Preparing for TAKS Middle and High School English Language Arts

1. Preparing for TAKS Middle and High School English Language Arts

2. New Vision for Statewide Assessment • Completely reconceived testing program • Reflection of actual classroom practice • Questions clearly worded, asked in authentic ways

3. Background 1999–2000 • TEKS selection by educator committees, objectives drafted • Eleventh grade surveys distributed 2000–2001 • Third through tenth grade and second draft eleventh grade surveys distributed • Survey results and prototypes examined by educator committees 2001–2002 • Field test items reviewed by educator committees • Information booklets distributed • Field test administered

4. Information Booklets • Reading Grades 3–6 • Reading Grades 5–8 • Writing Grades 4 and 7 • Reading Grade 9 and English Language Arts Grades 10 and 11 Exit Level

5. Organization of the TAKS Objectives • “Umbrella statements” • Headings for grouping Student Expectations • Identical for Grades 3–8 (elementary/middle school system) and 9–11 (high school system) • Reporting unit TEKS Student Expectations • Grouped under appropriate objective • May be repeated (writing composition vs. revising/editing)

6. Clarification of Terms • The term “including” is used when the specific examples that follow it must be taught. • The term“such as” is used when the specific examples that follow function only as representative illustrations that help define the expectation for teachers. However, in both cases other examples may be used in addition to those listed. • Any skill or concept in [brackets] is not tested.

7. Culturally Diverse Text The term culturally diverse simply means “pertaining to a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.” We are committed to finding selections that will represent, as much as possible, the wide range of backgrounds of the student population in Texas. At the same time, each selection must be accessible to all students, regardless of ethnicity or background. Grades 9, 10, 11 Information Booklet, p. 6

8. Grade 9 Reading Grades 10 and 11 English Language Arts • Triplet linked by a theme • Introduction for background information if necessary, photographs, illustrations • Grade 10–11: 3000–3500 words • Grade 9: 2500–3000 words • Numbered paragraphs

9. Grades 10 and 11 English Language Arts (reading section), Grade 9 Reading • Objective 1 • Basic understanding of the text • Objective 2 • Knowledge of literary elements and techniques as used in texts • Objective 3 • Critical analysis and evaluation of texts and visual representations

10. Objective 1 Items • Vocabulary in Context • Designated word will be above grade level. • Student is expected to know and use different strategies (word structures, analogies, connotations). • Context clues are included in the selection. • Multiple-meaning words are tested through a dictionary entry.

11. Objective 1 Items, continued • Important, relevant details/events • Main idea/gist • Summary

12. Objective 2 Items • Theme • Significance of setting • Characterization • Plot development, conflicts • Literary techniques • Literary language • Historical or contemporary context • Narrative mostly, expository if appropriate

13. Objective 3 Items • Ability to connect, compare, contrast ideas, themes, or issues (single or across selections) • Media message and persuasive techniques • Organizational patterns

14. Objective 3 Items • Deeper, more complete understanding of the text; inferential thinking • Impact of historical context • Support/evidence from text • Style, tone, and mood • Author’s perspective/point of view • Author’s purpose

15. Open-ended Items • Three open-ended items • Objectives 2 and 3 • Short response on 5 or 8 lines • Scored on content, not writing ability • Rubric based on reasonable response and accurate/relevant textual evidence

16. Reading Sample

17. Reading Sample

18. Viewing & Representing Piece

19. Sample Questions

20. Sample Questions, continued

21. Sample Questions, continued

22. Grades 10 and 11 English Language Arts (Writing Section) • Objectives 4 and 5 • Composition • Objective 6 • Revising/Editing

23. Objective 4 Items Composition • Prompt thematically related to the triplet • No unique purpose or mode • Student’s choice of an approach that best expresses his/her ideas about the topic • Standard English prose • Holistically scoring on a scale of 1–4

24. Objective 5 Items Composition Holistic judgment of the strength of conventions overall: • Some errors are more serious and have greater impact on communication (unclear pronoun antecedent vs. incorrect capitalization). • Degree of sophistication of student attempts at sentence construction and use of words is taken into account.

25. Preliminary Scoring Criteria • Responsiveness to prompt • Focus and coherence • Depth of development and degree to which ideas are interesting and not contrived • Logical progression of ideas • Sustained voice • Overall strength of conventions

26. Written Composition Write an essay explaining the importance of understanding your heritage. Grade 11 Exit Sample Prompt The information in the box below will help you remember what you should think about when you write your composition. • REMEMBER – YOU SHOULD • write about the assigned topic • make your writing thoughtful and interesting • make sure that each sentence you write contributes to your composition as a whole • make sure that your ideas are clear and easy for the reader to follow • write about your ideas in depth so that the reader is able to develop a good understanding of what you are saying • proofread your writing to correct errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure

27. Grades 10 & 11 English Language Arts—Revising & Editing • Samples of student writing/peer editing (approximately one page in length, may have photograph or illustration) • Numbered sentences • Multiple-choice items • No isolated assessment of skills

28. Objective 6 Items(in the context of peer editing) Revision items • Effective sentence construction • Organization • Word choice

29. Objective 6 Items(in the context of peer editing) Editing Items • What change, if any, needs to be made in Sentence __? • Standard grammar and usage • Capitalization, punctuation • Spelling English II and III

30. Peer Editing, Sample

31. Sample Questions

32. Grade 10 Revising and Editing Sample

33. Sample Questions

34. Use of Dictionaries • Grade 9 Reading, Grades 10 and 11 ELA, and Grade 7 Writing • All students must have access to a dictionary; minimally, 1 for every 5 students in the testing situation • District or personal dictionaries

35. Grade 6–8 Reading Selections • Title • Introduction with background information, when necessary • Paragraphs numbered where appropriate • Photographs, illustrations • Clear, focused questions and statements in items

36. Grade 6–8 Reading Selections • Narrative (stories, letters, diary entries) • Expository (information, explanation) • Mixed • Paired (except at grade 3) • Grades 6, 7, 8: 700–1000 words

37. Grades 6–8 Reading • Objective 1 Basic understanding of texts • Objective 2 Knowledge of literary elements to understand texts • Objective 3 Use of strategies to analyze texts • Objective 4 Application of critical thinking skills to analyze texts

38. Objective 1 Items • Vocabulary in context • Underlined word will be above grade level. • Student is expected to know and use different strategies (e.g., word structure, word origin, analogies, or connotation, depending on grade level). • Context clues will be provided in the selection. • Multiple-meaning words will be tested through a dictionary entry.

39. Objective 1 Items, continued • Important, relevant details/events • Main idea/gist • Summary

40. Objective 2 Items • Characterization • Setting • Plot—events that significantly affect the storyline • Literary devices • Narrative mostly, expository or mixed if appropriate

41. Objective 3 Items • Text structure or progression of ideas, organization, pattern, relationships between ideas • Similarities and differences across texts • Representation of text in different ways • Author’s purpose • Story variants • Author’s perspective/point of view

42. Objective 4 Items • Deeper, more complete understanding of the text, inferential thinking • Fact/opinion only with expository/mixed when author’s intent is to persuade • Support/evidence from text

43. Objective 4 Items, continued • Organizational patterns • Ability to connect, compare, contrast ideas, themes, or issues (single or paired selections) • Style, tone, and mood

44. Selection Samples Read the next two selections and then answer the questions that follow them. When the modern Olympic Games were established in 1896, organizers decided to limit the competition to amateur athletes. Athletes who had received money for playing or training were barred from competition. By the 1980s, the rules had changed. Today professional athletes can participate in the Olympics. Read the following selections. The first is dated 1913; the second is dated 2000.

45. Selection Samples, continued

46. Questions Use The Daily Gazette to answer the following questions.

47. Sample Questions, continued

48. Sample Questions, continued

49. Reading Sample

50. Sample Questions