STAAR 2012
The Short answer
for STAAR
What is the format?
0
Insufficient
•
This response is too vague to understand.
Or
•
This response fails to give any textual evidence.
(Quote)
Or
•
This response makes an interpretation not found in the
text.
Or
•
This response is just a plot summary
1
Partially Sufficient
• This response only gives an answer.
Or
• This response only gives textual evidence and
fails to answer the question.
Or
• There is no clear connection between the answer
and the evidence.
2
Sufficient


This response answers the question and gives
appropriate evidence (Quote)
The connection between the answer and the
evidence (Quote) is clear.
3
Exemplary
• Everything a “2” has, PLUS:
• Particularly insightful answer
• Embedded quotations
• Exceptional vocabulary
Sample: Answer Sheet
Now… YOU BE THE JUDGE.
• We’ll take a look at responses from real students
who took the 9th grade STAAR Benchmark.
• Their responses were scored by “official” graders.
• Let’s see if we can score these on our own…Get your
score cards ready!
Literary Selection
• In the excerpt from Anne of Green Gables on pages 2-4,
do you think the stage directions enhance your
understanding of the scene? Explain your answer and
support it with evidence from the selection.
How do I answer this?
• Read the passage.
• Highlight where you read that stage directions
did/did not enhance the play.
• To answer the question completely you must include
•
•
•
•
TS – Answers the question
CD – Evidence from text
CD – Evidence from text
CM – How does that evidence support your
answer?
• CS – Wrap things up (point to bigger picture)
In the excerpt from Anne of Green Gables, the reader sees Anne’s
fear of rejection by her newfound parent, Matthew, because of
the author’s use of stage direction. When Matthew arrives, it is
clear he was not expecting to pick up a girl, and Anne, who is
seemingly confident, suddenly “in a moment of fear” tries to
understand why he hesitates to take her home. When Matthew
does not budge, Anne’s “voice trembles” and she “clutches her
bag” because “she is terrified.” By just reading the dialogue, the
reader cannot discern any terror, but the stage directions give
insight to Anne’s real emotions during the confusion. Without
this insight, one would not understand Anne’s dire need to be
wanted.
*TS
*Text Evidence (CD)
*Commentary (CM)
*CS
In the excerpt from Anne of Green Gables, the reader sees
Anne’s fear of rejection by her newfound parent, Matthew,
because of the author’s use of stage direction. When
Matthew arrives, it is clear he was not expecting to pick up a
girl, and Anne, who is seemingly confident, suddenly “in a
moment of fear” tries to understand why he hesitates to take
her home. When Matthew does not budge, Anne’s “voice
trembles” and she “clutches her bag” because “she is
terrified.” By just reading the dialogue, the reader cannot
discern any terror, but the stage directions give insight to
Anne’s real emotions during the confusion. Without this
insight, one would not understand Anne’s dire need to be
wanted.
Score Point: 3 Exemplary
• The student offers the thoughtful idea that stage
directions enhance a reader’s images of the scene in
the play.
• Specific synopsis and direct quotations are combined
to strongly support the idea, making this an exemplary
response.
• The idea
is perceptive and text evidence
is specific and well chosen.
In “Anne of Green Gables” I believe the stage directions
enhance the understanding of the scene. Some evidence
to prove it is all of the first paragraph. It enhances the
understanding of the scene by introducing the main
character, setting the scene, and setting the mood.
Without the stage directions it’s all confusing. Some
more text evidence is all of paragraph 8. It enhances the
scene by introducing a man who is to adopt Anne and
what his character is like. In conclusion I believe the
stage directions enhance the scene because without
them it’s very confusing.
*TS
*Text Evidence (CD)
*Commentary (CM)
*CS
In “Anne of Green Gables” I believe the stage directions
enhance the understanding of the scene. Some evidence to
prove it is all of the first paragraph. It enhances the
understanding of the scene by introducing the main
character, setting the scene, and setting the mood. Without
the stage directions it’s all confusing. Some more text
evidence is all of paragraph 8. It enhances the scene by
introducing a man who is to adopt Anne and what his
character is like. In conclusion I believe the stage
directions enhance the scene because without them it’s
very confusing.
Score Point- 1- Partially
Sufficient
• In this response, the student writes in first person.
• There is no direct text evidence – only summary.
• If the writer had quoted from the stage directions,
their response would have been scored higher if the
connection between the text evidence and answer was
closely linked.
The stage directions help a lot
because the reader can create more
realistic pictures in their head about
what is going on. When Matthew
doesn’t want to take her home “Anne
clutches her bag. She is terrified.”
This shows Anne is scared without
Anne having to say it.
*TS
*Text Evidence (CD)
*Commentary (CM)
*CS
The stage directions help a lot
because the reader can create more
realistic pictures in their head about
what is going on. When Matthew
doesn’t want to take her home “Anne
clutches her bag. She is terrified.”
This shows Anne is scared without
Anne having to say it.
Score Point: 2Sufficient
• The student presents a reasonable idea and supports it
with quotations of relevant text, making this a
sufficient response.
It lets me know that she’s waiting for
something or someone and that she might be
unfortunate.
Score Point: 0Insufficient
• This student offers an idea (that
she’s waiting
for something or someone ) that only
summarizes part of the stage directions; the response
does not address whether stage directions enhance the
play. There is no quotation to be used as evidence
either.
NOW… We read
• Read Hungry Bears Prefer Minivans
• You will work with a partner to write a short answer.
• These will be due by the last five minutes of class.
Crossover Selections
• What is one similarity between the narrator of “A
Handful” and Curtis in “Writin’ on the Line”?
Explain your answer and support it with evidence
from both selections.
How do I answer
this?
• Re-read both passages.
• Highlight anything that shows their similarity.
• To answer the question completely you must include
TS – Answers question
CD – evidence from text #1
CM – Explanation of how that quote connects to the TS
CD – evidence from text #2
CM – Explanation of how that quote connects to TS
CM – Show how both of the examples are linked
CS – Wrap up by making a connection to bigger picture
Both selections deal with a problem
where a loved one helps another loved
one out. In “A Handful” Kevin helps the
narrator overcome his fear of bridges.
“The only person who could calm me
down was the person who saved me”
(Johnson 18). In “Writin’ on the Line”
Kaysandra helps Curtis achieve his
dreams of becoming a writer.
“Fortunately, Kaysandra believed in those
handwritten words” (Smith 23). With her
support, Curtis was successful.
*Response
* Evidence (Quote)
* Evidence #2 (Quote)
Both selections deal with a problem where a
loved one helps another loved one out. In “A
Handful” Kevin helps the narrator overcome
his fear of bridges. “The only person who
could calm me down was the person who
saved me” (Johnson 18). In “Writin’ on the
Line” Kaysandra helps Curtis achieve his
dreams of becoming a writer. “Fortunately,
Kaysandra believed in those handwritten
words” (Smith 23). With her support, Curtis
was successful.
Score Point: 2 Sufficient
• The student offers a reasonable idea for each selection
(Kevin helping narrator to overcome the fear of
bridges; Kaysandra helping Curtis achieve his
dreams of becoming a writer).
• Direct quotations are provided to support the ideas
from both selections, making this a sufficient response.
One similarity between the narrator and Curtis is
that they were both helped by their loved one in an
hour of need to finally attain success whether it be
in the form of career or triumph over emotional
turmoil. Curtis “would be the first [to admit] that
without [Kaysandra’s support] his dream [would
never have been realized]” (Smith 1). Despite the
years that have gone by, even when the narrator’s
parents thought the story was getting old, “Kevin
just ignored them. [Instead], his face wouldn’t
change, and…his voice only got softer” indicating
that Kevin was there for the narrator regardless of
what other people thought (Johnson 2).
*Response
* Evidence (Quote)
* Evidence #2 (Quote)
One similarity between the narrator and Curtis is that
they were both helped by their loved one in an hour of
need to finally attain success whether it be in the form
of career or triumph over emotional turmoil. Curtis
“would be the first [to admit] that without [Kaysandra’s
support] his dream [would never have been realized]”
(Smith 1). Despite the years that have gone by, even
when the narrator’s parents thought the story was
getting old, “Kevin just ignored them. [Instead], his face
wouldn’t change, and…his voice only got softer”
indicating that Kevin was there for the narrator
regardless of what other people thought (Johnson 2).
Score Point: 3Exemplary
• The student offers the reasonable idea that both
were helped by their loved one in an hour of need
to finally attain success whether it be in the form
of career or triumph over emotional turmoil.
• Great word choices were used in their analysis.
• Incorporated commentary into their response.
• Direct quotations are provided that demonstrate
the student’s ability to strongly connect textual
evidence to the idea, making this an exemplary
response.
The narrator in “A Handful” talks in first person and
the narrator in “Writin’ on the Line” third person. In
“A Handful” the narrator constantly uses possessives
like my and I and also has things like “I remember it”
and “In a way I do” (18). However, in “Writin’ on the
Line” the narrator talks using he’s and avoids
possessives and talks like “his first bank” and “he’s now
in demand for personal appearances” (23).
Score Point: 0Insufficient
• In this response the student offers how the two selections
are different – not the same. Because it does not answer
the prompt, it becomes a zero.
• The quotations provided from selections are not relevant
to the prompt.
• Because no reasonable idea or relevant textual evidence
is provided for the selections, this is an insufficient
response.
Both the narrator of “A Handful”
and Curtis had assistance from a
close friend or relative. Kevin
saved the narrator of “A
Handful”’s life, as well as help
him get over his fear of bridges.
Kaysandra helped Curtis become
an author as well.
*Response
* Evidence (Quote)
* Evidence #2 (Quote)
Both the narrator of “A Handful”
and Curtis had assistance from a
close friend or relative. Kevin saved
the narrator of “A Handful”’s life, as
well as help him get over his fear of
bridges. Kaysandra helped Curtis
become an author as well.
Score Point: 1 – Partially
Sufficient
• In this response the student offers a reasonable idea
about their similarity (assistance from a close friend or
relative)
• However, it is not supported by relevant direct
quotations from either story which makes it a partially
sufficient response.
NOW….
are YOU ready for
STAAR??