Targeting the TAKS OpenEnded Response

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Targeting the TAKS Open-Ended Response

• Hitting the Mark in the ELA Classroom

TCTELA 41st Annual Conference January 20, 2006
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Welcome!
Diane Peterson
Education Specialist, Secondary Language Arts
dpeterson_at_esc4.net 713.744.6829
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Writing Responses for the TAKS Open-Ended Items
Examine open-ended item student responses to
identify the qualities and components of a
successful response. Participants will analyze
the TAKS Reading Rubrics and discuss the
resultant best practices in the ELA classroom.
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Plans

• Successful responseswhat should be included?

2. Content scoringwhat skills does the
open-ended item assess?
3. Best practiceswhat should I see in the ELA
classroom?
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Assessment
Improved Student Achievement
Instruction
Curriculum
English, 2000
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Successful Responses

• What should be included?

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What Is the OER?
OER Open-Ended Response
The TAKS open-ended items are three short answer
questions that require the student to write a
multi-sentence response. These items are based
upon the triplet found in the Reading/ELA
section of TAKS assessments for grades 9-11 Exit.

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What Is the Triplet?
1st Part a published literary work, either a
short story or an excerpt from a novel
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What Is the Triplet?
2nd Part a published expository
(informational, nonfiction) passage, either an
article from a newspaper or magazine, an excerpt
from a memoir, a journal entry, essay, editorial,
or an excerpt from a biography or autobiography
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What Is the Triplet?

• 3rd Part
• a visual media selection reflecting a web page,
  advertisement, or poster which enables students
  to make visual connections to the other two
  passages

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What Is the Triplet?
1st part (literary)
2nd part (expository)
3rd part (visual media)
a thematically-linked triplet!
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What Parts Are Needed for a Successful Response?

• TWO-PARTER Students must offer a reasonable
  idea and pull textual evidence that validates
  that idea.
• THREE-PARTER Change questions call for two
  pieces of evidence.
• FOUR-PARTER Cross-over responses must include
  analysis from each piece and evidence from each
  piece.

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Crafting a Response
1. Provide a clear answer to the question.
2. Provide multiple pieces of support directly
from the passage. Direct quotations (usually
partial), paraphrases (authors words in student
writers own words), or synopses (specific
summary) are acceptable. All sentences should
connect to each other and it should be clear why
the evidence given is significant to the answer.
3. Connect the answer to the support. This is
not done with a separate sentence but should be
clear from the idea and choice of evidence.
4. Craft the answer into a coherent, logical
progression of ideas and evidence that answers
the question fully and proves the statement.
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Why Use OER Items?

• TAKS open-ended items are short answer questions
  such as those typically asked of English/Language
  Arts students in class.
• They are linked to TAKS Objectives 2 and 3 and
  the corresponding foundational TEKS (10B).
• This provides a clear connection between the TAKS
  assessment and classroom instruction.

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Content Scoring

• What skills does the
• open-ended item assess?

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Content Scoring

• Items are part of the reading portion of the TAKS
  and are content scored.
• Responses must include a reasonable idea
  (analysis) and textual support (evidence).
• Writing skills are not assessed here. Only
  clarity is mentioned in the rubrics.
• These responses are judged conceptually, not
  contextually.

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What Skill is Tested (TEKS)?

• (10) Reading/literary response. The student
  expresses and supports responses to various
  types of texts. The student is expected to
• (B) use elements of text to defend, clarify,
  and negotiate responses and interpretations.

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Types of Items
Objective 2 The student will apply knowledge of
literary elements to understand culturally
diverse written texts. The first open-ended
item is based on the literary selection.  
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Types of Items
 Objective 3 The student will demonstrate the
ability to analyze and critically evaluate
culturally diverse written texts and visual
representations. The second item is based on
the expository selection.
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Types of Items
 Objective 3 The student will demonstrate the
ability to analyze and critically evaluate
culturally diverse written texts and visual
representations. The third item is based on
both selections.
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What Are Rubrics?

• Powerful instructional tools that clarify
  expectations
• Explicitly worded descriptions for each score
  point

Teaching is targeted. Student performance is
focused.
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Three Rubrics

• There is a specific rubric for each open-ended
  item.
• Examine each rubric (literary,
  expository, and crossover) for similarities and
  differences of each score point.

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Students as Self-Assessors

• Students who are taught to use criteria know
  when they are doing well, without waiting for
  outside confirmation, and when things go wrong,
  they know what to do about it.

Spandel, 2001
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0 Insufficient

• Too general or vague to determine whether it is
  reasonable
• OR
• Incorrect interpretation not based on text
• OR
• Plot summary

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1Partially Sufficient

• Analysis only
• OR
• Evidence only
• OR
• Analysis-Evidence connection unclear or vague

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2Sufficient

• Analysis and relevant evidence present
• Analysis-Evidence connection clear and specific

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3Exemplary

• Particularly thoughtful or insightful analysis
  and/or evidence
• Analysis-Evidence connection shows depth of
  understanding

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Using Student Responses

• Read the passage, annotate, discuss.

2. View the Open-Ended Item.
3. View the appropriate rubric.
4. Answer the item with a partner, save
responses.
5. View the components of a successful answer.
6. View the samples and discuss their scoring.
7. Evaluate responses in light of samples.
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Best Practices

• What should I see in the ELA classroom?

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Research Confirms

• All students benefit from a strong reading and
  writing connection.
• When students respond through writing to what
  they have read, writing and reading improve.
• Written responses require higher-order thinking
  and critical-thinking skills.

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Thoughtful Literacy

• Remembering
• ?
• Understanding
• ______________________________________
• Recitation of Texts
• ?
• Consideration and Discussion of Texts

Alllington, 2001
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Thoughtful Literacy

• We should construct lessons that help make the
  comprehension processes visible.
• Students need demonstrations of effective
  strategy use.

Alllington, 2001
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assessing progress
assessing progress
teacher
guided
independent
teacher
guided
independent
systematic,
systematic,
and
and
modeling
practice
practice
modeling
practice
practice
explicit
explicit
adjusting
adjusting
instruction
instruction
instruction
instruction
Gradual Release Model

• explicit, systematic instruction
• model and demonstrate strategies
• guided practice
• independent practice
• monitor and assess student progress

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Teaching the OER

• Finding Evidence
• Citing Evidence
• using quotes, paraphrase, and synopsis
• learning when to use each type of evidence
• Connecting evidence to analysis (or answer)
• Rememberthis is not a connection to real
  world or a new idea!
• Comparing works of literature (or art)

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Teaching the OER

• Students need multiple, frequent opportunities to
  practice the skills involved in successfully
  responding to an open-ended item.
• Teachers must model the skills involved and
  provide opportunities for guided practice before
  independent practice or assessment.
• Since multiple skills are involved, teachers must
  focus on the discrete skills as well as the big
  picture.

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What About the Writing Process?

• Since multiple skills are involved, teachers must
  focus on the discrete skills as well as the big
  picture.
• Analyzing texts to find an answer
• (close reading, annotating, graphic organizers,
  discussion, questioning)
• Forming a coherent answer

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What About the Writing Process?

• (1) Writing/purposes. The student writes in a
  variety of forms, including business, personal,
  literary, and persuasive texts, for various
  audiences and purposes. The student is expected
  to
• (B) write in a voice and style appropriate to
  audience and purpose and
• (C) organize ideas in writing to ensure
  coherence, logical progression, and support
  for ideas.

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What About the Writing Process?

• Writing/writing processes. The student uses
  recursive writing processes when appropriate.
• The student is expected to
• (B) develop drafts by organizing and
  reorganizing content and by refining style
  to suit occasion, audience, and purpose and
• (C) proofread writing for appropriateness of
  organization, content, style, and
  conventions.

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What About the Writing Process?

• Even though the open-ended item is part of the
  reading assessment, the writing process still
  applies as the students craft their responses.
• 1. Prewriting the parts
• 2. Rough draft in test booklet
• 3. Final copy in the lined boxes

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Close Reading

• CLOSE READING is a careful application of a
  microscope or binoculars to a text, enabling
  the reader to go beyond literal meaning and
  experience the authors craft.
• ANNOTATING is the backbone of close reading.

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What is Annotating?

• A writing-to-learn strategy

• For use while reading or rereading

• Helps readers reach a deeper level of
  engagement

• Promotes active reading

• Dialogue with the text (Probst)

• A visible record of the thoughts that emerge
  while making sense of the reading

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Teaching the OER

• Ask students to identify the ways readers think
  about text while reading, such as

• Making predictions
• Asking questions
• Stating opinions
• Analyzing the authors craft
• Making connections
• Reflecting on the content
• Reflecting on their own reading process

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Annotation Bookmark

• BEFORE READING
• Examine the front and back covers (books)
• Read the title and any subtitles
• Examine the illustrations
• Examine the print (bold, italics, etc.)
• Examine the way the text is set up (book, short
  story, diary, dialogue, article, etc.)
• As you examine and read these, write questions,
  and make predictions and/or connections near
  these parts of the text.

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Annotation Bookmark

• DURING READING
• Mark in the text
• Characters (who)
• When (setting)
• Where (setting)
• Vocabulary
• _______ Important information

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Annotation Bookmark

• DURING READING
• Write in the margins
• Summarize
• Make predictions
• Formulate opinions
• Make connections
• Ask questions
• Analyze the authors craft
• Write reflections/reactions/comments
• Look for patterns/repetitions

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Annotation Bookmark

• AFTER READING
• Reread annotationsdraw conclusions
• Reread introduction and conclusiontry to figure
  out something new
• Examine patterns/repetitionsdetermine possible
  meanings
• Determine what the title might mean
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• Use the After Reading strategies to write
• a notebook entry.

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How to Teach Annotating

• Use short story that can be read in one period
• Make each student a copy of story
• Make a transparency of each page
• Give students Annotating Bookmarks
• Make a transparency of Bookmark
• Create a coding system with different marks for
  surface meaning and deep-meaning ideas

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Annotation Lesson

• Read first page to students while they read
  along.

• Have students mark text using coding system.

• Stop at end of page.

• Allow students to go back and add marks.

• Ask students to share what they have marked.

• Make the same marks on the transparency.

• Ask for comments and write in margin.

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Annotation Methods

• Photocopy the document.

• Use a dialectical journal.

• Use index cards.

• Use Post-it notes or flags.

• Use highlighter tape.

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Research-Based Questioning Strategies
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Creating Questions
Use question stems to create questions for
literary pieces you are reading in
class. Literary Stems What was one conflict ____
faced in _____? In ____ how does ____
connect to _____?  How does _____ change from the
beginning to the end of ___?  What is the major
conflict _____ faces in _____? 
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Creating Questions
Literary Stems In ______, what does ____ learn
from his/her experience with ____? In _____,
why does ____ ____? (character)
(action)  
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Creating Questions
Expository Stems In _____, has ____ fulfilled
his/her dream? In _____, how have the authors
experiences shaped his/her attitude toward
others? How does the authors attitude toward
_____ change over the course of _____?
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Creating Questions
Expository Stems Why is _____ a good title for
this selection? Why are memories of _____
important to _____? In ____, who do you think
is more successful, ____ or ____?
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Creating Questions
Crossover Stems How does the idea of taking a
risk apply to both ___ and ___? How do the
parents in ___ and ____ attempt to share
their cultural heritage with their
children? Which of the siblings from ____ and
____ would you like to have as a
brother/sister?  
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Creating Questions
Crossover Stems How is the concept of __
important in both ___ and __? How is the idea
of ____important in both ___ and ___? What
is one characteristic shared by (____) and
(____). char. from
lit. passage char. from exp. Passage How is
___ an important theme in both ___ and ___?
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Text-Based Responses
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Types of Evidence

• DIRECT QUOTATION
• What?
• verbatim words, phrases, or parts of sentences
  from the text
• When?
• authors exact words are necessary and will add
  depth, precision, or reliability to the response

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Types of Evidence

• PARAPHRASE
• What?
• restatement of authors words preserving the
  main ideas and key details
• When?
• ideas could be clarified or original word choice
  is irrelevant

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Types of Evidence

• SPECIFIC SYNOPSIS
• What?
• a focused choice of linked portions not a plot
  summary
• When?
• several portions are needed to serve as textual
  evidence

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www.readingbenchmarks.org
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Pairing Works
Use paired works in class frequently. Genres/Form
s to consider in pairing works Films/Movies Te
levision Shows Songs Poems Research
Findings Magazine Articles Artwork Web
Pages
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Pairing Works
The Catcher in the Rye ? Acquainted with the
Night by J.D. Salinger by Robert
Frost Novel Poem Example Connection The city
as a lonely, uncomfortable place
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Pairing Works
To Kill a Mockingbird ? Radio by Harper Lee By
Mike Rich Novel Film Example Connection Men
attempting to effect a change in racial tolerance
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Pairing Works
Romeo and Juliet ? Teen Love Hurts Falling
In Love Makes Teens Prone to Depression
and Alcohol Abuse by William Shakespeare
by Malcolm Ritter Novel News Article Example
Connection The negative effects of teenagers
falling in love
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Pairing Works
The Gettysburg Address ? Frederick
Douglass by Abraham Lincoln by Robert
Hayden Speech Poem Example Connection
Leaving legacies beyond physical monuments
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Resources

• Allington, Richard L. What Really Matters for
  Struggling Readers Designing Research-Based
  Programs. New York Longman, 2001.
• Berthoff, Ann E. Dialectical Notebooks and the
  Audit of Meaning. The Journal Book. Ed. Toby
  Fulwieler. Portsmouth Boynton/Cook, 1987.
  11-18.
• English, Fenwick W. Deciding What to Teach and
  Test Developing, Aligning, and Auditing the
  Curriculum. Thousand Oaks, CA Corwin Press,
  Inc., 2000.
• Porter-ODonnell. Beyond the Yellow
  Highlighter. English Journal 93.5 (2004)
  82-89.
• Probst, Robert E. Dialogue with a Text.
  English Journal 77.1 (1988) 32-38.
• Spandel, Vicki. Creating Writers Through 6-Trait
  Writing Assessment and Instruction. New York
  Addison Wesley Longman, 2001.

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Thank you!
If you design or observe teaching strategies that
really work for the OER, please let me
know! Diane Peterson 713-744-6829 dpeterson_at_esc
4.net