Creating Text-Dependent
Constructed Response Questions
Penny Plavala, School Improvement Specialist
Multnomah ESD
pplavala@mesd.k12.or.us
Session One Goals
• Refresher: Smarter Balanced Assessment Components
• Focus on Constructed Response Questions
• Create Questions for a Classroom Formative Assessment
 Instructional design:
direct instruction, work independently,
with a partner, and in small groups
Please locate a partner
Why Are We Here?
This spring, students will answer Constructed Response
questions on the Smarter Balanced Assessment.
This is a new item type for Oregon students.
By integrating CR questions into our classroom
assessments, students will be familiar with this type of
item.
We will focus today on Text-Dependent
Constructed Response questions.
The SBAC Assessment System
English Language Arts and Mathematics, Grades 3 – 8 and High School
11th Grade: Last 6 weeks
Last 12 weeks of year*
DIGITAL CLEARINGHOUSE of formative tools, processes and exemplars; released items and tasks;
model curriculum units; educator training; professional development tools and resources; an
interactive reporting system; scorer training modules; and teacher collaboration tools.
INTERIM ASSESSMENT
Computer Adaptive
Assessment and
Performance Tasks
INTERIM ASSESSMENT
Computer Adaptive
Assessment and
Performance Tasks
Scope, sequence, number, and timing of interim
assessments locally determined
PERFORMANCE
TASKS
• Reading
• Writing
• Math
COMPUTER
ADAPTIVE
ASSESSMENT
CR Questions on Both Parts of Test
Optional Interim
assessment system —
no stakes
Summative assessment
for accountability
* Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions.
Assessment Item Types
Selected Response (SR)
Variety of multiple choice
Technology Enhanced (TE)
Technology embedded into
items
Constructed Response (CR)
Short answer using textual
evidence
Performance Tasks (PT)
Use higher level thinking skills;
integrate reading, writing, and
listening
Our Focus Today
•Require the student to generate a response as
opposed to selecting a response.
•Include both short and extended responses.
•Allow students to demonstrate their use of
complex thinking skills consistent with the
expectations for college and career readiness.
The following items are from the SBAC Practice Test 2013.
Components of a Constructed Response Item
The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf
STIMULUS
A Shepherd's Boy was tending his flock near a village, and thought it would be
great fun to trick the villagers by pretending that a Wolf was attacking the sheep:
so he shouted out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when the people came running up he
laughed at them because they believed him. He did this more than once, and
every time the villagers found they had been tricked, for there was no Wolf at all.
At last a Wolf really did come, and the Boy cried, "Wolf! Wolf!" as loud as he could:
but the people were so used to hearing him call that they took no notice of his
cries for help. And so no one came to help the boy, and the Wolf attacked the
(Reading Passage)
In
few
sentences,
explain
what
lesson
the
reader
In aafew
sentences,
explain what
lesson the
reader
can learn
from
the shepherd’s
boy. Use
details
from the
to support your
response.
can
learn
from
thestory
shepherd’s
boy.
Use details from
the story to support your response.
STEM
SPACE FOR
ANSWER
Constructed Response
What are some ways in which the Mexican free-tails are unique
among bat species?
Use at least two details from the presentation to support your
answer.
Type your answer in the space provided.
Constructed Response
Read the sentence and the directions that follow.
The hermit crabs in the ocean have learned to adapt to the changing
housing situation.
Using details from the text, define the word adapt and explain how the
crabs have adapted.
Type your answer in the space provided.
Constructed Response
There are physical health benefits associated with meditation.
Using at least two details from the text, support this conclusion
Type your answer in the space provided.
Constructed Response
Summarize the central idea in the section “Ups and Downs”
Use key evidence from the text to support your summary.
Type your answer in the space provided.
Scoring a Constructed Response Item
2-point Use Evidence Rubric
2
The response gives sufficient evidence of the ability to cite
evidence to support arguments and/or ideas.
1
The response gives limited evidence of the ability to cite
evidence to support arguments and/or ideas.
0
The response gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the
ability to cite evidence to support arguments and/or ideas.
Conventions are not
scored on Constructed
Response questions
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
After students read a passage in your
classroom, how do you check for
understanding?
• Answer questions during whole-class discussion
• Quick write – summarize key ideas (exit slip)
• Thumbs up, sideways, down
• Answer text-dependent constructed response
questions
Text-Dependent
Constructed Response Questions
• Definition
• Examples
CR = Constructed
Response
• Components
• Practice creating questions for your classroom
Text-Dependent CR Questions:
• are open ended, short answer questions that measure
application-level skills as well as content knowledge.
• can assess higher level thinking:
- comparisons, contrasts, causes, effects, changes
- identify patterns or conflicting points of view
- categorize or summarize information
- state a generalization, conclusion, explanation or
prediction……using evidence from the text.
Text-Dependent CR Questions:
• use a range of primary and secondary stimuli and
authentic "real world" examples including short
reading passages, time lines, maps, graphs, cartoons,
charts.
• are graded against specific criterion using a rubric.
Text-Dependent CR Question
Example:
“Some animals would not survive if they were unable
to use tools.” What two pieces of evidence from the
article would you use to support this statement?
TextBased
Answers
TextDependent
Questions
Teachers write questions that keep students in
the text. Students shouldn’t have to go outside
the text for answers.
“Stay within four corners of text”.
Quality Text-Dependent Questions
Can be answered by careful close reading
Do not depend on outside sources
Require more than recalling facts
Often require students to infer
Require time for students to process
Outstanding New Resource
Text-Dependent Questions: Pathways to
Close and Critical Reading, Grades 6-12
• Creating Effective Close Reading Lessons
- What does the text say?
- How does the text work?
- What does the text mean?
• Sample passages with questions
• Classroom videos
Types of Text-Dependent Questions
Examples
• Follow along on pink sheet
+ One side: English teachers ~ short story
+ Other side: all other teachers ~ historical speech
• Examples increase in difficulty
Note: All questions would include a second sentence
asking students to support their answer with evidence
from the text.
Build Understanding of the Meaning
• Sequence of information
• Determine importance of ideas
• Find details that support main
ideas
• Answers who, what, when,
where, why, how much, or how
many.
• Why is Susan B. Anthony delivering
this speech?
• Why was she arrested?
• Who is the narrator? How do
you know?
Vocabulary and Text Structure
• Bridges literal and inferential
meanings
• Denotation
• Connotation
• Shades of meaning
• Figurative language
• How organization contributes
to meaning
• Examine the length of her speech. Is it
sufficient for her purpose?
• What does Poe mean by the word
“mad”?
• How does the author’s use of symbolism
impact the story?
Author’s Purpose
• Genre: Entertain? Explain? Inform? Persuade?
• Narrator: Who tells the story?
• Point of view: First-person, third-person limited,
omniscient, unreliable narrator
• What does the right to vote represent to
Susan B. Anthony? Where specifically
does she emphasize the importance of
voting for women?
• How does the narrator’s retelling of the
events lead the reader to understand his
state of mind?
Inference Questions
• Use details and examples in the text when
drawing inferences.
• Details in text + what you know = inference
• Based solely on this speech, what type
of person is Susan B. Anthony?
• Why does the narrator declare his guilt
at the end of the story?
Are These Text-Dependent
CR Questions?
• Look up at screen to view the sample questions.
• Read the question.
• Talk to partner to determine if this is an example of a
text-dependent question.
• Discuss why or why not?
From poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry W. Longfellow
• How does the author express a rising call for action in
the final four lines of the poem?
• How does the author portray Revere as a protector of
his community? Cite examples from the text.
• Do you think it is fair for people to protest against the
government?
•
Many historians argue the accuracy of this poem. Do
you think students should be expected to read this
poem if it contains inaccurate details?
From other texts:
• In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. King discusses
nonviolent protest. Discuss a time you wanted to fight
against something that you felt was unfair.
• After reading Dr. King’s letter, what can you infer about
the content of the letter he received? Use details from
the text to support your answer.
• In the poem “Casey at the Bat”, how does the author
make Casey’s experiences realistic in stanza four?
•
In the poem, Casey strikes out. Describe a time you
failed at something.
How do we create
Text-Dependent
Constructed Response questions?
A Constructed Response Question:
- from handout • Clearly tells students what they are going to do.
• Uses simple, but authentic vocabulary and good sentence
structure.
• Identifies the information or materials that students
should use when preparing their response. (article, video, chart, etc.)
• Clearly indicates the process that should be demonstrated.
(explain, describe, analyze, evaluate, etc.)
• Identifies key words by using bold text as needed.
• Add: Requires students to use evidence from the text to support
their answers.
Text-Dependent CR Question
Sample Question:
Looking at Source #1 under the heading “We Can Make
A Difference”, describe one action and explain how it
can reduce the effects of climate change.
“Climate Change”
(Article from EPA)
Science Teachers
Gladstone High School
Text-Dependent CR Question
Sample Question 1:
In the scene on pages 49-54, at the end of Act 1,
analyze how the authors develop either the conflict
between Bert Cates and Rachel or the conflict between
Cates and the society of Hillsboro. Use examples of the
text to support your answer.
Kris Schuberg, English Teacher
Gladstone High School
Text-Dependent CR Question
Sample Question 2:
In the same scene, explain how the authors develop
Drummond’s character as a pariah in the town of
Hillsboro. Cite a line by Drummond or Rachel as
evidence to support your answer.
Kris Schuberg, English Teacher
Gladstone High School
Text-Dependent CR Question
Sample Question:
How does the author use data to show sugar
consumption is a problem to overall health? Provide
two examples of evidence from the article to support
your answer.
Where could
we add a
strong verb?
“Sweet Sacrifice”
(Article on curbing sugar intake)
Special Ed Teachers
Gladstone High School
Facilitated Work Session
• Work alone or with a partner who has the same
reading passage.
• Work quietly to not disturb others.
• Leave today with an assessment to use immediately in
your classroom.
If you did not bring a
reading passage, please
take an article I brought
to get you started.
Next Steps: Baseline Assessment
• Prepare the passage and questions for student use.
• Give the reading passage and questions to students in one
class by ___________.
• Bring a set of student answers to our session on ________.
• We will create a rubric and score student work.
Capturing Our Work
• Please place all materials in your folder.
• Bring this folder to our next session
Session Two Goals
• Refresher: Text-Dependent Constructed Response
Questions
• Create CR Rubric and Expected Answer
• Score Student Work
Please locate a partner
Smarter Balanced Assessment
•Require the student to generate a response as
opposed to selecting a response.
•Include both short and extended responses.
•Allow students to demonstrate their use of complex
thinking skills consistent with the expectations for
college and career readiness.
CR questions are are Text-Dependent when students
have to support their answer with evidence from the
reading passage.
Constructed Response 2 – Point Rubric
The response gives sufficient evidence of the ability to ___________________________
2
____________________________________________________________________________.
The response gives limited evidence of the ability to _________________________________
1
____________________________________________________________________________.
A response gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability to _____________________
0
____________________________________________________________________________.
Steps to Creating a Rubric
• Choose one of the questions you wrote.
• On the template, create a rubric for the skill being
assessed. (analyze, explain, compare, etc.)
Look back at Sample
Questions
Text-Dependent CR Question
Sample Question 1:
In the scene on pages 49-54, at the end of Act 1,
analyze how the authors develop either the conflict
between Bert Cates and Rachel or the conflict between
Cates and the society of Hillsboro. Use examples of the
text to support your answer.
Kris Schuberg, English Teacher
Gladstone High School
Text-Dependent CR Question
Sample Question 2:
In the same scene, explain how the authors develop
Drummond’s character as a pariah in the town of
Hillsboro. Cite a line by Drummond or Rachel as
evidence to support your answer.
Rubric for Inherit the Wind Question
Analyze / Integrate Information Rubric
2
The response gives sufficient evidence of the ability to explain
how the authors develop Drummond’s character as a pariah.
1
The response gives limited evidence of the ability to explain
how the authors develop Drummond’s character as a pariah.
• Gives general not specific information
0
The response gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the
ability to explain how the authors develop Drummond’s
character as a pariah
Create a Rubric
• Choose one of the questions you wrote.
• On the template, create a rubric for the skill being
assessed. (analyze, explain, compare, etc.)
• Make notes on what would separate score points.
Record the Expected Answer
• What is the expected answer for a score of 2?
• Write down on template:
- the elements of the 2 score answer – or –
- a sample answer your student might write
Expected Answer for Score of 2
Sample Question 2:
The answer should have information that shows the
qualities that make Drummond a pariah or make him
understand what it means to be a pariah.
The answer should also include directly quoted text to
support the analysis.
Kris Schuberg, English Teacher
Gladstone High School
Record the Expected Answer
• What is the expected answer for a score of 2?
• Write down on template:
- the elements of the 2 score answer – or –
- a sample answer your student might write
Scoring Student Work
• Take out the student work you brought today.
• Use the rubric and expected answer as resources
when you score the CR question.
• Write the score of 2, 1, or 0 on the student’s paper or
on class list.
Scoring Student Work
• After you score 5-8 papers, start jotting down the
trends you are seeing in the student work:
Student Skills
* What are students doing well?
Skills to Teach
* What skills need strengthening?
• Continue scoring and tracking trends.
Next Steps
• Track trends: What do students know? What skills need to
be taught?
• Collaborate with other teachers to create mini lessons to
teach specific skills. (PLC?)
• Teach the mini lessons
• Choose a new reading passage and create a formative
assessment with 2 questions. Give to students.
• Create rubrics and expected answers for score of 2
• Analyze student work.
Please thank your partner and
small group members
for their good work.
Answering a TDQ
• What skills do students need to successfully answer a
Text-Dependent Question?
• What are the expectations in your classroom?
Example: Put part of the question in the answer
Brainstorm a list of skills with your group
Put part of the question in the answer.
Closely read the question. Follow directions.
Re-read the text to find the answer.
Carefully select the evidence to support their answer.
Accurately demonstrate the skill: describe, explain, analyze..
Write in complete sentences.
Frame evidence: “According to ______,”
Use topic-specific terms - not general vocab.
Make a generalization – read multiple sources – look for
common threads.
Proofread your answer
Create a Mini Lesson
1. Choose one of the skills you identified.
1. Brainstorm with your group:
- How could we teach / model this skill?
- What text would we use? (same as baseline?)
- What would we have students do in pairs to practice?
- What would we have students do independently?
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
“I do it”
Focus Lesson
Guided
Instruction
“We do it”
Collaborative
Independent
“You do it
together”
“You do it
alone”
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
A Model for Success for All Students
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of
responsibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Baseline Formative Assessment
• Keep the scores of your student work as a baseline.
• Use results to determine the skills you need to teach
students.
• Create mini lessons with your team using text from your
curriculum.
• Create the next round of CR questions.
• Score student work and look for growth
from the baseline assessment.