School Improvement in Maryland

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Brief Constructed Response Item for Grade 4

Standard 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text

Topic A. Comprehension of Informational Text

Indicator 4. Determine important ideas and messages in informational texts

Objective j. Connect the text to prior knowledge or experience

Assessment limit: Prior knowledge that clarifies, extends, or challenges the ideas or information in the text or a portion of the text

Read "Chinese Almond Cookies" and answer the following question.

Would making these cookies be easy or difficult for a fourth grader? Use information from the recipe to support your answer. Write your answer in your answer book.


Sample Student Response #1

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 3

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text. The student states that it would be "hard for some 4th graders" and effectively uses text-relevant information to clarify this idea. The recipe's use of "measures in fractions and …some words …like yields…make things more complicated for a 4th grader." The student extends this idea by stating that a 4th grader would need to be "smart and have a big vocabulary," in order to use this recipe.


Sample Student Response #2

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 2

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a general understanding of the text. The student states that the recipe "would be difficult for 4th graders because we can't do all of those things." The student uses text-relevant information to list the things that cannot be done by a 4th grader: "use a paring knife…and put cookies in the oven… because we are to young."


Sample Student Response #3

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text. The student states that the recipe "wouldn't be hard for hardworking 4th grader because a 4th grader could follow each steps carefully." The student uses only minimal information as support: "they would have adults help too."


Sample Student Response #4

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response is irrelevant to the question.


Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Rubric

Print: Scoring Rubric

Score 3

The response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text.

  • Addresses the demands of the question
  • Effectively uses text-relevant1 information to clarify or extend understanding

Score 2

The response demonstrates a general understanding of the text.

  • Partially addresses the demands of the question
  • Uses text-relevant1 information to show understanding

Score 1

The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text.

  • Minimally addresses the demands of the question
  • Uses minimal information to show some understanding of the text in relation to the question

Score 0

The response is completely incorrect, irrelevant to the question, or missing.2

Note 1:

Text-relevant: This information may or may not be an exact copy (quote) of the text but is clearly related to the text and often shows an analysis and/or interpretation of important ideas. Students may incorporate information to show connections to relevant prior experience as appropriate.

Note 2:

An exact copy (quote) or paraphrase of the question that provides no new relevant information will receive a score of "0".

Rubric Document Date: June 2003

/share/rubrics/msa/reading/xml/bcr.xml
/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_4_024.xml