UPS: Unpacking the
Standards for
Quality Assessment
Writing
-based on Margaret Kilgo’s Research Model
UPS GOALS
When I leave this training…
I
will have a better understanding of the
depth and complexity of my content
standards.
I
will be able to better evaluate my students
with assessments that are aligned to the
TEKS.
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS TELL YOU THE…
Cognitive
Rigor
The level at
which students
are expected to
perform in
order to
adequately
meet the
standard
Content
Context
The content
items for which
students must
demonstrate
understanding
at the
appropriate
cognitive level
in order to
adequately
meet the
standard
Situations in
which the
content is
applicable
and
transferable
DRILL DOWN
DEFINITIONS AND TERMS
OER
TEKS
STAAR
EOC




Open-ended responses
Texas Essential Knowledge and
Skills/Student Expectations
(Curriculum Standards)
State of Texas Assessment of
Academic Readiness
End of Course
DEFINITIONS AND TERMS


Readiness
Standards
Supporting
Standards


TEKS considered critical for
success in the current grade
or subject and important for
preparedness in the grade
or subject that follows
TEKS that are emphasized
in a previous or subsequent
grade; they play a role in
preparedness for the next
grade
DEFINITIONS
TEKS consist of KS (Knowledge Statement)
and SE (Student Expectation)
Example:
KS: E1.1: Students understand new
vocabulary and use it when reading and
writing. The student is expected to:
SE: (B) analyze textual context (within a
sentence and in larger sections of text) to
distinguish between the denotative and
connotative meanings of words;
WHAT’S THE DEFINITION?
What is the dictionary definition for the verbs in the
TEKS?
 ANALYZE – break down into components or
essential features, to examine carefully and in detail
so as to identify causes, key factors possible results
 INFER – to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge
from premises or evidence
 CONCLUDE – to determine by reasoning ; deduce
 PROVIDE – to make available; furnish
 SUPPORT – to maintain or advocate (a theory,
principle, etc.); to furnish corroborating evidence for

DEFINITIONS
ONE MORE TIME
Rigor: determined by the verb of the SE
Content: “what” will be assessed
Context: “how” the content will be assessed
RIGOR
Cognition rigor comes from the VERB in the TEKS
 Rigor is not based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, but on definition
of the verbs in the TEKS.


Example KS:
Student analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions
about expository text and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students expected to:
13B draw conclusions from the facts presented in text and
support those assertions with textual evidence.
CONTENT
This is the WHAT we are teaching.
 Content knowledge and concepts tested are tied to the
exact wording of the TEKS.
 Requires students to have prior knowledge of the content
and concept.


KS: Student analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions
about expository text and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students expected to:
13B draw conclusions from the facts presented in text and
support those assertions with textual evidence.
CONTEXT

This is the HOW the content should be assessed,
such as “with text evidence” or “provide evidence”
Example
3.13B draw conclusions from the facts presented
in text and support those assertions with
textual evidence.
UNPACKING THE STANDARDS
 Choose
the SE
 Read KS
 Identify and define the verb(s)
 Identify the content
 Identify the context
 Identify academic vocabulary
DEFINITIONS
Rigor:
ONE MORE TIME
determined by the verb of the SE
Content: “what” will be assessed
Context: “how” the content will be assessed
SE: 3.13.B draw conclusions from the facts
presented in text and support those
assertions with textual evidence
DOES THE QUESTION TEST THE SE?
KS: Student analyze, make inferences and
draw conclusions about expository text and
provide evidence from text to support their
understanding. Students expected to:
13B draw conclusions from the facts presented
in text and support those assertions with textual
evidence.
PRACTICE TIME
Try it with a genre, a grade
level SE and by dipping back to
the KS statement.
STOP THINK LISTEN




ELA TEKS are assessed through reading passages
Writing common assessment items requires us to
know what the student expectation for our grade level
is asking
We need to know how to write test items that assess
the knowledge and skill statement and the student
expectation if BISD students are to be successful
We are all going to practice doing this by using
reading passages.
LET’S TRY IT FOR ELA
Get your UPS (Unpacking the Standards) form
 What’s first? SE
 What’s the verb to be assessed?
 What’s the content to be assessed?
 What’s the context to be assessed?
 Choose a selection
 Read and identify all text evidence that supports
that TEKS
 Now what?

ELA KINDER
Theme and Genre
K 6A identify elements of a story including setting,
character, and key events;
K 6B discuss the big idea (them) of a well-known
folktale or fable and connect it to personal
experience;
Poetry
K 7A respond to rhythm and rhyme in poetry
through identifying a regular beat and
similarities in word sounds.
ELA KINDER
Theme and Genre (Supporting: RC 2 Literary Text)
Where did this story take place?
Who was a character in this story?
What happened when ____?
K 6B:
Have you had an experience like ___ in this story?
What did we learn from reading this story?
How can the lesson in this story help you?
Poetry (Supporting : RC 2 Literary Text)
Listen to the first two lines in this poem and tell me two words that
rhyme.
What two words do you hear rhyming?
“Let’s find the rhythm in this poem by listening to me clap the
rhythm as I read the poem”.
ELA GRADE 1
Theme and Genre
1.7A connect the meaning of a well-known story or
fable to personal experience
1.7B explain the function of recurring phrases
(e.g., “Once upon a time” or “They lived happily
ever after” ) in traditional folk- and fairy tales.
Poetry
1.8A respond to and use rhythm, rhyme, and
alliteration in poetry.
ELA GRADE 1
Them and Genre
Have you had an experience like __ in this story?
What did we learn from reading this story?
How can the lesson in this story help you?
1.7B
Why do you think the authors of these stories always begin with
“once upon a time”?
What do the authors mean by “they lived happily ever after” in
these two fairy tales?
Poetry
What words rhyme in the first verse of this poem?
What other word would rhyme with ___in this poem?
What sounds are repeated over and over in this poem? (alliteration)
“Let’s find the rhythm in this poem by listening to me clap the
rhythm as I read the poem”.
ELA GRADE 2
Theme and Genre
2.6A identify moral lessons as themes in wellknown fables, legends, myths, or stories;
2.6B compare different versions of the same story
in traditional and contemporary folktales with
respect to their characters, settings, and plot.
Poetry
2.7A describe how rhyme, rhythm, and repetition
interact to create images in poetry.
ELA GRADE 2
Theme and Genre
What did ___ learn in this story?
This is a well-known fairytale that teaches the reader what lesson?
What did you learn from reading this traditional tale?
2.6B
What happened in the old version of this folktale that did not happen
in the modern version?
How are the settings different in different author’s versions of this
traditional tale?
ELA GRADE 2
Poetry
Listen for rhyming words in this poem and tell me what you
see in your mind.
Let’s read this poem on the __ together.
Let’s read it again and listen for rhyming words.
Let’s read it again and listen to me as I clap the rhythm.
How would you describe what you see in your mind when we
read and clap the rhythm of the poem?
PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Traveling Heads Together
ELEMENTARY ELA
TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR ASSESSMENT ITEMS
OR TYPE INTO BODY OF AN E-MAIL AND SEND TO:
bisdups.elak-1@blogger.com
bisdups.ela2-3@blogger.com
bisdups.ela4-5@blogger.com
ELEMENTARY ELA
VIEW THE POSTS HERE:
K-1
2-3
4-5
STARTING WITH THE END IN MIND

Now that we have the assessment items, what
about the instruction?
IMPLICATIONS FOR STAAR
Teach
and assess TEKS to the
extreme of the TEKS/SE. Go to
the farthest depth (thinking cognitive alignment) and
complexity (concept, context, &
vocabulary alignment)
FINAL THOUGHTS

What did you gain from this?

I will have a better understanding of the depth and
complexity of my content standards.
I
will be able to better evaluate my students
with assessments that are aligned to the
TEKS.
Exit ticket
 Dots on exit poster
