The following 16 Sample Student Responses represent a range of score points.

Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of government's role in addressing public issues. Basic ideas (clean up the water, reduce college costs) are completed with a little support (states could fund cleaning of rivers and lakes, fine people who dump trash in water, the national government should provide funding so colleges can lower prices).

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response is related to the question and shows minimal knowledge. A fragment of a basic idea is presented (pay poor families so their kids can get a scholarship), but the idea is incomplete.

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. The concepts provided (a program to subsidize computer costs, computer literacy courses, scholarship programs, college preparation courses) are accurate and supported (government does not control computer pricing, many programs offered by colleges and universities, become more college focused, SATs, more options). Recognition of real world factors and application of cause-and-effect reasoning (a major reason families don't have computers is because they can't afford it) provide some evidence of higher order thinking skills.

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This response shows understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. The concepts provided (regulating water usage, revising the public education system) are accurate and well supported with specific details. Powerful evidence of higher order thinking skills is seen in the response's application of analysis (EPA regulations are like a law, water usage set by population, state governments control public education, special programs and more scholarships) and evaluation (distribution would not be unfair, encourage more people to go to college).

Score for Sample Student Response #5: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of government's role in addressing public issues. The basic ideas presented (federal laws to purify and maintain clean water, state funding of computers in schools and libraries) are adequately supported (law against dumping wastes in water, hire more workers, make internet more accessible).

Score for Sample Student Response #6: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. Accurate concepts are supported (desalination, tuition assistance, more community colleges). Some evidence of higher order thinking skills is provided through application of evaluation (advertising and urging, community colleges may not be as good but would be inexpensive), cause-and-effect reasoning (tax money to set up funds to help families who are poor and can't afford college, people get better-paying jobs because of college and are able to pay more taxes which brings money back to government), and appropriate awareness of funding complexities (taxes for funding, money returned to government through income tax).

Score for Sample Student Response #7: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of government's role in addressing public issues. Some key ideas are presented (water restrictions, lower college costs) with a little support (restrictions on business, national testing). The response is acceptable for a score of "2."

Score for Sample Student Response #8: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response is related to the question and shows only minimal knowledge. Fragments of basic ideas are attempted (a public place for computer use, organizing jobs for those who didn't go to college), but the ideas are vague and fragmented.

Score for Sample Student Response #9: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response is related to the question and shows minimal knowledge. Fragments of correct basic ideas are presented (give scholarships, greater penalties for polluting water), but the ideas are incomplete. A misconception, that the government directly sets consumer prices, is apparent (raise prices for bottled water). The response is inadequate to show knowledge of the topic.

Score for Sample Student Response #10: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. Concepts are accurate (desalination, water conservation, free state colleges, more scholarships) and supported. Some evidence of higher order thinking skills is provided by the use of evaluation (the government could pull as much water as it needs, a more reasonable solution) and some cause-and-effect reasoning (ad campaigns teach people not to waste, free colleges allow everyone to get a degree, scholarships for people who would not be able to afford to go).

Score for Sample Student Response #11: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of government's role in addressing public issues. The basic ideas presented (build more schools, hire more teachers, restrict water use, import clean water) are provided with a little support.

Score for Sample Student Response #12: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response is related to the question and shows only minimal knowledge. Fragments of correct basic ideas are presented (local governments do not have enough money, set up internet centers), but the ideas are skeletal and incomplete. The response shows inadequate knowledge of the topic.

Score for Sample Student Response #13: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. Several accurate concepts are supported (provide funds to schools and libraries for computer technology, scholarships, lower interest rates for student loans, education programs for computer use and for college information). Appropriate application of cause-and-effect reasoning (if schools had more computers then more students would have the opportunity to use them, give funds to libraries so they can buy more computers which would allow anyone access, many can't afford college so government could provide scholarships and lower interest rates) and recognition of real world financial factors (funding of various programs, interest rates, many can't afford college expenses) show some evidence of higher order thinking skills.

Score for Sample Student Response #14: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This insightful response shows understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. Accurate, well-supported concepts (improving pre-college education, computer access through schools) are integrated (better education requires more computer and internet access). Powerful evidence of higher order thinking skills is provided through application of analysis, evaluation (poor neighborhoods where the school system lags behind others, more likely to pursue college, many students would find internships more interesting than traditional classrooms, unrealistic for government to buy computers, need to be a budget priority), extended cause-and-effect reasoning (by encouraging at an early age, students will form scholarly habits and are more likely to pursue college), and integration of broader financial and social considerations (poor neighborhoods, programs directed to minority communities, school budget priority).

Score for Sample Student Response #15: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of government's role in addressing public issues. Acceptable basic ideas (regulations affecting water, making colleges a public school system, scholarships) are provided with a little support (limiting methods or times of water transportation, limiting or banning fertilizer use, provide money to people who don't have enough to go to college). Since government would have difficulty in passing a law mandating that everyone attend college, that suggestion presents a minimal misconception, but does not prevent the response from receiving a score of "2." The response shows adequate knowledge overall.

Score for Sample Student Response #16: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of government's role in addressing public issues. Concepts are accurate and supported. The application of cause-and-effect reasoning (lower interest rates allow more people to get loans so they can go to college and get a better job), relevant examples (the _____ library, scholarships through senators, _____ Community College), and awareness of fiscal concerns (the state may alter the budget so more money will go into buying computers) provide some evidence of higher order thinking skills.

Anchor Papers used in scoring