1. Answering Constructed Response Questions:
Preparing your students for Georgia’s new assessment

2. Your Presenter is.. Dawn Bennett, Ed.S., NBCT
Program Specialist, West Central GLRS
Former Title I Needs Improvement School Improvement Specialist, West Ga. RESA
Former administrator
Former K-5 teacher

3. Learning Targets:
I can explain the importance of teaching students how to answer constructed response questions.
I can define constructed response questions and the types of constructed response questions.
I can explain the components of exemplary constructed response questions.
I can explain specific strategies to use in the classroom to teach students how to answer constructed response questions.
I can score a constructed response question using a rubric and give feedback.

4. Why do I need to teach my students how to answer CRQ’s?
Federal requirements for Race to the Top states (by school year): High quality assessments
Consolidate ELA, Reading, Writing into a single measure
Increase rigor to align with college and career expectations
Consistent alignment with external measures
Georgia Department of Education, 2014

5. Achievement of Georgia Students in Mathematics 2013
HOW DO WE MEASURE UP?
Achievement of Georgia Students in Mathematics
2013
NAEP – Grade 8: % at/above proficient
CRCT – Grade 8: 83% met/exceeded
Coordinate Algebra EOCT: 37% met/exceeded
SAT – Class of 2013: 42% college ready benchmark*
ACT – Class of 2013: 38% college ready benchmark**
2012
PSAT – sophomores: 35% on track to be CCR
Georgia Department of Education

6. Overall ELA Phase II Pilot Summary Data
Grade
Number and Percent of Students Achieving
Each Score Point
Total Student N/ % 1 2 3 4
812
1107
762
174 26
2881
28.18%
38.42%
26.45%
6.04%
0.90%
100%
906
1145
765
168 63
3047
29.73%
37.58%
25.11%
5.51%
2.07% 5
839
948
1294
537
183
3801
22.07%
24.94%
34.04%
14.13%
4.81% 6
626
1467
1028
408 86
3615
17.32%
40.58%
28.44%
11.29%
2.38% 7
695
1002
1035
515
140
3387
20.52%
29.58%
30.56%
15.21%
4.13% 8
1116
1534
827
391 80
3948
28.27%
38.86%
20.95%
9.90%
2.03%
9 - 10
1262
1816
559
106 9
3752
33.64%
48.40%
14.90%
2.83%
0.24%
739
1389
1175
388
131
3822
19.34%
36.34%
30.74%
10.15%
3.43%
Georgia Department of Education

7. Overall Mathematics Phase II Pilot Summary Data
Grade
Number and Percent of Students Achieving
Each Score Point
Total Student N / % 1 2 3 4
1378
1152
539
121 47
3237
42.57%
35.59%
16.65%
3.74%
1.45%
100%
1323
1264
325 83 25
3020
43.81%
41.85%
10.76%
2.75%
0.83% 5
1351
1049
391 64 15
2870
47.07%
36.55%
13.62%
2.23%
0.52% 6
1579
1171
370
135 53
3308
47.73%
35.40%
11.19%
4.08%
1.60% 7
1602
856
219 72 36
2785
57.52%
30.74%
7.86%
2.59%
1.29% 8
1529
619
217 88
3502
43.66%
29.95%
17.68%
6.20%
2.51%
9 - 12
2570
1435
299 59 23
4386
58.60%
32.72%
6.82%
1.35%
Georgia Department of Education

8. Why do you think students do so poorly on constructed response questions?
Discuss with a partner…….
Presenter will have a large one-sided multi-flow to chart answers from participants. Give approximately one minute to discuss with a partner and write answers down.

9. Some of the reasons kids do poorly on CRQ’s…
Many students don’t answer the question.
Some responses are very shallow and need more details.
Some students get off topic.
Spelling and handwriting may impact a student’s score.
Students don’t understand what the question is asking.
Instead of writing about what the passage talked about , students write about what they know about the topic.
Students don’t think about their audience.

10. What do you know about constructed response questions? (CRQ’s)
Each participant will make their own circle map by brainstorming what they know about constructed response questions. Then music will start playing as they get up and walk around the room. When the music stops, they high five a partner and then give one, get one. Do for one more round of music and then return to seats to have participants share out while presenter highlights the next slide.
5 minutes

11. Constructed Response Questions (CRQ)
Constructed response questions are assessment items that ask students to apply knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities to real-world, standards-driven performance tasks. Constructed response questions are so named because there is often more than one way to correctly answer the question, and they require students to “construct” or develop their own answers without the benefit of any suggestions or choices.
(Tests That Teach by Karen Tankersley)
As participants call out their responses to “What are constructed response questions, presenter will highlight the words in Tankersly’s definition.

12. What’s in a Prompt?
• Background information
“Birds’ babies hatch from eggs. Birds have wings, but not all adult birds fly. They live all over the world, even in Antarctica.”
• Petitions “Explain how birds protect themselves.”
• Questions “What is migration?”
Better Answers: Written Performance That Looks Good and Sounds Smart, Ardith Davis Cole
Handouts: Larry Bell’s Key Words, Cole’s Petition Framework, Question Matrix
Background information may be inside or outside the prompt- passage, graphs, charts, tables, etc.
Petitions- verbs- implicit or explicit
Questions-thick or thin questions-
Activity: Petition or Question (oral)
Activity #2- Turn the petitions into questions

13. Academic Vocabulary
Traits (most students below grade 7 struggle with this word)
Qualities
Evidence
Sequence
Stanza
Line
Infer
Point of View
Support
Simile
Metaphor
Figurative language
Students also have trouble with these academic vocabulary words when used in prompts. Tier 2 or Tier 3?

14. Strategies for Answering CRQ
RACE
ACE (math)

15. RACE steps for answering CRQ
Reword/restate the question
Provide an Answer
Cite using evidence from text
Explain how the evidence supports your answer
CREATE A FLOW MAP OF
THESE STEPS

16. A Text-Based Example Prompt: (after reading “Little Red Riding Hood”)
knew
How did Little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother?
Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because . . .
Not “She knew…. (avoid pronouns)
Use specific nouns, proper nouns

17. A Boost into the Right Answer
USE TRANSITIONS
A Boost into the Right Answer
• Little Red Riding Hood was not afraid of the wolf because . . .
• The wolf ran to Grandmother’s house to . . .
• Father got rid of the wolf by . . .
• Little Red Riding Hood was afraid when . . .
• Little Red Riding Hood would not have been bothered by the wolf if . . .
• Little Red Riding Hood did not leave Grandmother’s house until . . .
Handout: transition words for each part of RACE

18. Mark all restated words:
Return to the prompt and mark the words used.
Prompt: I
What do you do in the evening
when you get home from school?
Restatement:
In the evening when I get home from school I

19. Reword the question/Restate
Why were the three bears so upset when they got home?

20. IN THE CLASSROOM… ASSIGN ROLES RESTATEMENT HELPER (ORAL)
RESTATEMENT MARKER (MARKS ON THE SENTENCE STRIP)
SCRIBE (REWRITES THE STATEMENT ON CHART PAPER)
Using the example prompt that is written on the sentence strip, the presenter will call on two helpers to participate as the restatement marker and the scribe.
Materials: chart paper, and green and black markers

21. YOUR TURN! CREATE A GROUP OF FOUR, THEN NUMBER OFF 1-4
1’S: RESTATEMENT HELPERS (ORAL)
2’S: RESTATEMENT MARKERS (MARKS ON THE SENTENCE STRIP)
3’S: SCRIBE (REWRITES THE STATEMENT ON CHART PAPER)
4’S: Teacher (reads the prompt)
Each group will be given a prompt on a sentence strip . There will be a box of markers on the table and chart paper. Each group will go through the process as it was modeled by the presenter.
5 minutes

22. Practice First!
Practice this first step by asking students questions and have them respond orally by restating the question: Example: What did you do last night?
Students should always answer in complete sentences. (written and verbally)
Give students an opportunity to create their own questions and have partners answer them by restating.

23. Provide an Answer Clarify Answers why? Generalize- not details
Makes you want to ask “What do you mean?”
or “Where’s your evidence?”
The three bears were upset when they got home because someone had been in their house.
Oral prompts- have them respond thumbs up for a broad answer. Thumbs down for a detailed answer.

24. Practice Answering Model good vs. bad answers (broad vs. detailed).
Create sample prompts and have students restate and answer giving broad answers.
YOUR TURN…
Activity 1: Presenter will create a tree map with a prompt as the title with the categories “Good” and “Bad”- participants will help complete the chart
Activity 2: Have partners work together to give broad answers to the same prompt that they used in their group of 3.
Have groups share.

25. Cite using evidence from text
The first thing they noticed was that someone had eaten their porridge. The next thing the bears noticed was someone had been sitting in their chairs. Finally, the three bears found the culprit, a little girl sleeping in their bed!
Notice the transition words. Minimum of 3 examples

26. CITING (EVIDENCE) Use specific evidence from text, not prior knowledge
Remember transition words
YOUR TURN…..
Model the one-sided multi-flow with the example.
Refer to handout for transition words.
Add the evidence in your group of three examples (on chart)
Have participants share.

27. Explain how the evidence supports your answer
As a result, the three bears were furious with the little girl that came into their home without asking!

28. EXPLAIN (conclude) Refer to the question again
Don’t construct a new ending to the story
Restate with a touch of your own voice
YOUR TURN…..
Complete group of 4 constructed response on chart paper- post around the room with sentence strip.
Have each group present their finished product. Be creative with your presentation! Make it fun. Create a newscast, a dance, a song, etc.

29. RACE Checklist Name__________________________ Date__________
Minimally Partially Completely
Restates question
_____ _____ _____
Develops a broad _____ _____ _____
Answer
Cites using details _____ _____ _____
Draws conclusion _____ _____ _____
Stays on topic _____ _____ _____
Writes neatly _____ _____ _____
Uses proper
Conventions _____ _____ _____
Score your own product that you just completed.
Handout: checklist

30. Compute your work (show work)
What about MATH?
Answer the question
Compute your work (show work)
Explain in writing how you got your answer
Handout as an organizational frame for students to use.

31. There are 29 NBL teams. Each team is allowed to have 12 active players and 3 on injured reserve. How many players are in the NBL at any one time?
A…(Answer) 435 players
There are _435_ players in the NBL at any one time.
C… (Compute) or show your work
X = (12+3) 29
X = (15) 29
X = 435
E… (Explain) in writing. 435
First, each team is allowed to have 12 active and 3 reserve players
which equals 15 total players on each team. I then multiplied the
total number of players (15) by the number of NBL teams (29) to
find that 435 players are in the NBL at any one time.
Handout: ACE organizer

32. Encourage students to EXPLAIN their
work - not DESCRIBE it
Description:
“I multiplied $1.25 and 13 and got $16.25”
Explanation
“I multiplied the price of gas per gallon ($1.25) and the number of gallons (13) to get the price for the gas used ($16.25).”

33. How are constructed response questions scored?
Holistic rubrics
South Carolina- 3 point rubric
Montana- 4 point rubric
Indiana- 2 point rubric
New York- 2 point rubric
North Carolina- 2 point rubric
Georgia-?????

34. How do you score?
Select one person at your table to read the fable and the prompt.
Read the student response.
Score using your rubric. Discuss the feedback you would give this student.
Be prepared to share.
Handouts: Fable, student response, rubrics

35. Ideas for Teaching
As a baseline, read a fairy tale to your students and then have them answer one CRQ
Have your students answer your EQ as their exit ticket.
Add constructed response questions to each test or quiz you give.
What other key words (Tier 2 or Tier 3 vocabulary) are important to teach?
Teach students not to skip these questions!

36. More Ideas…….
In math, practice using Exemplars using the gradual release model. Model, guided practice, and independent.
Let your students struggle!!
Begin with simple questions.
Require students to answer questions (orally and written) in complete sentences.
Ask WHY questions
Look at sample questions

37. Where can I find sample questions?
New York
North Carolina
Louisiana
Oregon
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
PARCC

38. Excellent Resources for CRQ…
onse.htm
Tests that Teach, by Karen Tankersley
Better Answers, by Ardith Cole

39. Thank You! Dawn Bennett West Central GLRS dbennett@garesa.org