Locker Searches

1. Locker Searches The principal of Ryan’s school is considering conducting random locker searches without letting students know in advance. His teacher has asked the class to write a letter to the principal stating their positions and supporting them with convincing reasons. • 1 Which of these would best help Ryan organize his ideas for this letter? • A reading about student • rights • B writing a draft of his letter • C listing reasons supporting • locker searches • D interviewing students on their • opinions 2 Which of these best describes the reason for writing this letter? F to explain G to tell a story H to entertain J to persuade provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

2. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: The writing subtest of the Grade 8 English test will have a series of brief scenarios, each of which defines a writing task for a specified audience. Items following the statement of the writing task will address planning or prewriting activities relevant to the specified task and will be coded to the Planning, Composing, and Revising reporting category. A rough draft of a response to the specified writing task will follow the planning/prewriting test items. The rough draft will be divided into sections. The first section will have errors which require revision such as the inclusion of a sentence that does not belong or two sentences that need to be combined. Items following the first section of the rough draft will require the student to correct these errors by choosing the correct revision from the answer choices provided. These items will also be coded to the Planning, Composing, and Revising reporting category. The second section of the rough draft will contain embedded errors in usage or mechanics. Items following this section will refer to underlined words or groups of words in the second section of the rough draft and will require students to choose the answer which represents correct usage or mechanics. These items will be coded to the Editing reporting category. In some cases, the underlined words will contain no error and the correct answer will be "as it is." Following the expanded blueprint is a list of usage and mechanics skills which are addressed in the Editing reporting category. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

3. Below is a list Ryan made before writing his rough draft. Use it to answer questions 3 and 4. 1. Drug use is increasing in school. 2. Students want to focus on school work and extra-curricular activities. 3. Random locker searches would help keep drugs out of school. 4. Students would feel safer knowing that criminal activity is not taking place in school. 5. Students are violent at sporting events. 6. It’s time someone takes a stand and finds a way to keep the drugs out of our school. 3 Which item does not belong on Ryan’s list? A item 5 B item 6 C item 1 D item 2 4 Based on this list, what is the central idea of Ryan’s letter? F Drugs are dangerous for students G Sporting events should be kept drug-free. H Random locker searches are a good idea. J Drugs should be kept out of schools and off of playgrounds. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

4. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the revising stage of the writing process students will revise for focus, organization, and elaboration. To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including important details, deleting unnecessary information and varying sentences. The Standards of Learning writing assessments ask students to use their revising skills to identify ways to improve a passage that is provided. To be successful on this section of the test, students must be able to suggest the best way to combine provided sentences, choose a more descriptive way to write provided sentences and locate unneeded information. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

5. Read first part of Ryan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. (1)Dear Dr. Powers, (2)I recently heard about your decision to implement random and unannounced locker searches throughout the school year. (3)Bravo! (4)Finally, someone is taking a stand against the influx of drugs and their effects in our school. (5)Your decision is courageous. (6)Many of my fellow classmates and I appreciate it. 5 How are sentences 5 and 6 best combined without changing their meaning? A Many of my fellow classmates appreciate your courageous decision and so do I. B Many of my fellow classmates and I appreciate your courageous decision. C Your courageous decision is much appreciated by many of my fellow classmates and myself. D Your decision is courageous and is much appreciated by many of my fellow classmates and I. 6 Which of the following sentences could best be added to this portion of the letter? F We are looking forward to a safer and more enjoyable school year. G You should have searches at sporting events as well. H I’ve witnessed drug activity in the parking lot too. J Next year you should add searches on the school buses. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

6. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the revising stage of the writing process students will revise for focus, organization, and elaboration. To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including important details, deleting unnecessary information and varying sentences. The Standards of Learning writing assessments ask students to use their revising skills to identify ways to improve a passage that is provided. To be successful on this section of the test, students must be able to suggest the best way to combine provided sentences, choose a more descriptive way to write provided sentences and locate unneeded information. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

7. Read the next part of Ryan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. (7)For years, my friends and I feel uncomfortable in school. (8)I have been threatened with violence to keep me from telling the authorities about the illegal activities I have seen. (9)Your decision to begin the locker searches should find those students involved in drug activity. (10)My friends and I will be able to go on with our daily activities without feeling threatened anymore. 7 In sentence 7, how is feel correctly written? A are feeling B have feeled C have felt D as it is 8 In sentence 10, how is our correctly written? F my G their H they’re J as it is provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

8. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling and sentence construction. Students should be provided with many opportunities to edit and correct punctuation in their writing and the writing of their classmates. The Standards of Learning writing assessments ask students to edit a given passage for punctuation, correct case and number, verb tense, and comparative and superlative degrees. Students will be expected to understand the use of conjunctions and transitional words. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

9. Read the next part of Ryan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. (11)My parents and I are so happy that someone has finally taken a stand against the increase of drugs in school. (12)Your decision allows the rest of your students to concentrate on what is important. (13)Focusing on academics and extra-curricular activities. (14)Furthermore, your decision gives teachers and students a safer learning environment. (15)Sincerely, (16)Ryan Horton 10 How is sentence 14 best written? F Furthermore your decision, gives teachers and students a safer learning environment. G Furthermore your decision gives teachers and students a safer learning environment. H Furthermore you decision gives, teachers and students, a safer learning environment. J as it is 9 Which item is not a complete sentence? A item 11 B item 12 C item 13 D item 14 provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

10. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for use of language, capitalization, punctuation and spelling. Students can earn 14 multiple choice points and 8 possible score from the direct-writing component by accurately editing. On Standards of Learning writing assessments students will edit for the use of: provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.