TAKS Short Answer Items

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GHAWPso far
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The TAKS, Maam Just the TAKS
Scoring High on the Short Answer Questions

• Presenter
• Connie W. Stewart
• Secondary Coordinator of Curriculum Instruction
• Galveston Independent School District
• July 2005

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Complaint All you teach is TAKS
Response We sure hope so!

• TEKS
• THE curriculum in both foundation enrichment
  subjects taught in Texas Public Schools

• TAKS EVALUATES how well students have mastered
  the TEKS (curriculum)

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Our objective for today is the other half
of the test

• TEKS
• Objective 1 The student will demonstrate a
  basic understanding of culturally diverse written
  texts.
• Objective 2 The student will demonstrate an
  understanding of the effects of Literary Elements
  and Techniques in culturally diverse written
  texts.
• Objective 3 The student will demonstrate the
  ability to analyze and critically evaluate
  culturally diverse written texts and visual
  representations.
• Reference Grade 9 TAKS Study Guide, Texas
  Education Agency, 2003.

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Begin with the end in mind

• Steven Covey

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Children of Poverty

• Ruby Payne (1996) states that children of poverty
  need to see visual representations and graphic
  organizers to identify main concepts, assign
  specific labels to concepts and sort relevant and
  non-relevant cues.

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Standardized Testing

• Why DO we
• have it?
• and how has it changed?

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BLOOMS TEXAS TESTING

• 1979 TABS (Texas Assessment of Basic Skills)
• Level of Questioning Knowledge with some
  Comprehension
• 1984 TEAMS (Texas Educational Assessment of
  Minimum Skills)
• Level of Questioning Knowledge, Comprehension
  with some Application)
• 1990 TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills)
• Level of Questioning Comprehension,
  Application with some Knowledge Analysis
• 1999 TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge
  Skills)
• Level of Questioning Analysis, Synthesis,
  Evaluation
• with some Knowledge, Comprehension
  Applications

(Actual implementation for accountability Spring
2003)
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Is it really that different from TAAS?

• After extensive comparative study of the high
  school level TAAS vs. TAKS, Kilgo (2004) stated
  that of the 35 TEKS eligible to be tested on
  TAKS, 24 were NOT a part of TAAS.

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Lets look at TAKS Blooms froma literary
point of view

• Goldilocks

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How Goldilocks and the Three Bears would have
been tested

• 1979 TABS
• Knowledge Level What things did Goldilocks do
  in the three bears house?
• 1984 TEAMS
• Comprehension Level Why did she like the baby
  bears things best?
• 1990 TAAS
• Application Level If Goldilocks came to your
  house today, what things might she do?

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Goldilocks at TAKS levels

• Analysis Level What things in the story could
  really have happened? Explain why or why not
• Synthesis Level Re-tell the story as it would
  be if it were called Goldilocks and the Three
  Fishes.
• Evaluation Level Do you think it was right for
  Goldilocks to go into the three bears house
  without having been invited? Why or why not?

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OK, I see the need to talk about levels of
thinking

• Is it easy to distinguish the Blooms level of
  questions when it isnt a fairy tale?
• Lets give it a try..

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THE ANSWERS

• Knowledge What was the date of the bombing at
  Pearl Harbor?
• Comprehension Why did the Japanese bomb Pearl
  Harbor?
• Application If you had been responsible for the
  defense of the Hawaiian Islands, what preparation
  would you have made to defend them?
• Analysis What lessons did our country learn
  from Pearl Harbor?
• Synthesis Re-tell the story of Pearl Harbor
  assuming the United States armed forces had been
  ready for the attack.
• Evaluation Do you feel that the bombing of
  Pearl Harbor has any effect on Japanese-American
  relations today? Give reasons for your answer.

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• Does this woman really think that Im going to
  spend hours thinking up questions for every piece
  of literature at each of the Blooms Levels for
  my English I Class???

Good Grief!!
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Lets try it again

• DUSTING
• By Julia Alvarez
• Each morning I wrote my name
• on the dusty cabinet, then crossed
• the dining table in script, scrawled
• in capitals on the backs of chairs,
• practicing signatures like scales
• while Mother followed, squirting
• linseed from a burping can
• into a crumpled-up flannel.
• She erased my fingerprints
• from the bookshelf and rockers,
• polished mirrors on the desk
• scribbled with my alphabets.
• My name was swallowed up in the towel
• with which she jeweled the table tops.
• The grain surfaced in the oak

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Levels of QuestionsAn Easier Way

• Level One Level One questions can be answered
  using facts in the text or easily accessible
  information in other texts. They are fact-based.
  equal to Knowledge Level of Blooms Lets call
  this a BOOK question as the answer can be found
  in the book.
• e.g. What household task is Mother performing in
  the poem?
• Level Two Level Two questions can be answered
  after interpreting or analyzing the text. They
  are inference-based. equal to Comprehension,
  Application, and/or Analysis Level of Blooms
  Lets call this a BRAIN question as the answer is
  based on a fact in the book but requires using
  the brain to interpret and infer.
• e.g. Why does the speaker continue to write her
  name in the dust?
• Level Three Level Three questions are
  open-ended. They ask you to go beyond the text.
  These questions will provoke discussion of an
  abstract idea or issue. equal to Analysis,
  Synthesis or Evaluation Level of Blooms Lets
  call this a THINKING BRAIN question as it
  requires the thinker to evaluate the reading
  piece and go beyond it within the brain.
• e.g. Why is it important to some people to make
  their mark on the world?
• Reference Hammett, Beth, GHAWP Open Institute
  2004

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The TAKS Short-Answer Questions

• are equal to the Level TWO and Level THREE
  questions . with the majority being at Level
  THREE

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OKI GET IT!!

• When I ask questions in class that I want the
  students to answer in writing, Ill try to make
  sure they are Level Two and Level Three
• Lets look at Pearl Harbor again for a little
  extra practice

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Which ones fit level 2 3?

• Knowledge What was the date of the bombing at
  Pearl Harbor?
• Comprehension Why did the Japanese bomb Pearl
  Harbor?
• Application If you had been responsible for the
  defense of the Hawaiian Islands, what preparation
  would you have made to defend them?
• Analysis What lessons did our country learn
  from Pearl Harbor?
• Synthesis Re-tell the story of Pearl Harbor
  assuming the United States armed forces had been
  ready for the attack.
• Evaluation Do you feel that the bombing of
  Pearl Harbor has any effect on Japanese-American
  relations today? Give reasons for your answer.

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Are we ready to write?

• NO! WAIT. I need to know how this is going to
  be graded ! What form of response do you want?
• What do the TAKS scorers expect?

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The TAKS essay

• The TAKS essay measures the students craft of
  writing as it relates to the question at hand.
  Audience, Purpose and Voice are extremely
  important.
• On TAKS, the writer who stretches and risks
  combining purposes and types is more likely to
  score high on the essay.
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• For Example If a student chooses to write an
  expressive piece using a personal narrative, the
  stretch would be using that personal narrative
  to teach a lesson (persuade or inform) or to use
  it to entertain the reader (great voice) or a
  combination of all of the above.
• Applebee (1978)stated that expressive writing
  linked with the narrative mode is the very
  heart of all types of writing.

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The Open-Ended response

• Conversely
• The open-ended question measures the students
  ability to read, comprehend, think through, make
  connections and extend an idea from the reading.
  It is informative writing NO VOICE.

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Begin with the end in mind

• If we really want our students to write solid 2s
  on the open-ended questions, then we need to
  teach them how their audience is going to score.
• and they need to practice OFTEN!!

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The secret is out

• The TAKS scorers expect the answer to contain
  certain characteristics AND for all the sentences
  to be compound or better.
• The characteristics that produce high scores when
  it is a question about a single passage are
• 1. A thesis statement (not a topic sentence).
• Proof (usually quotes) from the text that ties to
  and proves the thesis sentence. Two proofs would
  be best so long as you link them.
• An evaluation statement where the student gives
  analysis that goes beyond what is stated in the
  text and expands the thesis statement to a life
  lesson.
• and they only have 5 lines to do it!!

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CAUTION

• THIS IS NOT A LOCKSTEP FORMULA
• The thesis statement does not have to be the
  first sentence. It could be in the middle or
  anywhere within the box.
• The life lesson does not have to be the last
  sentence. It could be used as an opening.
• The proof does not have to be in the middle.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENA TOPIC AND A THESIS

• The topic is just that a topic for discussion
  thats up for grabs. Its a subject without a
  verb.
• e.g. Goldilocks visited the home of three
  bears.
• The thesis provides the verb. It answers the
  question, So? To construct a decent thesis
  statement, state your opinion, make a point, take
  a stand, have a slant, and provide perspective
  SET OUT TO PROVE SOMETHING.
• e.g. Goldilocks should be arrested for
  breaking and entering.
• A thesis promises the reader at least two things
  what is going to be discussed and the angle from
  which it will be discussed.

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Thesis Donts

• DONT start the thesis sentence with In my
  opinion I believe and in this essay I will argue
  that or any variation thereof. If its a
  thesis, its always the writers take on things.
  Theres no need to announce it.
• DONT just state a fact. A thesis has to be
  worth arguing about.
• DONT tackle two topics at once (even if they
  seem related). Pick one and stick with it.

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Lets look at that last part again

• An evaluation statement where the student gives
  analysis that goes beyond what is stated in the
  text and expands the thesis statement to a life
  lesson.
• What does that really mean?
• Some would say the moral of the story.

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Little Johnny

• A middle school class was asked to tell a story
  with a moral. Kathy went first. Once, we were
  driving a basket of hen eggs to market and we hit
  a big bump in the road. The eggs broke. The
  moral is dont put all your eggs in one basket.
• Timmy was next, Once we had a dozen chicken
  eggs, but when they hatched, we got only ten
  chicks. The moral is dont count your chickens
  before theyre hatched.
• Then it was Johnnys turn. When my Aunt Karen
  was in Desert Storm, her plane was hit. She
  bailed out over enemy territory with only a
  bottle of whiskey and a machine gun.
• She drank the liquor on the way down so it
  wouldnt break, and landed in the middle of 100
  enemy soldiers. She killed 70 with the machine
  gun, and when she ran out of bullets, she killed
  the rest with her bare hands.
• What is the moral of that terrible story? the
  teacher asked, horrified.
• Stay away from Aunt Karen when shes been
  drinking. replied Johnny.

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• Additionally, on TAKS the student must be able to
  compare two pieces of writing using a thesis and
  proof from BOTH pieces before concluding giving
  analysis that goes beyond what is stated in the
  text. The characteristics are simply expanded.
• Thesis Statement (not topic sentence)
• Proof from one passage
• Proof from the other passage
• A concluding sentence where the student gives
  analysis that goes beyond what is stated in the
  text and links it to the thesis statement.
• and they only have 7 lines to do it in!!

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Back to the Triplet

• GOLDILOCKS REVISITED

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Lets try writing a crossover question to
compare/contrast the two Goldilocks pieces.

• First we have to decide what the common theme is
  of the two books.
• Next, we have to be sure that our question
  fosters ideas leading to a variety of thesis
  statements. Remember, there is no right answer
  in terms of a thesis statement so long as it is
  truly a thesis.
• Finally, are there opportunities for a life
  lesson.

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Dont forget the visual representation

• The Victorian version

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Making sure they are ready

• Be sure that writing is happening in your
  classroomand that it is not just at the Book
  level.
• When asking students to respond, make sure you
  are requiring a thesis plus proof.
• Introduce the concept of the triplet EARLY in the
  year using grade level appropriate literature
  with a theme and use triplets throughout the year
  emphasizing life lesson themes.

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Lets Brainstorm

• What are some
• Life Lesson themes
• we can use ?

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Theme Kernels

• Tolerance Honesty
• Change Adventure
• Patience Courage
• Equality Communication
• Conflict
• Freedom

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WAIT!!!
If I require them to respond to short-answer
questions, I HAVE TO SCORE THEM!!!
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Using Exemplars

• Stotsky (1983) suggested that one problem in
  writing is the lack of consistent structures and
  exemplars for students.
• Fortunately for us, TEA took this to heart and
  has put all the exemplars you could possibly want
  on their website
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us
• The short answer exemplars are included in the
  answer key and essay exemplars are in the scoring
  guide.

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Using Exemplars

• When using exemplars with the students, ALWAYS
  use 3s and 4s for the essay
• and
• Use 2s and 3s for the open-ended answers

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TEAs Version
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Lets practice
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The Blanket

• Beginning with the end in mind
• In The Blanket, how does the reader know that
  Petey is upset with Dad for planning to send
  Granddad away?
• Support your answer with evidence from the
  selection.

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Granny Down the Hall

• Question
• In Granny down the Hall, why is the authors
  friendship with his neighbors so important to
  him? Support your answer with evidence from the
  selection.

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Crossover Question

• What do Glenn Plaskin and Petey do to show that
  family relationships are important to them?
  Explain your answer and support it with evidence
  from both selections.

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and that goes in my gradebook how???

• CWSs version for the classroom
• 30 points Good Thesis Statement Opening
• 30 points Good evidence from the passage/story
• 10 points Good ending with analysis that goes
  beyond
• what is stated in the text and links to
  the thesis statement
• 30 points Content of the answer

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Modifications

• If children do not learn the way we teach them,
  then we must teach them the way they learn.
• Only then can we ensure that ALL children can
  and will learn.

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THE BIG CHANGE

• 2003 - 2004 SDAA II Field Tested
• 2004 2005 SDAA II Benchmark Year
• 2005 2006 SDAA II becomes a part of the
• TEA Accountability
  System
• In other words, SDAA II COUNTS when determining
  whether or not your high school is an Exemplary
  school!!
• OK, you have my attention now.
• So whats the difference between a TAKS question
• and an SDAA II Question?

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ENGLISH LANGAUGE ARTS (ELA) TAKS VS SDAA
II 2005 was the benchmark year for SDAA II at
the high school level. The reading portion of
the ELA test mirrored the TAKS in that triplets
were utilized. Generally speaking, multiple
choice questions had fewer choices. Students
taking the SDAA II were required to answer
open-ended answer questions similar to TAKS but
at a slightly lower thinking level scoring was
based on 0, 1, 2.
Remember, next year, 2005-2006, the SDAA results
will be incorporated in the overall high school
accountability.
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Advanced Placement and Pre AP modifications

• Do your students know what is required to make
  commended performance status?
• Have your advanced students write TAKS style
  high-level questions for various genre they are
  reading.

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References

• Applebee, A. (1978). The childs concept of
  story Ages two to seventeen. Chicago,
  Illinois The University of Chicago Press.
• Covey, S. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly
  Effective People. The Free Press.
• Kilgo, M. (2004). Reading/Language Arts.
  Teaching and Assessing the TEKS/SE to the Depth
  and complexity of TAKS. Overview and Research,
  Section 1. Oasisedu.com
• Payne, R. (1996revised 2003). A Framework for
  Understanding Poverty. Aha!Process, Inc.
• Stotsky, S. (1983). Types of Lexical cohesion in
  expository writing implications for developing
  the vocabulary of academic discourse. College
  Composition and Communication.