Reading and Literature
Performance Assessment
A
Two-Part
Resource
Packet
Part 2:
Grade 10
November 1998
Oregon Department of Education • Office of Assessment and Evaluation
255 Capitol St NE • Salem, OR 97310-0203
Web Page Address: www.ode.state.or.us
It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of
Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex,
marital status, religion, national origin, age or handicap in any educational programs, activities, or
employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should
contact the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Oregon Department of Education.
All or any part of this document may be photocopied for educational
purposes without permission from the Oregon Department of Education
and distributed for the cost of reproduction.
Many people have contributed to the development of these materials. Deserving of special
mention are the Reading Content Panel members who, over the past several years, have given
freely of their time to help provide fellow teachers across the state with practical, useful materials.
We would also like to express our appreciation to the students whose papers are included in this
packet.
Several teachers have been particularly instrumental in preparing this publication.
Their efforts were invaluable in assembling these materials:
Michael Boyles, Lincoln Junior High School
Deb Gaffney, Oceanlake Elementary
Bonnie Hill, Alsea High School
Pam Mathews, Corvallis School District
Amy Meabe, Waluga Junior High School
Kathy Peal, Pendleton High School
Cindi Schmitz, Robert Frost Elementary
Brian Skaar, Highland View Middle School
Finally, we would be seriously remiss if we did not gratefully acknowledge the significant
contributions made by Lucinda Welch prior to her departure from the Department of Education.
If you have any questions concerning this document, please contact:
Ken Hermens, Language Arts Assessment Specialist, (503) 378-5585 ext. 247
FAX (503) 373-7968
Reading Assessment Resource Packet
Part 2
Grade 10
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Resource Packets............................................................................. 1
Section I. Planning for Open-Ended Reading Assessment
A.
Overview ................................................................................................. 2
B.
Developing On-Demand Classroom Assessments .................................... 3
C.
Adapting Existing Assessments ............................................................... 5
D.
Other Reading Assessment Opportunities ................................................ 6
E.
Sample Classroom Activities to Support Assessment ............................... 8
F.
Sample Questions by Dimension ........................................................... 11
Section II. Resource Tools
A.
Overview to Reading and Literature Scoring Guide ............................... 16
B.
Official State Reading/Literature Scoring Guide .................................... 17
C.
Student Version Scoring Guide.............................................................. 21
D.
Benchmark Standards Chart................................................................... 25
E.
Possible Reading Selections (Grades 4-10) ............................................ 28
F.
Suggestions for Formatting On-Demand Assessments............................ 36
G.
Sample Graphic Questions..................................................................... 37
H.
Suggestions for Administering On-Demand Assessments ...................... 47
I.
Reading Assessment Planning Checklist ................................................ 48
J.
Reading Response Checklists ................................................................ 49
K.
Score Reporting Categories: State Multiple Choice Assessment............. 51
L.
Multiple Choice Item Construction ........................................................ 54
M.
Sample Entry Forms .............................................................................. 55
Section III. Examples of Student Responses with Commentary ................................. 57
• Student A: Meets the Standard ................................................................... 58
• Student B: Does Not Yet Meet the Standard .............................................. 78
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
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Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
Introduction to Parts I and II of the Reading Resource Packet
The Reading Resource Packets for grades 5, 8 and 10 have been designed to provide
administrators, teachers, students (and perhaps parents) with information and resource materials
as they collect classroom work samples for reading and literature. Part I of each of these
documents gives a basic explanation of content and performance standards in the area of reading
and literature along with two scored student examples, one that meets the standard and one that
does not yet meet it. The Official Reading Scoring Guide is also included, as well as commentary
on the examples, to help clarify expectations for student responses and the reasoning behind the
scores that were given.
Potential audiences for using Part I of these packets might include:
•
•
•
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administrators seeking an overview of the classroom component of the reading and literature
work samples
curriculum specialists looking to align district curriculum with content standards
teachers who want general information on the reading standards and the requirements for their
grade level
students and parents who want clarification of what is expected of students at the various
benchmarks.
This packet could be duplicated for meetings of administrators, inservice sessions, open houses—
anywhere there might be a need to provide general background information on classroom reading
and literature assessment.
Part II of these packets presents a more detailed look at assessing reading and literature at the
various benchmarks. These packets include information on designing and administering
classroom assessments. A broad range of “Resource Tools” is included to give teachers materials
and ideas that might be used in creating classroom assessments and preparing students to
successfully complete them. Student versions of the scoring guide are found in this section and
would be particularly useful in helping students understand what reading skills they are expected
to demonstrate. In addition, more scored student examples are provided that can be used for
scoring practice in training sessions.
The primary audience for Part II of these packets would be classroom teachers and other district
personnel participating in training sessions involving the design, administration, and scoring of
reading work samples.
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Reading Resource Packets
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SECTION I: Planning for Open-Ended Reading Assessment
A. Overview
This section includes ideas for developing reading assessments that utilize a variety of methods to
elicit student responses. These include on-demand assessments (consisting of open-ended
elements and possibly objective items completed in class over two or three class sessions), and
those that are completed over time (reading response journals, reading logs, or projects). To
achieve a balance, teachers might consider offering students opportunities to complete both types
of assessments. Requiring an on-demand work sample helps ensure that the sample produced is
the student’s own original work.
Teachers may create new classroom assessments or adapt existing assessments. Regardless of the
type of assessment, each should:
•
be designed to elicit responses that can be scored on all required dimensions of the Official
Reading Scoring Guide.
•
allow students to respond in a variety of ways. Many students are reluctant to write
extensively in response to what they have read. For this reason, it may help some students to
include prompts that ask the reader to draw or present ideas through a graphic. To accurately
score graphic opportunities, teachers may want to ask students to include an explanation of
their drawings.
•
be complex. A simple passage will lead to simple questions and simple responses. Selections
should be somewhat challenging for students. They should be rich with possibilities for
eliciting a variety of reading responses that can demonstrate proficiency in each dimension on
the scoring guide. Companion pieces can be used to produce this complexity (e.g., a literary
piece coupled with a non-fiction piece that is related either thematically or informationally).
This combination could help elicit higher level thinking skills and opportunities to compare the
texts.
•
be at an independent reading level for the specific benchmark grade. This does not necessarily
mean it will be at an independent reading level for every student. (For ideas on what might be
appropriate for a particular grade level, see Possible Reading Selections, Resource Tool E.)
•
allow the student to show comprehension on many levels and extend to other issues and
events (e.g., personal experiences; community, state, national, or global issues).
•
allow students at the upper benchmarks to comment on the historical, cultural, biographical,
or social issues and events that influenced the writing of the selection.
B. Developing On-Demand Classroom Assessments
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An on-demand assessment is composed of a selection or selections that have not yet been
taught to students. Curriculum-embedded selections may also be used. The format might allow
for margin notes beside the selection in addition to a series of open-ended questions following the
text. Completion of this type of work sample would generally be spread over two or three
sessions on consecutive days. All work is done in the classroom with limited opportunity to
revisit the work after it has been submitted for scoring. Following are guidelines on how to
develop this type of assessment:
1. Select a Reading Passage
The first consideration in designing an open-ended assessment is to choose a reading selection or
selections. The choice of selection(s) is critical to the effectiveness of the assessment. In addition
to the general guidelines relating to passage selection listed on page 2, the following criteria for
selections are recommended:
The passage should:
•
be long enough that students can become engaged in it, but not so long that it can't be
comfortably read in one sitting (about 25-35 minutes). Poetry selections may be shorter in
length, yet should be rich enough to allow assessment in all required dimensions of the scoring
guide.
•
have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Excerpts may be used from plays, novels, or other
works as long as they provide a sense of completeness.
•
be a selection not previously taught to the students.
2. Introduce the Reading Passage
The reading selection might be introduced to the students in a brief first paragraph. The purpose
of the introduction is to help them access prior knowledge and provide some background when it
is needed (mentioning the historical period, author's background or other relevant information).
3. Format the Reading Passage
In constructing the assessment, presentation and formatting are important. It is recommended
that type size should be large enough to be easily read. If margin notes are desired, the text
should be arranged in a column format with a wide margin that provides plenty of white space to
the right of the reading selection. Where appropriate, graphics, photos, vocabulary, or footnotes
could be included to enhance understanding. Use of bold face, italics, underlining, and font
selections can be considered to enhance student understanding of directions and introductory
material.
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For some suggestions on how this type of assessment might be formatted, refer to Resource Tool
F.
4. Develop Reading Response Questions
Prompts that follow the reading should address the dimensions of the scoring guide. After all the
questions have been written, the assessment developers should make sure that students have been
presented with multiple opportunities to demonstrate skill in all dimensions. Sample questions
that address each of the scoring guide dimensions begin on page 11 of this document.
Reading Questions/Responses
The initial question should be designed to elicit responses to the piece in the form of
questions, opinions, ideas about the selection, etc. Sample initial question: “What are
your first responses to this selection? Write any questions, reactions, thoughts, or your
understanding of the story, that you have not previously mentioned in your notes.” For
younger students, the following question could be asked: “Draw a picture of the sequence
of events. Explain your drawing below.”
Five or six additional open-ended questions should follow which allow the reader to
demonstrate understanding of and interactions with the text. Questions should be clear,
without making suggestions on how readers might respond or interpret the passage.
Prompts Eliciting Graphics
It is recommended that at least one question include a graphic. Some examples include:
•
open shape to be filled in (e.g., “open head,” outline of a book cover, a shape that
reflects subject matter of the reading selection)
•
sketches/quick-draws with instructions to write explanations
•
Venn diagrams, especially when using two passages
•
charts, columns or diagrams for making comparisons and contrasts between two
selections or for an extension activity
(For specific examples of graphic opportunities, see Sample Graphic Questions,
Resource Tool G)
Ending Questions
As a means of providing students with a final opportunity to provide additional
information, an ending question which invites students to comment on the text in ways not
specified in the earlier questions can be included. Sample final questions are:
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1. This is your space to come to a final conclusion about the story. What is your
opinion about the selection and why? Back up your statements with examples
from the selection.
2. This is your space to tell me anything else about the story that you would like-your understanding of it, your thoughts about it, or anything else you would like.
5. Administering On-Demand Assessments
For some tips on strategies that will help foster student success see Resource Tool H.
There are also two samples of checklists provided in the Resource Tools. One is designed to help
teachers plan their assessments (Reading Assessment Planning Checklist, Resource Tool I)
and the other is designed to help students edit/revise responses. (Reading Response Checklist,
Resource Tool J).
C. Adapting Existing Assessments
Overview
Teachers have a wide variety of materials and methods of assessing student progress in reading.
Typically, assessments consist of an objective section (which contains matching, multiple choice
and/or true/false items) and an open-ended portion that includes short answer and/or short essay
responses. These can be used to provide students with a work sample for their collection—
provided they have been adapted in such a way that they can be scored using the Official Reading
Scoring Guide. In fact, an adapted version of an old test may not look significantly different from
its original version.
Teachers may want to prepare students for the State Multiple Choice Assessment by including
items from the State Reporting Categories. For a list of this reporting categories, refer to
Resource Tool K. For more detailed information about the State Multiple Choice Assessment in
Reading and Literature, refer to the Reading and Literature Test Specifications (a separate
document available from the Department of Education).
Suggested Steps for Adapting Assessments
Step 1: Choose a Selection
Make sure that the selection itself is rich enough to provide students with opportunities to give a
variety of reading responses and that it is at an appropriate difficulty level. (For some sample
selections, see Possible Reading Selections, Resource Tool E)
Longer works, such as novels, plays and works of non-fiction, may be used for work samples. In
fact, the sheer length and richness of many novels, plays, and works of nonfiction make them
ideally suited to elicit scorable responses.
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In cases where a short selection is too limited to provide evidence in all areas of the scoring guide,
teachers may group two or more selections around a common author, theme, or genre. For
example, two poems by Langston Hughes might be used, or a Hughes poem could be combined
with a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Step 2: Match Existing Assessment Questions to the Scoring Guide
The items or prompts (multiple choice, short answer and essay questions) should be reviewed to
determine if they address the scoring guide dimensions. There should be at least two prompts to
address each dimension to give students more than one opportunity to create a response that
meets the standard.
Note: Not all items on existing assessments may correspond to the dimensions of the scoring
guide but there may be sound instructional reasons for retaining them. Provided all dimensions of
the scoring guide are addressed, additional questions can be kept as part of the assessment.
Step 3: Develop Additional Items to Address All Dimensions
It may be necessary to write additional items so that all dimensions are addressed. For ideas on
questions that might be used to complete the assessment, see the section entitled “Sample
Questions by Dimension” which starts on page 11 of this document
D. Other Reading Assessment Opportunities
Assessments in reading can take a variety of forms, especially when teachers are looking for ways
to assess students as they respond to selections that are part of the regular class curriculum. The
following ideas can be used as alternatives to on-demand assessments as teachers look for ways to
design procedures that will be successful with their students. It is suggested, however, that at
least one of the three reading work samples in a student’s collection be an on-demand assessment.
•
Reading Logs
Students record their thoughts and responses in a journal format on an ongoing basis. Reading
logs are often done in response to teacher or student-selected texts, and with or without assigned
prompts. Students may be required to respond after every half-hour (or other time frame), after
every chapter or short story, or after every 20 pages (or other length guideline).
When a reading log is intended for use as a work sample, it is easier to apply the scoring guide if
students respond to specific prompts that relate to the scoring guide dimensions. For example:
“Is there anything in the book that reminded you of something else you have read, seen, heard
about or experienced?” will elicit responses that can be evaluated for “Extending Understanding.”
If the prompts address all of the scoring guide dimensions, this could be used as a work sample by
itself.
•
Double Entry Journal
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In a double entry journal, the reader divides the response page into two vertical halves. On the
left side the student copies passages from the text, and on the right the student responds to those
passages. A teacher would provide a set of prompts, again designed to address all dimensions of
the scoring guide, and students would locate and comment on passages that relate to each of the
prompts.
•
Oral Presentations
A student could also respond to reading through an oral presentation. The student could be given
a selection or selections with a list of open-ended questions that address each of the scoring guide
dimensions. For example, a student could choose or be assigned two Maya Angelou poems and
be asked to: 1) examine them for meaning and tell the major theme or themes being expressed; 2)
comment on how those themes have been expressed in other literature or how they relate to the
presenter’s own life; 3) evaluate the quality of the writing and the use of literary elements and
devices; and 4) show how the author’s life and cultural background influenced the themes and
structure of the selection. Oral presentations could potentially be scored using both the speaking
and reading scoring guides.
•
Projects
Projects completed over time could be submitted as work samples for reading and literature. The
student might design the work sample as long as there is an understanding of how the scoring
guide will be used to assess the work. For example, a student might choose The Diary of Anne
Frank and design and complete a work sample that includes information on the content (to
address Comprehension); issues that are dealt with in the book that the student can relate to his or
her own experiences, other texts or events that the student is familiar with (to address Extending
Understanding); the author’s craft and style in writing the book (to address Text Analysis); and
the historical and cultural context in which the book was written (to address Context Analysis).
Book Reports
Many teachers assign independent reading book reports. If prompts are designed to address the
scoring guide, these reports could be used to generate work samples. It would be difficult to
assess a student’s responses, however, if the teacher was unfamiliar with the selection.
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E. Sample Classroom Activities to Support Assessment
Many activities can be utilized to improve student reading and help prepare students for both
classroom and State Multiple Choice Reading Assessments. The following is a sampling of some
of those types of strategies.
•
Prediction Activities
The teacher may identify a pivotal moment in the text and have the students stop reading (and/or
listening) in order to write or discuss their predictions about the story’s developments.
Predictions may be an effective indicator of many reading skills, including comprehension of the
plot, understanding of the characters, identification of the key issues or conflicts, etc. When used
as part of assessment, predicting can occur if students are asked to respond in a reading log or
journal to a prompt midway through reading a book. In an on-demand assessment where the
student is provided the text of an unfamiliar selection, a prompt could be inserted at some point
within the selection where the student is asked to predict what might happen next or what stance
on a particular issue the author is likely to take later in the text. Students could be asked to
provide evidence from the selection to support their prediction.
•
Graphic Opportunities
Drawing can be an effective reading response activity especially for the student who has difficulty
writing about and/or discussing the reading material. Students can draw illustrations for a book
cover, a story board or cartoon strip, a map, timeline, or family tree that shows their
understanding of the text. Artistic ability need not matter (even stick figures can reveal
understanding), and students may label or explain their drawings. It might be difficult to score
these responses without an oral or written explanation. For many students, graphic opportunities
will open the door to writing and talking about what they have read.
Using visual organizers (T-charts, Venn diagrams, character wheels, etc.) may be helpful if
students are inhibited about their artistic skills. Having students “practice” creating graphic
responses would be particularly beneficial when similar graphic opportunities are part of an
assessment designed to produce a work sample. (See Resource Tool G for examples of graphic
opportunities.)
Literature Circles
Literature Circles are an inquiry-based instructional model which supports students in exploring
their understandings about reading through dialogue with other readers. Literature Circles vary in
their approach and application across grade levels but generally include these commonalties:
• students meet in groups of four to six to discuss their reading;
• groups are usually determined by book choices but can be adapted to common
readings;
• students create their own questions to guide discussions;
• students share responses from journals, make predictions, or discuss literary elements;
• students play a rotating assortment of roles to guide the inquiry process.
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See Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student Centered Classroom by Harvey Daniels
and Literature Circles and Response by Bonnie Hill, Nancy Johnson, and Katherine Noe.
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Student-Generated Prompts/Questions
Either individually or in small groups, students could write prompts that address the dimensions of
the scoring guide for a particular selection or selections. In a large group, students could present
their suggestions and discuss them along with possible responses. This could lead to greater
understanding of the scoring guide as well as increasing student awareness of what might be
considered a proficient response in a particular dimension.
This can also be done to produce multiple choice questions. After reading a selection, students
could write questions that address one or more of the score reporting categories on the State
Multiple Choice Assessment. If divided into groups, each group could be assigned a different
score reporting category (locating information might be omitted unless the text lends itself to that
type of question). Increasing student awareness of the types of questions that are asked on the
State Multiple Choice Assessment may be helpful to some students.
Once students are familiar with the scoring guide, they could each read a selection, individually
generate their own questions, and respond to them. With enough experience at doing this,
students could produce work samples that address all the dimensions of the scoring guide.
•
Other Strategies
As mentioned earlier, students need to show their application of skills and knowledge when
creating a work sample, not just repeating back what the teacher has lectured about in class or
ideas that evolved through a class discussion. The following examples illustrate activities that
could be used to prepare students for an assessment without “giving them the answer” before the
assessment takes place: (Note: the examples given show only one part of an assessment; students
would need to respond to additional prompts in order to address all dimensions on the scoring
guide.)
1. Prior to studying Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, the teacher might give some
background on Hemingway’s life and his experiences as a fisherman in Key West, Florida. As
part of the assessment, students could be asked to relate the background of the author to the
style and content of the book.
2. Students could be provided with a definition of a sonnet or some other poetic form. In class,
students could look at several examples and discuss the characteristics. At the time of the
assessment, a new, unfamiliar sonnet could be on the test and students could respond to
questions relating to its structure and thematic content.
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3. After reading a newspaper editorial taking a position on a particular issue, students could
discuss how the author supports his/her position. On the assessment, a different editorial
could be used and students could be asked to compare and contrast the two.
These three examples share a common thread: a particular concept or content is taught and later,
as one part of an assessment, students are asked to apply their knowledge or critical thinking skills
in a slightly new or different way.
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F. Sample Questions by Dimension
In choosing/constructing questions for a reading assessment, realize that some of these questions will
produce narrower responses, that is, responses that don’t address all of the descriptors of a given
dimension. If you assign more questions, you may be able to get thorough, scorable responses.
However, fewer questions that are broader in scope might be less time-consuming to score. Deliberate
the trade-offs to strike a balance that will work for you and your students.
Also note that these questions vary in sophistication as far as the type of responses expected from the
student. Questions should be chosen and phrased carefully to give students every opportunity to
perform well on the assessment.
Sample Comprehension Questions:
The first dimension, Comprehension, includes literal, inferential and evaluative
comprehension. Students demonstrate a competent understanding of the selection, its main
ideas (themes) and draw reasonable conclusions about symbols, relationships, patterns and
their meanings. Objective items (multiple choice, matching, true/false) are one way to
determine a student’s literal comprehension of a selection. Short answer items (e.g.,
identifying the meaning of specific symbols in a novel or play) may also be used. Essay
questions that relate to plot and/or character development, ask for predictions of what might
happen next if the story were to continue, or that draw forth conclusions about the meaning of
a selection would be scored on this dimension.
Informative and Literary Texts:
Discuss the themes and main ideas of the selection.
Draw a cartoon which shows the main ideas or plot of the story.
All selections relate ideas and themes that are different to different people. What themes or ideas
might a reader gain from this piece that may not be obvious to all?
Identify what you feel to be the author’s purpose. What specific events or ideas helped you
discover this purpose?
If you were to ask the author the most important details he/she wanted you to get from this
selection, what do you think he or she would say?
What did you learn about _______ from this selection? What information/facts led you to that
conclusion?
Place the ideas/events in sequential order.
What is the importance of the ________ in the selection?
What message is the author hoping to convey in this selection?
Trace the main events. Could you change their order or leave any of them out? Why or why not?
Did you notice any particular patterns in the form of this selection? If you are reading this
selection in more than one sitting, are there natural points at which to break off your reading?
If so, what are these?
What clues did the author build into the piece that helped you to predict the outcome? What were
they and how were they important to the selection?
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Literary Texts:
Who is/are the main characters? Explain their roles in society, family, etc.
What are the relationships between the characters?
Map different elements of the story (plot, setting, characters, timeline).
What is the future of the situation or the character?
Comprehension includes understanding the thoughts and feelings of characters. Discuss how the
character felt during the story.
How did ________ change?
If this piece were to have a sequel, what do you think would happen next? Write your answer on
what would logically occur based on what has happened so far.
What does the poem, etc. say to you? (What is the main idea?)
Where and when does the story take place? How do you know?
Did the story end the way you expected it to? What clues did the author offer to prepare you to
expect this ending?
Do any characters change during the story? If they do, how are they different? What changed
them? Did it seem believable?
Sample Extending Understanding Questions:
The second dimension, Extending Understanding, asks that students relate the selection to
their own background, knowledge, and experiences or to other texts, experiences, issues or
events in the community or world at large. This dimension would best be assessed through an
open-ended prompt. Students often need to be encouraged to go beyond connections that are
primarily literal (plot, characters, setting) to connections that are more subtle (those that
relate to themes or symbols.)
Informative and Literary Texts:
How is this text similar to other selections in terms of theme/main idea/purpose/detail.
Discuss a time you met a similar challenge, were in a similar situation, or had a similar
relationship, etc. Be sure to go beyond the obvious.
Discuss other stories, texts, movies, that you thought of in reading this piece. Be specific in
explaining the relationship.
What (community, state, national, global, historical, political, social, cultural) issues did you
think of during or after reading this piece?
What from your personal experience can you relate this selection to? This could be a book, a
movie, an incident from your own life or something you’ve heard or read about.
Literary Texts:
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Identify aspects of the story that tell you what time period it takes place in. Discuss any
evidence you can find that this time period had different attitudes or social customs than
your own.
Tell about a movie, book, or actual event with a similar theme. Explain how they are similar or
related.
Does this selection make you think of something else you have read, experienced, or know
about? Explain.
Compare/Contrast (the main character/theme/etc.) with another main character/theme/etc. that
you have read or seen.
How is this story like any other story you have read or watched? Compare the two.
Think about the characters in the story. How are any of them the same type of character that
you have met in other stories?
Sample Reading Critically: Text Analysis Questions:
The third dimension, Reading Critically: Text Analysis, is where students are asked to take a
critical stance, standing apart from the text, to make supported judgments. This could include
suggesting more than one interpretation of the text or supporting or challenging the author’s
assumptions, perspectives, claims or style. Additionally, students might be asked to suggest what
the author could have included, omitted or changed. This dimension would best be assessed
through an open-ended prompt.
Informative and Literary Texts:
How does the author move the main idea or theme along? Cite specific examples from the text.
The author is coming to our school soon. What suggestions would you make to him/her to
improve the story? What comments would you make to him/her about how well you liked
the story? Include details.
Authors work with words. Look back at the story and how this author used words to make you
see, feel, and understand the message. (For example: Identify a phrase, why you included it,
and why it is effective.)
Is the message the author is trying to convey accurate, fair, appropriate? Discuss this using
specific examples.
How effectively did the author of the selection use word choice and writing style to increase
the impact of the selection? Were there any specific passages that particularly appealed to
you or that you found weak?
If the author were to ask you what the main strengths and weaknesses were of this selection,
what would you tell him/her?
An author has a wide choice of settings, word choices, etc. that can be used to convey his/her
point of view. Discuss some stylistic choices made in this selection. How do these
decisions impact the story?
Choose two descriptive passages from the selection. Copy the passages and tell why you
selected them.
What makes this particular author’s work unique? Give examples from the selection.
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This author uses language that is very (formal, technical, informal, full of slang). Explain how
well these word choices help you understand the message and whether they enhance or
detract from the effectiveness of the selection.
What was your immediate response to this selection after reading the opening paragraph? What
did the author do to capture your attention? How well did it work?
The author presents a large amount of information in this selection. How did the organization of
this information help or hurt your understanding?
This selection contains several (pictures, charts, graphs, illustrations). Explain how these added
or detracted from the selection’s overall effectiveness.
The authors of persuasive pieces such as this use a variety of means to support their arguments.
How well did this author choose statistics, anecdotes, emotional appeals or other means of
support? Were you persuaded? Why or why not?
Journalists and other authors make an effort to seem completely unbiased. Is this author complete
objective, or is s/he trying to promote a certain position in this selection? Support your
analysis by providing quotes.
This author clearly supports (Ballot Measure X). Compare and contrast how s/he presents
arguments in support of this position. How does s/he make her/his position more
attractive than the opposing position?
Literary Texts:
Who is the main character in the story? What kind of person is the character? How does the
author reveal the character to you?
Some characters play small but important roles in a story. Name such a character. Why is this
character necessary for the story?
How did the author cause you to feel about the character, situation, theme? The author chose
specific literary elements on purpose. Did he/she do a good job? Discuss your thoughts
using specific examples.
How does the author create a “mood?” How does the mood contribute to the story’s impact?
Which of the characters seemed most like a “real person” to you? What was it about the
character that made him/her seem so believable? Were there any characters that you felt
were weakly described or acted in a way that seemed unrealistic?
If the author changed the setting, time, characters how would it affect the story? What was the
author’s purpose in writing this story? How do you know?
What does the author do to create suspense, to make you want to read on to find out what
happens?
Did the selection end the way you expected it to? What clues did the author offer to prepare
you to expect this ending?
How does the author reveal the main character(s) to you?
Who is the narrator of the story? How would the story change if the author had someone else
in the book or an outside narrator tell the story?
Writers sometimes create a make-believe work and people it with characters. Even where the
world is far different from your own, how does the author make the selection seem possible or
probable?
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
14
Sample Reading Critically: Context Analysis Questions:
(assessed at CAM Level pending State Board of Education action)
The fourth dimension, Reading Critically: Context Analysis, asks that the reader consider the
external influences that led to the creation of a work: the author’s life experiences, and the
influences that social and historical perspectives might have had on the work’s theme. This
dimension would best be assessed through an open-ended prompt.
Informative and Literary Texts:
Authors often write pieces that are a “product of their time.” How is this true of this author or
piece?
The author lived during a time when . . . What evidence can you find of his/her being
influenced by his/her life experiences?
Discuss the social implications of the major ideas presented in this work.
How does your understanding of the historical context of this piece affect your understanding
of the main idea or theme?
In what ways have social, political, or cultural perspectives influenced this work?
In what ways does the theme or main idea express a universal perspective or belief?
What did the story/selection tell you about the author and her/his way of looking at life?
What evidence can you find that events in the author’s own life influenced the content, themes
or stylistic decisions contained in this selection?
This selection contains themes/messages that reflect the beliefs that were common when the
selection was written. What are some of these beliefs and how might they be different if
the selection had been written today?
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
15
Resource Tool A
SECTION II: Resource Tools
A. Overview to Reading and Literature Scoring Guides
A scoring guide is an assessment tool used to judge the quality of student performance in relation
to content standards. As an assessment tool, scoring guides provide specific criteria to describe a
range of possible student responses and a consistent set of guidelines to rate student work. Use
of scoring guides to assess a student’s work can provide:
• feedback about student progress toward meeting the benchmarks;
• a common vocabulary for discussing the standards across grade levels and across districts
throughout the state;
• a vehicle for meaningful self-evaluation and self-reflection;
• a focus for meaningful peer feedback among students.
Use of Scoring Guides
Teachers who are supporting students in meeting the state standards for reading and literature
need to become very familiar with the Official Reading Scoring Guide. The official guide must be
used to assess all reading and literature work samples for the grade 4-10 benchmarks. Since the
scoring guide serves as the primary assessment tool to determine whether students have met the
standards through a collection of work samples, teachers need to carefully align their classroom
assessments to the criteria described on the scoring guide.
Teachers also need to develop ways for students to use the scoring guide effectively. The Official
Reading Scoring Guide has been translated into student language for this purpose Some
suggested practices to help students use these guides as learning tools include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
guiding students in defining what “good reading” is and grouping their ideas into categories
that match the scoring guide;
having students write their own versions of the Official Scoring Guide (or even the student
version);
creating colorful classroom posters with key words, phrases, and pictures or graphics for each
dimension of the scoring guide (students may create these);
obtaining reading samples to share with students and teaching students to assess these using
the scoring guide; applying the same process for peer feedback groups;
comparing and contrasting strong/weak examples to illustrate areas on the scoring guide;
developing mini-lessons on common problem areas;
having students track their own scores and track progress over time.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
16
READ
Informative and Literary Texts
1998-99 Official Scoring Guide, Grades 4-12
Comprehension
6
5
The response demonstrates a thorough
understanding of the parts of the selection and the
selection as a whole.
The response:
•
indicates a thorough and accurate understanding of
main ideas and all significant supporting details,
including clarification of complexities.
•
draws subtle as well as obvious inferences and
forms insightful conclusions about their meaning.
•
presents interpretations, generalizations or
predictions based on specific and compelling
evidence.
• uses relevant and specific information from textual
resources (e.g., table of contents, graphs, charts,
diagrams, glossary) to clarify meaning and form
conclusions.
The response demonstrates a strong understanding
of the parts of the selection and the selection as a
whole.
The response:
•
indicates a thorough and accurate understanding of
main ideas and all significant supporting details.
•
draws key inferences and forms supported
conclusions about their meaning.
•
presents interpretations, generalizations or
predictions based on specific, conclusive evidence.
•
uses information from textual resources (e.g., table
of contents, graphs, charts, diagrams, glossary) to
clarify meaning and form conclusions.
4
3
The response demonstrates a competent
understanding of the parts of the selection and the
selection as a whole.
The response:
•
indicates an understanding of the main ideas and
relevant and specific supporting details.
•
draws obvious inferences and forms reasoned
conclusions about their meaning.
•
presents interpretations, generalizations or
predictions based on adequate evidence.
•
uses information from textual resources (i.e., table of
contents, chapter headings, illustrations, graphs,
charts) to clarify meaning and form conclusions.
The response demonstrates an inconsistent
understanding of the parts of the selection and the
selection as a whole.
The response:
•
correctly identifies some main ideas; focuses on
isolated details or misunderstands or omits some
significant supporting details.
•
draws basic inferences but may not provide
supportable conclusions based on them.
•
attempts to present interpretations, generalizations
or predictions but fails to provide adequate support.
•
uses obvious information from textual resources
(i.e., table of contents, chapter headings,
illustrations, graphs, charts).
2
1
The response demonstrates a limited understanding
of the parts of the selection and the selection as a
whole.
The response:
•
shows a fragmented, inaccurate or incomplete
understanding of the selection; presents random,
incomplete or irrelevant evidence.
•
does not draw inferences or suggests inferences not
supported by the text.
•
fails to provide supported interpretations,
generalizations, or predictions or provides ones that
are unsupported by the text; may contain passages
copied verbatim without analysis or commentary.
•
does not refer to textual resources (e.g., table of
contents, graphs, charts, diagrams, glossary) or
reveals that the reader is distracted or confused by
them.
The response demonstrates virtually no
understanding of the parts of the selection and the
selection as a whole.
The response:
•
shows an inability to construct a literal meaning of
the selection; may focus only on reader’s own
frustration or indicate that the reader gave up.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
17
Reading/Literature Scoring Guide Grades 4-12
1998-99
Extending Understanding
6
5
The response demonstrates a thorough and complex
understanding of the selection and its relationship to
other texts (read, heard or viewed), experiences,
issues or events in the community or world at large.
The response:
•
relates the selection to substantive and relevant
personal experiences, extending and deepening
understanding beyond text-bound concerns.
•
relates the selection to other texts in complex and
subtle ways through insightful generalizations or
conclusions.
•
makes insightful and supported connections between
theme(s) or message(s) of a selection(s) and its
relationship to issues or events in the community or
world at large.
The response demonstrates a strong understanding
of the selection and its relationship to other texts
(read, heard or viewed), experiences, issues or
events in the community or world at large.
The response:
•
relates the selection to relevant personal
experiences, extending understanding beyond textbound concerns.
•
relates the selection to other texts in complex and
subtle ways through supported generalizations or
conclusions.
•
makes in-depth connections between theme(s) or
message(s) of a selection(s) and issues or events in
the community or world at large.
4
3
The response demonstrates a competent
understanding of the selection and its relationship to
other texts (read, heard or viewed), experiences,
issues or events in the community or world at large.
The response:
•
relates the selection to relevant personal
experiences, extending understanding beyond textbound concerns.
•
relates the selection to other texts by drawing
conclusions or forming generalizations although they
may be primarily literal.
•
makes reasoned connections between theme(s) or
message(s) of a selection(s) and issues or events in
the community or world at large.
The response demonstrates a limited or inconsistent
understanding of the selection and its relationship to
other texts (read, heard or viewed), experiences,
issues or events in the community or world at large.
The response:
•
relates the selection only superficially or indirectly to
personal experiences.
•
relates the selection to other texts by drawing
conclusions or forming generalizations which may be
simplistic or incomplete
•
makes overly broad, general or inaccurate
connections between the selection(s) and issues or
events in the community or world at large.
2
1
The response demonstrates a limited, superficial or
flawed understanding of the selection and its
relationship to other texts (read, heard or viewed),
relevant personal experiences or related topics or
events.
The response:
•
relates the selection only superficially or indirectly to
personal experiences.
•
makes weak or invalid connections between the
selection and other texts.
•
makes weak or superficial connections between the
selection(s) and issues or events in the community
or world at large.
The response demonstrates a lack of understanding
of the selection and its relationship to other texts
(read, heard or viewed), relevant personal
experiences or related topics or events.
The response:
•
shows an inability to draw connections and see
relationships between the selection and other texts,
experiences, issues and events.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
18
Reading/Literature Scoring Guide Grades 4-12
1998-99
Reading Critically: Text Analysis
6
5
The response demonstrates a thorough and
convincing analysis and evaluation of an author’s
ideas and craft.
The response:
•
identifies the author’s purpose and presents a
thorough and insightful analysis and evaluation of
how the author's stylistic decisions (e.g., structure,
point of view, word choice) affect the message and
purpose.
•
when based on a literary text, identifies and skillfully
analyzes how literary elements (i.e., character, plot,
setting, theme) and/or devices (e.g., simile,
metaphor, symbol) contribute to the unity and
effectiveness of the text.
•
uses specific and relevant evidence from the text to
make reasoned judgments about the author’s craft
and the selection’s explicit or implied message(s).
The response demonstrates a strong analysis and
evaluation of an author’s ideas and craft.
The response:
•
identifies the author’s purpose and presents an
analysis and evaluation of how some of the author's
stylistic decisions (e.g., structure, point of view, word
choice) impact the message and purpose.
•
when based on a literary text, analyzes how selected
literary elements (i.e., character, plot, setting, theme)
and/or devices (e.g., simile, metaphor, symbol)
contribute to the unity and effectiveness of the text.
•
uses specific and relevant evidence from the text to
make reasoned judgments about the author’s craft
and the selection’s explicit or implied message(s).
4
3
The response demonstrates a competent analysis
and evaluation of an author’s ideas and craft.
The response:
•
identifies the author’s purpose and analyzes how the
author’s stylistic decisions (e.g., structure, point of
view, word choice) contribute to the purpose.
•
when based on a literary text, provides a basic
analysis of how literary elements (e.g., character,
plot, setting, theme) and/or literary devices (e.g.,
simile, metaphor, symbol) contribute to the unity and
effectiveness of the selection.
•
uses relevant evidence from the text to make and
support reasoned judgments about the author’s craft
and the selection’s explicit message; may respond to
implied messages.
The response demonstrates an incomplete analysis
of an author’s ideas and craft but provides simplistic
or unsupported evaluations of the author’s ideas and
craft.
The response:
•
shows limited identification and analysis of the
author’s purpose and begins to analyze how stylistic
decisions (e.g., structure, point of view, word choice)
contribute to the messages.
•
when based on a literary text, gives unsupported or
simplistic explanations of how literary elements or
devices contribute to the overall effectiveness of the
selection.
•
uses limited evidence from the text to form opinions
about the author’s craft and explicit message; may
respond to implied messages.
2
1
The response demonstrates a limited, confused, or
unfounded analysis of the author’s ideas and craft.
The response:
•
indicates a lack of awareness of the author’s purpose
or stylistic decisions; there may even be an apparent
lack of awareness of the author's voice (i.e., the
reader may seem to have difficulty distinguishing
author from narrator or character in the selection).
•
when based on a literary text, does not use literary
terms (e.g., character, plot, symbol, metaphor) to
describe the effectiveness of the selection.
•
makes a judgment about the author’s craft or
message(s), but provides no textual support.
The response demonstrates no evidence of critical
reading skills; the reader does not engage in a
thoughtful analysis of the text.
The response:
•
reflects an unquestioned acceptance or rejection of
the author’s craft or text’s message(s) without
comment or explanation.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
19
Reading/Literature Scoring Guide Grades 4-12
1998-99
Reading Critically: Context Analysis*
6
5
The response demonstrates a thorough and convincing
analysis and evaluation of the ways in which an author’s
message(s) or theme(s) have influenced or have been
influenced by history, society, culture and life
experiences.
The response:
•
applies a comprehensive understanding of an author’s life
experiences to evaluate how they have shaped and
influenced the author’s work.
•
when appropriate, recognizes and evaluates the complex
and subtle ways in which a selection(s) has had an impact
on past and/or present social and cultural conditions and
issues.
•
uses extensive knowledge and understanding about social,
economic, political or cultural issues and events to analyze
and evaluate the validity of the selection’s explicit or
implied theme(s) or message(s); if appropriate, proposes
more than one interpretation of the text.
The response demonstrates a strong analysis and
evaluation of the ways in which an author’s message(s)
or theme(s) have influenced or have been influenced by
history, society, culture and life experiences.
The response:
•
applies an understanding of an author’s life experiences
to evaluate how they have shaped and influenced the
author’s work.
•
when appropriate, recognizes and analyzes the ways in
which a selection(s) has had an impact on past and/or
present social and cultural conditions and issues.
•
uses knowledge and understanding about social,
economic, political or cultural issues and events to
analyze the validity of the selection’s explicit or implied
theme(s) or message(s); if appropriate, proposes more
than one interpretation of the text.
4
3
The response demonstrates a competent analysis and
evaluation of the ways in which an author’s message(s) or
theme(s) have influenced or have been influenced by
history, society, culture and life experiences.
The response:
•
applies an understanding of an author’s life experiences to
examine and explain ways they have shaped and
influenced the author’s work.
•
when appropriate, recognizes and analyzes the ways in
which a selection has had an impact on past and/or
present social and cultural conditions and issues; minor
inaccuracies may occur.
•
uses knowledge and understanding about social,
economic, political or cultural issues and events to analyze
the validity of the selection’s explicit or implied theme(s) or
message(s).
The response demonstrates an incomplete analysis of
the ways in which an author’s message(s) or theme(s)
have influenced or have been influenced by history,
society, culture and life experiences.
The response:
•
applies a limited or incomplete understanding of an
author’s life experiences to examine and explain ways
they have influenced the author’s work.
•
when appropriate, recognizes ways in which a
selection(s) has had an impact on past and/or present
social and cultural conditions and issues; the
explanation may contain minor inaccuracies.
•
shows limited knowledge about social, economic,
political or cultural issues and events and relates
knowledge to the selection’s explicit theme(s) or
message(s).
2
1
The response demonstrates a limited, confused or
unfounded analysis of the ways in which an author’s
message(s) or theme(s) have influenced or have been
influenced by history, society, culture and life
experiences.
The response:
•
attempts in superficial or illogical ways to explain how an
author’s life experiences have influenced the author’s work.
•
when asked, attempts in superficial or illogical ways to
explain how a selection has had an impact on social and
cultural conditions and issues.
•
makes a judgment about the selection’s message(s) or
theme(s) but provides no contextual support.
The response demonstrates no evidence of critical
reading skills; the reader does not engage in a
thoughtful analysis of the text.
The response:
•
reflects an unquestioned acceptance or rejection of the
text without comment or explanation.
* The fourth dimension, Reading Critically: Context Analysis, is included in the content standards only at
the Certificate of Advanced Mastery level (Grade 12). Therefore, students do not have to meet a standard
in this dimension to receive a CIM. However, practice should be provided in this trait at the other
benchmarks to prepare students for potential assessments at grades 11 and 12.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
20
READING AND LITERATURE SCORING GUIDE:
Secondary Student Language Version (Grades 6-12)
Comprehension
Identifying main ideas and significant details and making literal, inferred and
evaluative interpretations about the overall meaning of the selection.
6
5
4
The response:
• thoroughly tells what the selection is about (main ideas)
with specific, well-chosen details; clarifies complex
ideas.
• shows a thorough understanding of what is indirectly
stated or implied by the author.
• provides insightful explanations, makes predictions and
draws conclusions about the meaning of the selection;
cites specific and strong evidence from the text.
• when applicable, effectively uses text resources (e.g.,
table of contents, pictures, charts, graphs) to clarify
meaning and form conclusions
The response:
• thoroughly tells what the selection is about (main ideas)
with well chosen details about plot, setting, character,
theme, and mood.
• shows a clear understanding of what is indirectly stated
or implied by the author.
• provides thoughtful explanations, makes predictions and
draws conclusions about the meaning of the selection;
cites specific evidence from the text.
• when appropriate, uses text resources (e.g., table of
contents, pictures, charts, graphs) to clarify meaning and
form conclusions.
The response:
• tells what the selection is about (main ideas) using
details about plot, setting, characters and theme.
• recognizes what is indirectly stated or implied by the
author.
• provides reasoned explanations, makes predictions and
draws conclusions about the meaning of the selection;
cites some evidence from the text.
• when appropriate, uses text resources (e.g., table of
contents, pictures, charts, graphs) to understand the
selection and form conclusions.
3
2
1
The response:
• tells about part of the selection (some main ideas) with
a few details about plot, setting, characters or theme.
• shows a basic understanding of what is implied by the
author but may not provide support for these
conclusions.
• attempts to make predictions and draw conclusions
about the meaning of the selection but does not provide
enough support.
• when appropriate, sometimes uses text resources (e.g.,
table of contents, pictures, charts, graphs) to understand
a selection.
The response:
• tells about a small part of the selection or misunderstands
what the selection is about.
• does not recognize or shows confusion about what is
indirectly stated by the author.
• makes predictions or draws conclusions that are
inaccurate or are not based on evidence in the selection.
• seems confused by the information in pictures, charts,
graphs or other text resources.
The response:
• shows little or no understanding of the selection.
• shows the reader gave up.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
DRAFT
Part 2: Grade 10
21
Extending Understanding
Drawing connections and seeing relationships between the selection and other texts,
experiences, issues or events in the community or world at large.
6
5
4
The response:
• makes insightful connections between the selection and
the reader’s experiences.
• relates the selection to other texts, movies, television,
music, etc. in complex and insightful ways.
• relates the selection in in-depth ways to issues or events
in the community or world at large.
The response:
• makes meaningful connections between the selection and
the reader’s experiences.
• explains significant relationships between the selection’s
themes and messages and those in other texts, movies,
television, music, etc.
• relates the selection to issues or events in the community
or world at large in a meaningful way.
The response:
• makes connections between the selection and the
reader’s experiences.
• shows the relationship of the selection to other texts,
movies, television, music, etc., by making obvious
connections.
• makes basic connections between the selection and
issues or events in the community or world at large.
3
2
1
The response:
• makes limited or overly broad connections between the
selection and the reader’s experiences.
• shows an incomplete or surface understanding of the
relationship of the selection to other texts, movies,
television, music, etc.
• makes overly general connections between the selection
and issues or events in the community or world at large.
The response:
• relates the selection to the reader’s experiences only
indirectly or in superficial ways.
• appears to be guessing about the selection’s relationship
to other texts, movies, television, music, etc.
• makes weak or inaccurate connections between the
selection and issues or events in the community or world
at large.
The response:
• does not show a connection between the text and the
reader’s experiences, other texts, movies, television,
music, etc., or issues or events in the community or
world at large.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
DRAFT
Part 2: Grade 10
22
Reading Critically: Text Analysis
Analyzing the author’s ideas, techniques and methods and making supported evaluations about the selection.
6
5
4
The response:
• identifies the author’s purpose and thoroughly analyzes
and evaluates the techniques the author uses to
accomplish that purpose.
• identifies and skillfully analyzes the use of literary
elements and devices and how they contribute to the
overall effectiveness of the selection.
• uses extensive evidence from the text to evaluate the
author’s skill in conveying the selection’s directly stated
and implied messages.
The response:
• identifies the author’s purpose and analyzes the
techniques the author uses to accomplish that purpose.
• identifies and analyzes the use of literary elements and
devices and how they contribute to the effectiveness of
the selection.
• uses specific evidence from the text to evaluate the
author’s skill in conveying the selection’s directly stated
and implied messages.
The response:
• identifies the author’s purpose analyzes some of the
techniques the author uses to accomplish that purpose.
• provides a basic analysis of how literary elements and
devices contribute to the effectiveness of the selection.
• uses some evidence from the text to evaluate the
author’s skill in conveying the selection’s directly stated
message; may respond to implied message(s).
3
2
1
The response:
• shows an incomplete understanding of the author’s
purpose and the techniques used to communicate that
purpose.
• gives unsupported or general explanations of how
literary elements and devices contribute to the
effectiveness of the selection.
• uses limited or incomplete evidence from the text to
evaluate the author’s skill in conveying the selection’s
theme or message.
The response:
• shows a lack of awareness of the author’s purpose and
the techniques the author uses to support that purpose.
• does not use literary terms to describe the effectiveness
of the selection.
• makes a judgment about the author’s skill or message but
provides no support from the selection. (“I like it.” “This
is boring.”)
The response:
• shows acceptance or rejection of the author’s skill and
messages without comment or explanation.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
DRAFT
Part 2: Grade 10
23
Reading Critically: Context Analysis*
Analyzing and evaluating the relationships among informative and literary selections and the ways in which an author’s
message(s) or theme(s) have influenced or have been influenced by history, society, culture and life experiences.
6
5
4
The response:
• uses a broad knowledge of an author’s life experiences
to evaluate how they influenced the author’s work.
• when appropriate, explains how a selection has had an
impact on past and/or present society and culture in
complex and subtle ways.
• uses a broad knowledge of social, economic, political or
cultural issues to determine if the selection’s message
or theme is reasonable; if appropriate, suggests more
than one interpretation of the text.
The response:
• uses information about an author’s life experiences to
evaluate how they influenced the author’s work.
• when appropriate, explains how a selection has had an
impact on past and/or present society and culture.
• uses knowledge of social, economic, political or cultural
issues to determine if the selection’s message or theme is
reasonable; if appropriate, suggest more than one
interpretation of the text.
The response:
• uses information about an author’s life experiences to
explain ways they influenced the author’s work.
• when appropriate, explains how a selection has had an
impact on past and/or present society and culture.
• uses knowledge of social, economic, political or
cultural issues to determine if the selection’s message
or theme is reasonable; there may be some minor
inaccuracies.
3
2
1
The response:
• uses a limited amount of information about an author’s
life experiences to explain ways they influenced the
author’s work.
• when appropriate, identifies ways a selection has had an
impact on past and present society and culture but lacks
adequate explanation or the explanation may be
inaccurate.
• shows a limited knowledge of social, economic, political
or cultural issues and how they relate to a selection’s
messge or theme; inaccuracies may occer.
The response:
• is inaccurate or overly general when showing how an
author’s life experiences influenced the author’s work.
• may be inaccurate or overly general when identifying
ways a selection has had an impact on past and/or present
society and culture.
• makes a judgment about the selection’s message or
theme but provides no support.
The response:
• shows acceptance or rejection of the selection without
comment or explanation.
*Although the trait of Reading Critically: Context Analysis is part of the standard at the 12th grade benchmark only, practice in this trait should
also occur at the eighth and tenth grade benchmarks.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
DRAFT
Part 2: Grade 10
24
Benchmark Standards Chart*
Content Standards for
Grade 5 Benchmark
Determine meanings of words using contextual and structural clues,
illustrations and other reading strategies.
Locate information and clarify meaning by using illustrations,
tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, headings, graphs, charts,
diagrams and/or tables.
Identify sequence of events, main ideas, facts, supporting details,
and opinions in literary, informative, and practical selections.
Identify relationships, images, patterns or symbols and draw
conclusions about their meanings in printed material.
Analyze and evaluate information and form conclusions.
Extend and deepen comprehension by relating text to other texts,
experiences, issues and events.
Read a variety of literary selections, including novels, short stories,
poetry, plays and nonfiction from a variety of cultures and time
periods and identify characteristics of literary forms.
Identify character, plot, setting and theme and describe how they
contribute to the meaning of a literary selection.
Identify literary devices such as similes, rhyme and dialogue.
Recognize how structure and word choice contribute to the effect of
a literary selection.
Resource Tool D
Assessed through Classroom
Work Samples?
Y/N
No
Scoring Guide Dimension
Assessed through State Multiple
Choice?
N/A
Y/N
Yes
Score Reporting Category
Word Meaning
No
N/A
Yes
Locate Information
Yes
Yes
Comprehension
Comprehension
Yes
Yes
Literal Comprehension
Inferential Comprehension
Yes
Yes
Comprehension
Extending Understanding
Yes
No
Evaluative Comprehension
N/A
Yes
Determined through the
variety of selections present in
the work sample.
Yes
Literary Forms
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Yes
Yes
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
*This chart reflects the newly-aligned content standards that were adopted by the State Board of Education on March 19, 1998.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
25
Benchmark Standards Chart*
Content Standards for
Grade 8 Benchmark
Determine meanings of words using contextual and structural clues
and other reading strategies.
Locate information and clarify meaning by using tables of contents,
glossaries, indexes, headings, graphs, charts, diagrams and/or
tables.
Identify sequence of events, main ideas, facts, supporting details
and opinions in literary, informative, and practical selections.
Examine relationships, images, patterns or symbols to draw
conclusions about their meanings in printed material.
Analyze and evaluate whether a conclusion is validated by the
evidence in a selection.
Extend and deepen comprehension by relating text to other texts,
experiences, issues and events.
Read a variety of literary works and distinguish among
characteristics of a variety of literary forms, including novels, short
stories, poetry, plays and nonfiction from a variety of cultures and
time periods.
Recognize and examine how character, plot, setting, and theme
contribute to the meaning of a literary selection.
Examine the uses of literary devices such as figurative language,
allusion, dialect and dialogue in a literary selection.
Examine how stylistic decisions (e.g., structure, point of view,
word choice, exaggeration) contribute to the impact of a literary
selection.
Resource Tool D
Assessed through Classroom
Work Samples?
Y/N
No
Scoring Guide Dimension
Assessed through State Multiple
Choice?
N/A
Y/N
Yes
Score Reporting Category
Word Meaning
No
N/A
Yes
Locate Information
Yes
Yes
Comprehension
Comprehension
Yes
Yes
Literal Comprehension
Inferential Comprehension
Yes
Comprehension
Yes
Evaluative Comprehension
Yes
Extending Understanding
No
N/A
Yes
Determined through the variety
of selections present in the
work sample.
Yes
Literary Forms
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Yes
Yes
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
*This chart reflects the newly-aligned content standards that were adopted by the State Board of Education on March 19, 1998.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
26
Benchmark Standards Chart*
Content Standards for
Grade 10 Benchmark
Resource Tool D
Assessed through Classroom
Work Samples?
Y/N
Determine meanings of words, including those with multiple
meanings, using contextual and structural clues and other reading
strategies
Locate information and clarify meaning by using tables of contents,
glossaries, indexes, headings, graphs, charts, diagrams, tables, and
other reference sources.
Identify sequence of events, main ideas, facts, supporting details
and opinions in literary, informative, and practical selections.
Analyze relationships, images, patterns or symbols to draw
conclusions about their meanings in printed material.
Analyze and evaluate whether an argument, action or policy is
validated by the evidence in a selection.
Extend and deepen comprehension by relating text to other texts,
experiences, issues and events.
Read and respond to literary works from a variety of literary forms,
including novels, short stories, poetry, drama, essays, and
nonfiction from a variety of cultures and historical time periods;
recognize distinguishing characteristics of literary genres.
Examine and analyze how character, plot, setting, and theme
contribute to the meaning and impact of a literary work.
Examine the uses and effects of literary devices such as figurative
language, allusion, dialect, dialogue and symbolism.
Analyze how stylistic decisions (e.g., structure, point of view, word
choice, exaggeration) contribute to the impact of a literary
selection.
Interpret and explain a literary work, using examples, details, and
quotations from the text.
Scoring Guide Dimension
Assessed through State Multiple Choice?
Y/N
Score Reporting Category
No
N/A
Yes
Word Meaning
No
N/A
Yes
Locate Information
Yes
Yes
Comprehension
Comprehension
Yes
Yes
Literal Comprehension
Inferential Comprehension
Yes
Comprehension
Yes
Evaluative Comprehension
Yes
Extending Understanding
No
N/A
Yes
Determined through the
variety of selections in the
work sample
Yes
Literary Forms
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Yes
Literary Elements and Devices
Comprehension
No
N/A
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
*This chart reflects the newly-aligned content standards that were adopted by the State Board of Education on March 19, 1998.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
27
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Lists of Possible Reading Selections
The following pages contain lists of reading materials that have been identified by classroom
teachers as selections that are commonly taught and/or widely anthologized for each of the grades
covered in this packet (4-10).
It is important to note, however, that this is not meant to be a prescriptive listing of selections
from which teachers must choose in order to generate reading assessments to comply with state
performance standards. Instead, these lists are offered as a sampling of materials that teachers
have found to be appropriate in difficulty for the grade level listed and are suitably rich in content
to support reading assessments that can be scored on all required dimensions of the scoring guide.
Efforts have also been made to include materials reflecting a variety of cultures and time periods.
Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from
where those selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for
reading assessment may not appear at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general
recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what can be used to elicit work samples for
reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make decisions on what might
be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
It is also important to note that while some selections identified for an off-grade (for instance,
grade 6) would be useful for students for practice, those selections may not be appropriately
difficult to elicit work samples that meet benchmark standards. Generally the selections span from
a year prior to the benchmark through the benchmark year (e.g., most selections at grade 7
would be appropriately sophisticated for the grade 8 benchmark). Schools and/or districts will
ultimately need to determine which selections to use for benchmark assessments and which to use
for practice.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
28
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 4*
Novels
Nonfiction
Stone Fox (Gardiner)
Sarah Plain and Tall (MacLachlan)
James and the Giant Peach (Dahl)
Laura Ingalls Wilder series
Bunnicula (Howe)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Blume)
Pippi Longstocking (Lindren)
Windcatcher (Avi)
Rob and Soup (Historical Fiction 1920’s)
“From Laughter to Lessons” (Lewis)
“If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon” (Levine)
Tales of the Wild West Series (Steber)
Drama
Who Was That Masked Man? (Avi)
Short Stories
“The Garden of Abdul Gasazi” (Van Allsburg)
“The Elephant’s Child” (Kipling)
“Buffalo Woman” (Goble)
“In the Land of Small Dragon” (Mahn Kha)
“The Red Balloon” (Lamorisse)
“A River Ran Wild” (Lynne Cherry)
Poetry
poems by:
Lee Bennett Hopkins
Jack Prelutsky
Shel Silverstein
Lois Simmie
“The Stinky Cheese Man” (Scieszka)
“Jabberwocky” (Base)
song lyrics:
“Green” (Raposo)
“If I Only Had a Brain” (E.Y. Harburg)
“Over the Rainbow” (E.Y. Harburg)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
29
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 5*
Novels
Nonfiction
Lost in the Devil’s Desert (Weasel)
Hatchet (Paulsen)
Strider (Cleary )
Sign of the Beaver (Speare)
In the Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson (Lord)
Island of the Blue Dolphins (O’Dell)
Summer of the Swans (Byars)
Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade (DeClements)
The Great Brain ( Fitzgerald)
Poppy (Avi)
Maniac Magee (Spinelli)
El Chino (Say)
Sugaring Time (Lasky)
Storms (Simon)
And Then There Was One (Facklam)
The Moon and I (Byars)
Nellie Bly (Carter)
Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in
the City (Bash)
Men Walk on the Moon (Wilford, New York Times)
Jean Fritz Series:
Why Don’t You Get A Horse, Sam Adams?
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Drama
The Case of the Punjabi Ruby (Willment)
Wizard of Oz (adapted by Schwartz)
Short Stories
“Return to Air” (Pearce)
“Maurice’s Room” (Fox)
“The Nightingale” (Anderson)
“The Doughnuts” (McCloskey)
“Many Moons” (Thurber)
“Oliver Hyde’s Dishcloth Concert” (Kennedy)
“Owl Moon” (Yolen)
“The Legend of Scarface” (R. San Souci)
“Little Green Men” (Longyear)
“Her Seven Brothers” (Goble)
“Cat Wings” (LeGuin)
“Dawn” (Bang)
“Greyling” (Yolen)
Poetry
“The Dream Keeper Collection” (Hughes)
“In for Winter, Out for Spring” (Adoff)
“Buffalo Dusk” (Sandburg)
“See the Trees” (Sandburg)
“Good Morning, Good Night” (Gautscher)
“Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices” (Fleischman)
Collections by Prelutsky, Hopkins, or Silverstein
“Desert Voices” (Baylor)
“Small Poems Again” (Babbitt)
“Sport Pages” (Adoff)
“Best Loved Poems” (Laurence)
“Casey at the Bat” (Thayer)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
30
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 6*
Novels
Nonfiction
Shiloh ( Reynolds Nalor)
The Secret Garden (Burnett)
Where the Red Fern Grows (Rawls)
Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt)
The Phantom Tollbooth (Juster)
Bridge to Terabithia (Paterson)
The Indian in the Cupboard (Banks)
“A Girl from Yamhill” (Cleary)
“Homesick” (Fritz)
“The Christmas Cat” (Herriot)
“Woodsong” (Paulsen)
“Wisdomkeepers” (Starleaf Gumbs)
“Save the Earth” (Miles)
“Three Days to See” (Keller)
“The Chimps Come to Camp” (Goodall)
“Living Up the Street” (Soto)
Drama
The Phantom Tollbooth (Nanus)
A Shipment of Fate (Crutchfield)
The Secret Garden (Hanalis)
Short Stories
“Sarah Tops” (Asimov)
“The Landlady” (Dahl)
“The Flying Machine” (Bradbury)
“The Game” (Myers)
“The Circuit” (Jiménez)
“The Medicine Bag” (Sneve)
“Papa’s Parrot” (Rylant)
“Miss Awful” (Cavanaugh)
“Zlateh the Goat” (Singer)
“The All-American Slurp” (Namioka)
Poetry
“Street Corner Flight” (Flores)
“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” (Angelou)
“Words Like Freedom” (Hughes)
“Abuelito Who” (Cisneros)
“If I Were in Charge of the World” (Viorst)
“The Cremation of Sam McGee” (Service)
“Crystal Rowe (Track Star)” (Glenn)
“74th Street” (Livingston)
“Common Bond” (Narimatsu)
“Arithmetic” (Sandburg)
“Alone in the Nets” (Adoff)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
31
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 7*
Novels
Nonfiction
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Taylor)
The Black Stallion (Farley)
Thunder Cave (Smith)
The Outsiders (Hinton)
Walkabout (Marshall)
Sing Down the Moon (O’Dell)
Rascal (North)
“These Were the Sioux” (Sandoz)
Barrio Boy (Galaraza)
“The Night the Bed Fell” (Thurber)
“A Time of Beginnings” (Wong)
“Cat on the Go” (Herriot)
Drama
A Christmas Carol (Horovitz/Dickens)
The Monsters are Due on Maple Street (Serling)
The Flying Tortilla Man (Chávez)
Short Stories
“Rikki-tikki-tavi” (Kipling)
“The Glorious Whitewasher” (Twain)
“After Twenty Years” (O. Henry)
“All Summer in a Day” (Bradbury)
“All Summer in a Day” (Bradbury)
“Seventh Grade” (Soto)
“A Mother in Manville” (Rawlings)
“The Birdman” (Sandoz)
“Home” (Brooks)
Poetry
“Annabel Lee” (Poe)
“My Mother Pieced Quilts” (Acosta)
“A Song of Greatness” (Austin)
“The Highwayman” (Noyes)
“Simple Song” (Piercy)
“In Response to Executive Order 9066” (Okita)
“Dream Deferred” (Hughes)
“For My Father” (Mirikitani)
“Looking North to Taos” (Bantista)
“Graduation Morning” (Mora)
“Flower-Fed Buffaloes” (Lindsay)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
32
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 8*
Novels
Nonfiction
Johnny Tremain (Forbes)
The Pearl (Steinbeck)
Tom Sawyer (Twain)
Where the Lilies Bloom (Cleaver)
The Hobbit (Tolkien)
The Pigman (Zindel)
The Call of the Wild (London)
The Giver (Lowry)
“I Have a Dream” (King)
“The Gettysburg Address” (Lincoln)
Nisei Daughter (Sone)
“Coming to America” (Bode)
“Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the
Underground Railroad” (Petry)
“Cub Pilot on the Mississippi” (Twain)
“Foul Shots” (Gomez)
Drama
The Diary of Anne Frank (Goodrich/Hackett)
The Monkey’s Paw (Parker)
Let Me Hear You Whisper (Zindel)
Short Stories
“The Gift of the Magi” (O. Henry)
“The Tell-Tale Heart” (Poe)
“Raymond’s Run” (Bambara)
“Charles” (Jackson)
“The Osage Orange Tree” (Stafford)
“The Six Rows of Pompons” (Mori)
“The Inn of Lost Time” (Namioka)
“There Will Come Soft Rains” (Bradbury)
“Flowers for Algernon” (Keyes)
“Gentleman of Río en Medio” (Sedillo)
Poetry
“O Captain! My Captain! (Whitman)
“Paul Revere’s Ride” (Longfellow)
“Woman With Flower” (Madgett)
“Dusting” (Alvarez)
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (Frost)
“I Am the Land. I Wait.” (Bellagente)
“The Raven” (Poe)
“Runagate, Runagate” (Hayden)
“Moco Limping” (Monreal)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
33
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 9*
Novels
Nonfiction
Animal Farm (Orwell)
When the Legends Die (Borland)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee)
Light in the Forest (Richter)
Night (Wiesel)
The Owl’s Song (Hale)
The Sound of Waves (Mishima)
I Heard the Owl Call My Name (Craven)
“Homeless” (Quindlen)
“When I Lay My Burden Down” (Angelou)
“A Trip to the Edge of Survival” (Arias)
“On Being Seventeen, Bright, and Unable to
Read” (Raymond)
“A Measure of Freedom” (Wong)
“Not to Go with the Others” (Hersey)
Drama
Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare)
The Miracle Worker (Gibson)
Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare)
The Effect of Gamma Rays. . . (Zindel)
Short Stories
“The Lottery” (Jackson)
“The Most Dangerous Game” (Connell)
“The Scarlet Ibis” (Hurst)
“The Harvest” (Rivera)
“Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” (Bambara)
“Independence” (Sasaki)
“The Necklace” (De Maupassant)
“Thank You, Ma’am” (Hughes)
“The Scholarship Jacket” (Salinas)
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (Thurber)
Poetry
“Women” (Walker)
“Fifteen” (Stafford)
“Beware: Do Not Read This Poem” (Reed)
“The Secret Heart” (Coffin)
“The Courage That My Mother Had” (Millay)
“Every Good Boy Does Fine” (Wagoner)
“Lost” (Ignacia)
“Identity” (Polanco)
“A Journey” (Giovanni)
“Lineage” (Walker)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
34
Possible Reading Selections
Resource Tool E
Grade 10*
Novels
Poetry
Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck)
Lord of the Flies (Golding)
The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway)
The House on Mango Street (Cisneros)
The Good Earth (Buck)
A Separate Peace (Knowles)
When the Legends Die (Borland)
Native Son (Wright)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (McCullers)
“First Lesson” (Booth)
“Ex-Basketball Player” (Updike)
“Courage” (Sexton)
“Not Knowing, in Aztlán” (Villanueva)
“Miss Rosie” (Clifton)
“The Road Not Taken” (Frost)
“Choices” (Giovanni)
“Birdfoot’s Grampa” (Bruchae)
“Eldorado” (Poe)
“Mother to Son” (Hughes)
“Life for My Child Is Simple” (Brooks)
“Traveling Through the Dark” (Stafford)
Drama
Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)
Antigone (Sophocles)
Our Town (Wilder)
Visit to a Small Planet (Vidal)
The Glass Menagerie (Williams)
Raisin in the Sun (Hansberry)
I Never Sang for my Father (Anderson)
Nonfiction
Short Stories
“Chee’s Daughter” (Platero/Miller)
“The Open Window” (Saki)
“The Cask of Amontillado” (Poe)
“Rules of the Game” (Tan)
“The Feeling of Power” (Asimoz)
“The Rocking Horse Winner” (Lawrence)
“Everyday Use” (Walker)
“The Bet” (Chekhov)
“The Pedestrian” (Bradbury)
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (Márquez)
“Wilma” (Rudolph)
“Tanforan: A Horse Stall for Four” (Uchida)
“I Will Fight No More Forever” (Chief Joseph)
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” (King)
“A Child’s Christmas in Wales” (Thomas)
“Montgomery Boycott” (C. S. King)
“Day Work” (Comer)
Farewell to Manzanar (Houston)
“The Lowest Animal” (Twain)
“R.M.S. Titanic” (Baldwin)
“By Any Other Name” (Rau)
*Readers of these lists may discover that selections are listed under grade levels that differ from where those
selections are taught in their own district—and many selections appropriate for reading assessment may not appear
at all. Again, these lists should be viewed as general recommendations offered to give educators a sense of what
can be used to elicit work samples for reading and literature. Using these lists as guides can help teachers make
decisions on what might be appropriate materials for reading assessments.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
35
Resource Tool F
Suggestions for Formatting On-Demand Assessments
In constructing assessments, presentation and formatting are important. Type size should be large
enough to be easily read, and the text should be arranged in a column format with a wide margin
that provides plenty of white space to the right of the reading selection. Where appropriate,
graphics, photos, vocabulary, or footnotes should be included to enhance understanding. Use of
bold face, italics, underlining, and font selections should be considered to enhance student
understanding of directions and introductory material.
Suggested fonts:
Suggested type size:
Suggested text width:
Serif fonts such as Palatino, New Century Schoolbook, Times,
etc.
Grades 1-3, 14-16 point
Grades 4 & 5, 14 point
Grades 6 and above 12 point
4.5 inches
The assessment should include a cover page and a response checklist (for a sample, see Resource
Tool I).
The Use of Margin Notes
A great deal of information can be gained by formatting an assessment so that students can
respond to a selection through margin notes. Margin notes encourage students to become
“active” readers, reacting to the text as they experience it. These immediate responses can
provide teachers with a wealth of assessment information that might not come out through
responses to prompts at the end of the selection. Margin notes could take the form of the
categories listed below:
•
•
•
•
•
Asking questions (about events, characters, meanings of words, or parts that are confusing)
Making Extensions (to other texts, events, or experiences of the reader)
Predicting (what will happen next or how the selection might end)
Drawing Conclusions (showing understanding of literal and implied ideas, reasons for
actions of characters, or the author’s purpose)
Evaluating (commenting on the author’s craft or the quality of the selection)
Many students have little or no experience using margin notes. In order to take advantage of this
opportunity to gain assessment information, students should have practice. A teacher would not
have to provide pre-formatted selections every time margin notes were practiced. A folded
sheet of paper that is placed next to a text could be used by students to record notes as they are
reading.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
36
Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
“The graphic below represents the mind of (name of character from the selection). Draw pictures,
symbols, or images of what the character is thinking and feeling. Show how (the character)
viewed the events of the story by a series of pictures, symbols, images, phrases, or words (or all
of these).” In the space provided below, explain your drawing.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
37
Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
You have read two selections. In the diagram below, write phrases in the left section to show
what you learned about (fill in the focus here) from the first selection only. In the right-hand
section of the diagram, write what you learned about (fill in) from the second selection only.
In the middle section, write what the two selections had in common.
Other questions using the Venn diagram graphic could be written to address:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Comparisons and contrasts between two different characters in the same selection.
Comparisons and contrasts between two different subjects in an informative selection.
The thoughts or personality features of a character before and after a major event in a
selection.
The themes and literary elements and devices used in two different poetry selections.
Comparisons and contrasts between the time period of the selection with that of today.
Comparisons and contrasts between the setting of the story and a similar setting today.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
38
Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
Identify three conflicts in this selection. If the conflict is resolved, explain how; if not, explain why.
Conflict
(describe how conflict is revealed)
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
How conflict is resolved/
Why conflict is not resolved
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
39
Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
Place a character from the story in the center of a web. Complete the web to show your
understanding of the relationships between this character and other characters, the situations in
the story, the character’s feelings, their actions, or any other areas you choose. Add to the web to
show your full understanding. Then write an explanation of your web, as needed.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
40
Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
Use the boxes above to show your understanding of the complete story including the events and
their meaning.
Use the lines below to write about what you drew or anything else to show your understanding of
the story.
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
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Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
Authors work with words to create strong images (pictures in your mind). Give specific examples
(at least 2) from the story that show how the author used words to make you see, feel, and
understand her/his story.
words or phrases
why you included it; why it is effective
Make a timeline that shows all the important events from the story. Mark the events on the line
and label them below the line (you may add additional vertical lines if needed to record all
important events).
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Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
Complete the chart below by identifying at least two traits for each character and finding an
example from the story to support each trait.
Character
Traits
Example from Story
Character 1:
Character 2:
Character 3:
Character 4:
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Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
In the space below, draw a book cover for the selection. Include details from the story in your
cover. Write a summary for the book cover on the lines at the bottom of the page.
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Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
On the plot diagram below, record the following information about the story.
Exposition--two things that you learn about the story’s characters
Rising action--two events that are part of the rising action
Climax--the event that forms the climax of the story
Falling action--one event that is part of the falling action
Climax
Rising Action
Falling Action
Exposition
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Sample Graphic Questions
Resource Tool G
Complete the following T-chart to show how the two selections/characters are different.
Character/Selection #1
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Resource Tool H
Suggestions for Administering On-Demand Classroom Assessments
When designing assessments to elicit work that can be included in a reading and literature
collection, keep in mind that a student’s best work is usually developed over a period of time.
Assigning an on-demand assessment to be completed during the course of one class period is
generally not going to produce the sort of work sample that warrants immediate inclusion in a
student’s collection. Even the best readers will benefit from an opportunity to carefully craft their
responses and revise their work prior to submitting a finished product. These should not be
“timed” assessments but rather ones where students are given the time needed to be successful.
Teachers may determine the time allowed for on-demand assessments based on their students’
attention span as well as the length and complexity of the assessment being offered.
1. Before the Assessment
•
Students should be familiar with the scoring guide. They should know the dimensions,
have used it to produce responses, and have assessed their own and others’ work.
•
Students should have used a variety of reading response formats such as margin notes,
mapping charts, diagrams, journals.
•
Students should have experience responding to a variety of types of questions which
include literal, inferential, and evaluative levels.
2. While Administering the Assessment
•
Students need to read the selection on their own. Allow and recommend resource
materials such as the dictionary and thesaurus.
•
Set a reasonable time frame that allows ample time to read and re-read the text and
respond to the questions. Monitor and adjust so that no one is rushed. Assessments will
generally take two to three forty minute class periods to complete.
•
Encourage students to produce complete, organized, and thorough responses and to use
the scoring guide to guide their responses.
•
Plan for an assessment setting that will enable students to do their best work. The setting
should be quiet and physically comfortable, and students can be encouraged beforehand to
be well-rested and prepared to do their best.
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Resource Tool I
Reading Assessment Planning Checklist
The assessment aligns with the content standards for this benchmark level.
The reading level of the selection is appropriate to the benchmark being assessed.
The assessment requires students to apply their knowledge, not just repeat what they have
learned through class discussion or lecture.
Students are given adequate opportunities to address each dimension of the scoring guide--at
least two prompts for each dimension of the scoring guide.
If the assessment is formatted to include the text of the selection, space is also provided for
students to make margin notes.
When possible, the assessment includes the opportunity for students to use graphics to
demonstrate reading skills.
The reading prompts (if used) are open-ended enough to require students to think for
themselves rather than leading them to a particular answer or response.
The assessment includes an opportunity for students to demonstrate different levels of
comprehension: literal, inferential, and evaluative.
When assessing Comprehension, the reading prompts (if used) require students to demonstrate
an understanding of the selection as a whole, not just isolated parts.
When assessing Extending Understanding, the need for students to be familiar with related
pieces or to have had sufficient background experiences to be successful was considered.
When assessing Context Analysis, the need for students to have additional resources or
background materials to be successful was considered.
Students have had opportunities to use the scoring guide and practice demonstrating the skills
required before the assessment is given.
Students have copies of the student language scoring guide and reading response checklist to
use as resources while doing this assessment.
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Resource Tool J
Reading Response Checklist
Grades 9-10
Each of the categories on this checklist describes the areas of assessment on the reading/literature
scoring guide. Below each heading are statements that summarize the reading skills you need to
demonstrate for each area. Use this checklist to make sure your responses are clear and
complete.
Comprehension
My responses show that I understand the main ideas in the selection using details
about plot, setting, and characters when they apply.
I show an understanding of ideas that are stated indirectly.
I explain and support what the text means to me and why.
I draw conclusions and make predictions based on specific information from the
selection.
Extending Understanding
I explain when the selection makes me think of something I’ve done, read about or
seen before.
I show where and how this selection means something to me personally.
I make connections between the selection and issues or events in my community or
the world at large.
Reading Critically: Text Analysis
I identify the author’s purpose and make judgments about what he/she has to say.
I analyze how the selection was written and the author’s skill conveying his or her
ideas.
I explain and support my opinions about the effectiveness of the selection.
Reading Critically: Context Analysis*
I analyze how the author’s life, society, history, or culture may have shaped and
influenced the author’s message.
I analyze how the author’s message may have influenced society or culture.
I use my understanding of issues and events to evaluate the message of the selection.
* Students are not required to meet a standard in Context Analysis at the Grade 10 (CIM)
Benchmark. However, when appropriate, students may be assessed on this dimension as
preparation for potential work sample requirements for grade 12.
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Resource Tool J
Reading Response Checklist
Grades 4-8
This checklist describes the three areas of the reading scoring guide. Below each heading are
statements that summarize the information from the reading scoring guide. Use this checklist to
make sure each of your responses is clear and complete.
Comprehension
My responses show that I really understand the selection, including the beginning,
middle, and end and how they relate to each other.
I do more than tell what happened in the selection; I tell what I think about the
selection; what it means, and what I learned.
I show that I can “read between the lines.”
Extending Understanding
I explain when the selection makes me think of something I’ve done, read about or
seen before.
I show where and how this selection means something to me personally.
I compare or contrast this selection with other things I have read or personal
experiences I have had.
Reading Critically: Text Analysis
I use examples to explain my opinion about how the selection is written.
I identify writing techniques the author uses and what effect they have.
I question and make comments about the writing of the selection and show different
ways to think about the message.
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State Multiple Choice Reporting Categories
Grade 5
Word Meaning
Recognize and know the meaning
of words through the use of the
following aids to comprehension:
• Context
• Illustrations (pictures, charts, graphs,
diagrams)
• Knowledge of common words in
other forms (contractions, possessives,
prefixes, suffixes, synonyms,
compounds and plurals)
• Language Structure/Syntax
• Background knowledge
Inferential Comprehension
Use information explicitly stated in
a passage to determine what is not
stated; make predictions and draw
conclusions about:
• Cause and effect relationships
• Sequence/time relationships
• Comparisons, classifications and
generalizations
• Events that could logically follow
• Conclusions supported by the text
Resource Tool K
Locating Information
Locate information in supportive
materials (i.e., dictionaries, atlases,
encyclopedias, almanacs, newspapers,
magazines, catalogs) and clarify
meaning by using a variety of
reading strategies:
• Skimming
• Scanning
• Close Reading
Literal Comprehension
Identify and/or recall information
explicitly stated in a passage
relating to the following features:
• Sequence of events
• Main ideas
• Supporting details including key
words, phrases or sentences
• Directly stated facts
Literary Elements and
Devices
Identify literary elements and their
contribution to the author’s
purpose:
Literary Elements:
• Character (main and supporting)
• Plot
• Setting (as used to establish mood,
place and time period)
Sources of Information:
• Theme
• Charts • Tables of Contents
• Graphs
• Illustrations
• Headings
• Diagrams
• Indexes
• Tables
Literary Forms
Evaluative Comprehension
Draw conclusions after analyzing
and evaluating information in
passages about:
• Author’s motivation or purpose
• Probable reasons for actions or
beliefs
• Use of facts versus opinions
• Accuracy of information
Identify various forms of literature
and the qualities that distinguish
them. For the fifth grade
benchmark the types of literature
might include selections from the
following genres:
• Novels
• Short stories (humor, fable, mystery,
Literary Devices
• Figurative Language
(metaphor, simile, personification)
• Imagery (as part of word choice)
• Sound devices (alliteration,
onomatopoeia, rhyme patterns)
• Symbolism
• The use of dialogue
folk tale, historical fiction)
• Nonfiction (informational article,
biography, autobiography)
• Poems
• Plays
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Part 2: Grade 10
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State Multiple Choice Reporting Categories
Grade 8
Word Meaning
Recognize and know the meaning
of words through the use of the
following aids to comprehension:
• Context
• Illustrations and graphics
• Figurative expressions
• Knowledge of common words in
other forms (prefixes, suffixes,
synonyms, root words, contractions and
possessives)
• Language Structure/Syntax
• Background knowledge
• Punctuation and print conventions
Inferential Comprehension
Use information explicitly stated in
a passage to determine what is not
stated; make predictions and draw
conclusions about
• Relationships (Cause and effect,
sequence/time, comparisons,
classifications and generalizations)
• Events that could logically follow.
• Symbols
• Patterns
• Images
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Resource Tool K
Locating Information
Locate information in supportive
materials (i.e., dictionaries, atlases,
encyclopedias, almanacs, newspapers,
magazines, catalogs) and clarify
meaning by using a variety of
reading strategies:
• Skimming
• Scanning
• Close Reading
Literal Comprehension
Identify and/or recall information
explicitly stated in a passage
relating to the following features:
• Sequence of events
• Main ideas
• Supporting details including key
words, phrases or sentences
• Facts
• Opinions
Sources of Information
Literary Elements and
Devices
Identify literary elements and their
contribution to the author’s
purpose:
Literary Elements:
• Character
• Plot
• Setting (as used to establish mood,
place and time period)
• Theme
• Style
• Point of View
• Charts • Tables of Contents
• Graphs
• Diagrams
• Headings
• Glossaries
• Indexes
• Tables
Literary Forms
Evaluative Comprehension
Analyze and evaluate information
or the validity of an argument,
action or policy by forming
conclusions about the selection in
the following areas:
Identify various forms of literature
and the qualities that distinguish
them. Literary forms include:
• Reasons for actions
• Accuracy of information
• Use of facts versus opinions
• Presence of biases or stereotypes
• Use of propaganda or other
persuasion techniques
• How the selection can be related to
other issues or situations
folktale, historical fiction, science
fiction, realistic fiction)
• Nonfiction (informational article,
biography, autobiography)
• Novels
• Short stories (humor, fable, mystery,
• Poems
• Plays
Reading Resource Packets
Literary Devices
• Figurative Language
(metaphor, simile, personification)
• Allusion
• Sound devices (alliteration, rhyme,
onomatopoeia)
• Versification (rhyme scheme, rhythm,
free verse in poetry)
• Foreshadowing
• Imagery
• Irony
• Hyperbole (exaggeration)
• Dialect used in dialogue or
narration
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State Multiple Choice Reporting Categories
Grade 10
Word Meaning
Recognize and know the meaning
of words through the use of the
following aids to comprehension:
• Context
• Graphics
• Figurative expressions
• Knowledge of common words in
other forms (prefixes, suffixes,
synonyms, root words, contractions and
possessives)
• Language Structure/Syntax
• Background knowledge
• Punctuation and print conventions
Inferential Comprehension
Use information explicitly stated in
a passage to determine what is not
stated; make predictions and draw
conclusions about
• Relationships (Cause and effect,
sequence/time, comparisons,
classifications and generalizations)
• Events that could logically follow.
• Symbols
• Patterns
• Images
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Resource Tool K
Locating Information
Locate information in supportive
materials (i.e., dictionaries, atlases,
encyclopedias, almanacs, newspapers,
magazines, catalogs) and clarify
meaning by using a variety of
reading strategies:
• Skimming
• Scanning
• Close Reading
Sources of Information:
Literal Comprehension
Identify and/or recall information
explicitly stated in a passage
relating to the following features:
• Sequence of events
• Main ideas
• Supporting details including key
words, phrases or sentences
• Facts
• Opinions
Literary Forms
Evaluative Comprehension
• Reasons for actions
• Accuracy of information
• Alternative positions
• Use of facts versus opinions
• Presence of biases or stereotypes
• Use of propaganda or other
persuasion techniques
• How the selection can be related to
other issues or situations
Identify literary elements and their
contribution to the author’s
purpose:
Literary Elements:
• Character
• Plot
• Setting (as used to establish mood,
place and time period)
• Theme
• Style
• Point of View
• Charts • Tables of Contents
• Graphs
• Diagrams
• Headings
• Glossaries
• Indexes
• Tables
Analyze and evaluate information
or the validity of an argument,
action or policy by forming
conclusions about the selection in
the following areas:
Literary Elements and
Devices
Identify various forms of literature
and the qualities that distinguish
them. Literary forms include:
• Novels
• Short stories (humor, fable, mystery,
folktale, historical fiction, science
fiction, realistic fiction, satire)
• Nonfiction (informational article,
biography, autobiography)
• Poems
• Plays
Reading Resource Packets
Literary Devices
• Figurative Language
(metaphor, simile, personification)
• Symbolism
• Allusion
• Sound devices (alliteration, rhyme,
onomatopoeia)
• Versification (rhyme scheme, rhythm,
free verse in poetry)
• Foreshadowing
• Imagery
• Irony
• Hyperbole (exaggeration)
• Dialect used in dialogue or
narration
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Resource Tool L
Multiple Choice Item Construction
Multiple choice questions can be used to assess some reading skills and types of understanding.
Multiple choice items cannot provide enough information to match the descriptions on the
scoring guide dimensions so open-ended questions should be used as well.
Including multiple choice items can help prepare students for the State Multiple Choice
Assessments at the various benchmarks. Items can be designed to get at the same skills that
are tested under the score reporting categories. Documents available from the Department of
Education that would provide sample multiple choice items used on the state tests include the
Reading and Literature Test Specifications, Wall Charts and Sample Tests.
Some general suggestions on writing multiple choice items include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Keep the question stem and the answer options as short as possible.
Make sure all the answer choices (distracters) are plausible, but that there is only one right
answer.
Keep all the options parallel (same part of speech or structure of phrasing).
Avoid using negative stems (“Which of the following is not...”).
Make sure that the correct answer is not the longest option; keep all the options similar in
length.
Make sure that logic, grammatical clues or deliberate hints do not reveal the answer.
These may test thinking ability but they do not test reading ability.
Make sure the items are easy to read (you’re trying to test their reading of the passage
rather than their ability to decipher the test questions).
Include the central idea of the question and much of the phrasing in the stem rather than
the distracters.
Keep items independent of one another (so readers don’t find clues to one question in
other items).
Use your own wording rather than borrowing language from the text (unless you are
directly quoting for vocabulary or dialogue context).
Avoid “All of the above,” “None of the above,” and “I don’t know” as answer options.
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Resource Tool M
Sample Reading/Literature Classroom Assessment Entry Sheet:
CIM Level (Grades 9-10)
Student Name _________________________
Date(s) of Assessment ____________________
Title of Selection(s):
Author of Selection(s)
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Type of Selection(s): (Check all that apply)
Novel
Short Story
Poem
Drama
Nonfiction
Informative
Scores earned: (Circle the appropriate score)
Comprehension
Extending
Understanding
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Context Analysis*
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
* Students are not required to meet a standard in Context Analysis at the Grade 10 (CIM) Benchmark.
However, when appropriate, students may be assessed on this dimension as preparation for potential
work sample requirements for grade 12.
Teacher Verification _____________________________________
Teacher Comments:
Student Self-Reflection: (Optional—could be attached as a separate page)
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Resource Tool M
Sample Reading and Literature Classroom Assessment Entry Sheet:
Benchmarks II & III: Grades 4-8
Student’s Name ___________________________
Date(s) of Assessment ________________________
Title of Selection(s):
Author of Selection(s)
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Type of Selection(s): (Check all that apply)
Novel
Short Story
Poem
Drama
Nonfiction
Informative
Scores given: (Circle the score given)
Comprehension
Extending
Understanding
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
Reading Critically:
Context Analysis*
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
*Students are not required to meet a standard in Context Analysis, but this dimension may be assessed
when appropriate.
Teacher Verification _____________________________________
Teacher Comments:
Student Self-Reflection: (Optional—could be attached as a separate page)
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SECTION III: Examples of Student Responses with Commentary
Student A: Meets the Standard
Student B: Does Not Yet Meet the Standard
About the Selection. . . .
“Mrs. Kelly’s Monster” by Jon Franklin
As is the case with other sample reading assessments developed through the Department of
Education, this assessment was designed and piloted by groups of teachers who are members of
the Reading Content Panel. This informative piece shows how a nonliterary selection may also be
used to elicit a work sample for the reading collection of evidence (Performance Standards
indicate that works samples should deal with both literary and informative selections). This
Pulitzer Prize-winning article has proven both popular and challenging to students. It deals with a
woman undergoing brain surgery to relieve an aneurysm (the “monster” of the title), following the
progress of the operation as doctors struggle to save her life. Although writing an informative
piece, Franklin utilizes a large number of literary devices to drive his narrative, making this an
ideal selection for Text Analysis. The length of the selection and the open-ended questions that
follow give rich opportunities for students to demonstrate proficiency in the three required
dimensions of the scoring guide (questions 3 and 5 are designed to also elicit Context Analysis).
Multiple choice questions are also part of the assessment and primarily elicit evidence of
comprehension; in combination with the open-ended responses, a clearer picture of the student’s
ability to comprehend can be seen.
Additional samples of reading assessments appear in Part I of the Reading Resource Packet as
well as in other materials available from the Office of Assessment at the Department of Education.
About the Administration of the Assessment . . .
The work samples included in this packet were completed during an “on-demand” type of
assessment. This means that students completed the work during class time (approximately two
45-minute class periods) and were not given additional time to correct errors in writing
conventions. Since this is a reading and literature assessment, these errors do not affect their
scores.
Students also were not provided with an opportunity to revise their work after scores were given.
Districts or schools may wish to establish guidelines relating to revision as assessments are
designed to elicit work samples for student collections.
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Score Sheet
Student A
Grade 10 Classroom Assessment: “Mrs. Kelly’s Monster”
Informative selection by Jon Franklin
Must score 4 or higher in the three traits below to meet the standard.
Comprehension
6 5 4 3 2 1
Extending
Understanding
6 5 4 3 2 1
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
6 5 4 3 2 1
The underlined passages are taken from the official reading scoring guide.
Comprehension: The sample scores a 4 in Comprehension. The extensive margin notes
provide evidence of literal comprehension as well as the ability to draw obvious inferences and
form reasoned conclusions about their meaning ("He must be performing surgery today since
he can't have coffee." "The surgery might help her live a better life.") and to present
predictions based on adequate evidence ("There is a chance she probably won't survive the
surgery.") Additional evidence of comprehension can be found in the open-ended questions.
Extending Understanding: The sample scores a 4 in Extending Understanding. There is
some evidence of personal extensions in the margin notes ("I would be nervous and my hand
would be shaking if I was him." "I wouldn't want steel pins in my head.") The student relates
the selection to another text (the movie "Fantastic Voyage") in question 2. This is definitely a
relevant connection enhanced by the comment, “This story is more realistic because it shows
how in real life technology can’t always save people.” The response to question 3 is rather
vague and does little to help the score in this dimension.
Reading Critically: Text Analysis: The sample scores a low 4 in Text Analysis. The response
to question 4 competently identifies the author's purpose and analyzes how the author's
stylistic decisions contribute to the purpose, although the response needs to provide specific
examples from the text. Comments in the margin notes which identify literary devices help pull
the score in this trait to a 4 (...good personification..." "...good metaphor for surgery and the
brain..." "cool comparison...").
---------------------------------------------------Student work at grade 10 is not required to meet specific standards in Reading Critically: Context
Analysis. The score and comments below may be helpful for instructional purposes and
preparation for the grade 12 benchmark.
Reading Critically: Context Analysis: The sample scores a 3 in Context Analysis. Evidence
for this dimension can be found in the response to question 5. The student shows a limited
understanding about social or cultural issues and how they relate to the selection's message.
The student uses Zaire in the 1800s as a reference point but seems to have a superficial
knowledge of that time and place. Margin notes help slightly in this trait ("I think she probably
dies. She wouldn't be in pain then so it's probably for the best."--real potential for a
political/ethical issue here) but not enough to raise this to a "4".
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Score Sheet
Student B
Grade 10 Classroom Assessment: “Mrs. Kelly’s Monster”
Informative selection by Jon Franklin
Must score 4 or higher in the three traits below to meet the standard.
Comprehension
6 5 4 3 2 1
Extending
Understanding
6 5 4 3 2 1
Reading Critically:
Text Analysis
6 5 4 3 2 1
The underlined passages are taken from the official reading scoring guide.
Comprehension: The sample scores a 4 in Comprehension. The responses score a 4 on this
trait based primarily upon multiple choice question #11-25 (13 of 15 responses , or 87%, were
correct). Even though one of the open-ended responses (question 1) might suggest that the
reader was unaware of the final outcome of the story, the student was asked to describe “first
responses” and likely expressed his or her hope throughout the story that Mrs. Kelly would
survive. The response to multiple choice question 19, chosen by the student as the correct
answer, clearly says that Mrs. Kelly is dead by the end of the selection. Open-ended
responses give little evidence of detailed comprehension, but the multiple choice section
suffices to demonstrate an understanding of the main ideas and relevant and specific
supporting details, including obvious inferences.
Extending Understanding: The sample scores a 3 in Extending Understanding. The
responses are overly broad and general. In question 2, the response mentions the TV show
ER “when the doctor is operating on a lady, with the intensity growing and the suspicion arising
in one’s mind.” Another extension, again somewhat general and undeveloped, occurs in
question 3 when the response mentions “my ex-principal now superintendent that is
undergoing surgery now.”
Reading Critically: Text Analysis: The sample scores a high 2 in Text Analysis. Question 4
afforded an opportunity for this dimension, and response makes a judgment about the author’s
craft . . . but provides no textual support: “outstanding writing and the excellent word choice . .
. so explanatory I could picture everything . . . “ The response also does not use literary terms
to describe the effectiveness of the selection: the “writing was very intense and deep . . . I
liked to have a lot of detail . . . very descriptive . . .,” but the comments never move to a
discussion of specific literary elements or devices.
---------------------------------------------------Student work at grade 10 is not required to meet specific standards in Reading Critically: Context
Analysis. The score and comments below may be helpful for instructional purposes and
preparation for the grade 12 benchmark.
Reading Critically: Context Analysis: The sample scores a 2 in Context Analysis. The
responses demonstrate a limited . . . analysis of the ways in which an author’s messages or
themes have influenced or been influenced by history, society, culture, and life experiences.
In question 5, the only response that addresses this dimension notes that “ . . . in 1920 the
technology would have been way different. They would not have had the technology or the
tools that they worked with before. Most likely Mrs. Kelly would not have lived.”
Office of Assessment and Evaluation
Oregon Department of Education
Reading Resource Packets
Part 2: Grade 10
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