1. You are more than a score.
NYS ELA 8 Exam
You are more than a score.

2. The Basics
3 Days
Periods 2,3,4
Reading & Writing
CCSS aligned

3. Types of Reading / Texts
Literary
3-8 passages
Examples:
Memoirs
Short stories
Poetry
Excerpts from novels
Informational
4-10 passages
Examples:
Textbooks
Reports
Tourism guides
Legal documents
Magazine articles
Training manuals
Recipes
speeches

4. Day 1 : Tuesday

5. Day 1: Book 1 ALL READING 6 passages 42 m/c No writing
minutes testing
Bring your independent reading with you.

6. Day 2 : Wednesday

7. Day 2: Book 2 1 reading passage 7 m/c 2 linked passages: writing
3 short response questions
1 extended response
60 minutes – 90 minutes
Bring your independent reading book with you.

8. Day 3 : Thursday

9. Day 3: Book 3 LOTS OF WRITING 3 passages No m/c 5 short responses
1 extended response
50 minutes – 90 minutes

10. Test Blueprint

11. What are they looking for?
Area of Focus
Percentage of Points
Reading Standards (RL & RI)
Language & Writing standards
100 % of points require close reading
<45% require writing & command of language

12. % of reading points Key ideas & details: <60%
Craft & structure: <40%
Integration of knowledge & ideas: <40%

13. Writing Rubrics

14. 2-Point SHORT RESPONSE
Make a claim, take a position, or draw a conclusion
Support it with details
You are graded on inference & evidence
2 Points: You got it!
1 Point: You kind of got it
0: nope. Off task, irrelevant,
or unreadable.

15. 2-Point SHORT RESPONSE To Schaeffer or Not to Schaeffer…
Timing is everything.
More important to answer correctly than in a full paragraph.
Write in FULL sentences
Maybe ONE commentary instead of two : HOW does this detail answer the question?

16. 2-Point SHORT RESPONSE 2 Points: Valid inference
Relevant concrete details for support
Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and / or other information from the text as required by the prompt
Complete sentences
Spelling and grammatical errors don’t interfere with the reader’s ability to understand
If the prompt asks you for details
from two texts, you MUST give details
from BOTH.

17. 2-Point SHORT RESPONSE 1 Point: Very literal Some relevant facts
Incomplete sentences or bullets
You gave details from only one text when asked to compare TWO texts.

18. 4-Point EXTENDED RESPONSE
Create a clear thesis claim
Compose at least two body paragraphs
Each body paragraph should follow the JS model.
A short conclusion / concluding sentence as paragraph 4 to
bringing everything together

19. Jane Schaeffer ESSAY:
THESIS (end of introduction OR its own paragrpah)
BODY Paragraph:
TS: Topic Sentence
Concrete Detail 1 from text
Commentary 1: WHY is this detail important?
Commentary 2: HOW does this detail address the topic sentence / task
Concrete Detail 2: REPEAT CD 1
CS: Concluding sentence: brings details together and reasserts TS.
Short Conclusion or FINAL statement
A summary statement

20. Jane Schaeffer ESSAY:
THESIS (end of introduction OR its own paragrpah)
BODY Paragraph:
TS: Topic Sentence
Concrete Detail 1 from text
Commentary 1: WHY is this detail important?
Commentary 2: HOW does this detail address the topic sentence / task
Concrete Detail 2: REPEAT CD 1
CS: Concluding sentence: brings details together and reasserts TS.
Short Conclusion or FINAL statement
A summary statement

21. Tackling NYS ELA Jargon
They do NOT expect you to know Jane Schaeffer.
Make an EVIDENCE-BASED CLAIM: fancy phrase for write a thesis and prove it
CLAIM: how well you select and use evidence to support your inference / claim.
Find details from the text: your concrete details (CDs); they will expect 2 per paragraph
The missing piece: You need to explain (CMs) HOW OR WHY the CDs you selected were important; how do they prove your topic sentence/claim? The instructions will not tell you to do this!

22. Extended Response: 4 point rubric
BEWARE OF THESE DANGERS:
If you only write about one text when asked to discuss two, you will not score higher than a 2/4 points.
If you write a personal response with very little reference to the text, you will not score higher than a 1 /4
If you are off topic, you will get 0 points.
If you only copy quotes from the text (CD) but do not analyze them (Thesis; TS, CM, CS) , you will get 0 points.
If the reader cannot understand your
Writing, you will get 0 points. WRITE NEATLY.

23. What to Bring With You:

24. What to bring to the test
Number 2 pencils (sharpened and more than one)
Good eraser
Highlighter, if you prefer to use one (Just make sure you aren’t WRITING answers in a highlighter or covering answers)
Your independent reading book
Water.

25. What NOT to bring to the test
Pens. Not allowed. At all.
ANY and ALL electronic devices are BANNED from the testing room. Leave them in your lockers. If you do bring your phone, leave it on the desk with the proctor.
You may NOT use them during a break or if you go to the restroom.

26. One more warning
Until you are told otherwise, you are NOT allowed to discuss the test. Not the authors, the passages, the writing assignments…not anything.
Absolutely no discussion on social media.

27. Finally…..

28. Remember one last thing:
…you are more than a number. …and I am proud of all you have done so far this year!