1. ACE STRATEGY ACE THOSE ANSWERS!!
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SCHOOLS IN NM WHO HAVE GIVEN A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT TO ACE IN HELPING THEM MAKE AYP. I THINK ITS IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOLS GET THIS TRAINING AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IN THE YEAR. OTHER SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY ALSO STRUGGLE WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND HOW TO SCORE THEM SO THIS TRAINING WILL BE USEFUL AND CAN BE ADJUSTED FOR ANY STATE.
ACE THOSE
ANSWERS!!

2. ACE Strategy A…Answer the question! C…Cite evidence from the text!
E…Expand your answer!
I came across this rubric when working with a group of teachers in Ohio. Their state test is very much like New Mexico’s and they were using this rubric from Pre-K to 12th grade and were very enthusiastic about the results they were getting with their kids.
It is the simplicity that they like so much. They said their students learned it very quickly. The gimmick also embraced by teachers and students is to “ACE” your answers.
The example I use here was from my class. I didn’t get the rubric until March of the last year that I taught. When I came back from Ohio, I thought I would try using it with my first graders. We were doing a unit on Fairy Tales and so after we had read “The Three Bears”, I asked my kids if they thought Goldilocks was a good little girl or a naughty little girl. Most thought she was naughty. When I asked the class how they KNEW she was naughty some of the responses I got were………”Because I’m smart” or “The story tells you” or “It’s in my head” or “My mom told me” or “I just know it”. I was surprised that so many of my kids didn’t think to go back to the story and “reference” the things that she did that they thought were naughty.
I’m usually told by mid and high school teachers that their students still do the same thing. Their answers are often… “just cuz”.

3. ACE Strategy A…Anotar la respuesta C…Contar evidencia del texto
E…Extender tu
respuesta
Some teachers appreciate getting this in Spanish also.

4. ACE

5. Answer the question.
Reword or Restate the question to form a topic sentence.
Answer all parts of the question.
Include a general statements or inference
Read your claim over to be sure if it is clear.

6. Answer the question (restating)
Prompt: How did little Red Riding Hod Know the character in the bed was not her grandmother?
Step 1
Identify/circle the verbs
Underline the important words in the prompt and restate
the question. (Tip-avoid using pronouns. Use specific nouns, proper nouns.)
What transition word will you use?
Examples: because for example I noticed

7. Answer the question Rewrite the statement:
Little Red Riding Hood knew the character in the bed was not her grandmother because_______

8. Answer the question Provide the answer Clarify Answer why?
Generalize-not details
Tip: Answers in the first sentence should be broad. That way you will be able to add specific details to support your broad answer.

9. Answer the Question
Prompt: How did little Red Riding Hood know the character in the bed was not her grandmother?
1. Restate the question.
2. Add your transition + answer.
Example: Little Red Riding Hood knew that the character in the bed was not her grandmother because there were many differences between the character in the bed and her grandmother.

10. Cite the text Use specific evidence from the text
Remember transitions words
Include 2-3 details to support your answer.

11. Cite the text!!! If you are directly quoting from a text, you must use quotation marks.
Sentence starters
In the first paragraph, the author says...
In the text it states...
The text describes
For example...
The author explains...
Early in the text, the author
For instance

12. Explain/summarize your answer
Explain How the evidence supports your answer.
Use background knowledge, experience, and connections to build on answer.
Summarize: Put all of the information together to make a solid summary. (Answer, Cite , and Explain, summarize)

13. Explain/summarize your answer
Example sentence starters:
I can connect this to (self, text, world)…
This makes me think of…
I can relate to this because…
During my investigation, I…
My reasoning is…
I observed…

14. What kind of girl was Goldilocks?
ANCHOR
PAPER
What kind of girl was Goldilocks?
A…Goldilocks was a very naughty little girl.
C…For instance in the passage it states that
she broke into the Bear’s house, ate their food,
and damaged their chairs and beds.
E… That’s illegal and you could go
to jail if you got caught. I can relate because
I do naughty things sometimes. When I get caught,
my mom puts me on punishment.
Some teachers have asked for examples of what a good paper might look like so this is a primary one. I have had middle and high school teachers who said they have used this exact example to get their student started on what ACE looks like and found it very helpful even for their older kids. I also emphasize here that they will have their own class examples of effective papers after they start using this with their students.

15. A…Amir was a chicken, but he was also a good person. He was not
What kind of person was Amir from The Kite Runner?
A…Amir was a chicken, but he was also a good person. He was not
a very loyal friend, but he did have a conscience that bothered him.
C…He was a chicken because he was too afraid to stick up for his
friend Hassan because he Was only thinking of himself and how
afraid he was of the bullies that were hurting Hassan. Then he
framed Hassan for stealing his money so that he could get him to
go away. He wanted him to go away because his conscience bothered
him every time he saw him. He felt so guilty for what he did to
Hassan that he thought about it for the rest of his life. But in the end,
he rescued Hassan’s son from the orphanage to make up for his past
mistakes.
E…I don’t think I could ever do that to my friend. I know I would
help my friends, no matter what risk it would cause for me. I
would rather be hurt than have no loyalty.
ANCHOR
PAPER
A High school anchor paper that some have embraced. This is from an AP English class. Same process as first grade example.
Answer-Red Cite-Blue Expand-Green

16. ________________________________________ ACE Score-___
I answered the question…………………….___yes ___no
I supported my answer from the text…..___yes___no
I expanded my answer……………………………….___yes___no
Name____________________
STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION OR PEER SCORING GUIDE
ACE Score-___
I answered the question……………………………___yes___no
I supported my answer from the text…..___yes___no
I expanded my answer……………………………….___yes___no
Name____________________
________________________________________