WASL Wisdom From Lessons Learned

Number Sense Students have difficulties labeling fractional parts. –Examples of mislabels:

Number Sense Students do not understand the meaning of the “remainder” in division problems. Students do not know how to represent a remainder in decimal form. Student writes an answer as 12.3 instead of 12 ¾ on the answer line.

NO run-on equations!!! 6+6=12+12=24 6+6= = = Yes! YES!

Measurement Students have difficulty computing with time and representing the answers. –12:10 means 12 hours ten minutes elapsed time. –12.1 hours means 12 hours 6 minutes. –12:10 P.M. means 10 minutes after 12 noon. Students continue to use 100 minutes for one hour instead of sixty minutes for one hour, when computing elapsed time.

Geometric Sense When plotting points on a coordinate grid, students are showing the tracking lines that help them locate the points. Students need to use a ruler or straight edge when drawing figures

Communicates Understanding When students are asked to write questions or information that can be obtained from data given, they should use the information, rather than just restate the information given. Students have difficulty writing questions that can be answered from given information. –When students write: “The cost of a milkshake and a donut = ” They do not receive credit because it is not a question. –They should write: “What is the cost of a milkshake and a donut?” An expression or an equation is not a question. An example of student work that will not receive points for a question is: x + y + 2.

COMPLETE COMPARISONS! Comparison words are critical –B–Bigger not big –S–Smaller not small –D–Different is good! Bigger than what? Smaller than what? Students should use attributes not opinions.

“Show” 12 not enough – labels (numbers) don’t explain Enough – needed 3, 4, or 12 to explain picture 4 “ Show” means to communicate Short answer and extended response items require students to show evidence of procedures, and/or strategies. –Label diagrams and pictures with numbers or words E.g. Draw a diagram to show how you know that 4 x 3= Not enough – no numbers to explain Enough – even without the line

Pictures have to match the number label!

Labels Missing and/or incorrect labels are a common reason students lose points. Money: $1.80 (One dollar and eighty cents) is mislabeled in the following ways: $1.80¢ 1.80$ $1.8 When students are given inches in a prompt, their answers are mislabeled feet. When reading data from a graph, students often ignore the unit provided in the label of an axis or provide an incorrect label in their answer. Students mislabel or leave the labels off linear, square, and/or cubic measures. –Instead of 35 ft², students mistakenly write 35² ft. –Use (") symbol for inch and (') symbol for foot with a raised 2 to mean squared is incorrect. Example: 25'² and 25²' are both incorrect. Mislabeled time units include: –forgetting the morning or afternoon label. –forgetting the colon. –using a decimal point instead of a colon.

Students should answer the question that is being asked.

“Choose not to choose” To keep reliability If shows 2 ways and 1 way is wrong, it is wrong If picture is not labeled, they won’t interpret meaning “words, numbers or pictures” - 2 of 3 is necessary 4 cars 4 4 4x2=8 dog

Neatness When students write over an answer, they are not making their answers clear enough to score. Students can earn points for work that is crossed out if it is correct and supports their answer. Students should cross out work, rather than erase. When students erase work, they show no evidence of strategy or procedure.

No pronouns in Math or Reading! Be as clear as possible! IT

“Explain your thinking…” 1.Have them solve it 2.Have them “show” it (if they haven’t) Remember, numbers with labels is often enough on the WASL 3.Hold your classroom expectations high!