Analysis of a PARCC ELA Assessment Task Through an ELL Lens (Part 1)

Every bit you may have heard, the Common Core assessment consortium PARCC simply released new sample items last week in English language arts (ELA) in grades 3-11 and in mathematics in grades 3-eight and high school. Since teachers volition need to program their CCSS-based education effectually the CCSS standards as well every bit the CCSS-based assessments, I thought it would be helpful in office i of this post to dissect a sample test task from an ELL point of view in order to take a closer look at what the detail might mean for ELLs and those who teach them. Next week, I'll exist back with part ii and some suggestions for the classroom based on my analysis of this job as well every bit boosted sample tasks from other class levels.

What Students Are Asked To Do

For this do, I chose a tertiary-grade ELA enquiry simulation task. (Note: This chore is no longer available on the PARCC website just reflects the reading level and type of questions for tertiary form.) In this sample task, there are seven items for students – four "testify-based selected response" items, two "applied science-enhanced constructed response" items, and one "prose constructed response" item.

Passage #one

In gild to take role in the computer based assessment job, students showtime read a "purpose setting statement" for their task and then read the get-go informational passage. In this instance, the first text they read is an excerpt from the children's volume Eliza's Cherry-red Trees: Japan's Souvenir to America by Andrea Zimmerman.

Passage #2

After they answer the 4 selected response items and ii synthetic response items, students and so read a second passage, which is a text virtually George Washington Carver chosen The Peanut Human. They are and then asked to utilize the estimator to write an article that synthesizes aspects of both texts. I'll walk you through the sample items below, tell you lot how they are scored, and and so provide yous with some nutrient for thought on what an assessment task such as this might hateful for ELLs.

Sample Item i

Function A Question: The article includes these details nigh Eliza'south life:

She wrote newspaper manufactures to tell others about what she saw in Alaska to inform those who had not been there. (paragraph 1)
She wrote the first guidebook about Alaska. (paragraph ane)
She was the first adult female to work at the National Geographic Society, where she wrote many articles and books. (paragraph xi)

What practise these details help show about Eliza?

They evidence that she shared the benefits of her experiences with others.*
They show she had many important jobs during her lifetime, only condign a photographer was one of her proudest moments.
They show that her earlier travels were more exciting than the piece of work she did afterward in her life.
They prove that she had a careful programme for everything she did in her life.

*Indicates the correct reply

Part B Question: Ideas from paragraphs 1 and 11 were used to help you learn about Eliza. Click on two other paragraphs that include additional support for the answer in Office A. There are more than 2 paragraphs that include additional support, but y'all demand to only choose 2.

Scoring for Item i

2 points are awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer to Function A (A) and ii correct paragraphs in Part B (any two of the following paragraphs: v, 7, 8, nine, 12, xiii,xiv).
ane bespeak is awarded when the educatee correctly chooses the answer to Part A and one correct paragraph in Part B.

Sample Item 2

Function A Question: Which argument best describes how the events in paragraphs 13 through 15 are related to each other?

They explain how Washington, D.C., would change if cherry-red trees were planted around the city.
They prove that Eliza institute a new manner to get cherry trees planted in Washington, D.C.*
They compare the means Eliza and Mrs. Taft tried to add beauty to Washington, D.C.
They draw how Mr. Takamine gave Eliza the thought to bring crimson copse to Washington, D.C.

Part B Question: Which sentence from the article best supports the answer in Part A?

"When they bloomed, the trees became clouds of pinkish blossoms."
"She kept trying for more than than 20 years!"
"She wrote a letter of the alphabet to the president's wife, Mrs. Taft."*
quot;With the assistance of Mr. Takamine, a generous Japanese scientist, they had the copse sent from Japan."

Scoring for Particular 2

ii points are awarded when the educatee correctly chooses the answer to Function A (B) and the respond to Part B (C).
1 bespeak is awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer to Part A (B).

Sample Item three

Question:

You take read 2 texts about famous people in American history who solved a problem past working to make a modify.
Write an article for your school newspaper describing how Eliza and Carver faced challenges to change something in America.

In your article, be sure to draw in item why some solutions they tried worked and others did non piece of work.
Tell how the challenges each one faced were the same and how they were unlike.

Scoring for Detail 3

Class 3 scoring rubric for prose constructed response items

My ELL Impressions of the Texts

The shifts in the CCSS for ELA/Literacy call for students to closely read informational text and cite show from those texts. This sample detail made those demands very clear to me in terms of how students volition be expected to demonstrate their skills with these aspects of the standards. Even though the PARCC Accommodations Transmission allows for such accommodations as English language/native linguistic communication word-to-word dictionaries for ELLs, accommodations alone tin't address the full scope of ELLs' challenges with assessments of content given in English language.

The two assessment texts' academic language (including complex sentence structures, precise vocabulary, cultural references, and deliberate utilize of different types of punctuation) present multiple challenges to ELLs in accessing these informational texts. For instance, inside one paragraph in the first text I noted some metaphors ("When they blossomed, they became clouds of pink blossoms") and similes ("As the petals drifted downward, it was like pink snowfall.")

I likewise establish the Japanese discussion sakura ("cherry blossom") used and italicized in the same paragraph. English language linguistic communication learners will have the extra challenge of figuring out the meaning of academic English and also demand to make meaning from a Japanese give-and-take – if they recognize information technology's a Japanese discussion. I also found some polysemous words, or words having more than i pregnant, in the texts. For example, the meaning of the discussion "society" in National Geographic Lodge could be confusing for ELLs (also as some native English speakers, I imagine).

In add-on to the academic language, there is also a significant amount of assumed background knowledge and familiarity with cultural references necessary for students to be able to make enough meaning from these texts to be successful on the assessment. For example, to fully comprehend the red copse text, readers would benefit from knowing something near cherry copse; Alaska; Washington, DC'south landscape; and Japan. Some cultural references made in the text set up include the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, the Tuskegee Establish, and the United Peanut Clan of America. Knowledge of the figures highlighted in the texts themselves, such as George Washington Carver and President Taft, would as well aid students comprehend the text.

The research simulation sample task is just one blazon of task among other tasks students must have part in on the sample ELA assessment. (The Grade 3 sample too contains literary analysis tasks and narrative tasks.) I didn't run across how much fourth dimension was suggested for students to complete the research simulation job. Even though ELLs are allowed actress time to complete the assessment, I wonder about them having the stamina to tackle all parts of this third course test.

My ELL Impressions of the Writing Rubric

In the concluding part of this job, students are asked to synthesize information from both texts to write an article for their school newspaper. For this test detail, students accept to describe and compare solutions found across both texts and compare the challenges between Eliza and Carver. Students' writing is graded on three criteria: Reading (0-3 points on comprehension of key ideas and details), Writing (0-3 points on written expression), and Writing (0-4 points on cognition of language and conventions). Whatever pupil who does not answer in English is automatically given a score of 0. I didn't encounter any information virtually how the three domains are weighted (if at all) and how a final score is obtained.

To score a 3 in Reading, a student response must demonstrate authentic and full comprehension of the central ideas expressed in the text(s) and reference the text explicitly. For the reasons I cited higher up, it volition be challenging for many ELLs to fully comprehend the informational texts used for this task.

To score a three in Writing (written expression), students' writing must be largely advisable to the task and purpose, amid other criteria such as using reasoning and text-based evidence. In this case, I'grand left wondering how familiar ELLs at unlike levels of English linguistic communication proficiency will be with the concept/genre of a school paper in full general and the type of discourse required for them to write an article for a newspaper.

To score a 4 in Writing (knowledge of linguistic communication and conventions), the response must demonstrate a command of the conventions of standard English consequent with edited writing. At that place may exist a few distracting errors in grammar and usage, but the meaning of the writing must be clear. I am concerned about how ELLs volition be scored on this dimension of the rubric. By the very nature of linguistic communication conquering, ELLs at lower levels of English language language proficiency will produce writing that contains errors in grammar and usage.

Final Thoughts

The language used in the job's annotations indicates that the current rubric is general. Afterward standard setting has occurred and authentic pupil writing samples accept been collected through tryouts or field tests, "ballast papers" will be chosen to ballast each score point on the rubric. At that point, the generic rubric volition be tailored to create a rubric that is specific to the prose synthetic response particular. Educators of ELLs will demand to advocate that ELLs at different levels of English linguistic communication proficiency be included in the field tests and that their writing samples be used as ballast papers. If ELLs are included in the process, educators are more probable to be aware of what ELLs' writing looks similar and how it may differ from that of native English speakers.

Your Ideas

What questions practice you lot have after reading through this sample items? How does this data impact how you lot'll approach your instruction under the Common Core? We'll continue the conversation next week!

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Source: https://www.colorincolorado.org/blog/analysis-parcc-ela-assessment-task-through-ell-lens-part-1