1. Aces…A strategy for mastering constructed responses

2. This strategy has been adapted from a similar strategy used on the following site:

3. This strategy is Aligned to the state rubric
Kentucky Extended-Response Questions General Scoring Guide
Score Point 4
Score You complete all important components of the question and communicate ideas clearly.
You demonstrate in-depth understanding of the relevant concepts and/or processes.
Where appropriate, you choose more efficient and/or sophisticated processes.
Where appropriate, you offer insightful interpretations or extensions
Score Point 3
You complete most important components of the question and communicate clearly.
You demonstrate an understanding of major concepts even though you overlook or misunderstand some less-important ideas or details.
Score Point 2
You complete some important components of the question and communicate those components clearly
You demonstrate that there are gaps in your conceptual understanding.
Score Point 1
You show minimal understanding of the question.
You address only a small portion of the question.

4. 4 3 2 1 Answers Cites strong evidence from the text Shows HOT Thinking
the question correctly and clearly
Cites strong evidence from the text
Expands/
explains
the evidence
Shows HOT
Thinking 3
Answers
most of the question
correctly
and clearly
Cites evidence from the text
Expands/
explains the evidence 2
Answers
some of the question
correctly
Cites weak evidence from the text 1
Answers
the question
minimally

5. 4 3 2 1 Answers Shows HOT Thinking Answers most of Answers some of
the question correctly and clearly
Cites examples from understanding or knowledge
Explains examples/evidence
Shows HOT
Thinking 3
Answers most of
the question
correctly
Cites examples from understanding or knowledge
Explains examples/
evidence 2
Answers some of
the question
correctly
Cites examples from understanding or knowledge 1
Answers
the question
minimally

6. 4 3 2 1 Answers Shows HOT Thinking Answers most of Answers some
the question correctly and clearly
Cite your understanding with previous knowledge or other evidence
Explains examples evidence
Shows HOT Thinking 3
Answers most of
the question
correctly
Cite your understanding with previous knowledge or other evidence
Explains examples/
evidence 2
Answers some
the question
correctly
Cite your understanding with previous knowledge or other evidence 1
Answers
the question
minimally

7. 4 3 2 1 Computes Answers some Answers on paper Explains your Work
Answers all parts of
the
Problem correctly and clearly
Computes on
paper
Explains your
Work
(Process)
Shows Hot Thinking
*Vocabulary *Explains answer in the context of the problem. 3
Answers all parts of
the
Problem correctly with minor errors.
Computes on
paper
Explains your
Work
(Process) 2
Answers some
of the
problem
Computes
partially 1
Answers
the problem
minimally

8. Insight demonstrates higher order thinking Analysis Applications
What is HOT Thinking?
Insight demonstrates higher order thinking
Analysis
Applications
Synthesis
Use of content vocabulary
Selecting most efficient processes
Providing a more sophisticated response
**This CAN & SHOULD be embedded within the answer and/or explanation.

9. What does “CITE” mean?
Students may most often associate the term “cite” with quoting evidence from a test as with language arts.
However, “cite” is also a verb used to mention or bring forward information as a means of support – it does not always mean to quote text. (ex. The teacher cited several ways we can earn a higher grade.)
This may be a conversation that needs to occur in science & social studies classes prior to discussing ACES. 

10. Explaining Evidence
Explaining evidence can be hard for some kids, so you can make it easier by offering sentence starters. Below are some generic ways to start these sentences. You would use these sentences AFTER citing evidence/knowledge. The ‘this’ may need to be more specific or at least refer to evidence from a previous sentence.
Generic Sentence Starters for “Explaining Evidence”
This quote demonstrates…
This evidence illustrates…
This implies…
This answer proves…
This answer means…
This concludes…
This fact supports…
This idea relates to…
This explains…

17. See packet for reading
Passage and question

21. Answer 4
The speaker’s memory of his mother’s kitchen is very important to him. This memory is very important to the speaker because he really loves his mother. The poem also suggests that she may have died. In the last stanza, on line 27 it says, “My mother moves in and out of light.” This suggests that she may only live as a dream. It makes this memory very powerful for the speaker because it’s a memory of his mother and nice times when he was a child. In the first stanza, in lines 1-4 it says “Fragrance of fresh tortillas and corn stew fills my mother’s sparsely furnished kitchen crowded with warmth.” From this you can tell that he likes it in his mother’s kitchen and it is warm both literally and figuratively and there are good smells there. You can tell that he really misses her from lines 23 and 24 in the fourth stanza where it says, “Bittersweet tears and ringing silvery laughter I ache in my heart.” The speaker feels great love for his mother. In the poem he describes her in great detail and how she’s strong yet gentle. This memory is very reminiscent for the speaker in the poem.

22. Answer the question………………1 pt Cite evidence from the text…1 pt
Introducing the ACE Strategy
for Reading…
Answer the question………………1 pt
Cite evidence from the text…1 pt
Expand Explain your answer.…1pt
Shows insight……………………………1pt
Facilitator Notes:
A JSA trainer came across this approach when working with a group of teachers in Ohio. The Ohio Achievement Test is like many state assessments in that in puts a lot of weight on short answer extended response items. The Ohio teachers were excited about using the ACE approach from Pre-K to 12th grade. They were very enthusiastic about the results they were getting with their kids.
It is the simplicity that teachers like so much. The Ohio teachers said their students learned it very quickly. Teachers and students focused “ACE-ing” the answers.

23. Responses A C E S Points *A – answer the question
When answering short answer responses, use the ACES strategy:
*A – answer the question
*C – cite evidence from the text
*E – extend/explain your answer
*S- Shows insight
**You may receive a total of four points for each response. You need to keep track of your progress by recording your score on the grid. Put an x on your score for each assignment.
Question
Date A C E S
Points
*Check means the student could perform
the expectation.

24. ________________________________________ C
ACE ASSIGNMENT…for reading A
________________________________________ C E S
THIS WAS DEVELOPED BY A SPECIAL ED TEAM BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEIR STUDENTS TO HAVE JUST A QUICK PARAGRAPH TO READ AND ONE QUESTION TO ANSWER. THEY ALSO SAID THEIR STUDENTS NEEDED THE STRUCTURE THAT THIS TEMPLATE GAVE THEM. I’VE HAD HS TEACHERS WHO LIKE IT ALSO AND SAID THEIR STUDENTS NEEDED IT AT FIRST ALSO.

25. s A C E Assignment Date *You may receive a total of
*Use the ACES strategy...A-Answer the question
C-Cite evidence from the text
E-Expand/explain your answer
S-Shows insight
*You may receive a total of
4 points per answer
Assignment
Date A C E s My
Score
Peer
Evaluator Score
Teacher Score

26. ________________________________________ Name____________________
ACE Score___
I answered the question……………………………__yes__no
I provided strong evidence………………………__yes__no
I supported my answer from the text…..__yes__no
I showed insight………………………………………….__yes__no
STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION OR PEER SCORING GUIDE

27. Answer the problem! Compute your work! Explain how you got
Introducing the ACE Strategy
for Math…
Answer the problem!
Compute your work!
Explain how you got
your answer!
Facilitator Notes:

28. Has enough details to show you understood the problem.
Learner-Friendly 4-Point Math Rubric
Your
ADVANCED
answer
Has enough details to show you understood the problem.
Is organized and complete.
Completely explains your ideas and math thinking.
Has a correct answer.
PROFICIENT answer
Has some details to show you understood the problem
Is mostly organized
Explains your ideas and math thinking
Has a correct answer
NEARING PROFICIENT answer
Doesn’t have enough details to show you understood the problem.
Is unorganized and unclear.
Doesn’t clearly explain your ideas or math thinking.
Has an answer that’s almost right.
EMERGING
I only wrote the right answer with no computation or explanation….or…
I made lots of mistakes.
I just didn’t understand the problem.
Facilitator Notes:
This math rubric uses the same language and point system that the NM Standards Based Assessment rubric uses. The ACE approach reflects the important elements of the math rubric. Most elementary and even some secondary teachers feel that this rubric is aligned as well as user-friendly and gives enough info for their students to use.
Your
Shows no details.
Doesn’t make sense.
Has no explanation of ideas or math thinking.
Has a wrong answer.

29. ACE…..your math questions
Rubric
Score ____
Standard:_______________________Benchmark:_____________________
Question:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Computation:
Explanation/Insight:
_________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

30. “MATH” PROBLEM SOLVING GRAPH
Advanced 4
Proficient 3
Nearing 2
Emerging 1
Activity 5 6 7 8 9 10
GOAL

31. PLAN DO ACT STUDY ACES IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR READING ___My plan worked
___I need a new plan
STUDY

32. ACE Improvement Plan
Name_____________ Date____________
Subject____________
PLAN:_________________________________________
DO:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STUDY:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___My plan worked!
___I need another improvement plan!

33. 2 3 4 1 ACES-ing Open-ended Math responses SECONDARY Example
Learner level
ACES-ing Open-ended Math responses
Assignment 2 3 4 My
Score
Peer
Evaluator
Teacher Score 1
Facilitator Notes:
The slide illustrates a page from a HS literature student’s data notebook. Students score their own daily assignments and having peers score their assignments also. The weekly quiz lets them know how they were really doing. In essence, they are now able to triangulate their learning data.

34. EFFECTIVELY expand our extended- response questions in reading
Strategies we’ve learned to help us
EFFECTIVELY expand our extended-
response questions in reading
*Describe a personal connection that you can
make to the passage.
*State an opinion about the passage
*Make a prediction about what you think might happen
next
*Make a comparison about two characters in the passage
*Make an inference a bout something you read in the
passage
*Point out a cause/effect situation in the passage.
*Make a conclusion about the passage
How one teacher charted for the kids so that they could choose the best way to expand their answer.

35. EFFECTIVELY answer our constructed- response questions in math
Strategies we’ve learned to help us
EFFECTIVELY answer our constructed-
response questions in math
*Draw a diagram that shows exactly HOW we figured
out the problem.
*Make sure we WRITE out an explanation of what we
were thinking by our illustration.
*If we used manipulatives, make a PICTURE of what we
did to figure out the answer.
*Write “something” on the lines for E.
*Compute our work carefully in order to lessen mistakes
*Use the ACE template so that the answer is organized.
*Show and explain “every” step in solving the problem.