HOW TO ANSWER THE SHORT ANSWER FOR A SINGLE SELECTION STAAR OPEN ENDED RESPONSE SINGLE SELECTION

Components of the Open-Ended Response 2 Clear, reasonable idea about various aspects of the text Relevant text evidence that supports the idea analysis quotation

The Open-Ended Response... Is scored on content Unless the frequency and/or severity of writing convention errors causes clarity problems. 3 Write clearly and neatly. Your final answer must be written in the box provided.

0 Insufficient This response is too vague to understand. Or This response fails to give any textual evidence. (Quote) Or This response makes an interpretation not found in the text. Or This response is just a plot summary

Partially Sufficient:1 This response only gives an answer. Or This response only gives textual evidence and fails to explain how the quotation answers the question. Or There is no clear connection between the answer and the evidence.

Sufficient: 2 This response answers the question and gives appropriate evidence (Quote) The connection between the answer and the evidence (quotation) is clear.

Exemplary: 3 Everything a “2” has, PLUS: – Particularly insightful answer – Embedded quotations – Clear explanation as to how the quotations prove the answer

Sample: Answer Sheet

Now… YOU BE THE JUDGE. We’ll take a look at responses from real students who took the 9 th grade STAAR Benchmark last year. Their responses were scored by “official” graders. Let’s see if we can score these on our own…Get your score cards ready!

Literary Selection: single excerpt from the play of the novel: Anne of Green Gables In the excerpt from Anne of Green Gables, do you think the stage directions enhance your understanding of the scene? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

How do I answer this? With A.C.E., that’s how! To answer the question completely you must include 3 things: Answer: Write your response in a clear complete sentence in the box provided. Citation: Write a direct quotation from the story that proves your response is correct. Explanation : Write an explanation about how the citation (quotation from the text) proves your response is correct.

Stage directions from the dramatic adaptation of the novel: Anne of Green Gables 1 [Avonlea Station. A small figure, a child sits on a battered suitcase. The child wears a too-large overcoat and a cap covering its head. We can see only the child’s back as the lights come up. The child wraps the coat more tightly around itself and turns toward us for the first time: She is a girl, a simple tattered dress under her coat. The stationmaster comes to pick up a mailbag and notices the girl. ]

What grade (1-3) should this short answer get? The stage directions definitely help to get an image of the scene in the play. In a short story or novel, authors use words to describe the setting that the characters are in which helps to paint a visual image in the reader’s mind. Descriptions like “a small figure, a child, sits on a battered suitcase” and directions as to who a character is turned talking to like “to Anne” help the reader see what is happening, just like descriptions in a novel or short story. The reader can see the play being acted out in their minds which helps them to understand the scenes better and connect with the characters just by reading.

Here’s the ACE: Answer, Citation, Explanation – red is the answer, green is the citation (quotation), and blue is the explanation about how the quotation proves that answer is true. The stage directions definitely help to get an image of the scene in the play. In a short story or novel, authors use words to describe the setting that the characters are in which helps to paint a visual image in the reader’s mind. Descriptions like “a small figure, a child, sits on a battered suitcase” and directions as to who a character is turned talking to like “to Anne”” help the reader see what is happening, just like descriptions in a novel or short story. The reader can see the play being acted out in their minds which helps them to understand the scenes better and connect with the characters just by reading.

Score Point: 3 -Exemplary The student offers the thoughtful idea that stage directions enhance a reader’s images of the scene in the play. Specific synopsis and direct quotations are combined to strongly support the idea, making this an exemplary response. The idea is perceptive and text evidence is specific and well chosen.

The next response: In “Anne of Green Gables” I believe the stage directions enhance the understanding of the scene. Some evidence to prove it is all of the first paragraph. It enhances the understanding of the scene by introducing the main character, setting the scene, and setting the mood. Without the stage directions it’s all confusing. Some more text evidence is all of paragraph 8. It enhances the scene by introducing a man who is to adopt Anne and what his character is like. In conclusion I believe the stage directions enhance the scene because without them it’s very confusi ng.

Score Point: 2- Sufficient The student presents a reasonable idea and supports it with quotations of relevant text, making this a sufficient response.

In “Anne of Green Gables” I believe the stage directions enhance the understanding of the scene. Some evidence to prove it is all of the first paragraph. It enhances the understanding of the scene by introducing the main character, setting the scene, and setting the mood. Without the stage directions it’s all confusing. Some more text evidence is all of paragraph 8. It enhances the scene by introducing a man who is to adopt Anne and what his character is like. In conclusion I believe the stage directions enhance the scene because without them it’s very confusing. *Now can you see why it got a 2?

Here’s the next response: The stage directions help a lot because the reader can create more realistic pictures in their head about what is going on. When “Anne clutches her bag. She is terrified,” shows Anne is scared without Anne having to say it.

What did you think this deserves? The stage directions help a lot because the reader can create more realistic pictures in their head about what is going on. When “Anne clutches her bag. She is terrified,” shows Anne is scared without Anne having to say it.

Score Point- 1- Partially Sufficient In this response, the student writes in first person. There is no direct text evidence – only summary. If the writer had quoted from the stage directions, their response would have been scored higher if the connection between the text evidence and answer was closely linked.

Here’s the next response: It lets me know that she’s waiting for something or someone and that she might be unfortunate.

Score Point: 0- Insufficient This student offers an idea ( that she’s waiting for something or someone ) that only summarizes part of the stage directions; the response does not address whether stage directions enhance the play. There is no quotation to be used as evidence either.

Now let’s look at three exemplars (examples that establish a certain standard) for ‘Open Window.’ Here is the question: “ What makes it possible for Vera to fool Nuttle?”

Exemplar for a score of 3 Nuttle’s bad nerves combined with Vera’s cleverness and ability to quickly create a lie make it possible for Vera to fool Nuttle. For example, in the beginning, we read that Nuttle doubts that his visiting various people will help, “…the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.” Then, sensing that his mental balance is not that good, we read Vera ask Nuttle, “Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?” When he answers that he doesn’t, she sees an opportunity to ‘mess with him’ and set up a lie. If Nuttle’s nerves had been better, he might have seen that he was being fooled. But because he was at the Sappleton’s to calm his nerves, he didn’t see the lie. Vera’s cleverness is illustrated as she asks him the right questions to get away with her lie, and her cleverness fools him because she can anticipate his reaction to seeing the group returning from their hunt.

What did this person do to deserve his grade? This person: 1. ANSWERS THE QUESTION 2. CITES THE TEXT BY PROVIDING QUOTATIONS 3. EXPLAINS HOW THE QUOTATION PROVES THE ANSWER Also, this person writes small enough so that they can pack the short answer with information. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TEN LINES!

HERE’S A SCORE OF 2: Vera can fool Nuttle because she knows he’s a stranger to their town and she knows he’s kind of nuts. We know that Nuttle is there to get a, ‘…nerve cure.’ When he comes to visit, she asks him, “Do you know many of the people round here?” After that she decides that she can fool him because he’s new to the area and not too smart. So she makes up a story about how her uncle and cousin died on a hunting trip and is able to fool him because of his mental condition and because of him being new to that town.

Why did this get a 2? It used a quote and the A.C.E. format for answering questions! The vocabulary wasn’t as advanced. The quotes were not as focused as the ‘3’ answer. The explanation was more superficial. What other reasons can you see? The answer is sufficient, however! Simply, there was not as much elaboration and development as the ‘3,’ but the writer did everything she was supposed to do.

Here’s a 1. Why do you think it got a 1? Vera fools Nuttle because he’s not too smart, and she is. She asks him if he knows anyone around there. When he says no, she decides to tell him a big lie because she likes to lie and he’s got bad nerves. So she knows her uncle is hunting and will come in the door soon. That way she thinks he’ll leave and not stay there.

Can you see why it got a 1? The answer doesn’t really follow the A.C.E. format, does it? Is there a quotation? How is the development? Is it detailed? How is the vocabulary? Is the explanation sufficient?

What kind of short answer gets a 0? Vera fools Nuttle cuz he’s not too smart and she’s a liar. She likes to lie and he’s got bad nerves and believes her.

Where do I begin with a short answer? Prewriting: 1. Look at the question 2. Figure out the ‘I say.’ Answer the question in your own words. 3.Figure out the ‘It says.” Quote the text to support your answer and explain the connection. 4.Then turn that prewriting into a well- constructed 10 line paragraph.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE STAAR NOW? OF COURSE YOU ARE! YOU’RE BRILLIANT AND Rockport Pirates ARE GOING TO CONQUER!