English Language Arts
Stimulus Considerations
Stimulus Materials
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Provide context, set up the prompt
Text, audio or video recordings, visual aids
Complete works and excerpts
Different for each claim
Example Item
Read the following passage and then answer the question.
Lizards are fascinating creatures. There are over 3,000 known species, including monitors, skinks,
geckos, chameleons, and iguanas, and they vary greatly in appearance. The largest lizard, the
Komodo dragon, can grow over ten feet long and the smallest, the Jaragua lizard, can fit on a dime.
Skinks usually has smooth scales like snakes iguanas have mohawk-like crests running down their
backs and the moloch is covered with spikes from head to tail. Lizards vary in color from shades of
gray and brown to bright red or green, spotted or striped. Most have four legs but some are legless
and easily confused with snakes (Hint: if it has external eardrums and eyelids it’s a lizard).
Chameleons not only change color but also have prehensile tails, similar to those of monkeys, that
wrap around branches and their eyes can move in different directions.
Select the correct way to revise the highlighted sentence.
A. Skinks usually have smooth scales like snakes iguanas have mohawk-like crests running down
their backs, and the moloch are covered with spikes from head to tail.
B. Skinks usually have smooth scales like snakes, iguanas have mohawk-like crests running down
their backs, and the moloch is covered with spikes from head to tail.
C. Skinks usually have smooth scales, like snakes iguanas have mohawk-like crests running down
their backs and the moloch is covered with spikes, from head to tail.
D. Skinks usually have smooth scales, like snakes, iguanas have mohawk-like crests running down
their backs, and the moloch are covered with spikes from head to tail.
Claim 1 Stimuli
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Reading comprehension
Selected Response, Constructed Response, and
Technology-Enhanced Items
Literary texts
– narratives, dramas, poems
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Informational texts
– literary nonfiction, historical, scientific, and technical texts
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On grade level
May include multiple texts
Claim 2 Stimuli
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Writing, revising, and editing
Selected Response, Constructed Response,
and Technology-Enhanced Items
Literary and informational texts, audio/video
presentations, texts needing editing/revising
Shorter than other stimuli
Should be one grade below grade level
Claim 3 Stimuli
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Speaking and listening
Selected Response, Constructed Response,
and Technology-Enhanced Items
Audio and video presentations
Claim 4 Stimuli
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Research skills
Selected Response, Constructed Response, and
Technology-Enhanced Items
Includes literary text, informational text, audio
presentations, video presentations, statistical
data, simulated web pages, and visual stimuli
May use multiple stimuli
Should be one grade below grade level
Performance Task Stimuli
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Includes literary text, informational text,
audio presentations, video presentations,
statistical data, simulated web pages,
visual stimuli
Should be one grade below grade level
Multiple stimuli
Selecting Appropriate Materials
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Interesting and grade
appropriate topics
Free of bias and
sensitivity issues
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Follow passage length
guidelines:
Grade
Maximum Word Count
3
650
4
750
5
750
6
950
7
950
8
950
High School (9–11)
1,100
Text Complexity
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Quantitative and
qualitative measures
– The quantitative
measures determine the
grade band for a text
(e.g., 6–8), while the
qualitative measures
help determine the
appropriate placement
within the band (e.g., 8)
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Quantitative measures
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Flesch-Kincaid index
Lexile
Word count
Range of difficulty
Common Core Lexile Grade Level Ranges
Text Complexity Grade Lexile Ranges Aligned
Band in the Standards to CCR Expectations
K-1
N/A
2-3
450-790
4-5
770-980
6-8
955-1155
9-10
1080-1305
11-CCR
1215-1355
Shortcomings of Quantitative Measures
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Measures difficult to obtain for
– poems and dramas
– highly complex ideas
Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity
English Language Arts State Collaborative on
Assessment and Student Standards Rubrics
– Meaning/Purpose
– Text Structure
– Language Features
– Knowledge Demands
Common Core State Standards
Appendix A
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Quantitative Measures – Pages 4-7
Stimulus Metadata
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Title
Author
Source
Copyright status
Genre
Topic
Length
Reading level
Level of complexity
Summary
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Types of stimuli for Claims 1-4
Multiple stimuli for Performance Tasks
Appropriate complexity and content
for grade levels and claims
Metadata