Testing Update
ACT Aspire
Writing
4th Grade - Analytical Expository
5th Grade - Persuasive/Argumentative
Writing Rubric Domains
1. Development
2. Organization
3. Language Usage
4. Genre Specific Criteria (Narrative, Informational, or Argument)
5 point scale - 4 is considered "adequate"
No tools are allowed (dictionaries, thesaurus)
Scratch paper is allowed for planning purposes
Pages for final draft are contained in the the test booklet and they will have 3 pages of wide-ruled paper.
Support Timed Writing
1. Begin experimenting with timed writing during the designated testing unit on Rubicon Atlas.
2. Offer oral prompting strategies for managing time.
3. Wean them off the oral prompting several weeks before the test.
Two Main Areas for Assessment through Evaluation of Passages:
1. Conventions of Standard English
a. Punctuation conventions
b. Usage conventions
c. Sentence structure and formation
2. Production of Writing
a. Topic Development
b. Organization, unity, and cohesion
c. Knowledge of language
Reading
1. Key Ideas and Details
2. Craft and Structure
3. Integration of Knowledge
Reading will have 27 multiple choice and 4 constructed response.
Examples of constructed-response tasks are:
1. Formulate a conclusion by making connections within a passage and provide support using specific details from the text.
2. Formulate a conclusion by making connections between a pair of passages and provide support using specific details from both texts.
3. Identify cause and effect relationships within a passage and provide support using specific details form the text.
4. Identify similarities and differences between the key ideas and paired passages and provide support using specific details form both texts.
Constructed Response Tasks are scored according to a rubric that is unique to each stem. They can receive a 3, 2, or 1. See a sample rubric below.
Please look on Rubicon Atlas for the Testing as a Genre Resources in Unit 6.
Math
Math will be comprised of 3 main categories and 2 sub-categories:
1. Grade Level Progress - achievement related to the mathematical topics new to the grade.
2. Foundation - the mathematical growth of the student with topics learned in previous grades.
a. Justification and Explanation - capturing evidence about a student's ability to support and explain their mathematical reasoning, which will come from constructed-response tasks. This category focuses on giving reasons for why things work as they do, where students create a mathematical argument to justify.
b. Modeling - Derived using all items with a strong modeling component to show how students can apply mathematics in modeling situations. This category highlights questions that assess understanding of mathematical models and their creation, interpretation, evaluation, and improvement. This is closely tied to problem solving.
Formulas - ACT Aspire will give students some formulas, but not all.
Constructed Response Items
1. Engage students in the Standards of Mathematical Practices
2. Focus on justification and explanation
3. Provide students with opportunities to practice constructed response items
4. Support student writing with mini-lessons
5. Share good, better, and best responses
Testing Strategies for Math
1. Complete all items
2. May skip items and come back
3. Not penalized for guessing
4. Answer choice may be D - Both A and C are correct
5. Items may have multiple parts
6. Pace yourself
Modeling, Justification, and Representation
1. I need to find out...
2. I know that...
3. This is how I solved it. (about 2 or 3 sentences, includes model, algorithm, and/or equation)
4. My answer is ....and I know it is correct because...
Students must be able to explain misconceptions
1. How do you know the answer is not correct?
2. What mistake do you think might have been made?
3. Why can't the answer be _____?
Math Blueprint
ACT Aspire Resources
Go to http://tn.actaspire.org/client/index.html#login to view exemplar items
Logins:
Username - english; Password - actaspire
Username - reading; Password - actaspire
Username - writing; Password - actaspire
Username - math; Password - actaspire