NRMS Benchmark
Testing
By:
Deandrea Williams

Measurement Incorporated Secure
Testing
◦ Background scoring writing test
◦ Provided the most rigorous questioning in
comparison to other companies researched
◦ Fewer school systems are using ClassScapes
MIST

Print
Testing Coordinator Role

MIST does not provide Re-Alouds this
school term
◦ will be implemented next year for benchmark
testing

Extend II
◦ Teacher will create using classcape
◦ Class scape supports the modifications
Important Facts
Teacher View

Proctor site
◦ https://mist.measinc.com

Important Tabs

Practice Site
◦ https://mist.measinc.com/Proctor/Practice/nas
h
Student View
Log in to the MIST Proctor Website using your login and
password.
2.
Click Scoring on the left menu. The Scorable Tests will be
listed. A scorable test includes one or more CT items.
3.
Click the test name to see the list of students with a
finished test. Students will be required to click the “Finish”
button to submit their test for scoring.
4.
Click a student’s name and you will see only the responses
to the CR items in the test. You will not see the MC items.
At the bottom of the student’s response to each CR item,
there are numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 which represent the score
points the student can earn. Once you evaluate the
student’s response and determine the score, you click on
the appropriate number and click “Next” to score the next
CR item response. The score is then submitted to MI to be
included in the data for the score report.
Grading
Constructive
Responses
5.
Repeat steps
2 and 3 to score another
student’s responses.
1.
Rubric Guides
Please use for grading constructive responses
Language Arts Rubric
Points
Criteria

4 points:


3 points:


2 points:


1 point:

0 points


Response summarizes each argument,
explains which one he/she agrees with, and
gives at least one specific example to support
the claim.
Response summarizes each argument and
explains which one he/she agrees with, but
provides no supporting examples.
Response summarizes each argument; OR
response summarizes one argument and
explains why he/she agrees or disagrees with
it.
Response summarizes one argument; OR
response explains which argument he/she
agrees with.
Response is incorrect or irrelevant.
Question

These two passages
present differing
opinions about the risks
and benefits of a
standing army.
Summarize each
argument and explain
which one you find
more persuasive, using
at least one detail from
the passage to support
your argument.
Response – 4 points

The first author believes that a
standing army is dangerous
because it can support tyrants and
lead to a less democratic form of
government. The second author
believes that a standing army is
not dangerous because it will be
overseen by a legislature that
represents the people, and it is
necessary because the United
States still faces significant
security threats. I find the second
author more persuasive because
he makes it clear that the
legislature will oversee the army,
which makes it much more difficult
for the president to use it for his
own purposes.
Language Arts Example
Criteria
Points

4 points:




3 points:
2 points:


1 point:

0 points:


Student correctly identifies and explains the first term and
writes appropriate recursive and explicit formulas for the
given sequence.
Student correctly completes and explains part A, and
generates one of the two equations. OR Student
incorrectly identifies the first term, but generates
appropriate equations based on an incorrect answer to part
A.
Student gives a correct answer and explanation for part A,
but is unable to generate an appropriate equation for both
the recursive and explicit formulas. OR Student gives a
correct answer to part A with an incorrect or no
explanation, and is able to generate one of the two
equations.
Student gives a correct answer but provides an incorrect
or incomplete explanation for part A, and is unable to
generate an appropriate equation for both the recursive
and explicit formulas. OR Student incorrectly identifies the
first term, but is able to generate either the recursive or
the explicit formula based on the incorrect answer.
Student response shows an insufficient understanding of
Math Scoring Rubric
(period)

Question

The 2nd and 4th terms of an
arithmetic sequence are 18 and
10.

A.
What is the first term of the
sequence? Show your work or
explain your answer.


B.
Write an equation that
relates the current term, an, to the
previous term, an – 1.
C.
Write an explicit formula
that relates the current term, an,
to the term’s position in the
sequence, n.
Math Example
Response




A.
22
The third number in the sequence would
be 14, the number directly between 18
and 10. This means the common
difference of the sequence is – 4
because 18 – 4 = 14, and
14 – 4 = 10. To get the first term, work
backwards to find 18 + 4 = 22.
(1 point for correct answer; 1 point
for sufficient work or explanation)
B.
4
an = an – 1 – 4 OR an – 1 = an +
(1 point for correct answer)
C.
an = – 4(n – 1) + 22 OR an = –
4n + 26.
(1 point for correct answer)
Passage
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it
should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank
or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work,
or leaves off work,
5 The boatman singing what belongs to him in his
boat, the deckhand
singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the
hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way
in the morning,
or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young
wife at work,
or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none
else,
10 The day what belongs to the day—at night the
party of young fellows,
robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious
songs.
Question

Reading Example

from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
I Hear America Singing”
might resemble
propaganda to some. If
someone were to use
the poem to promote a
cause, what would be
the likely message that
person or organization
would want to send?
Give two examples from
the poem to support
your answer.
Response - 3 points


(Response answers the question fully by
describing a message the poem might be
used to promote, and providing two
separate examples, the lines about
diversity and the lines at the end of the
poem in praise of youth.)
I believe that “I Hear America Singing” could
be used as an advertisement for America as a
nation of happy workers. A politician,
especially one on the national level, could use
the poem in a campaign advertisement as an
idealized vision of what his administration
would look like. “If you vote for me,” the
message would go, “then America will look
like this.” The image of each different kind of
worker, singing his or her own song, as part
of a greater harmony, would serve to inspire
the voter with pride in his country, something
the candidate could hope would translate into
a vote. The lines “the varied carols I hear”
(line 1) and “Each singing what belongs to
him or her and to none else,” (line 12) speak
to the diversity of America. At the end of the
poem, the lines “at night the party of young
fellows, / robust, friendly, / Singing with open
mouths their strong melodious songs” (lines
13–15) would underscore the message by
praising the optimism and vigor of youth. In
all, while the poem says nothing about
anyone’s specific policy, any candidate from
either party could use the poem to underscore
Response – 2 points


Reading Example
(Response describes a message the
poem might be used to promote and
provides one example, the lines
about diversity, from the poem for
support.)
I believe that “I Hear America Singing”
could be used as an advertisement for
America as a nation of happy workers. A
politician could use the poem in a
campaign advertisement as an idea of
what his administration would look like.
The image of each different kind of
worker, singing his or her own song, as
part of a greater harmony, would inspire
the voter with pride in his country. The
lines “the varied carols I hear” (line 1)
and “Each singing what belongs to him or
her and to none else,” (line 12) speak to
the diversity of America. I think that any
candidate from either party could use the
poem to underscore his or her platform
with a patriotic message of optimism.
Response – 1 point


(Response describes a
message the poem might
be used to promote, but
provides no examples from
the poem for support.)
I believe that “I Hear America
Singing” could be used to
show America as a nation of
happy workers. A politician
could use the poem in a
campaign advertisement as an
idea of what his administration
would look like. The image of
each different kind of worker,
singing his or her own song,
as part of a greater harmony,
would inspire the voter with
pride in his country. I think
that any candidate could use
the poem to send a patriotic
message of optimism.
Response – 0 Points
(Response is
incorrect or
irrelevant. There is
nothing in this
response that
correctly addresses
the question.)
 I believe that this poem
could be used to make
people feel good.
Everybody likes to sing
songs, and somebody
could use this poem in
an advertisement to get
people to sing more
songs. You could also
use it to get people to
download more songs
onto their MP3 players.

Reading Example
Questions