1. Performance Task Overview

2. PERFORMANCE TASK (PT)
Portion of the test that requires students to answer a set of complex questions centered on a common topic or problem.
It is like the Document Based Question (DBQ) in history.
A performance task, also referred to as a PT, is a portion of the test that requires students to answer a set of complex questions that are centered on a common topic or problem. It is like the Document Based Question (DBQ) in history but it is online.

3. There are two parts to the individually administered ELA task:
ELA Performance Task — During the Testing Period
What happens next:
Students work independently without discussion on different secure tasks.
There are two parts to the individually administered ELA task:
Part 1 — Research
Part 2 — Writing
At this point, the students work independently, without discussion, on different secure tasks related to the Classroom Activity. There are two parts to the individually administered ELA PT: Part 1 is Research and Part 2 is Writing (sometimes referred to as the “full-write”).

4. ELA Performance Task — During the Testing Period
What happens next:
In Part 1, students are given a set of 4-5 sources to be used on both parts of the test.
Information may be in the form of informational or argumentative articles, research articles, charts, or other sources.
In Part 1, students are given a set of two or more sources to be used on both parts of the test. This information may be in the form of informational or argumentative articles, research articles, charts, or other sources.

5. Notes can be taken on paper or on the computer.
ELA Performance Task — During the Testing Period
Example:
In this example, students access research articles from several sources about the same topic — in this case, arguments for and against offering financial literacy courses in high school.
Notes can be taken on paper or on the computer.
In this example, students access research articles from several sources about the same topic. They may take notes on paper or on the computer.

6. ELA Performance Task Question Examples
ELA Performance Task Questions
ELA Performance Task Question Examples
The ELA task then requires the student to answer research questions about the sources.
The ELA task then requires the student to answer research questions about the sources.

7. What is the claim in source #1?
ELA Performance Task Questions
Example Questions
What is the claim in source #1?
What details support the claim in source #1?
Which source would most likely be relevant to students (audience) researching new approaches to increasing financial literacy (purpose)?
Hint – HIGHLIGHT the CLAIMS & EVIDENCE in each source!

8. Another example question
ELA Performance Task Questions
Another example question
Paraphrase information from source #1 that refutes information from source #2 without plagiarizing.
Response
Paraphrase the claim in source #2.
Paraphrase source #1 and explain how it refutes source #2.
Include evidence from source #1 that refutes the claim in source #2.
Explain how this evidence refutes the claim in source #2.

9. ELA Performance Task Questions
Also…
Be prepared to explain the why primary and/or secondary source information is useful in supporting a claim.
Hints
Primary sources provide first-hand experiences regarding a topic or issue. (Pathos)
Secondary sources provide a variety of examples, including facts, evidence, data, and expert opinions to support a thesis. (Logos)

10. In the final part of the ELA online task, students will to respond to a writing assignment using the full-write process: drafting, revising, and editing.
In the final part of the ELA online task, students are asked to respond to a writing assignment using the full-write process: drafting, revising, and editing.

11. Cite sources with the title or source # in parentheses.
When writing your essay, find ways to use information and details from all relevant sources.
Cite sources with the title or source # in parentheses.
The writing assignment, or full-write assignment as it is sometimes called, is designed so students use information from the sources presented previously in the performance task. They use these sources when writing their multi-paragraph essays, articles, reports, or narratives. Sources and global notes from Part 1 are available in Part 2 so students may refer to the sources and their global notes even though they are not able to return to the research questions in Part 1.

12. The system provides word-processing tools such as an embedded dictionary and thesaurus, bold, italics, underlining, copy, paste, and spell check to assist the student with the writing assignment.
The online system provides many common word-processing tools such as an embedded dictionary and thesaurus, bold, italics, underlining, copy, paste, and spell check to assist the student with the writing assignment.

13. Strategies

14. Strategies
Highlight thesis and claims (topic + opinion) for each source.
Highlight detailed evidence for each source.
Outline your essay.

15. Argument Outline
Thesis: What is your opinion about the topic and why?
Example: High schools should offer financial literacy courses because (reason #1), (reason #2), and (reason #3).
Reason #1
Evidence (source 3)
Evidence (source 5)
Reason #2
Evidence (source 1)
Counterargument (summarize argument & evidence in source 2) & Rebuttal (Reason #3)
Evidence (source 4)
Conclusion (sum up argument & explain significance)

16. Informational Essay Outline
Thesis: What is the topic and why is it significant?
Example: New technological developments have dramatically changed communication, consumerism, and entertainment.
Sub-topic #1
Evidence (source 3)
Evidence (source 5)
Sub-topic #2
Evidence (source 1)
Potential Misunderstanding (source 2) & Sub-topic #3 (Address the misunderstanding)
Evidence (source 4)
Conclusion (sum up argument & explain significance)

17. Don’t forget these details.

18. PERFORMANCE TASK —Pausing
There are no pause rules for the performance task.
Students can take breaks during the administration of the performance task but will be automatically logged out after twenty minutes in a paused state or thirty minutes of inactivity.
For ELA, students have access to the items within either Part 1 or Part 2.
There are no pause rules for the performance task. Students can take breaks during the administration of the performance task but will be automatically logged out after twenty minutes in a paused state or thirty minutes of inactivity.
For ELA, after taking a break, students will have access to only those items within the part of the task they were working on (Part 1 or Part 2) prior to the break.

19. PERFORMANCE TASK Tools Global Notes — ELA
Used only for the ELA PT (not math);
Global notes is an embedded universal tool;
Notes are retained from Part 1 to Part 2
A student taking Part 2 of the ELA PT may refer back to the notes even though the student is not able to go back to the research questions in Part 1; and
Preferred mode for note taking.
During the ELA PT, the notes on the embedded universal tool, Global Notes, are retained from Part 1 to Part 2 so that the student may go back to the notes even though he or she is not able to go back to the research questions in Part 1. Embedded Global Notes is the preferred mode for note taking. 

20. Highlighting & Notes
In the event of a technical issue, students will be logged off and the test will automatically be paused. Students will need to log on again.
Any highlighted text and comments entered on global notes will be saved when a test is paused, regardless of how long the test is paused.
However, comments on the digital notepad will NOT be saved and the digital notepad will no longer be available.

21. Smarter Balanced Assessments
Neither portions of the test are timed; students will be allowed to continue working as long as they are making progress.
Whichever is administered first, students shouldn’t have both the CAT portion and the PT portion of the test both open at the same time.