1. Grade 10 MCAS OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION SPRING 2001 Exam, #40
INTRODUCTION
Grade 10 MCAS OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION SPRING 2001 Exam, #40
The following is an “Open Response” question. It is important to practice answering these types of questions in preparation for the state mandated MCAS. This exercise will help to walk you through the process. There will also be some reference links to assist you.
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2. HOW TO ANSWER AN OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION
Be sure to...
Read all parts of each question carefully.
Make each response as clear, complete and accurate as you can.
Check all your work!
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3. TOPIC
Topic
Use appropriate statistics (e.g., mean, median, range, and mode) to communicate information about the data. Use these notions to compare different sets of data. Describe and explain how the relative sizes of a sample and the population affect the validity of predictions from a set of data.
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4. Grade 10 MCAS OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION SPRING 2001 Exam, #40
Let's get started !
Let’s get started
Grade 10 MCAS OPEN RESPONSE QUESTION SPRING 2001 Exam, #40
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5. Question Part A Give it a try ! HINT PART B I’d like a Go on to
A class of 25 students is asked to determine approximately how much time the average student spends on homework during a one-week period. Each student is to ask one of his/her friends for the information, making sure that no one student is asked more than once. The number of hours spent on homework per week are as follows:
Question Part A
8, 0, 25, 9, 4, 19, 25, 9, 9, 8, 0, 8, 25, 9, 8, 7, 8, 3, 7, 8, 5, 3, 25, 8, 10
Give it a try !
Find the mean, median, and mode for these data. Explain or show how you found each answer.
I’d like a
HINT
Go on to
PART B

6. A class of 25 students is asked to determine approximately how much time the average student spends on homework during a one-week period. Each student is to ask one of his/her friends for the information, making sure that no one student is asked more than once. The number of hours spent on homework per week are as follows:
Hint A1
8, 0, 25, 9, 4, 19, 25, 9, 9, 8, 0, 8, 25, 9, 8, 7, 8, 3, 7, 8, 5, 3, 25, 8, 10
a. Find the mean, median, and mode for these data. Explain or show how you found each answer.
Mean: Average Score  add them up, then divide by the number of scores.
Median: Middle Score after sorting
Mode: Most Frequently Occurring  Remember to show your work!
Go on to
PART B

7. Question Part B Give it a try ! HINT PART C I’d like a Go on to
A class of 25 students is asked to determine approximately how much time the average student spends on homework during a one-week period. Each student is to ask one of his/her friends for the information, making sure that no one student is asked more than once. The number of hours spent on homework per week are as follows:
Question Part B
8, 0, 25, 9, 4, 19, 25, 9, 9, 8, 0, 8, 25, 9, 8, 7, 8, 3, 7, 8, 5, 3, 25, 8, 10
Give it a try !
b. Based on this sample, which measure (or measures) that you found in part a best describes the typical student? Explain your reasoning.
I’d like a
Go on to
HINT
PART C

8. A class of 25 students is asked to determine approximately how much time the average student spends on homework during a one-week period. Each student is to ask one of his/her friends for the information, making sure that no one student is asked more than once. The number of hours spent on homework per week are as follows:
Hint B1
8, 0, 25, 9, 4, 19, 25, 9, 9, 8, 0, 8, 25, 9, 8, 7, 8, 3, 7, 8, 5, 3, 25, 8, 10
b. Based on this sample, which measure (or measures) that you found in part a best describes the typical student? Explain your reasoning.
Look at your answers for the mean, median, and mode. Do any of them seem to be misleading? Why? Do any of them seem to represent the group well? Why?  Explain your reasoning 
Go on to
PART C

9. Question Part C Give it a try ! HINT DONE I’d like a
A class of 25 students is asked to determine approximately how much time the average student spends on homework during a one-week period. Each student is to ask one of his/her friends for the information, making sure that no one student is asked more than once. The number of hours spent on homework per week are as follows:
Question Part C
8, 0, 25, 9, 4, 19, 25, 9, 9, 8, 0, 8, 25, 9, 8, 7, 8, 3, 7, 8, 5, 3, 25, 8, 10
Give it a try !
c. Describe a sampling procedure that would have led to more representative data.
I’d like a
Click Here When You’re
HINT
DONE

10. Hint C1 DONE Click Here When You’re
A class of 25 students is asked to determine approximately how much time the average student spends on homework during a one-week period. Each student is to ask one of his/her friends for the information, making sure that no one student is asked more than once. The number of hours spent on homework per week are as follows:
Hint C1
8, 0, 25, 9, 4, 19, 25, 9, 9, 8, 0, 8, 25, 9, 8, 7, 8, 3, 7, 8, 5, 3, 25, 8, 10
c. Describe a sampling procedure that would have led to more representative data.
Why might someone doubt that this survey truly represents the average student? What could the class do to improve their survey?
Click Here When You’re
DONE

11. Scoring Intro Let's see how well you did! NEXT BACK
Now that you’ve finished the problem,
Scoring Intro
Let's see how well you did!
MCAS Open Response questions are graded as either a 4,3,2,1 or 0 with 4 being the best possible score. The following pages are examples of work done by other students who earned those scores. Please use the example of a 4 to check your answers. You will also see the guidelines that were used to grade these answers. As you look over these pages, try to rate your own answer as a 4,3,2,1or 0.
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12. Sample Score 4 4 NEXT What is a 4? This student earned a 
The response demonstrates comprehensive understanding of mean, median, mode, and effectively communicates information about the data and sampling procedure. As a result, the response merits a 4
What is a 4?
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13. As a result, the response merits a 3
This student earned a  3
Sample Score 3
The response demonstrates general understanding of mean, median, mode, and communicates information about the data and sampling procedure.
As a result, the response merits a 3
What is a 3?
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14. As a result, the response merits a 2
This student earned a  2
Sample Score 2
The response demonstrates basic understanding of mean, median, mode, and/or communicates information about the data and sampling procedure.
As a result, the response merits a 2
What is a 2?
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15. Sample Score 1 1 NEXT What is a 1? This student earned a 
The response demonstrates limited understanding of mean, median, mode, and/or does not effectively communicate information about the data and sampling procedure. Some work may be incorrect o missing. As a result, the response merits a 1
What is a 1?
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16. As a result, the response merits a 0
This student earned a 
Sample Score 0
The response is incorrect or contains some correct work that is irrelevant to the skill or concept being measured.
As a result, the response merits a 0
What is a 0?
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17. Rate Yourself!
EVALUATION
Now that you’ve seen how the scores are graded, how did you do?
Try to rate yourself. Would you say that you earned a 4,3,2,1, or 0?
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18. REFERENCES
If you had trouble with this problem, click on the links below to see some web sites that can help you understand some of the concepts involved.
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19. CONCLUSION Click Here to try another Problem 
Hopefully, this has been a helpful experience for you. The only way to improve is to practice, and there are other problems like this one available for you to try if you are up to the challenge!
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Call a friend, have them do the same problem and you can talk about it.
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Take a break, you’ve earned it!
to try another Problem 
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