Student Achievement Measures:End of Course (EoC)

School Year2012–2013

New Mexico Public Education Department

This document supports the New Mexico Public Education Department’s summative, EoC assessment. The EoC assessment provides high school students with an alternative demonstration of competency in meeting the state’s graduation requirements. The information in this document explains the purpose and design of the secured EoC, which was developed by New Mexico teachers in August 2012.

English III- Writing

Preface

The information contained within this document supports the summative, End of Course (EoC) assessment

of student content knowledge developed by New Mexico educators in August 2012. The EoC examinations

can be administered to all high school students upon completion of the applicable course. In some cases,

students that do not meet the exit criteria for graduation can use the results as an alternative demonstration

of competency (ADC) as prescribed by the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) policy.

Additional policy information is available on the PED’s website at www.ped.state.nm.us.

Section I provides the EoC’s purpose statement and targeted New Mexico content standards are provided.

Section II details the EoC’s design in a series of specification tables along with providing administration

guidelines to high school educators. Finally, an Appendix is provided for additional material and information

needed to administer the EoC. The contents within this document are public and do not compromise the

security of the final operational forms or scoring keys.

Table of Contents

Preface........................................................................................................................................................... 2

Section I: Focus and Content Standards....................................................................................................3

1.1 Purpose Statement............................................................................................................................... 3

1.2 Targeted Content Standards................................................................................................................ 3

Section II: Design and Administration........................................................................................................6

2.1 Specification Tables..............................................................................................................................6

2.2 Administrative Guidelines.....................................................................................................................8

Appendix A—Reference Materials..............................................................................................................11

End-of-Course Assessment: English III-Writing 2Public Education Department, October 2012

Section IFocus and Content Standards

Section I contains the purpose statement and those New Mexico content standards selected by the design

team. The purpose statement outlines the reason this assessment was developed and how it will be used.

The targeted standards identify those academic content standards applicable to the EoC assessment. EoC

results are designed as one measure of what students completing a course of study are able to

demonstrate on an on-demand, paper-and-pencil assessment.

1.1 Purpose Statement

The English III EoC assessment measures student proficiency of the English Language Arts (ELA) state

standards. This grade-level assessment provides all students an EoC measurement of student mastery.

Scores are reported to the state as part of the students’ high-school graduation requirement.

1.2 Targeted Content Standards

Content ID Content StatementIV:D:1

CCSS:W.11–12.2, W.11–12.5

Benchmark IV-D: Organize ideas in writing, with a thesis statement in the introduction, well-constructed paragraphs, a conclusion and transition sentences that connect paragraphs into a coherent whole.

1. Organize and compose arguments and multi-paragraph compositions that use complex organizational patterns, including a well-developed thesis statement with supporting paragraphs, appropriate transitions and a logical ending that does not merely repeat the thesis.

Note: Standards highlighted in BOLD are those targeted by the design team. NOT all Common Core State Standards have been integrated. There may be more that fit into each standard.

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Content ID Content StatementIX:A:1

CCSS:RI.11–12.9

Strand IX: LiteratureContent Standard IX: Students read and interpret a variety of literature to develop an understanding of people, societies, and the self.Benchmark IX-A: Demonstrate knowledge of significant literary works from around the world.

1. Analyze literary works and movements for their historical and literary significance, including key U.S. documents and significant modern and pre-20th century works of American literature, as well as Hispanic and Native American literary works.

IX:C:1–3

CCSS:RL.11–12. 3

Benchmark IX-C: Analyze setting, plot, theme, characterization, and narration in literary prose, particularly in classic and contemporary short stories and novels.

1. Assess the reliability of various narrators in literary works.2. Identify characteristics of common non-fiction forms. (Examples: memoir, essay,

biography, autobiography, documentary and history)3. Analyze the overall style of prose works, including narration, imagery, diction,

dialogue, plot, and characterization.

IX:D:1

CCSS:RL.11–12.10

Benchmark IX-D: Demonstrate knowledge of the common elements of poetry: metrics, rhyme, rhythm, structure, diction, devices, and other conventions.

1. Analyze common elements of traditional poetic forms (e.g., end-stopped lines or enjambment; blank verse, free verse as they relate to meter and rhythm]; internal rhyme, slant rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia [and other sound devices]; ballads, odes, dramatic poems [and other poetic forms]; specific structures such as concrete or acrostic poems; hyperbole and understatement [and similar devices]; speaker, situation and poetic structure [as they correspond to theme development].

II:A:1–3

CCSS: L.11.12.2,L.11–12.1

Strand II: LanguageContent Standard II: Students write and speak using correct grammar, syntax usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

Benchmark II- A: Demonstrate control of Standard English through the effective use of syntax.

1. Use knowledge of sentence patterns to control the relationship of ideas within and among the clauses of compound and complex sentences.

2. Use subordinating elements (e.g., relative pronouns and conjunctive adverbs) to express complex relationships among various elements and ideas within sentences.

3. Recognize and eliminate faulty subordination from one’s writing.

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Content ID Content StatementII:B:1–2

CCSS: L.11.12.2,L.11–12.1

Benchmark II-B: Demonstrate control of Standard English through correct grammar and usage.

1. Recognize the different effects of active and passive voice in order to control their use.

2. Correctly use all parts of speech and sentence elements, including control of verb tense, use of person, and use of phrase and clause elements in compound and complex sentences.

II:C:1

CCSS: L.11.12.2,L.11–12.1

Benchmark II-C: Demonstrate control of Standard English through the correct use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

1. Correctly use semi-colons and colons; hyphens and dashes; italics (or underlining) and quotation marks with titles.

IX:F:1

CCSS:RI.11–12.1

Benchmark IX-F: Analyze works of literature for what they suggest about the time period and social or cultural context in which they were written.

1. Analyze how a particular piece of literature has changed societal and cultural attitudes.

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Section IIDesign and Administration

Section II contains the specification tables which summarize the item types, item weights, and Depth of

Knowledge (DoK) distribution of the EoC assessment. The specification tables provide educators with an

understanding of the content range and patterns of emphasis within the general design of the assessment.

The administration guidelines provide a standardized approach in administering the EoC to high school

students. Accommodations afforded students with disabilities and English-language learners should reflect

those provided to students on the statewide assessment and in classroom instruction.

The EoC design teams balanced: (a) the need for content coverage and depth, (b) administrative and

scoring burden, and (c) current time/scheduling considerations. The resulting design affords high school

students the opportunity to demonstrate content understanding within a suggested 90-minute testing

window. This timeframe gives students the opportunity to respond to each of the 35 questions (some EoC

have slight variations in the number of questions provided to students) on the assessment.

2.1 Specification Tables

The EoC assessments are a blend of three basic item types: (a) multiple choice (MC), (b) short-constructed

response (SCR), and (c) extended-constructed response (ECR). Each item type is designed to assess

knowledge, conceptual understanding, and application of skills associated with the targeted content

standards. All MC items consist of a stem followed by four response options (A, B, C, D). MC items are

scored as either correct or incorrect and contribute 1 point to the overall score. SCR items require students

to develop an answer from a given stem/prompt. These items are assigned between 0 and 3 points using a

scoring rubric provided in Appendix A of this document. Concurrently, ECR items require much more

elaborate and detailed demonstrations of content knowledge. These items have point ranges from 4 points

to higher. ECR items are designed to assess higher-order thinking skills. When combined, the blend of

item types provides access points for all students that have completed the high school course, while

minimizing items with low-cognitive demand.

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Table 1. Item Types

Content Standards MC SCR ECR TotalIX: A 9 1 1 11IX: C,B 9 1 0 10IX: D 7 2 0 9II: A, B, C 5 0 0 5IX: F (IV: D) 0 0 1 1Grand Totals 30 Items 4 Items 2 Items 36 Items

Table 2. Item Points/Weights

Content Standards MC SCR ECR TotalIX: A 9 2 4 15IX: C,B 9 2 0 11IX: D 7 4 0 11II: A, B, C 5 0 0 5IX: F (IV: D) 0 0 25 25Grand Totals 30 Points 8 Points 29 Points 67 Points

Table 3. Depth of Knowledge (DoK) Levels

Content Standards DoK 1 DoK 2 DoK 3 TotalIX: A 4 6 1 11IX: C,B 4 6 0 10IX: D 3 4 2 9II: A, B, C 5 0 0 5IX: F (ECR IV: D) 0 0 1 1Grand Totals 16 Items 16 Items 4 Items 36 Items

Appendix A

ECR Generic Rubric

Focus/Point Value Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Score 4

Addressing prompt

(4 Points)

Attempts to respond to the prompt

Responds to the prompt with minimal critical thinking

Addresses the prompt with adequate critical thinking

Fully addresses the prompt, demonstrating outstanding critical thinking

Organization

(4 Points)

Begins or ends abruptly with no clear introduction or conclusion;no attempt to establish order or connect ideas

Begins or ends abruptly; arrangement of ideas is stilted or occasionally random;rarely uses transitions

Includes a recognizable introduction, arrangement of ideas, and conclusion;ideas may wander a bit;provides some connections among ideas with few transitions

Includes an inviting introduction, logical arrangement of ideas, and satisfying conclusion;maintains a clear order with transitions among ideas

Evidence

(4 Points)

Presents no clear evidence or only plot summary

Presents limited or unclear evidence

Includes relevant evidence that addresses the prompt

Incorporates appropriate and effective evidence that addresses the prompt

Explanation/Development

(4 Points)

Evidence is not explained or is incoherent, or offers no explanation of evidence;or it offers only plot summary

Attempts analysis, yet offers shallow interpretation that may be faulty, misleading, or incorrect

Develops analysis, offering clear yet incomplete explanations/interpretations of textual evidence

Successfully analyzes the evidence and issue(s), offering clear and complete explanations/interpretations of textual evidence

Diction and syntax

(4 Points)

Uses inaccurate or repetitive word choice inappropriate to audience and purpose;uses passive or imprecise verbs; uses vague language or frequent clichés; uses simple, repetitive sentence structure with frequent syntax errors

Uses pedestrian vocabulary not necessarily suited to audience and purpose;uses few active verbs;offers some variety in structure yet has commonsentence errors

Uses accurate but general vocabulary that is appropriate for audience and purpose;uses a mix of precise and general verbs;syntax is generally fluent with some variety of sentence beginnings, structure, and length

Uses accurate and precise vocabulary that is appropriate for audience and purpose;uses active and precise verbs; may use figurative language or imagery; uses an effective variety of sentence structures and length

Engagement(2 Points)

Does not engage reader Engages reader; offers some insight and may provide a pleasant reading experience

Mechanics(3 Points)

Frequent errors in mechanics interfere with meaning

Language skills support meaning, yet several errors in grammar, mechanics, and usage detract from understanding

Language skills successfully support meaning anddemonstrates mastery of Edited Standard English;generally free of errors in grammar, mechanics, and usage

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