARCC focuses on students rigorously citing evidence from texts throughout the assessment. PARCC includes questions with more than one right answer to allow students to generate a range of rich insights that are substantiated by evidence from text(s). PARCC requires writing to sources rather than writing to de-contextualized expository prompts. 3. Knowledge: Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction. PARCC assesses not just ELA but a full range of reading and writing across the disciplines. PARCC simulates research on the assessment, including the comparison and synthesis of ideas across a range of informational sources. (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment.) The aim of the PARCC math assessments is that they embody the following significant shifts in instruction: 1. Focus: The PARCC assessments will focus strongly where the Standards focus Advance: 70% or more on the major work in grades 3 8. Focus allows for a variety of problem types to get at concept in multiple ways. Students will have more time to master concepts at a deeper level. 2. Coherence: Think across grades, and link to major topics within grades Advance: The assessment design is informed by multi-grade progressions in the Standards and the Model Content Frameworks. Key beginnings are stressed (e.g., ratio concepts in grade 6), as are key endpoints and takeaway skills (e.g., fluency with the multiplication table in grade 3). Advance: Integrative tasks draw on multiple standards to ensure students are making important connections. The Standards are not treated as a checklist. 3. Rigor: In major topics, pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application Advance: PARCC assessments will reach the rigor in the Standards through innovations in technology and item design (PARCC. Mathematics Shifts and Sample Items Overview PPT.) In addition, the PARCC math assessment items measure the following 4 claims: Mathematics Claim #1: Concepts and Procedures Students can explain and apply mathematical concepts and interpret and carry out mathematical procedures with precision and fluency. 40 60% Mathematics Claim #2: Problem Solving Students can solve a range of complex well-posed problems in pure and applied mathematics, making productive use of knowledge and problem solving strategies. 10 20% Mathematics Claim #3: Communicating Reasoning Students can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others. 10 20% Mathematics Claim #4: Modeling and Data Analysis Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can construct and use mathematical models to interpret and solve problems. 10 20% (PARCC. Mathematics High Level Blueprints http://www.parcconline.org/assessment-blueprints-test-specs.) The Measuring Up Diagnostic Practice Tests for PARCC emulate PARCC s focus on the significant shifts in the new ELA and Math Common Core State Standards, inclusion of all math claims, distinct organization of assessment items, and item and task types. PARCC Assessment Item and Task Types PARCC is creating three types of assessment: a Mid-Year Assessment (MYA), a Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) (to be delivered after 75% of the school year Item Type Technology- Enhanced (TE) May require students to manipulate, drag and drop or highlight answer choices Multiple- Choice May allow for more than one correct response has been completed), and an End of Year Assessment (EOY). The MYA and PBA mirror each other closely and include all types of tasks and items, whereas the EOY assessment is entirely machine-scored and includes only multiple-choice items or technologyenhanced items that do not require a rubric in order to be scored. PARCC ELA assessments include three types of items: evidence-based selected response, technology-enhanced constructed response, and prose constructed response. Multi-part Question may be broken into Part A and B so that partial credit is possible Computer- Scored Algorithm may be required for multiple correct answers Evidencebased Selected Response (EBSR) X X X Technologyenhanced Constructed Response (TECR) X X X Prose Constructed Response X (PCR) (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment) Hand-Scored with Rubric Includes multiple attributes and levels with points assigned X 5

The PBA ELA assessments are organized around three types of task: Literary Analysis, Research Simulation, and Narrative. Included in these tasks are sequences of questions that draw students into deeper encounters with texts. (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment PPT.) For each major task, there is a set of related EBSRs, TECRs, and one or two PCRs. The EOY is comprised entirely of EBSRs and TECRs that evaluate reading literature, reading informational texts, and reading vocabulary. PARCC literary analysis tasks are intended to support honing students ability to read complex text closely and to focus on writing PARCC: Grade 4: Literary Analysis Task Sample Item #1: Cricket and Cougar Part A Question: What is the meaning of the word avenge as it is used in the story? a. believe b. get even c. *make friends with d. scare (PARCC. Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task Sample Items) Measuring Up to the Common Core provides similar EBSRs with questions broken into two parts. For example, in part B effectively when analyzing text. (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment PPT.) For the literary analysis task, students are provided with one short text and one extended text and asked to respond to several EBSRs and TECRs and one PCR. For example, in a grade 4 sample task, students are asked to read two texts: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata and Cricket and Cougar. They are then asked to answer 4 EBSRs, 2 TECRs, and 1 PCR. In the following example, an EBSR is broken into two parts. In part A students must first tackle a critical vocabulary word, and then for part B find textual evidence to support their answer for part A. Part B Question: Which detail from the story best supports the answer to Part A? a. In this forest, I am the chief of the animals! b. I don t believe you, little insect, snarled Cougar. c. * hrr! Ahrr! cried the cougar in pain, Get out of my ear! d. Cricket, come out! Let me meet your mighty cousin! below students must find supporting evidence for their answer to part A. Measuring Up Diagnostic Practice Test for PARCC: Grade 4: Literary Analysis Task Question #1: Inside the Secret Garden and The Treasure Hunt Part A: What is the meaning of the word swaying in paragraph 1? A. to jump high in the air B. *to swing back and forth C. to look with understanding D. to leap from branch to branch Part B: Which words from paragraph 1 help readers understand the meaning of swaying? I. skipped round all the gardens II. stopped with a little laugh of pleasure III. greeted her with a chirp IV. as the branch gently moved In the following TECR sample item for the same PARCC grade 4 literary analysis task above, students must manipulate text to create a chronologically correct summary of PARCC: Grade 4: Literary Analysis Task Sample Item #6: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata Question: Create a summary of the story using three of the sentences listed here. Drag the three sentences that describe key ideas from the story into the boxes titled Summary. The sentences should describe key ideas from the story in the order they happen. 1. Katie s mother is disappointed that the girls use Japanese words incorrectly. 2. Katie remembers when a dog ran out of a corn field and attacked Lynn and her. 3. Katie keeps Lynn s diary in a drawer beside her bed. 4. Katie and Lynn spend much of their time together as they grow up. 5. Lynn taught young Katie to say kira-kira, which was her first word. 6. Katie believes that Lynn saves her life, but Lynn believes Katie saved her. 7. Lynn explains that the sky is special like the ocean or people s eyes. 8. Lynn sprayed the dog with water so it wouldn t hurt its tongue on broken glass. (PARCC. Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task Sample Items.) events. On the right is a similar Measuring Up Diagnostic Practice Test item that emulates a TECR for PARCC. Measuring Up DPT for PARCC: Grade 4: Literary Analysis Task Question #2: Part B: Inside the Secret Garden and The Treasure Hunt Which details from the story help readers figure out the answer to Part A [Which statement best describes the theme of this story?]? I. As Mary had skipped toward him she felt something heavy in her pocket strike against her at each jump. (paragraph 1) II. You showed me where the key was yesterday, she said. (paragraph 2) III. Mary Lennox had heard a great deal about Magic in stories, and she always said that what happened almost at that moment was Magic. (paragraph 4) IV. Mary stepped close to the robin, and suddenly the gust of wind swung aside the ivy. (paragraph 5) A. I and II only B. *II and III only C. I, II, and IV D. II and IV only E. III and IV only Test for PARCC Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task.) 6 A. I only B. I and II only C. II and III only D. *IV only E. III and IV only Test for PARCC Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task.) 7

Measuring Up s TECR-like items deliberately remain compatible with paper-and-pencil delivery in order to give educators more flexibility while at the same time still requiring students to apply more complex reasoning. PARCC: Grade 4: Literary Analysis Task Sample Item #7: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata & Cricket and Cougar Question: You have read two stories where one family member saves another. Write an essay describing the mosquito from Cricket and Cougar and one of the main characters from Kira-Kira. For each character described, In both the PBA, students are then asked to construct an extended Prose Constructed Response (PCR), which is evaluated using a provided rubric. Below is the corresponding PCR for the grade 4 literary analysis items above, and a similar PCR from Measuring Up. Measuring Up DPT for PARCC: Grade 4: Literary Analysis Task Question #7: Inside the Secret Garden and The Treasure Hunt The setting tells where the action of a story takes place. The setting tells the time, place, and mood of the story. Authors help readers to understand the setting of their stories in different ways. You read two stories with very different settings: PARCC: Grade 3: Research Simulation Task Sample Item #3: Excerpt from Eliza s Cherry Trees and Japan s Gift to America by Andrea Zimmerman Question: You have read two texts about famous people in American history who solved a problem by working to make a change. Write an article for your school newspaper describing how Eliza and Carver faced challenges to change something in America. In your article be sure to describe in detail why some solutions they tried worked and others did not work. Tell how the challenges each one faced were the same and how they were different. (PARCC. Grade 3 Research Simulation Task Sample Items.) Measuring Up DPT for PARCC: Grade 4: Research Analysis Task Question #10: A Monkey s Life You have read three texts about monkeys. All three include the claim that monkeys are animals that can adapt to living in many places. The texts are: Monkey Trouble A Home in the Zoo Old World and New World Monkeys Consider the claims each author makes to demonstrate that monkeys can live successfully in different places. Write an essay that analyzes the strength of these claims in at least two of the texts. Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas. Test for PARCC Grade 4 Research Analysis Task.) 8 Explain how the thoughts, words, and/or actions of the character help you understand what the character is like. Explain why the character chooses to save his or her family member. Be sure to include specific details from each story to support your ideas. (PARCC. Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task Sample Items.) Both PARCC and Measuring Up to the Common Core use scoring rubrics for evaluating student responses. PARCC provides a combined grades 4 and 5 rubric that can be used for all PCRs (analytic: literary and research, and narrative). (PARCC. Grades 4 and 5 Condensed Scoring Rubric for Prose Constructed Responses.) In the research simulation tasks, students must read two short texts Inside the Secret Garden The Treasure Hunt Think about the setting of each story. Now, write a multi-paragraph essay in which you explain the importance of the setting to the stories. Tell how the setting drove the story s events or affected the characters. In your essay, be sure to describe each setting. Consider the events of the story, and how the events are related to the setting. Make sure you include details from both stories. Test for PARCC Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task.) (except for grade 3, where there is only short text) and one extended text, respond to several EBSRs and TECRs, and then write one PCR. One of the texts in the research simulation task is an anchor text that introduces the task. Texts may include articles or multimedia stimuli. Below is an example of a grade 3 PCR for a PARCC research simulation task and a comparable grade 4 Measuring Up research analysis task (note the additional text in grade 4). The PARCC narrative tasks are intended to broaden the way students write narrative in order to convey experiences or events, real or imaginary. (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment PPT.) Students are provided with one short text, several EBSRs and TECRs, and one PCR. Students may be asked to write a story, PARCC: Grade 6: Narrative Task Sample Item #6: Excerpt from Julie of the Wolves by Jean C. George In the passage, the author developed a strong character named Miyax. Think about Miyax and the details the author used to create that character. The passage ends with Miyax waiting for the black wolf to look at her. Write an original story to continue where the passage ended. In your story, be sure to use what you have learned about the character Miyax as you tell what happens to her next. detail a scientific process, write a historical account of important figures, or to describe an account of events, scenes or objects, for example. (PARCC. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment PPT.) Below is an example of a grade 6 PCR for a PARCC narrative task and a comparable grade 6 Measuring Up narrative task. Measuring Up DPT for PARCC: Grade 6: Narrative Task Question #6: Excerpt from The Time Machine by H.G. Wells In the story The Time Machine, the author, H.G. Wells, creates a narrator who tells a group of friends about what it is like to travel in a time machine and what he saw when he traveled to the year 802,000. There, he finds that the comforts of technology have not resulted in people that are more advanced. Instead, the people of the future, while pretty and refined, are also not intelligent. Pretend that you travel in a time machine to a time hundreds or thousands of years into the future. Write a multi-paragraph, original narrative about your experience. Keep the following in mind as you write: Use details from the story to explain what it is like to travel in a time machine. Drawing upon your own thoughts and feelings about what you already know about history, technology, and current trends, predict what the future will be like. Describe what it is like in the future and who you meet there. Give insight into how you feel about what you see just as the narrator did in The Time Machine. Test for PARCC Grade 4 Narrative Task.) 9 (PARCC. Grade 6 Narrative Task Sample Items.)

Similar to the ELA assessments, PARCC Math assessments are organized around task type: Type I, Type II and Type III. PARCC: Grade 3: Type I Task Patricia s Reading Time Measuring Up DPT for PARCC: Grade 6: Type I Task Type I Tasks, assessing concepts, skills and procedures Type II Tasks, assessing expressing mathematical reasoning Type III Tasks, assessing modeling/ applications (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) Technology- Enhanced (TE) May require students to manipulate, drag and drop or highlight answer choices Multiple- Choice May allow for more than one correct response Multi-part Question may be broken into Part A and B so that partial credit is possible Computer- Scored Algorithm may be required for multiple correct answers X X X X Hand-Scored with Rubric Includes multiple attributes and levels with points assigned Patricia needs to read for 120 minutes each week. She read for 26 minutes on Monday She read for 39 minutes on Tuesday. She read for 38 minutes on Thursday. How many more minutes does Patricia need to read this week? minutes (PARCC. Grade 3 Sample Mathematics Item.) Jamie drives 55 miles per hour. He started driving at 1:00 in the afternoon and stopped driving at 5:00 that afternoon. During his drive, he stopped for a half hour to rest. How far did he travel during this time? A. 165 miles B. 192 ½ miles C. 220 miles D. 247 ½ miles (MUCC. Measuring Up to the Common Core Diagnostic Practice Test for PARCC Grade 6 Mathematics.) Task Type X X X X X X X X The Math PBA is comprised of all three task types and is in part hand-scored in order for students to show their comprehension of math concepts through written explanations. The EOY assessment is comprised entirely of Type I tasks in order to provide schools with an entirely machine-scoreable exam, in which data can be provided quickly. As with the ELA assessment, PARCC and Measuring Up also provide Type I tasks with multiple correct answers and tasks with two parts (A and B), allowing for students to receive partial credit and to use information from one problem to answer another, requiring more complex problem-solving skills. PARCC Type I tasks are stand-alone items that are not part of a larger problem to solve. Type I math questions include a balance of conceptual understanding, fluency, and application. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) According to PARCC s description of Type I tasks, tasks can involve any or all mathematical practice standards. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) In the example below, PARCC requires students to write the response in an empty space; the comparable Measuring Up Type I task evaluates similar standards but provides multiple-choice options. Type II and Type III tasks comprise 40 50% of the questions in PARCC s Math Performance Based Assessments (PBA). The focus of these assessments is on applying skills, concepts and understandings to solve multi-step problems requiring abstract reasoning, precision, perseverance, and strategic use of tools. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) Type II tasks and Type III tasks are designed as performance-based assessments where the items are grouped around a larger problem to solve and items may also be divided into a Part A and B in order for students to receive partial credit. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) Type II tasks call for written arguments/ justifications, critique of reasoning, or precision in mathematical statements (MP. 3, 6). These tasks can also involve other mathematical practice standards. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) Type III tasks call for modeling/application in a real-world context or scenario (MP. 4) and can also involve other mathematical practice standards. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) In the following examples of Type II and III tasks, the task is broken into two parts, which allows for partial credit, and in some cases students must use information from part A to help them answer part B. Furthermore, students must explain their reasoning and show how they arrived at their answer. The scoring rules provide points for computation as well as reasoning. Type II tasks do not necessarily have to model real-world scenarios but often do. (PARCC. Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics.) 10 11

References PARCC: Grade 6: Type II Task Proportions of Instruments Mr. Ruiz is starting a marching band at his school. He first does research and finds the following data about other local marching bands. Number of brass instrument players Number of percussion instrument players Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 123 42 150 41 14 50 Measuring Up DPT for PARCC: Grade 5: Type III Task Dominic s Garden Part A Dominic wants to put a border around his r ectangular garden. The garden measures 5 ¼ feet by 4 2/3 feet. What is the perimeter of Dominic s garden? The garden border is sold in 3-foot-long pieces. How many pieces of garden border will Dominic need to buy? How much border will he have left over? Show your work. PARCC Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.measuringuplive.com PARCC Grade 4 Narrative Task. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.measuringuplive.com PARCC Grade 4 Research Analysis Task. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.measuringuplive.com PARCC Grade 5 Mathematics. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.measuringuplive.com PARCC Grade 6 Mathematics. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.measuringuplive.com National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects. Washington D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. Part A Mr. Ruiz realizes that there are brass instrument player(s) per percussion player. Part B Mr. Ruiz has 210 students who are interested in joining marching band. He decides to have 80% of the band be made up of percussion and brass instruments. Use the unit rate you found in part A to determine how many students should play brass instruments. Show or explain all your steps. (PARCC. Grade 6 Sample Mathematics Item.) Conclusion In conjunction with Measuring Up Insight, Measuring Up MyQuest, and the newest addition, Measuring Up Reach, Measuring Up Diagnostic Practice Tests can help students in grades 1 8 meet the challenges of the Common Core State Standards and prepare for upcoming assessments. All of the Measuring Up tools incorporate the most current assessment information and contain a comprehensive scope of all Common Core standards at each grade level. Measuring Up to the Common Core supports recommended Lexile levels and word counts at each grade level in order Part B Dominic plans to buy topsoil for his garden and needs to know the area. What is the area of his garden? Each bag of topsoil will cover 4 square feet of his garden. How many bags of topsoil will Dominic need to buy? How many additional square feet could he cover with the leftover topsoil? Show your work. Test for PARCC Grade 5 Mathematics.) to challenge students with rigorous reading selections in a range of genres. Diagnostic Practice Tests are tailored to meet the specific needs of each consortium. Items mirror those found in PARCC assessments, and items are organized in the same way PARCC has designed its assessments. Schools can use the Measuring Up Diagnostic Practice Tests and be assured of a seamless transition to the new assessments. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects Appendix A: Research Supporting Key Elements of the Standards. Washington D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Washington D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Advances in the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment PPT. August 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/samples/ela. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Grade 3 Sample Mathematics Items. November 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/grade3-patricia%27sreadingtime.pdf. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Grade 4 Literary Analysis Task Sample Items. August 21, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/parcc_sampleitems_ela- Literacy_Grade4Items_082113_Final.pdf. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Grade 3 Research Simulation Task Sample Items. August 19, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/parccgrade3.pdf. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Grades 4 and 5 Condensed Scoring Rubric for Prose Constructed Responses. August 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/ files/grade4-5-elacondensedrubricforanalyticandnarrativewriting.pdf. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Grade 6 Narrative Task Sample Items. August 19, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/samples/english-language-artsliteracy/ grade-6-prose-constructed-response-narrative-writing-task. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Grade 6 Sample Mathematics Items. November 2013. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/grade6-proportionsofinstruments.pdf.) Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Mathematics High Level Blueprints. http://www.parcconline.org/assessment-blueprints-test-specs. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. Mathematics Shifts and Sample Items Overview PPT. August 16, 2013. Retrieved from www.parcconline.org 8/20/13. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. (Last modified October 2013.) Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for ELA/Literacy. PARCC. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/ samples/ela. 12 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career. (Last modified October 2013.) Task Prototypes and New Sample Items for Mathematics. PARCC. Retrieved from http://www.parcconline.org/ samples/math. 13