1. Get Ready…
You need:
a file folder – write your first and last name on the tab with your class period
pen or pencil
RANDOM FACT OF THE DAY: The sentence “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter in the English alphabet!

2. ELA STAAR - Reading Open-Ended Responses (OERs)
Analytical Writing Portion of the Test

3. TEST BLUE PRINT

4. The Reading Test The reading part of the test is made up of:
2 – 3 single selections with multiple choice questions and 1 short answer question (OER)
AND
2 paired selections that are thematically linked with multiple choice questions and 1 “crossover” short answer (OER)
The reading selections will be a mixture of literary and informational texts.
Literary = fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, drama, media literacy (embedded)
Informational = expository, persuasive, procedural (embedded), media literacy (embedded)

5. IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO YOUR VERY BEST FROM START TO FINISH!!
Field Test
The reading portion of the ELA STAAR test includes an additional
reading selection with multiple choice questions and a short answer OR
paired selections with multiple choice questions and a “cross-over” short answer.
These “field” questions do not count against you; however, you will not know which prompts/questions are “field” questions and which are “real” questions
IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO YOUR VERY BEST FROM START TO FINISH!!

6. SHORT ANSWERS or OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE QUESTIONS
These are questions that require the student to infer something from the text and then form a complete answer by addressing the question, providing text evidence to support their response and explaining how the evidence supports their thinking…
ALL IN 10 LINES!

7. The Prompt
Before reading or writing anything, know your assignment— READ THE QUESTIONS!
*Note the OER questions on the corresponding selections so that you are reminded of what type of text evidence to be looking out for while you read.

8. Answering the OERs It’s a 3-Step Process:
1 – Claim – answer/analytical statement
2 – Evidence – quotation(s); from the text
3 – Reasoning – analysis; explanation

9. Read the question & know what you’re being asked to do
Is the third little pig very wise in “The Three Little Pigs?”
What are you being asked to do?
Determine and prove whether the third little pig is wise

10. answer the question completely
Step 1
C – Make a CLAIM…
answer the question completely
Your first sentence should reiterate the question and present your idea
REMEMBER T.A.G. – Title, Author, Genre
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs” by Mother Goose, …

11. Sample “C”
CLAIM:
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs” by Mother Goose, the third pig is very wise.

12. bring in text evidence to support the idea presented in your CLAIM
Step 2
E – EVIDENCE
bring in text evidence to support the idea presented in your CLAIM
Text Evidence = Supports your answer - (facts, quotes, examples, etc. from text)
Text Evidence can’t be argued with—a quotation is evidence that supports your point and comes straight from the story.

13. Step 2 continued EMBED your evidence
Each piece of quoted material in a paragraph must have an introduction that gives the context and background for the quotation
Embedding quotations helps quoted material flow naturally and coherently into your paragraph

14. Sample “EVIDENCE”
Remembering his mother’s warning about a wolf, he “builds his house out of sturdy brick.”
The sentence begins with an introduction and there is a quotation from the actual story that flows with the context of our answer.

15. Listen to It!
When written properly, the reader should not be able to hear where the quotation marks are when the sentence is read aloud.
A properly embedded quotation creates a seamless transition from the background information to the quoted material.

16. How do you make it flow?
You may need to change words within your quote so that the sentence is grammatically correct and coherent.
When changing words in a sentence, indicate the change by placing brackets [ ] around the change in the word or the changed word.

17. What does it look like?
The third little pig decided to “[build] his house out of sturdy brick” when he remembered his mother’s warning about a wolf.
The original line in the story is “builds his house out of sturdy brick” but because the student uses past tense, the verb needed to be adjusted in order to flow and be grammatically correct.

18. How do you make it flow?
You may need to omit a word or words in the middle of a long quotation to condense it or embed it in your thoughts.
To omit words, use ellipses (…)
Ordinarily, do not use the ellipsis at the beginning or at the end of a quotation. However, if you have cut some words from the end of the final sentence quoted, you must use an ellipsis.

19. What does it look like?
Learning from his brothers mistakes, he “built his house out of sturdy bricks…and [the wolf] huffed and puffed…[and] couldn't blow this third little pig's house down.”
The writer removed parts of the text and changed “he” to “the wolf” and “but he” to “and” in order for the evidence to make sense and flow within the sentence.

20. *Explain how the text evidence supports your answer
Step 3
R – REASONING
Connect your evidence to the answer… start your sentence with a reiteration or summary of what is happening in the quotation (be specific)
*Explain how the text evidence supports your answer

21. Sample REASONING
By building his house out of brick, the third pig demonstrates that he is smarter than his brothers, who built their homes out of straw and sticks, because the wolf was unable to destroy his property.

22. Does It Flow?
Prompt: Is the third little pig very wise in “The Three Little Pigs?”
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs,” the third pig is very wise. Remembering his mother’s warning about a wolf, he “builds his house out of sturdy brick.”By building his house out of a stronger material, the third pig demonstrates that he is smarter than his brothers, who built their homes out of straw and sticks, because the wolf was unable to destroy his property.

23. Crossover Question (3rd OER)
This questions requires the student to make a connection between thematically paired texts
You will need text evidence from BOTH selections
Use the same C-E-R strategy…with a twist 
C – E1 – E2 - R

24. One “C” & Two “Es” BUT the key is the “R”
C: Answer the question as it pertains to BOTH selections
E1: Bring in quotation (s) from the first selection to support the answer
E2: Bring in quotation (s) from the second selection
R: Connect BOTH pieces of evidence to the answers

25. Grading the Short Answers
Scored on a four point scale
0 = Insufficient
1 = Partially Sufficient
2 = Sufficient
3 = Exemplary
Your score for each response will be based on your ability to write a reasonable answer and support it with evidence from the selection
Evidence = direct quotation

26. Why do students score a “1”?
The third little pig is wise because he built his house out of brick.
***The student does not understand the difference between a general text reference and text evidence.

27. Why do students score a “1”?
The third little pig is wise because he built his house out of brick and the wolf couldn’t blow it down even though “he huffed and he puffed.”
**The student’s choice of text evidence may have some relationship to the idea but does not clearly support it.

28. Why do students score a “1”?
The third little pig is very wise because he builds his house out of brick and offers shelter to his two brothers whose houses were blown down by the roof. He also puts a large pot of water on the fire for the wolf to fall into when he climbs up the chimney.
***The student includes multiple ideas but does not provide textual support for all of them.

29. Why do students score a “1”?
In the fairy tale “Three Little Pigs”, the third little pig is very wise. Remembering his mother’s warning about a wolf, he built his new home out of “brick.”
***The student’s text evidence is too partial to support the idea. Partial text evidence is usually a result of the student’s use of “snippets” (short phrases) only or omission of essential information through the inappropriate use of ellipses.

30. Why do students score a “1”?
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs”, the third little pig is very wise because he builds a better house.
***The student does not explain the idea even though the question requires that he do so. Because of this, the response cannot be considered a sufficient answer.

31. Why do students score a “1”?
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs,” the third pig is very wise. Remembering his mother’s warning about a wolf, he “builds his house out of sturdy brick.”By building his house out of a stronger material, the third pig demonstrates that he is smarter than his brothers, who built their homes out of straw and sticks, because the wolf was unable to destroy his property. By seeing what his brothers’ experienced with their homes, the third pig chooses the best material even though it means more work for him.
***The student introduces a new idea by including a summary or commentary in the last sentence of the response.

32. Why do students score a “1”?
The third pig is very wise because he learned from his brothers’ example’ and made a brick house showing the reader that the third time is a charm.
***The student’s idea needs to be clearer and more specific – the idea may be general or somewhat vague.

33. Why do students score a “1”?
The third little pig is very wise because he “built his house out of sturdy bricks.” I can relate to being wiser than siblings because, like the third little pig, I am a third child and have learned from my siblings’ mistakes over the years.
***The student is not focused enough on providing a clear idea and text evidence; instead, he might waste space by relating his idea to people or things outside of the text.

34. Why do students score a “1”?
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs”, the third little pig is very wise because he is called “the wise little pig.”
***The student includes both an idea and text evidence, but instead of supporting the idea, the text evidence merely repeats, or “ECHOES,” the idea.

35. Why do students score a “2”?
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs”, “the third little pig met a man with a load of bricks. The little pig said to him, "Please, man, give me those bricks to build me a house." This the man did, and soon the little pig had built a house with them” which shows that he is wise.
***The student’s idea is not as strong as his text evidence. His idea may be too surface-level or too briefly explained to show a deep understanding of the selection.
“IDEA-LIGHT”

36. Why do students score a “2”?
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs”, the third little pig is very wise because he learns from his brothers’ examples and builds his house out of brick so the wolf is unable “to blow his house down.” By seeing what his brothers’ experienced with their homes, the third pig chooses the smartest material to build an indestructible home.
***The student’s text evidence does not support the idea strongly enough to show a deep understanding, usually because there is not enough evidence presented
“TEXT-LIGHT”

37. Why do students score a “3”?
In the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs,” the third pig is very wise. Remembering his mother’s warning about a wolf, he “builds his house out of sturdy brick.” By building his house out of a stronger material, the third pig demonstrates that he is smarter than his brothers, who built their homes out of straw and sticks, because the wolf was unable to destroy his property.
***Both the student’s ideas and choice of text evidence are strong. It is this combination that demonstrates the student’s depth of understanding.