ISAT

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ISAT Reading Comprehension

• phost_at_roe41.k12.il.us
• www.madison.k12.il.us

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2005 Versus 2006 Reading Test

• 2005 2006
• Number of Sessions 3
  3
• Length of Sessions 40 minutes
  45 minutes
• Grades Tested 3, 5, 8,
  3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
• of Score From ER 15 10
• Norm-referencing No questions 30
  questions
• Word Analysis Separate section Embedded
• Ten minute extension allowed

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Test Session 1

• 6 short passages
• Poetry count on this
• Letter to a company
• News article
• Expository piece
• Directions to a game or craft
• 5 questions per passage
• SAT 10 section

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Test Sessions 2 3

• 1 long passage
• 16 multiple choice questions
• Extended Response based on long passage
• 1 short functional passage
• 4 multiple choice questions
• Next year Extended Response will require
  students to connect information from the two
  passages

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(No Transcript)
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Extended Response Rubric

• To Score a 4
• Answer the prompt by discussing KEY IDEAS.
• Include relevant TEXT REFERENCES.
• MAKE CONNECTIONS or DRAW CONCLUSIONS.
• EXTEND rather than simply state ideas.
• BALANCE text references and connections.

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Read the newspaper article Neighborhoods face
tough odds to improve air quality
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Only if appropriate
Model Model Model
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The Extended Response portion of the ISAT is
designed to assess the depth of a student's
understanding. It is not a writing test, but
students must demonstrate their understanding by
writing about specific examples of the text and
their interpretation of the text. It is
important to build a community of learners in the
classroom, to create an environment where kids
are given many opportunities throughout the day
to talk about the books they are reading. The
whole idea behind the extended response is to get
kids thinking about, talking about and writing
about what they are reading.
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• Read texts that give students an opportunity to
  think more deeply.
• Look for opportunities to use these 2 prompts
  with students
• Tell me more about your thinking.This will
  encourage students to expand upon their thinking
  which will enable them to write a stronger
  response.
• What in the story made you think that?This will
  encourage students to use specific text examples
  to support their thinking. When possible, ask
  students to show you several places in the text.

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The Bundle of Sticks An old man called his sons
together. He handed a bundle of sticks to his
oldest son and said, "Break it please." The son
strained and strained, but with all his efforts
was unable to break the bundle of sticks. The
second son grabbed the bundle from his brother,
shoved him aside and said, Watch me. But he
could not break the bundle either. The youngest
son laughed loudly at his brothers and said,
Give the bundle to me, you weaklings. He also
tried with all his strength, but could not break
the bundle. The father said quietly, "Untie the
bundle and each of you take a stick." When they
had done so, the father said, Now, break," and
each stick was easily broken. I hope you have
learned," said their father, unity gives
strength.
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• Why did the father feel the need to teach the
  lesson about unity to his sons? Use information
  from the text and what you know to support your
  answer.

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QAR
Question Answer Relationship Taffy E. Raphael -
1983
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OnMyOwn
Do you have routines for some things that you
do? When do routines help us? When do routines
hurt us?
The Ducks and the Fox
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ThinkSearch
Why doesnt the second Duck Sister want to find a
new way to the pond?
What differences of opinion do the two Duck
sisters have?
RightThere
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AuthorMe
Which of the two sisters do you like more and why?
2.4.06 / 2.5.05 / 2.6.05 / 2.7.04 /
2.8.04 Compare stories to personal experience,
prior knowledge, or other stories.
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QAR Framework as a Developmental Progression
In the Book In My Head
Author Me
On My Own
Right There Think Search
Sequence
SimpleList
Text to SelfConnections
Text to WorldConnections
Explanation
Text to ThemeConnections
Description
Raphael Au (2001)
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Benefits of QAR

• Shared language for whole school reform
• Between teachers and students makes the
  invisible visible
• Among grade levels
• In all content areas
• Bridges language arts and content areas
• Aids in curriculum mapping
• Focus is on comprehension not low level skills
• Alignment to high-stakes tests

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Developing Shared Language

• In the Book vs. In my Head
• A crowd of visitors at Brookfield Zoo looked on
  in horror Friday afternoon as they watched a
  toddler tumble more than 15 feet into a pit,
  landing near seven gorillas. But as zoo patrons
  cried out for help, expecting the worse for the
  3-year-old boy lying battered on the concrete
  below, an unlikely hero emerged.

• What caused the visitors to look on in horror?
• What do you think makes a hero an unlikely one?

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• Cesar Chavez moved from Arizona to California
  with his family when he was ten years old. He
  and his family worked as migrant farm laborers.
  Chavez attended more than 38 schools during his
  childhood. After 8th grade, he worked full-time
  to help his family until he left home to fight in
  World War II.
• When he returned home after the war, Chavez
  learned all he could about labor law and worked
  at organizing protest marches for the rights of
  farm laborers. In 1962 he organized the National
  Farm Workers Association, called La Causa, in
  Fresno, California. La Causa wanted to stop
  using dangerous chemicals in the fields. Our
  belief is to help everybody, not just one race.
  Chavez said.
• Most farm owners refused to negotiate with La
  Causa. Some reacted with violence, and local
  police usually supported the owners. Chavez
  urged protesting workers to leave their guns and
  knives at home. If we used violence, we would
  have won contracts long ago, he said, but they
  wouldnt be lasting because we wouldnt have won
  respect.

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• La Causa called for Americans to boycott, or
  refuse to buy, lettuce and grapes to show their
  sympathies for the workers. The boycotts were so
  successful that owners agreed to contracts with
  the workers.
• By the time Chavez died in 1993 he had helped
  create better lives for thousands of people.
  Senator Robert F. Kennedy called Chavez one of
  the heroic figures of our time.

• How many schools did Chavez attend as a boy?
• How did Chavez create better lives for thousands
  of people?

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Reading Strategies the QAR

• Use a think-aloud and color-coding to model the
  difference between Right There and Think Search
• Talk about the strategies used to answer the
  questions
• Right there I quickly skimmed or scanned and
  highlighted
• Think and search I skimmed, I scanned, I
  reread, I highlighted

Shared language Strategies of skimming,
scanning, rereading
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Developing Shared Language

• Author and Me List characteristics that you
  most admire about Cesar Chavez and explain why
  you think these are admirable characteristics.
• On My Own Think of someone in your life that
  you admire. List characteristics that you most
  admire in that person and explain why you think
  those are admirable characteristics.

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Chart Walk

• Read text individually
• Work with a partner to write one of each type of
  QAR (4 questions)
• Write your question on the appropriate chart
  paper Right There, Think Search, Author and
  Me, On My Own
• Carousel walk the room and place a sticky dot on
  any questions that seem to be on the wrong chart
  class discussion

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The End