Aces…A strategy for mastering constructed responses

This strategy has been adapted from a similar strategy used on the following site: http://nwrpdp.com/documents/constructed_response/website_english_packet.pdf

This strategy is Aligned to the state rubric Kentucky Extended-Response Questions General Scoring Guide Score Point 4 Score You complete all important components of the question and communicate ideas clearly. You demonstrate in-depth understanding of the relevant concepts and/or processes. Where appropriate, you choose more efficient and/or sophisticated processes. Where appropriate, you offer insightful interpretations or extensions Score Point 3 You complete most important components of the question and communicate clearly. You demonstrate an understanding of major concepts even though you overlook or misunderstand some less-important ideas or details. Score Point 2 You complete some important components of the question and communicate those components clearly You demonstrate that there are gaps in your conceptual understanding. Score Point 1 You show minimal understanding of the question. You address only a small portion of the question.

4 3 2 1 Answers Cites strong evidence from the text Shows HOT Thinking the question correctly and clearly Cites strong evidence from the text Expands/ explains the evidence Shows HOT Thinking 3 Answers most of the question correctly and clearly Cites evidence from the text Expands/ explains the evidence 2 Answers some of the question correctly Cites weak evidence from the text 1 Answers the question minimally

4 3 2 1 Answers Shows HOT Thinking Answers most of Answers some of the question correctly and clearly Cites examples from understanding or knowledge Explains examples/evidence Shows HOT Thinking 3 Answers most of the question correctly Cites examples from understanding or knowledge Explains examples/ evidence 2 Answers some of the question correctly Cites examples from understanding or knowledge 1 Answers the question minimally

4 3 2 1 Answers Shows HOT Thinking Answers most of Answers some the question correctly and clearly Cite your understanding with previous knowledge or other evidence Explains examples evidence Shows HOT Thinking 3 Answers most of the question correctly Cite your understanding with previous knowledge or other evidence Explains examples/ evidence 2 Answers some the question correctly Cite your understanding with previous knowledge or other evidence 1 Answers the question minimally

4 3 2 1 Computes Answers some Answers on paper Explains your Work Answers all parts of the Problem correctly and clearly Computes on paper Explains your Work (Process) Shows Hot Thinking *Vocabulary *Explains answer in the context of the problem. 3 Answers all parts of the Problem correctly with minor errors. Computes on paper Explains your Work (Process) 2 Answers some of the problem Computes partially 1 Answers the problem minimally

Insight demonstrates higher order thinking Analysis Applications What is HOT Thinking? Insight demonstrates higher order thinking Analysis Applications Synthesis Use of content vocabulary Selecting most efficient processes Providing a more sophisticated response **This CAN & SHOULD be embedded within the answer and/or explanation.

What does “CITE” mean? Students may most often associate the term “cite” with quoting evidence from a test as with language arts. However, “cite” is also a verb used to mention or bring forward information as a means of support – it does not always mean to quote text. (ex. The teacher cited several ways we can earn a higher grade.) This may be a conversation that needs to occur in science & social studies classes prior to discussing ACES. 

Explaining Evidence Explaining evidence can be hard for some kids, so you can make it easier by offering sentence starters. Below are some generic ways to start these sentences. You would use these sentences AFTER citing evidence/knowledge. The ‘this’ may need to be more specific or at least refer to evidence from a previous sentence. Generic Sentence Starters for “Explaining Evidence” This quote demonstrates… This evidence illustrates… This implies… This answer proves… This answer means… This concludes… This fact supports… This idea relates to… This explains…

See packet for reading Passage and question

Answer 4 The speaker’s memory of his mother’s kitchen is very important to him. This memory is very important to the speaker because he really loves his mother. The poem also suggests that she may have died. In the last stanza, on line 27 it says, “My mother moves in and out of light.” This suggests that she may only live as a dream. It makes this memory very powerful for the speaker because it’s a memory of his mother and nice times when he was a child. In the first stanza, in lines 1-4 it says “Fragrance of fresh tortillas and corn stew fills my mother’s sparsely furnished kitchen crowded with warmth.” From this you can tell that he likes it in his mother’s kitchen and it is warm both literally and figuratively and there are good smells there. You can tell that he really misses her from lines 23 and 24 in the fourth stanza where it says, “Bittersweet tears and ringing silvery laughter I ache in my heart.” The speaker feels great love for his mother. In the poem he describes her in great detail and how she’s strong yet gentle. This memory is very reminiscent for the speaker in the poem.

Answer the question………………1 pt Cite evidence from the text…1 pt Introducing the ACE Strategy for Reading… Answer the question………………1 pt Cite evidence from the text…1 pt Expand Explain your answer.…1pt Shows insight……………………………1pt Facilitator Notes: A JSA trainer came across this approach when working with a group of teachers in Ohio. The Ohio Achievement Test is like many state assessments in that in puts a lot of weight on short answer extended response items. The Ohio teachers were excited about using the ACE approach from Pre-K to 12th grade. They were very enthusiastic about the results they were getting with their kids. It is the simplicity that teachers like so much. The Ohio teachers said their students learned it very quickly. Teachers and students focused “ACE-ing” the answers.

Responses A C E S Points *A – answer the question When answering short answer responses, use the ACES strategy: *A – answer the question *C – cite evidence from the text *E – extend/explain your answer *S- Shows insight **You may receive a total of four points for each response. You need to keep track of your progress by recording your score on the grid. Put an x on your score for each assignment. Question Date A C E S Points *Check means the student could perform the expectation.

________________________________________ C ACE ASSIGNMENT…for reading A ________________________________________ C E S THIS WAS DEVELOPED BY A SPECIAL ED TEAM BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEIR STUDENTS TO HAVE JUST A QUICK PARAGRAPH TO READ AND ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER. THEY ALSO SAID THEIR STUDENTS NEEDED THE STRUCTURE THAT THIS TEMPLATE GAVE THEM. I’VE HAD HS TEACHERS WHO LIKE IT ALSO AND SAID THEIR STUDENTS NEEDED IT AT FIRST ALSO.

s A C E Assignment Date *You may receive a total of *Use the ACES strategy...A-Answer the question C-Cite evidence from the text E-Expand/explain your answer S-Shows insight *You may receive a total of 4 points per answer Assignment Date A C E s My Score Peer Evaluator Score Teacher Score

________________________________________ Name____________________ ACE Score___ I answered the question……………………………__yes__no I provided strong evidence………………………__yes__no I supported my answer from the text…..__yes__no I showed insight………………………………………….__yes__no STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION OR PEER SCORING GUIDE

Answer the problem! Compute your work! Explain how you got Introducing the ACE Strategy for Math… Answer the problem! Compute your work! Explain how you got your answer! Facilitator Notes:

Has enough details to show you understood the problem. Learner-Friendly 4-Point Math Rubric Your ADVANCED answer Has enough details to show you understood the problem. Is organized and complete. Completely explains your ideas and math thinking. Has a correct answer. PROFICIENT answer Has some details to show you understood the problem Is mostly organized Explains your ideas and math thinking Has a correct answer NEARING PROFICIENT answer Doesn’t have enough details to show you understood the problem. Is unorganized and unclear. Doesn’t clearly explain your ideas or math thinking. Has an answer that’s almost right. EMERGING I only wrote the right answer with no computation or explanation….or… I made lots of mistakes. I just didn’t understand the problem. Facilitator Notes: This math rubric uses the same language and point system that the NM Standards Based Assessment rubric uses. The ACE approach reflects the important elements of the math rubric. Most elementary and even some secondary teachers feel that this rubric is aligned as well as user-friendly and gives enough info for their students to use. Your Shows no details. Doesn’t make sense. Has no explanation of ideas or math thinking. Has a wrong answer.

ACE…..your math questions Rubric Score ____ Standard:_______________________Benchmark:_____________________ Question:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Answer: Computation: Explanation/Insight: _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

“MATH” PROBLEM SOLVING GRAPH Advanced 4 Proficient 3 Nearing 2 Emerging 1 Activity 5 6 7 8 9 10 GOAL

PLAN DO ACT STUDY ACES IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR READING ___My plan worked ___I need a new plan STUDY

ACE Improvement Plan Name_____________ Date____________ Subject____________ PLAN:_________________________________________ DO:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STUDY:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___My plan worked! ___I need another improvement plan!

2 3 4 1 ACES-ing Open-ended Math responses SECONDARY Example Learner level ACES-ing Open-ended Math responses Assignment 2 3 4 My Score Peer Evaluator Teacher Score 1 Facilitator Notes: The slide illustrates a page from a HS literature student’s data notebook. Students score their own daily assignments and having peers score their assignments also. The weekly quiz lets them know how they were really doing. In essence, they are now able to triangulate their learning data.

EFFECTIVELY expand our extended- response questions in reading Strategies we’ve learned to help us EFFECTIVELY expand our extended- response questions in reading *Describe a personal connection that you can make to the passage. *State an opinion about the passage *Make a prediction about what you think might happen next *Make a comparison about two characters in the passage *Make an inference a bout something you read in the passage *Point out a cause/effect situation in the passage. *Make a conclusion about the passage How one teacher charted for the kids so that they could choose the best way to expand their answer.

EFFECTIVELY answer our constructed- response questions in math Strategies we’ve learned to help us EFFECTIVELY answer our constructed- response questions in math *Draw a diagram that shows exactly HOW we figured out the problem. *Make sure we WRITE out an explanation of what we were thinking by our illustration. *If we used manipulatives, make a PICTURE of what we did to figure out the answer. *Write “something” on the lines for E. *Compute our work carefully in order to lessen mistakes *Use the ACE template so that the answer is organized. *Show and explain “every” step in solving the problem.