1. Georgia Department of Education Assessment and Accountability Division
Assessment for Learning Series Understanding and Using Constructed Response Items in Middle School Classrooms
Georgia Department of Education
Assessment and Accountability Division

2. Definition
Constructed response is a general term for items that require the student to generate a response as opposed to selecting a response. Constructed response items require more elaborate answers and explanations of reasoning. They allow for multiple correct answers and/or varying methods of arriving at the correct answer.
Examples of skills required on constructed response tasks include, but are not limited to:
English Language Arts
Utilize close analytic reading
Compare and contrast ideas and themes
Synthesize ideas and concepts across a single or multiple texts
Mathematics
Apply mathematical procedures and skills to real world problems
Express mathematical reasoning by showing work or explaining an answer

3. English Language Arts (ELA) Sample Item Set
Grade 7

4. Passage: “CHAPTER XIV Anne’s Confession” an excerpt from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

5. Constructed Response Task ELACC7.RL4; ELACC7.RL1; ELACCL7.1; ELACCL7.2
Read this sentence from the passage.
The birches in the hollow waved joyful hands as if watching for Anne’s usual morning greeting from the east gable.
Identify the literary device used in the sentence. Then explain the author’s use of this device in the sentence.
Use details from the text to support your answer.
Answer with complete sentences, and use correct punctuation and grammar.

6. Rubric Rubric Score Designation Description 4 Thoroughly Demonstrated
The student demonstrates with a thorough explanation that he/she recognizes where and how the author uses personification, applying it to the birch trees. The student uses complete sentences, correct punctuation and grammar. 3
Clearly Demonstrated
The student demonstrates with a complete explanation that he/she recognizes where the author uses personification, applying it to the birch trees. The student uses complete sentences, correct punctuation and grammar in most of the writing. .2
Basically Demonstrated
The student demonstrates a basic understanding of personification with a basic explanation, and is able to recognize where the author uses personification, applying it to the birch trees. The student may describe the motion of the birch trees and the image they create. The student uses complete sentences, correct punctuation and grammar in some of the writing. 1
Minimally Demonstrated
The student recognizes that the birch trees are personified, but has little commentary concerning the author’s purpose for using personification in this sentence. The student response has significant errors in constructing complete sentences, and/or using correct punctuation and grammar.
Incorrect or Irrelevant
The response is incorrect or irrelevant.

7. Exemplar Response
The author uses personification in this sentence. The birch trees are personified because they are blowing in the wind with a motion that looks like they are waving. The author describes the “hands” as “joyful,” and describes the trees as if they are eager to greet Anne.
The student demonstrates a thorough explanation that he recognizes where and how the author applies personification to the birch trees.
Remember: There can be multiple correct responses for constructed-response items, just as there can be more than one way at arriving at a correct answer.

8. Sample Student Response Score 3
The student demonstrates a clear understanding of the task.
Part A The literacy device used in the sentence is personification.
Part B The author used this device to make the story come alive as if birches can watch and are waiting for Anne to come out to greet them.
They provide a clear explanation that recognizes where the author uses personification.
The student then applies that explanation to the birch trees.
The student would have received the higher score point if they had been more specific when describing the parts of the tree assuming that mirrors the movements of a person.

9. Sample Student Response Score 2
part A The literacy device is personafication part B It acts as if the hollows had the human capabilitie to wave.
The student demonstrates a basic understanding of the task.
They give a basic explanation of personification, and then apply that explanation to the birch trees.
The student uses complete sentences, correct punctuation and grammar in some of the writing.

10. Sample Student Response Score 1
Part A The literary device used in this sentence is Personification Part B The author used Personification when he said "The birches in the hollow waved joyful hands..."
The student demonstrates a minimal understanding of the task.
They recognize that the birch trees are personified but they have little commentary concerning the author’s purpose for using personification in this sentence.
Instead, the student just repeats what the author said in the text.

11. Mathematics Sample Item Set
Grade 6

12. Standards to be Assessed
MCC6.NS.7: Understand ordering and absolute value of rational numbers. MCC6.EE.2: Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers. MCC6.EE.7: Solve real-world and mathematical problems by writing and solving equations of the form x + p = q and px = q for cases in which p, q and x are all nonnegative rational numbers.

13. Constructed Response Task MCC6.NS.7, MCC6.EE.2 and MCC6.EE.7
Tanya played a computer game in which the score was calculated using the equation s = t – c, where s is the score, t is the number of points Tanya earned, and c is the number of points her computer opponent earned. Tanya recorded her scores for one week on the number line shown in the diagram. The winner is determined by the highest score. Part A On Tuesday, Tanya’s computer opponent scored 33 points. How many points did Tanya score? Explain your answer or show your work. Part B On which day were the scores of Tanya and the computer the closest, but not the same? Who won that day? Explain your answer. Part C Explain what Friday’s score means about the number of points Tanya and the computer earned. Justify your answer using words and a mathematical statement. Part D On which day(s) did Tanya win? Using t and c, write a mathematical statement to support your answer.

14. Rubric Score Designation Description 4 Thoroughly Demonstrated
The student successfully completes all elements of the item by demonstrating an understanding of ordering and absolute value of rational numbers (6.NS.7), in particular those related to number line comparisons (6.NS.7a, 6.NS.7c). The student demonstrates the ability to write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers (6.EE.2), and to solve real-world and mathematical problems by solving equations (6.EE.7). 3
Clearly Demonstrated
The student shows clear understanding of the skills listed above, but one of the explanations is weak or insufficient Or
All parts of the item are correctly done except for a minor computational error
The student successfully completes three of the four parts of the item. 2
Basically Demonstrated
The student shows basic understanding of the skills listed above, but provides insufficient explanations
The student successfully completes two of the four parts of the item. 1
Minimally Demonstrated
The student shows minimal understanding of the skills listed above by completing only one of the four parts of the item
The student had some correct answers, but provided no explanations.
Incorrect or irrelevant
The response is incorrect or irrelevant to the skill or concept being measured.

15. Exemplar Response
Part A Tanya scored 25 points. Substitute the values into the equation and solve. Part B Their scores were closest on Saturday, and the computer won. The difference on Saturday is 6 points. Since t – c is negative, c is greater than t. This means the computer’s score was higher. Or To compare scores, use the absolute value of the difference, which is The absolute value of all of the scores is the smallest on Saturday. Since is negative, c is greater than t. This means the computer’s score was higher. Part C On Friday Tanya and the computer earned the same number of points (or, they tied). This is true because if then Part D Tanya won on Thursday, Monday, and Wednesday. Tanya will win whenever her score is greater than the computer’s, or whenever t > c.
All elements of the item are successfully completed, showing an understanding of ordering and absolute value.

16. Student Response Score 3
Part A has the correct answer of 25, with support.
Part B has the correct answer, Saturday, with explanation.

17. Student Response Score 3 (continued)
Part C correctly explains the meaning of a zero on the graph with a correct justification but is missing a mathematical statement.
Part D has the correct answer, with correct support.

18. Student Response Score 2
Part A has a correct answer, with work shown.
Part B has the correct answer of Saturday, indicates the winner as the computer but does not provide a sufficient explanation.
Part C correctly interprets the zero score on the graph as a tie, but lacks a sufficient justification.
Part D has the correct answer of Thursday, Monday, and Wednesday and gives mathematical statements for each day as support, but not a general statement.

19. Student Response Score 1
Part A has a correct answer, but no explanation or work shown.
Part B is incorrect.
Part C correctly interprets the meaning of the zero score on the graph but the justification is insufficient.
Part D has the correct answer, but with no support.

20. Grade 8 Math Example

21. Task
While she was on vacation, Tara sent 14 friends either a letter or a postcard. She spent $3.84 on postage. If it costs $0.20 to mail a postcard and $0.33 to mail a letter, how many letters did Tara send? Show what you did to get your answer.

22. Skills to be Demonstrated
Build a function that models a relationship between two quantities. Develop a method to solve a system of two equations with two variables.

23. Example of Satisfactory Performance Level Response

24. Example of Partial Performance Level Response

25. Example of Minimal Performance Level Response

26. 8th Grade Reading Example

27. Description of Passage
The “Alligator Poem ” describes an encounter with an alligator as the author leans down at a water source to take a drink. Detailed descriptions are given of the surroundings, the alligator’s physical characteristics, and the drinker’s response to the encounter.

28. Task
Describe what happens to the speaker of the poem and explain what this experience makes the speaker realize.

29. Skills to be Demonstrated
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the purpose of the task.

30. Definition of Satisfactory Performance Level
Responses at this level describe what happens to the speaker of the poem and explain what this experience makes the speaker realize.

31. Example of Satisfactory Performance Level Response
“The speaker was drinking some water from a lake when an alligator comes up with its mouth open ready to eat the speaker. The speaker falls to the ground and avoids the alligator. After that event, the speaker realizes how lucky he is to be alive. He looks around and see the nature’s true beauty. How beautiful the birds and flowers are. How the water just ripples back to normal where the alligator just was.”

32. Definition of Partial Performance Level
Responses at this level describe what happens to the speaker of the poem, but the explanation of what this experience makes the speaker realize is general. Or, the explanation may simply repeat lines from the poem without interpreting them.

33. Example of Partial Performance Level Response
“In the poem the speaker is nearly attacked by an alligator. This makes the speaker think of the world differently.”

34. Definition of Minimal Performance Level
Responses at this level provide irrelevant details or personal opinions or may simply repeat the question.

35. Example of Minimal Performance Level Response
“The speaker was bird watching and an alligator crashed out of the water and onto land and the speaker was scared. After the alligator went back in the water all the birds flew out of the trees like a waterfall!!”

36. Example of Unacceptable Response
“The speaker didn’t have anything happen to him. He was just having a dream, thinking it was real. But it wasn’t.”