1. AGENDA  Welcome  Introduction  Edline.net  Bellevernonarea.net  PSSA-ELA Exam  Question/Comments/Survey

2. EDLINE.NET http://www.edline.net/

3. BELLEVERNONAREA.NET http://www.bellevernonarea.net School wires

4. THE NEW PSSA/ELA EXAM FOR SEVENTH GRADE

5. NUMBER OF QUESTIONS 23 questions=(4 passages.) 6=(1 pass.) 8=(1 pass.) Multiple Choice 18 stand alone questions. Multiple Choice 6 Evidence Based Selected Response. 2 Constructive Response.

6. WHAT’S NEW IN THE WRITING TEST The students have not had to take the writing portion of the test since fifth grade. Since then, there have been some changes.  The prompt can be from any of three modes: narrative, informational, or argumentative. Argumentative used to be called persuasive. Now it focusses less on personal feelings and more on solid evidence.  The test will have questions that ask about correct grammar.  The test will have editing questions dealing with correctness.

7. www.education.state.pa.us > How can I get review materials?  Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)  English Language Arts (ELA) Test Design English Language Arts (ELA) Test Design  English Language Arts (ELA) Item and Scoring Samplers English Language Arts (ELA) Item and Scoring Samplers  Scoring Guidelines Scoring Guidelines  Assessment Anchors and Glossary Assessment Anchors and Glossary 7

8. SAMPLE QUESTIONS – NARRATIVE WRITING

9. SAMPLE QUESTIONS – INFORMATIONAL PROMPT

10. SAMPLE QUESTIONS – ARGUMENTATIVE PROMPT

11. SAMPLE QUESTIONS - GRAMMAR

12. SAMPLE QUESTIONS - EDITING

13. SAMPLE QUESTIONS EXAMPLE OF A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION-MULTIPLE MEANING WORDS E07.A-V.4.1.1 1. Read the line from the drama. “Parthenope (Stands up, very angry): Stop that, Florence. You’re forgetting your position.” Which meaning of the word position is used in the line? A. the location where someone is *B. the social rank a person holds C. the job that a person has D. the way a person stands

14. SAMPLE QUESTIONS- SELECTED RESPONSE QUESTION- THEME E07.A-K.1.1.2 10. This question has two parts. Answer Part One and then answer Part Two. Part One What is one theme from the drama? *A. People must find their own happiness in life. B. Friendships are sometimes difficult to keep. C. People appreciate home more after traveling. D. Wealth is enough to bring satisfaction to most. Part Two Which lines from the drama support the answer in Part One? Choose two answers. *A. “Don’t move him or touch him in any way. I’ll be right out. (She looks almost radiant as she turns to go, talking as if to herself.)” B. “I’ve come to apologize for being a stubborn mule and to salute you.” C. “Good night; good night, everyone. (She waves her hand, kisses Florence on cheek and she and Lord Ashworth move to door.)” *D. “I could no longer live without nursing than you without air.” The student is asked to determine the theme of the drama and to select two lines from the drama that support the theme.

15. SAMPLE QUESTIONS- TEXT DEPENDENT ANALYSIS In the letter Adams informs her daughter about the experience of moving to a new city and living in a new home. Write an essay analyzing how Adams responds to her new surroundings. Use evidence from the letter to support your response. PLAN before you write Make sure you read the question carefully. Make sure you have read the entire passage carefully. Think about how the question relates to the passage. Organize your ideas on scratch paper. Use a thought map, outline, or other graphic organizer to plan your essay. FOCUS while you write Analyze the information from the passage as you write your essay. Make sure you use evidence from the passage to support your response. Use precise language, a variety of sentence types, and transitions in your essay. Organize your paper with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

16. Please visit the website for more sample questions. Not only do they provide the question, but they also give a detailed explanation of the answer. If you could go over a few each week, imagine how much more prepared your child will be for the new PSSA!