Writing

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Writing
Predetermined
Criteria
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What are Predetermined Criteria?

• Three observable and measurable behaviors
  (actions) that
• Are created prior to the observation
• Measure the students performance on a skill

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Why Create Predetermined Criteria?

• To help teachers measure student performance
• To foster an authentic student response
• To promote the students ability to complete each
  task as independently as possible

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Questions to Ask When Writing Predetermined
Criteria

• Are the criteria observable?
• Do they identify what the student will do? ("The
  student will . . .")
• Do they list an action that can be seen?
• Are the criteria measurable?
• Do they tell you what the student has to do to
  show mastery?
• Do they list only one action?
• Do the criteria contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Do they link to the subject through the essence
  statement and/or prerequisite skill?
• Do they reflect age-appropriate content?

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In order for each criterion to be suitable for
TAKS-Alt, the answer to all three questions must
be "YES"

• Is the criterion observable?
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?

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The following examples will help you create
predetermined criteria that are suitable for
TAKS-Alt . . .
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4th Grade Writing Activity
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Essence Statement Uses writing processes to
revise the organization of text. Prerequisite
Skill N/A The student will directly access the
essence statement through grade-level student
expectations.
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Predetermined Criterion 1
The teacher will present the student with four
pictures.

• Is the criterion observable?
• No. This predetermined criterion lists what the
  teacher will do, not what the student is expected
  to do.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. An observer would only see what the teacher
  can do instead of identifying what the student
  must do to be successful.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• No. This criterion does not allow for the
  student to actively interact with the materials
  that relate to the 4th grade curriculum. The
  students access to the curriculum is restricted
  because the focus of this criterion is on the
  teacher.

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Predetermined Criterion 1
The student will point to 4/4 pictures correctly
when requested to "Show me . . ."

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen pointing to the
  pictures.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. If the student points to 4 pictures
  correctly she will be successful.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. For this student, interpreting the pictures
  is an important step in creating the text she
  will later be expected to revise. The writing
  activity revolves around a school-wide assembly
  that was attended by all students on the campus.

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Predetermined Criterion 2
The student will understand which picture matches
each sentence.

• Is the criterion observable?
• No. You cannot see when someone understands.
  The student needs to show understanding by
  performing an action such as matching or
  answering questions.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. Four pictures are listed in the activity
  description. An observer would have to assume
  that the student must match all 4 pictures to be
  successful.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The text being written revolves around a
  school-wide assembly that was attended by all
  students on the campus. The expectation is that
  the student will make an association between her
  experience at the assembly and the text. This
  criterion is an important step in revising the
  organization of text as identified in this 4th
  grade writing essence statement.

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Predetermined Criterion 2
The student will point to 3 out of 4 pictures
that correspond to the sentences read aloud.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen pointing to the
  pictures.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. If the student points to 3 of the 4
  pictures correctly she has shown mastery of this
  criterion.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The text revolves around a school-wide
  assembly that was attended by all students on the
  campus. In order for this student to revise the
  organization of text as identified in this 4th
  grade writing essence statement, she must first
  be able make an association between her
  experience at the assembly and the text that is
  being written.

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Predetermined Criterion 3
The student will glue or tape pictures to a piece
of paper.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. Gluing and taping are actions that can
  be seen.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. It is unclear how many pictures the student
  needs to glue or tape in order to be successful.
  
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• No. Although gluing and taping may be
  important skills for this student, they measure
  fine motor skills rather than writing. The
  student might work on these skills during daily
  instruction and even during this activity. These
  skills, however, should not be listed as criteria
  to be assessed and scored for TAKS-Alt since they
  do not link to the 4th grade writing curriculum.

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Predetermined Criterion 3
The student will point to or push aside the
unrelated sentence.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen pointing to or
  pushing aside the sentence.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. Although the student has only one
  opportunity to be successful, in some instances
  this is appropriate. To offer more trials (e.g.
  The student will point to . . . 4/7 trials)
  would be creating artificial opportunities by
  repeating the activity unnecessarily. There is
  only one unrelated sentence. If the student
  indicates correctly then she is successful.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The student is revising text by deleting
  the unrelated sentence.

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4th Grade Essence Statement for Writing Uses
writing processes to revise the organization of
text. Prerequisite skill N/A The student will
directly access the essence statement through
grade-level student expectations.
1 The student will point to 4/4 pictures
correctly when requested to "Show me . . ."
2 The student will point to 3 out of 4 pictures
that correspond to the sentences read aloud.
3 The student will point to or push aside the
unrelated sentence.
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8th Grade Social Studies Activity
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Essence Statement Understands important dates
and time periods in U.S. history through 1877.
Prerequisite Skill connect past events to
current events (e.g., linking yesterdays
activity with what will happen today)
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Predetermined Criterion 1
The student will attend to the slide show for
7/10 slides.

• Is the criterion observable?
• No. It would be difficult to tell if the student
  is attending.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. The criterion identifies mastery as 7/10
  slides.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• No. Although the content of the slide show
  relates to the 8th grade curriculum, the skill of
  attending does not. Attending to instruction
  is an important skill for all students. This
  skill should not, however, be listed as a
  criterion to be assessed and scored on TAKS-Alt.
  For this student, this skill could be addressed
  through informal classroom management strategies
  and inclusion in his IEP or behavior plan.

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Predetermined Criterion 1
The student will touch each of the 4 segments of
the pie chart as the teacher describes that
segment.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. Touching is an observable behavior.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. The student will be successful when he
  touches the 4 segments correctly.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The student will need to be able to
  identify each segment on the charts in order to
  complete the activity as independently as
  possible. The charts are used to represent past
  events and current events as listed in the
  prerequisite skill.

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Predetermined Criterion 2
The student will not get up from the table.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes . . . However, even though the student could
  be seen not getting up, predetermined criteria
  should identify what the student will do rather
  than what the student will not do.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. It is not clear how long the student is
  expected to sit at the table during this
  activity.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• No. Staying seated is important for classroom
  management and could be addressed during the
  activity and/or in the students IEP. It should
  not, however, be listed as a skill to be assessed
  and scored on TAKS-Alt since it is not linked to
  the 8th grade social studies curriculum.

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Predetermined Criterion 2
The student will pick up the correct picture 4/4
times in response to each of the teachers
questions.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen picking up the
  pictures.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. The student will be successful when he
  picks up each of the 4 pictures that correctly
  answers the teachers questions.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. In order to place information about himself
  (current events) appropriately on the pie
  graph, he will need to select the correct picture.

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Predetermined Criterion 3
The student will place the pictures onto the
chart with hand-to-hand assistance.

• Is the criterion observable?
• No. An observer would not be able to see what
  the student can do. Hand-to-hand assistance is
  considered the most invasive prompt. The terms
  listed in the Hierarchy of Cueing and Prompting
  document should not appear in predetermined
  criteria.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. The number of pictures he needs to place in
  order to be successful has not been identified.
  
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• No. While the pictures and chart address the 8th
  grade curriculum, the student is not expected to
  interact with these materials according to this
  criterion. Hand-to-hand assistance does not
  allow the student to express his ability to
  connect past events to current events.

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Predetermined Criterion 3
The student will place 3 out of 4 pictures onto
the correct segment of his chart.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen placing the
  pictures on the chart.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. The student will need to place 3 out of 4
  pictures correctly to be successful.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The pictures and chart are age-appropriate
  and related to the 8th grade social studies
  curriculum. By placing pictures onto the chart,
  the student is accessing the essence statement
  through the prerequisite skill of connecting
  past events to current events.

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8th Grade Essence Statement for Social Studies
Understands important dates and time periods in
U.S. history through 1877. Prerequisite Skill
connect past events to current events (e.g.,
linking yesterdays activity with what will
happen today)
The student will watch a PowerPoint slide show
about a young man named Calvin who lived during
the Civil War. The show includes information
about where the young man lived, worked, played,
and learned. After the presentation the teacher
will present 2 pie charts that include 4
segments, each with one of the following words
and its corresponding symbol home, work, play,
learn. One pie chart will be labeled Calvin and
the other will be labeled with the students own
name. The student will identify each segment as
the teacher describes it. The teacher will
place a printed picture from the slide show onto
one of the segments of Calvins chart, saying
This is where Calvin lived a long time ago. The
student will then be given pictures from his own
life and asked Where do you live now? The
student will select the appropriate picture and
place it on the correct segment of his chart.
This process will be repeated for the remaining
segments. The student will present his chart to
the class.
The student will touch each of the 4 segments of
the pie chart as the teacher describes that
segment.
The student will pick up the correct picture 4/4
times in response to each of the teachers
questions.
The student will place 3/4 pictures onto the
correct segment of his chart.
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9th Grade ReadingActivity
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Essence Statement Uses evidence from literary
text to support responses. Prerequisite Skill
show appreciation of repetitive language patterns
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Predetermined Criterion 1
The student will point to her voice-output
device, remove the repeated line in the song, and
activate her device.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen pointing,
  removing, and activating.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. There are too many actions listed. The
  student would be successful only if all of these
  actions are performed with 100 accuracy. Each of
  these actions may be appropriate for a separate
  predetermined criterion.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The use of the school song is
  age-appropriate. Interacting with the text
  (repeated line) is linked to the 9th grade
  reading curriculum.

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Predetermined Criterion 1
The student will reach for the voice-output
device on the table from a choice of 3 items.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. Reaching is an action that can be seen.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. To be successful the student will need to
  reach for the 1 correct item. This is a logical
  mastery level for this criterion since the task
  occurs only one time in the activity.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. In this particular instance, the
  voice-output device is linked to the concept of
  repetitive language. This student will be
  interacting with the curriculum by making the
  connection between her device and the repetitive
  language activity.

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Predetermined Criterion 2
The student will find the repeated line in the
song with 80 accuracy.

• Is the criterion observable?
• No. The word find could have different meaning
  to different observers. Should the student touch
  the repeated line? Should she point to it? Can
  she simply tell the teacher where it is?
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. In the activity description the student is
  expected to remove the line only one time. It is
  unclear what 80 accuracy means for this task.
  It is important to choose a logical mastery level
  that fits the task.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The student will use evidence from
  literary text by finding the repetitive
  language from the age-appropriate song. This
  criterion addresses both the prerequisite skill
  and the essence statement.

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Predetermined Criterion 2
The student will transfer the repeated line from
the poster to a space near her voice-output
device.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen moving the repeated
  line from the poster to an area near her device.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. The expectation is 100 accuracy when given
  one opportunity to transfer the repeated line. To
  offer more trials (e.g. The student will
  transfer the . . . 4/7 trials) would be creating
  artificial opportunities by repeating the
  activity unnecessarily.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The student will use evidence from
  literary text by finding the repetitive
  language from the age-appropriate song. This
  criterion addresses both the prerequisite skill
  and the essence statement.

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Predetermined Criterion 3
The student will enjoy listening to the school
fight song.

• Is the criterion observable?
• No. Enjoyment is expressed in different ways
  by different people. An observer might not be
  able to tell if the student is enjoying the
  song.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• No. It does not list how long or how many times
  the student must show enjoyment.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• No. While the school song is age-appropriate,
  the appreciation of repetitive language
  patterns listed in the prerequisite skill does
  not necessarily mean enjoyment. The student can
  show her appreciation through methods other
  than enjoyment.

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Predetermined Criterion 3
The student will activate the voice-output device
within 5 seconds of reaching the repeated line in
4 out of 6 opportunities.

• Is the criterion observable?
• Yes. The student can be seen activating the
  device.
• Is the criterion measurable?
• Yes. The 6 opportunities will naturally occur as
  the song is read aloud (the refrain Fight,
  fight, fight! is repeated 6 times during the
  song). If the student can activate her device
  within 5 seconds of the teachers pause on 4 of
  the opportunities, she will be successful.
• Does the criterion contribute to the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum?
• Yes. The student is participating in the
  curriculum by responding to the repetitive
  language patterns listed in the prerequisite
  skill. She is showing appreciation by
  anticipating the correct time to use the repeated
  line.

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Essence Statement Uses evidence from literary
text to support responses. Prerequisite Skill
show appreciation of repetitive language patterns
Prior to beginning the activity, the teacher
will call the students name and say Look at me
to ensure that the student is ready to attend and
work. The teacher will then show the student an
object used routinely to indicate that the
activity will include a voice-output device.
The following items will be placed on the table
in front of the student voice-output device, a
small box with 4 dividers (used when sequencing),
and a choice-board (used when answering
questions). The student will be asked to Pick
the one we need for today. Once the student
selects the voice-output device, the teacher will
present the words of the schools fight song on a
large poster board. The repeated line of Fight,
fight, fight! will be written in a bright red
color and will be recorded from an actual pep
rally on the voice-output device. The first
repeated line of the song (Fight, fight,
fight!) will have a removable strip with the
words written on it. The teacher will explain
the task and ask the student to activate the
device. After hearing the repetitive line played
by the device, the student will then be asked to
find the repeated line on the poster. The student
will remove the line and place it near her
device. As the teacher touches and reads each
word of the fight song, the student will visually
track the text. When the teacher reaches the
repeated line she will pause. The student will
touch the device to activate it each time the
line is repeated. After practicing several
times, the student will take the device to a pep
rally and use it to sing along with her
peers.
1 The student will reach for the voice-output
device on the table from a choice of 3 items.
2 The student will transfer the repeated line
from the poster to a space near her voice- output
device.
3 The student will activate the voice-output
device within 5 seconds of reaching the repeated
line in 4 out of 6 opportunities.
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Is there anything else to consider when writing
Predetermined Criteria?

• Activities should be as meaningful for the
  student as possible. In addition to the 3
  questions already discussed (observable,
  measurable, access to grade-level), you might
  also want to consider
• Do the criteria include the skills and materials
  that naturally occur during the students day?
• Will the skills be useful in other settings (for
  example, at home, in the community, at a jobsite,
  in other classes, when hanging out with peers)?
• Is the student interacting with content that is
  interesting and motivating?
• Meaningful skills can be incorporated into the
  assessment as well as continue to be a part of
  the students daily instruction.

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Making it Meaningful

• The 10th grade student will use counting bears
  to count out sets matching the numerals 1
  10.
• The 10th grade student will use newspapers to
  count out sets matching numerals 1- 10 to be
  delivered to classrooms as part of a daily job.

• The 6th grade student will identify 4 animals
  named in the book Brown Bear Brown Bear.
• The 6th grade student will identify 2 of 3
  main characters from a social story written to
  help the student transition to his elective when
  shown 3 photographs.

• The 11th grade student will select the safety
  goggles from a field of 3 safety items when shown
  the picture of a Bunsen burner.
• The 11th grade student will select the safety
  goggles from a field of 3 safety items when shown
  the picture of a lawn mower works part-time for
  a landscaping company.

• The 5th grade student will push or pull the
  teachers hand when requested to do so 4/5
  trials.
• The 5th grade student will push or pull the
  handle of his rolling backpack to lengthen or
  shorten the handle 2/2 trials student enjoys
  walking to and from class with peers.

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Ready to Write?

• Predetermined criteria should be
  
• Observable
• Measurable
• Accessing grade-level curriculum
• Meaningful

Use the following template as a guide when
creating predetermined criteria . . .
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