Smarter Balanced Scoring Guide

Smarter Balanced

Scoring Guide

For Grades 3, 6, and 11

English/Language Arts

Performance Task Full-Write Baseline Sets

November 2014

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 2

INTRODUCTION

English/Language Arts Performance Task: The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium provides

this scoring guide to help educators understand the scoring process for the Performance Task Full-

Writes. To understand the writing scoring guides, it is helpful to understand the specifications for

each Smarter Balanced Performance Task, including the following:

 Writing Tasks: Each Performance Task begins by describing a writing situation that motivates

students to “find out more about” a given problem/question/circumstance, etc. Students are then

presented with relevant source material and a writing task with a clearly stated writing topic,

audience, purpose, and form, along with the scoring criteria. On the ELA Writing assessment, each

student will respond to one performance task.

 Source Materials: Each Performance Task is accompanied by grade-appropriate “source material”

(i.e. 2-5 texts depending on grade). Except for narrative tasks, which may be more text-inspired

than text-based(i.e. connections to source materials may contribute to or enhance the narrative),

students will use source materials to support ideas

 Writing Purposes: The Common Core State Standards prescribe three general rhetorical purposes

for writing: narrative, informational/explanatory, and opinion/ argumentative. Each writing purpose

has a different purpose-specific scoring rubric. For the assessment, each student will be given one

of the purposes designated for his or her grade level. These purposes have subtle differences

depending on the grade level of the students:

o Students in grades 3 to 8 may be expected to write to the narrative purpose, using the

information in the sources as inspiration to write a story or capture the essence of an

experience (students in grade 11 will not receive a narrative PT).

o Students in grades 3-5 may be expected to write to the informational purpose, using source

material to “inform” an audience about a topic. Students in grades 6-11 may be expected

to write to the explanatory purpose, analyzing source material to explain some aspect of a

subject.

o Students in grades 3-5 may be expected to form and defend an opinion, supported by

information provided in source material. Students in grades 6-11 may be expected to

compose an argument, using evidence from source materials to form and support claims

and (in grades 7 -11) counterclaims.

 Writing Forms: Each performance task provides students with a clear expected writing form

or product. These forms are grade-appropriate, such as letter or report in the earlier grades, moving

to more sophisticated essays in later grades.

 Audience: The designated audience will be appropriate for the grade level, purpose, and

situation for the task, ranging from familiar audiences (e.g., parents, principal) for younger students

to more general audiences (e.g., legislative bodies, Internet audiences) for older students.

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 3

Baseline Anchor Set:

How is a “Baseline Anchor Set” developed? Professional contractor scorers, trained to use

the Smarter Balanced scoring rubrics, preliminarily score a range of student responses, defining top

level responses and then identifying samples representing different score points. Educators from

Smarter Balanced states then review these selections and agree upon, or validate, sample

responses that define the range of each score point and provide a variety of response types.

A Word of Caution:In order to maintain the security of the spring 2014 Field Test items for

use in the 2015 Summative and Interim item banks, the student responses included in this guide

were selected from the Smarter Balanced 2013 Pilot Test. The writing samples can help illustrate

the descriptors for each score-point category on the Smarter Balanced writing rubrics; therefore, we

see the baseline anchors as a useful educator tool. These first Baseline Anchor Sets are, however,

just the beginning of what will become full and rich sets of student writing, that include a wide variety

of purposes and writing forms for each grade.

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 4

Grade 3 Narrative Performance Task Full Writes

The following third grade narrative rubrics and baseline set are used to anchor the scoring of student

responses to narrative tasks at grade 3. Each student response is scored for three traits:

organization/purpose (4 points possible), development/elaboration (4 points possible), and

conventions (2 points possible).

Score

Organization/Purpose

Grade 3 Narrative Description

Organization/Purpose

The organization of the narrative, real or imagined, is fully sustained and the

focus is clearand maintained throughout:

 an effective plot helps to create a sense of unity and completeness

 effectively establishes a setting, narrator/characters, and/or point of view*

 consistent use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between

and among ideas; strong connection between and among ideas

 natural, logical sequence of events from beginning to end

 effective opening and closure for audience and purpose

The organization of the narrative,

real or imagined, is adequately sustained, and the focus is adequate and generally

maintained:

 an evident plot helps to create a sense of unity and completeness, though there may be

minor flaws and some ideas may be loosely connected

 adequately establishes a setting, narrator/characters, and/or point of view*

 adequate use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between

and among ideas

 adequate sequence of events from beginning to end

 adequate opening and closure for audience and purpose

The organization of the narrative,

real or imagined, is somewhat sustained and may have an uneven focus:

 there may be an inconsistent plot, and/or flaws may be evident

 unevenly or minimally establishes a setting, narrator/characters, and/or point of view*

 uneven use of appropriate transitional strategies and/or little variety

 weak or uneven sequence of events

 opening and closure, if present, are weak

The organization of the narrative,

real or imagined, may be maintained but may provide little or no focus:

 there is little or no discernible plot or there may just be a series of events

 may be brief or there is little to no attempt to establish a setting, narrator/characters,

and/or point of view*

 few or no appropriate transitional strategies may be evident and may cause confusion

 little or no organization of an event sequence; frequent extraneous ideas and/or a major

drift may be evident

 opening and/or closure may be missing or unsatisfactory

 Insufficient (includes copied text)

 In a language other than English

 Off-topic

 Off-purpose

*pointofviewbegins atgrade7

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 5

Score

Development/Elaboration

Grade 3 Narrative Description

Development/Elaboration

The narrative, real or imagined,provides thorough, effective elaboration using relevant

details, dialogue, and/or description:

 experiences, characters, setting and/or events are clearly developed

 connections to source materials may enhance the narrative

 effective use of a variety of narrative techniques that advance the story or illustrate the

experience

 effective use of sensory, concrete, and figurative language that clearly advances the

purpose

 effective, appropriate style enhances the narration

The narrative, real or imagined, provides adequate elaboration using details, dialogue,

and/or description:

 experiences, characters, setting, and/or events are adequately developed

 connections to source materials may contribute to the narrative

 adequate use of a variety of narrative techniques that generally advance the story or

illustrate the experience

 adequate use of sensory, concrete, and figurative language that generally advances the

purpose

 generally appropriate style is evident

The narrative, real or imagined, provides uneven, cursory elaboration using partial and

uneven details, dialogue, and/or description:

 experiences, characters, setting, and/or events are unevenly developed

 connections to source materials may be ineffective, awkward, or vague but do not

interfere with the narrative

 narrative techniques are uneven and inconsistent

 partial or weak use of sensory, concrete, and figurative language that may not advance

the purpose

 inconsistent or weak attempt to create appropriate style

The narrative, real or imagined, provides minimal elaboration using few or no details,

dialogue, and/or description:

 experiences, characters, setting, and/or events may be vague, lack clarity, or confusing

 connections to source materials, if evident, may detract from the narrative

 use of narrative techniques may be minimal, absent, incorrect, or irrelevant

 may have little or no use of sensory, concrete, or figurative language; language does not

advance and may interfere with the purpose

 little or no evidence of appropriate style

 Insufficient (includes copied text)

 In a language other than English

 Off-topic

 Off-purpose

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 6

Score

Conventions

Grade 3 Narrative Description

Conventions

The response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions:

 adequate use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar

usage, and spelling

The response demonstrates a partial command of conventions:

 limited use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage,

and spelling

The response demonstrates little or no command of conventions:

 infrequent use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar

usage, and spelling

 Insufficient (includes copied text)

 In a language other than English

 Off-topic

 Off-purpose

Conventions are scored holistically per grade-level CCSS expectations considering the following

guidelines:

 Variety: A range of errors includes sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage,

and spelling

 Severity: Basic errors are more heavily weighted than higher-level errors.

 Density: The proportion of errors to the amount of writing done well. This includes the ratio of

errors to the length of the piece.

Appendix A provides the grade-level convention charts used during scoring.

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 7

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 1

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative provides little focus. There is no discernible plot, only a series of

events (going across the sea...learning how to live...finding food). The response is brief, and there

is little attempt to establish a setting or characters beyond "Ounce it was a little pilgrim he was

making his journey on the maflower." Few transitional strategies are evident, and there is no

organization of an event sequence (the student mainly provides statements about the difficulty of

travelling on a ship across the sea). The opening (Ounce it was a little pilgrim...) and closure

(pepole today are adle to travl quickly) are weak.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 8

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 2

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative provides little focus. There is little discernible plot, and little

attempt to establish a setting, narrator or characters (there is a minimal attempt to establish the

character of a child who wants to get on the Mayflower.) There are few transitional strategies, and

little organization of an event sequence (there is a brief description of the child watching the

Mayflower, seeing it is gone, and then asking the narrator if he wants to go with him.) The narrative

lacks an opening and closure.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 9

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 3

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative provides little focus. There is little discernible plot, but there is a

minimal attempt to establish the character of a dog named "Blue." A few transitional strategies are

present (until something bit him...Till the next someone...so he went). Little organization of an

event sequence is present in this brief response (the opening sentence is confusing and makes the

plot difficult to follow). The opening (A normal dog was sleeping...) and closure (...everyone was

happy) are weak.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 10

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 4

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative is somewhat sustained. There is a discernible plot (a child's

journey on the Mayflower). The setting is minimally maintained (aboard the Mayflower), and

characters are minimally developed (a child named Conrad, his uncle, and his parents.) There is an

uneven use of appropriate transitional strategies (Then he heard... So in a mouth... But in 6

mounth...) and an uneven sequence of events. The opening (This is a story about a child that was

cures) and closure (But in 6 mounth they came to the new world) are weak.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 11

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 5

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative is somewhat sustained. There is a discernible plot (the narrator

and a pet turtle help a squid and a shark). The setting is minimally maintained (the sea), and the

narrator and characters are minimally developed (Me and my pet trtal silver like to save sea

creachers). There is little variety in the use of transitional strategies (Then when I looked... Then

when we got home). Gaps in the narrative lead to an uneven sequence of events (the narrative

jumps from giving the squid and shark medicine, to the narrator being at home and Silver laying

eggs.) The opening (Me and my pet trtal silver like to save sea creachers) and closure (That was

some advencher) are adequate.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 12

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 6

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative is somewhat sustained. Some inference is required to know that

the plot is about a day on the Mayflower. The setting is maintained (onboard the Mayflower), and

characters are minimally developed (Dave...helped out by moping the deck). There is little variety

in the use of transitional strategies (so when he was done...when he was done... When dinner was

over...) and an uneven sequence of events. The opening (They were on there way to the new

world) and closure (...it was time for bed the end) are weak.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 13

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 7

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative is adequately sustained, with a maintained focus. There is an

evident plot about a family's trip on the Mayflower, and the setting (onboard the Mayflower) and

characters (Chris and his family) are adequately maintained. There is adequate use of a variety of

transitional strategies to clarify relationships between ideas (finally they arrived on the

Mayflower...Life wasn't even close to easy on the Mayflower, but the Pilgrims' and Chrises family

put seasoning on their food to make it taste better) and an adequate sequence of events. The

opening (Once there was a boy...) is adequate, but there is no closure.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 14

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 8

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The organization of the narrative is adequately sustained and the focus is maintained. There is an

evident plot about a guinea pig that saves his owner. The setting (the swenson house) is

adequately maintained, and the character of Harry the guinea pig is adequately developed (But

harry would not stop now. He ran through several flames). Adequate transitional strategies are

utilized to create an adequate sequence of events from beginning to end (One late summer

afternoon...Then he ran over... He finally arrived...). The opening (This is a story about a guinie pig

that saved his owners) and closure (Then he was known as a life saver) are effective and provide a

sense of unity to the response.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 15

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 9

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 16

The organization of the narrative is adequately sustained and the focus is maintained. There is an

evident plot about a child on the Mayflower. The setting (onboard the Mayflower) is adequately

maintained, and the character of a pilgrim child on the Mayflower is adequately developed (...he

dreamed that he was starving on the ship like other pilgrims do... He said, I don't like this trip). The

response uses a variety of transitional strategies to maintain an adequate sequence of events from

beginning to end (So he got worried... While he was inside... When he was getting tired...). An

adequate opening is present (A child pelgrim was on the Mayflour...). The closure, which makes

the point that the pilgrims now have all the things they did not have when they were on the

Mayflower, is also adequate (But the ship stopped...Him and the others is thankful because Native

americans helped them have fresh food, more clothes and happines).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 17

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 10

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 18

The organization of the narrative is fully sustained and the focus is clear and maintained

throughout. An effective plot about a horse that saves stray kittens provides a sense of unity and

completeness. The setting is effectively established and characters are skillfully developed (Avery

stuck her head in a box full of glass...Avery took care of the kittens and slept with them in the barn

stalls...Abby decided to keep the kitten...). Consistent use of transitional strategies help convey a

logical sequence of events (...one day Avery jumped over the fence...the next day hundreds of

people came to visit...Now Avery got several awards). The opening effectively introduces the

characters (Avery was a stray horse when she was very young a girl named Abby found her and

decided to take care of her) and the closure effectively shows the culmination of the characters

work saving kittens (...they raised more than a hundred dollars each week).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 19

Grade 3

Narrative - Organization and Purpose

Sample4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 11

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 20

The organization of the narrative is fully sustained and the focus is clear and maintained

throughout. An effective plot about a boy's journey to the new world creates a sense of unity and

completeness. The setting, divided between the boat and Plymouth, MA, is effectively established,

and the characters are effectively developed (He got on the bot complaining...He said with a loud

booming voice...'Oh hony, have my jacket') The student uses a variety of transitional strategies,

including dialogue, to move the plot forward and create a natural and logical sequence of events

('Sereaslly, that's the only thing we can eat'? Asked Jack. 'Yes'. Said his mother. 'But mom'! 'now

stop complaining and eat your dinner'! 'O,ok'. 'Actually, that was pretty good' Said jack). An

effective opening introduces the main character and the setting (Jack Skeen started his long,

boaring but merackulesjerney to the new world in sixteen twenty). The effective closure of the

narrative provides a sense of resolution for the characters by showing that they have achieved their

goal of reaching the new world (And there was lots and lots to be thankful for. So long story short.

AND THEY LIVED HAPELLY EVER AFTER).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 21

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 1

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides minimal elaboration. The student uses few details to elaborate on

characters or setting, and events are vague (they found a baby seal they took it home and heeled

it). There is limited use of narrative techniques (events are an unelaborated list). The response

does not utilize sensory or concrete language to advance the narrative purpose. There is only a

very limited attempt to imitate the style of a story (“Once upon a time…”, “They lived happily ever

after”).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 22

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 2

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides minimal elaboration with few details, no dialogue, and little description.

Experiences, characters, setting and events are vague because the student does not stop to

elaborate (the narrative is mostly a list of events). The use of narrative techniques is minimal (my

dog was pulling my shirt in the derection of the fire). There is little use of sensory or concrete

language to advance the narrative purpose (I was so proud of my dog), and there is little awareness

of a writing style.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 23

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample 1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 3

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides minimal elaboration with few details and little description. The student uses

simple language, experiences are “told” rather than “shown” (he saw new animals and ohter cool

stuff and that was good), and narrative techniques are minimal (the food went bad). The student

uses general rather than specific language to advance the plot (a child that was cures... borded the

ship) and little awareness of style.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 24

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 4

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides cursory elaboration using partial and uneven details and description.

Experiences, characters, setting and events are unevenly developed. However, the student does

attempt some sentence-to-sentence elaboration of Dave mopping the deck. The student uses

some details from the source materials (had biscuits and dried vegetables), but the narrative

techniques used are uneven (the student provides details about what Dave and Greg did together,

but the details are presented as a list, with no elaboration). There is partial use of concrete

language to advance the purpose of the narrative (he went near the eag of the deck he was

moping and he almost fell over in to. But he cot his blnce) and some attempt at creating a

narrative style.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 25

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 5

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides minimal elaboration using partial and some details and description.

Experiences, characters, setting, and events are unevenly developed, with mostly listed elaboration

(But his owner Josh moved to Mexico... The dog had to help many people alone now...The dog

helped save 29 cats, 77 birds, 47 people, and 36 dogs). Narrative techniques are uneven with

weak use of concrete language (The dog and his owner saved some animals like cats, dags, birds

and other animals. Once they saved a family of robins in a burning tree). There is an attempt to

“sound like” a story, but because the story is a’’ “telling” rather than “showing” the student is not

entirely successful.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 26

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 6

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides uneven elaboration using partial and uneven details and description.

Experiences and characters are unevenly developed. The student provides some character

development by allowing the audience to know the thoughts of the narrator (So, I thought what am

I going to do?...I thought, how can a dog get a cat out? Even if I can't), but most of the experiences

lack elaboration (Next we tried to call help. That did not work eather...Next I was looking for a

poster...But, I did not find a poster). Narrative techniques are uneven, with some weak

descriptions (small little cat) and some partial use of descriptive language (I tiptoed over there. I

peeked over at it). There is some awareness of audience and style with the integration of

onomatopoeia (Click Clack!) and internal dialogue (I thought, how can a dog get a cat out?...).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 27

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 7

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides adequate elaboration using details and description to develop the story of a

girl's journey on the Mayflower. Experiences (there was no kitchen...they were cooking with the

firebox), characters (Anny had to were the same dress for the whole trip), setting (on the Mayflower

boat), and events are adequately developed and connections to source materials contribute to the

narrative (Native Americans taugth the Pilgrams how to hunt for birds and deer... to plant corn,

barley and peas). There is adequate use of narrative techniques, and specific details are

connected with sentence-to-sentence elaboration (they need good weather also because if a spark

fell down on the Mayflower boat the whole boat will be burned...) and concrete language (they

needed the food dry and if they were cooking with the fireboxes then they need good weather) that

generally advance the narrative. A generally appropriate, matter-of-fact (the biggest problem was

the food) style is evident.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 28

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 8

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides adequate elaboration using details and description to develop the story of a

horse that saves a kitten. Experiences, characters (a plain old horse named Marie. She loved to

run fast and to practice jumping), and events are adequately developed. There is adequate use of

narrative techniques including some foreshadowing in the first paragraph (She never thought her

speed was fast enough to save someones life). There is adequate use of sensory and concrete

language (Marie ran as fast as she could to were she herded the person yelling) and a generally

appropriate style is evident.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 29

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 9

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides adequate elaboration using details and description. Experiences (It was so

crowded I had to sleep at the bottom of the ship), characters, setting, and events are adequately

developed, and connections to the source materials contribute to the narrative (...this food called

'ship's biscuits'... There wasn't enough water so I had to find something else to drink). Narrative

techniques are adequately used to generally illustrate the experience (Once I bit it my teeth started

bleeding), and there is adequate use of descriptive language (I feel frightened once I see a spider).

There is a distinctive sense of style. The reader can hear the voice through repeated use of caps

and subjective reactions to conditions on the ship (I NEVER want YOU to go on a trip like that ever.

But if you do, watch out for the holes).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 30

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 10

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides adequate elaboration using details and description. Experiences (They

meet Native Americans and they help each other so they can survive), setting, and events are

adequately developed, and connections to the source materials contribute to the narrative (They

were going to be on board for a long time...2 months past...When spring comes the pilgrims learn

how to plant corn, peas and they learn how to hunt for birds and deer). The response makes

adequate use of narrative techniques (Lots of people got sea sick or screamed when the boat

moved suddenly) and descriptive language (When the boat moved suddenly they put there hands

in the air and yelled WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!). A generally appropriate style is evident.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 31

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 11

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides thorough, effective elaboration using relevant details and description.

Experiences (Abby decided to keep the kitten and name it Spots), characters (Avery took care of

the kittens and slept with them in the barn), and events are clearly developed. The narrative uses

the source materials to guide the story (the story of Avery and Abby closely parallels the source

materials that describe a dog that rescues kittens and its owner who keeps the kittens and starts a

fund to help cats). The student uses narrative techniques such as description to illustrate the

experience (...Avery jumped over the fence and raced to the end of the street...) and descriptive

language that clearly advances the purpose (...named it pumpkin because it was the color orange

and was very plump). The narrative is enhanced by an effective, appropriate style that conveys the

heroism of Avery.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 32

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample 4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 12

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The narrative provides thorough, effective elaboration using relevant details and description to

develop the story of how Thorn the hamster got his name. Experiences (They were all having a

really good time and they wanted to play a game), characters (He didn't care if a leaf thorn was

pushing into his body...), and events are clearly developed. The response uses a variety of

narrative techniques including description (Max spun and spun until he got super close to plant he

was alirgic to) and foreshadowing (Max didn't name his hamster Thorn for nothing) to illustrate the

experience. The writer effectively uses descriptive language (He stuck his tonge out, started

spinning in circles and puffed his cheaks up) that clearly advances the purpose and an effective,

appropriate style that leads to the resolution of how Thorn got his name.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 33

Grade 3

Narrative - Development and Elaboration

Sample4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 13

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 34

The narrative provides thorough, effective elaboration using relevant details, dialogue, and

description. Experiences (...some times they ate the food that went bad exept the passengers

could not taste it because the men ho coocked and handed the food out put spices on them to

cover it up), characters ('Sereaslly, that's the only thing we can eat'? Asked Jack. 'Yes'. Said his

mother. 'But mom'! 'now stop complaining and eat your dinner'! 'O,ok'), setting and events are

clearly developed. Connections to the source materials enhance the narrative (Two months after

the passengers left... they reeched the new world... 'b,brrr,m,m,mom its co, cold'. Wimpered Jack).

The writer effectively uses dialogue as a narrative technique to advance the story ('Oh great, I'm

stuck in a ship, have to ask the capten were the bathroom is and can't eat anything for like 3

hours, just great') and effectively uses descriptive language (He said with a lould booming voice...

Shreeked Jack a little scared). There is an effective, appropriate style that enhances the narrative

(the writer uses dialogue to provide the audience with insight into characters and events).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 35

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample0-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 1

Bats

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates little command of conventions. There is a variety of basic errors,

including grammar usage (determiners and plural nouns: bat make a eco, Bat help farmers), and

spelling (cope, nigt, lisin, fare). The proportion of errors to the amount of writing done well is

significant.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 36

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample0-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 2

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates little command of conventions. The proportion of errors to the

amount of writing done well in this brief response is significant. There is a variety of basic errors

including punctuation (misplaced period, missing end period), capitalization (failing to capitalize

the first word in the third sentence, the name of the ship and the holiday), and spelling (fand, treky,

allong).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 37

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample0-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 3

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates little command of conventions. There is a variety of basic errors in

this brief response, including sentence formation (one long run-on sentence), punctuation (none,

except for one correct contraction), capitalization (not capitalizing the first word in the response

and the name of the ship), grammar usage (ounce it was a little pilgrim), and spelling (pepole,

makeing, souned).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 38

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 4

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This brief response demonstrates a partial command of conventions. There is limited use of

correct sentence formation (The were dieing when they got of the ship it was sad) and spelling

(arond, on, The). However, grammar usage, punctuation and capitalization are adequate.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 39

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 5

Furry Heroes

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates a partial command of conventions with some variety. There is limited

use of correct sentence formation (I let go of the liesh my dog ran as fast he could and went inside

the bulding), grammar usage (He still see the first cat, he rescus animal and humen in need), and

spelling (windo, waking, moth). However, punctuation and most capitalization are adequate in this

lengthier response.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 40

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 6

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates a partial command of conventions. There is some variety of errors,

but the errors are neither dense nor severe. There is adequate use of capitalization, and most of

the punctuation is correct. However, there are a few errors in sentence formation (In the life of a

pilgrim was pretty rough), grammar usage (drinked), and spelling (stoped, befour, living, alot).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 41

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 7

Inventions

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions. Though the response is brief,

there are very few errors for the amount of writing present. Sentence formation, punctuation,

spelling, and grammar usage are all adequate, and there is only one capitalization error (rover).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 42

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 8

Astronauts

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

This response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions. There are few errors for the

amount of writing present in this lengthier response. There are no grade-level errors in sentence

formation, and only one capitalization error (failing to capitalize I in the third paragraph ). Some

errors are present in grammar usage (like to be astronaut, for a hour), spelling (wounder, excise),

and punctuation (missing a few end of sentence question marks).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 43

Grade 3

Conventions

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 9

Pilgrims

Grade 3 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Appendix A provides the grade-level convention charts used during scoring.

This response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions. There are few errors for the

amount of writing present in this lengthier response. In sentence formation there are two run-on

sentences, one punctuation error (pilgrims houses), two grammar usage errors (maybe sound fun,

more hungrier), and two capitalization errors (pilgrim, rose).

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 44

Grade 6 Explanatory Performance Task Full Writes

The following sixth grade explanatory rubrics and baseline anchor set are used to anchor the scoring

of student responseswritten to explanatory tasks at grade 6. Each scoring sample is scored for three

traits: organization/purpose (4 points possible), evidence/elaboration (4 points possible), and

conventions (2 points possible).

Score

Organization/Purpose

Grade 6 Explanatory Description

Organization/Purpose

The response has a clear and effective organizational structure, creating a sense of unity

and completeness. The organization is fully sustained between and within paragraphs. The

response is consistently and purposefully focused:

 thesis/controlling idea of a topic is clearly communicated, and the focus is strongly

maintained for the purpose and audience

 consistent use of a variety of transitional strategies to clarify the relationships between

and among ideas

 effective introduction and conclusion

 logical progression of ideas from beginning to end; strong connections between and

among ideas with some syntactic variety

The response has an evident organizational structure and a sense of completeness.

Though there may be minor flaws, they do not interfere with the overall coherence. The

organization is adequately sustained between and within paragraphs. The response is

generally focused:

 thesis/controlling idea of a topic is clear, and the focus is mostly maintained for the

purpose and audience

 adequate use of transitional strategies with some variety to clarify the relationships

between and among ideas

 adequate introduction and conclusion

 adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end; adequate connections between

and among ideas

The response has an inconsistent organizational structure. Some flaws are evident, and

some ideas may be loosely connected. The organization is somewhat sustained between

and within paragraphs. The response may have a minor drift in focus:

 thesis/controlling idea of a topic may be somewhat unclear, or the focus may be

insufficiently sustained for the purpose and/or audience

 inconsistent use of transitional strategies and/or little variety

 introduction or conclusion, if present, may be weak

 uneven progression of ideas from beginning to end; and/or formulaic; inconsistent or

unclear connections between and among ideas

The response has little or no discernible organizational structure. The response may be

related to the topic but may provide little or no focus:

 thesis/controlling idea may be confusing or ambiguous; response may be too brief or

the focus may drift from the purpose and/or audience

 few or no transitional strategies are evident

 introduction and/or conclusion may be missing

 frequent extraneous ideas may be evident; ideas may be randomly ordered or have an

unclear progression

 Insufficient (includes copied text)

 In a language other than English

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 45

 Off-topic

 Off-purpose

Score

Evidence/Elaboration

Grade 6 Explanatory Description

Evidence/Elaboration

The response provides thorough elaboration of the support/evidence for the

thesis/controlling idea that includes the effective use of source material. The response

clearly and effectively develops ideas, using precise language:

 comprehensive evidence (facts and details) from the source material is integrated,

relevant, and specific

 clear citations or attribution to source material

 effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques*

 vocabulary is clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose

 effective, appropriate style enhances content

The response provides adequate elaboration of the support/evidence for the

thesis/controlling idea that includes the use of source material. The response adequately

develops ideas, employing a mix of precise and more general language:

 adequate evidence (facts and details) from the source material is integrated and

relevant, yet may be general

 adequate use of citations or attribution to source material

 adequate use of some elaborative techniques*

 vocabulary is generally appropriate for the audience and purpose

 generally appropriate style is evident

The response provides uneven,cursory elaboration of the support/evidence for the

thesis/controlling idea that includes uneven or limited use of source material. The

response develops ideas unevenly, using simplistic language:

 some evidence (facts and details) from the source material may be weakly integrated,

imprecise, repetitive, vague, and/or copied

 weak use of citations or attribution to source material

 weak or uneven use of elaborative techniques*; development may consist primarily of

source summary

 vocabulary use is uneven or somewhat ineffective for the audience and purpose

 inconsistent or weak attempt to create appropriate style

The response provides minimal elaboration of the support/evidence for the

thesis/controlling idea that includes little or no use of source material. The response is

vague, lacks clarity, or is confusing:

 evidence (facts and details) from the source material is minimal, irrelevant, absent,

incorrectly used, or predominantly copied

 insufficient use of citations or attribution to source material

 minimal, if any, use of elaborative techniques*

 vocabulary is limited or ineffective for the audience and purpose

 little or no evidence of appropriate style

 Insufficient (includes copied text)

 In a language other than English

 Off-topic

 Off-purpose

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 46

*Elaborative techniques may include the use of personal experiences that support the controlling idea.

Score

Conventions

Grade 6 Explanatory Description

Conventions

The response demonstrates an adequate command of conventions:

 adequate use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar

usage, and spelling

The response demonstrates a partial command of conventions:

 limited use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage,

and spelling

The response demonstrates little or no command of conventions:

 infrequent use of correct sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar

usage, and spelling

 Insufficient (includes copied text)

 In a language other than English

 Off-topic

 Off-purpose

Conventions are scored holistically per grade-level CCSS expectations considering the following

guidelines:

 Variety: A range of errors includes sentence formation, punctuation, capitalization, grammar usage,

and spelling.

 Severity: Basic errors are more heavily weighted than higher-level errors.

 Density: The proportion of errors to the amount of writing done well. This includes the ratio of

errors to the length of the piece.

Appendix A provides the grade-level convention charts used during scoring.

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 47

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 1

MARTIAL ARTS

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Pretend that your school wants to have a Martial Art class/classes here are some

diffrent types of Martial atrs : Taekwondo,Kung Fu, and Aikido. One way the

leadership team could figure how to make it work is by having a avote of who wants

to have a Martial Art class/classes. Or you could just have the people that want do

the class/classes.On the other hand they could wrirte out a sign up sheet so the

people who want do the can just sign up and also write down the type of Martial Arts

they want to do. Plus if one the classes for example Kung Fu gets full we could

make another class seperate so the kids can have the class they want and get stuck

in a class they don't like.

The response has little discernible organizational structure. Although the response is related to the

topic, it has problems maintaining focus. The response begins by suggesting the reader pretend

that the school wants to offer martial arts classes. The response than identifies the different

varieties of martial arts as if each is going to be explained in the response. It then focuses,

however, on the process of and troubleshooting for putting the classes in place (by having avote).

Few transitional strategies are evident (Or, On the other hand, Plus), but the ideas on how to get

student input or judge student interest in martial arts are randomly ordered. A one-sentence

introduction (Pretend that your school wants to have Martial Art . . . .) is present, and there is no

conclusion. When considered holistically, this response receives a score of 1 for

Organization/Purpose.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 48

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 2

MARTIAL ARTS

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The three main types of Martial Arts are very exciting and can teach you several

lessons, strategies, and techniques.These martial arts can prove to be very difficult,

but many people say it is a good way to relax your mind and relieve yourself of

stress.

Several people have practiced these forms, and have found it very reliable. It is now

practiced throughout the world like any other sport.

Truly, these forms of Martial Arts are very helpful, and are often recommended to

people who have alot of stressin their lives. To sum up, taekwondo, kung fu, and

aikido are very good ways to spend your time with when you have nothing to do.

This brief response has little discernible organizational structure. The response begins by

identifying a few advantages in adding martial arts to the curriculum (very exciting, can teach you .

. . lessons, strategies, and techniques . . . relax your mind), but then moves, without transition, to a

new idea about how many martial arts and where these martial arts are practiced. Each of these

ideas can be reordered without affecting meaning. There are some simple attempts at transitions

(Truly, To sum up). The introduction and conclusion are very brief and do little to help the reader

follow the essay. Taken as a whole, this response represents a score of 1 for

Organization/Purpose..

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 49

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample1-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 3

USING THE INTERNET WISELY

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Once we get on the computers, everyone should be careful when you research

about the information. There are a few things to do to make sure that the websites

you are on give you accurate, and useful information. When you are looking for

websites to get information from, you probably want to look at the websites that end

with .edu or .gov because those websites are well managed and most of the time,

accurate information. Usually they don't have that many ads either to try and sell

you things.

If you aren't able to find any that end with .edu or .gov then you have to look at the

websites that end in .com These sites aren't as reliable as the others because

anyone, anywhere could make a website like that. So when you are on a .com

website, try and find where the date was when it was last edited to make sure the

information is correct. If you can't then you should probably look for a different

website. These websites can be good, but some are not. So make sure you find the

right website for you!

The response has little discernible organizational structure. This response begins with a weak

thesis (Once we get on the computers, everyone should be careful when you research about the

information. There are a few things to do to make sure that the websites you are on give you

accurate, and useful information). A progression of ideas is present from explaining where to find

accurate information (. . . with .edu or .gov) to having to use a .com website. An embedded

transition is used effectively to step through the information (Usually they don‟t have that many ads

either . . . .). Other basic transitions help connect ideas (So . . . , If you can‟t then . . .). Although

there is connectivity between ideas, this response is not sufficiently sustained to receive more than

a 1 for Organization/Purpose.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 50

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 4

IMMIGRATION

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Times are sometimes hard for people, so they might have to move to a better place.

There are pushes, features of life that make people want to leave their homes.

There are also pulls, features of life that attract people to a new place. things like the

gold rush attracted people to America from there old town that may have had some

pushes.

In the 1800's many people came to america when their was many new technology.

Most of the peole were from Ireland, because crops had failed and they were so

desperate they came during the Civil War. People from other places in Europe also

came because they couldn't find jobs or house. Other people came for religious

freedom or lower birthing rates.

Later in the 1800's industry grew and many more people came to America. New

transportation has been mad to make it more convenient for traveling. Now it is

much easier for people to move to America. They could take a train to another

method of transportation to get to America. The printing press was also invented at

that time to print inexpensive books and newspapers, so that opened up a job

opportunity for someone that is looking for a job. Also in 1844 someone invented the

telegraph and in 1876 they had invented the telephone. Now the people in America

can keep in touch with their family back at their home town.

In 1848 gold was discovered in California, so that brought even more people to

America. More than 70,000 people came to search for gold which brought the

population up much higher. Many people have moved to America for many different

reasons, and now Ameirica has close to the highest population out of all of the

counries.

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 51

The response has an inconsistent organizational structure with evident flaws. The controlling idea

of the piece is that “[t]imes are sometimes hard for people, so they might have to move to a better

place.” The reader is left to determine what the connection is to “pushes” and “pulls.” The first

body paragraph introduces new technology as a driving force for “pulling” immigrants to America,

but then lists a few “pushes” that are unrelated to technology (. . . crops had failed and . . . Civil

War . . .). The response finishes with an extremely weak conclusion. Holistically, the response

receives a score of 2 for Organization/Purpose.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 52

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample2-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 5

USING THE INTERNET WISELY

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

I am a member of the technology club. Using the new computers will be very fun

and interesting. You are going to need to know some basic facts. Also I am going to

tell you risk and responsibilities.

You must know what sites to use and how to use them. Some sites like .edu are

used for schools, org. is used for organization, .museum or .lib are used for

museums and libraries and .com is used for commercials. Some sites can not be

perfect and can have mistakes. Make sure you type address in correctly and check

after you finish. Sometimes websites can be boring and if they are go look for a

better one that interests you. This site .gov is made from the government and kids

should should use it mostly. It better to check when the site was last updated and

see who made it and see if u can ask question to the author. You must know these

thing for research.

When you start using technology its best to know what the information is based

on in the sources. You must know what is appropriate to use. Also you must decide

what to install so you won't damage you computer. Make sure no one knows your

passwords, address, or phone number. If you feel like something does not feel right

you must tell parent or guardian. Make smart decisions and don't do anything

wrong. Always know whats best when you start using technology.

When using Internet for school work or reports you must know this

responsibilities. Sometimes internet can be useful but sometimes it can't. People

that make the website can tell false thing or be wrong. There are many other ways

to find out more things. Like using a book, or encyclopedia. Always check when you

are researching know when it was last updated, where information came from, most

important know who it came from. When you use internet for school reports know

what responsibilities.

I am a member of technology club. Using new computers will be fun. Still you

must know all these risk and responsibilities. Also know how to stay safe and be

alert. All these thing are what you need to know about using new computers.

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 53

The response has an inconsistent organizational structure with evident flaws. The response is

adequately sustained, however. The response begins with a simple introduction describing the

writer’s background and the two types of consideration the writer feels are relevant to safe Internet

usage (basic facts, risks and responsibilities). The first paragraph begins adequately, with a topic

sentence indicating that the writer will discuss the types of sites and how to use those sites,

followed by a random list of ideas that tracks that road map. A brief concluding sentence (You must

know these thing for research) adequately concludes this paragraph. The second paragraph,

however, is not organized as well. The lack of a clear topic sentence leaves the reader guessing

whether these are the “risks” that were foreshadowed in the opening. No variety in transitional

strategies is present and the conclusion merely repeats the ideas presented in the introduction.

The uneven progression of ideas from beginning to end and the lack of clarity result in a holistic

Organization/Purpose score of 2 for this response.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 54

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 6

IMMIGRATION

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Party in the U.S.A.

Many immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, but why? They came

because of pushes and pulls, or things that forced them to come, and things that

lured them into coming. The pushes and pulls include harsh conditions and the

finding of gold. Lots of immigrants came to the United States for these reasons!

One push reason causing immigrants to come to the United States were

caused by of harsh conditions in Europe. Russian Jews left to escape "organized

violent attacks." Italians went through harsh farming losses due to lower prices.

Even the tradition of giving the land to the first baby boy was a mistake, since it left

younger siblings landless! Hungarians, Greeks, Poles, Portuguese, and Armenians

also moved, hoping to make a new life for themselves and their families in the

United States. Europeans experience harsh conditions in the 1800s.

A pull reason that attracted people was gold. After gold was discovered in 1848

by John Sutter, it attracted huge amounts of immigrants. 70,000 hopeful adventurers

came to California in 1849, and 325 of those men were from China. More and more

Chinese came as the years went by, hoping to strike rich. Due to this event, by the

1870s, there were almost 65,000 Chinese in the U.S. What makes it even more

amazing is the fact that there were only 2,716 in 1851. Gold clearly attracted

immigrants.

As you can see, immigrants settled in the United States by pushes and pulls.

The Europeans were forced to by harsh conditions, while the Chinese were

attracted by the chance of sudden wealth. People in the United States need to be

thankful for these events, for without them, where would we be without them?

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 55

The response has an evident organizational structure and a sense of completeness. The response

is adequately sustained and clearly focused. The response begins with an adequate introduction,

using a rhetorical question that invites the reader to consider the “pushes” and “pulls” that forced

and lured immigrants to America. The response maintains a clear focus on these concepts

throughout, using them to adequately organize the response. Adequate transitions are used

between paragraphs (One push reason . . . A pull reason . . . As you can see) and internally (Even

the tradition . . . Due to this event . . .What makes it even more amazing . . . .). Holistically, this

response receives a score of 3 in Organization/Purpose.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 56

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample3-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 7

USING THE INTERNET WISELY

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

When your on the internet you have to be careful ,and the best way to be careful on

the internet is by. Spotting the dots and make sure its a website about what you're

researching. Also make sure to keep private information to yourself and not on the

internet. When you're writing a report for school make sure to look who put the

information on the website. Here is some more information on how to spot the dots

on a website, and how to write it down.

Different websites have different dots and one dot can be more important than

another. The .gov is a type of dot that leads to a website that was made by the

government, these websites are the safest and the ones with the best and most

information. Another dot is the .edu dot. this dot is full of sites made from schools

and universities resources found on these sites are usually carefully researched and

checked; they can be fun sometimes and still have some information.The dot that

isn't as reliable as the others is the .com dot.These websites can be made by

anyone. Some websites on that dot can be reliable and some can't. These are just

some dots on the internet, but there are still tons of them out there.

Another way is by making sure you don't put personal information on the internet.

Keep personal information private, and not to people that aren't your parents. Don't

put any passwords, addresses, bank accounts (if you have one), phone numbers, or

names (if you don't know them. Giving this stuff away is like giving control of your

life, and everything you own. The internet is a little bit secure, but there's still bad

things and some bad people out there and by giving them your personal information

they can use it against you. This is way you have to be careful about what you put

out there.

When you are doing a school report on a computer you should always make sure

who wrote the site your on. Check to see if the person who made the site is an

expert on the subject that your looking for. Also ask your self if the information in

website is in a book if you look it up in one. One more thing is that you should make

sure that this person is serious about the subject and isn't pulling a prank on people

by just putting random stuff that isn't real. Checking these things can help find a

good source for your school report.

The best and the safest way to go on the internet is by. Spotting the dots and

making sure it's about the subject. Keeping personal information to your self. Also

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 57

by checking who put the information on the website. These tips can help you be

safer on the internet and can help better understand how to look up things.

The response has an evident organizational structure and a sense of completeness. The response

is adequately sustained and generally focused. The writer begins by adequately identifying three

keys to Internet safety: spotting the dots, identifying the website author, and protecting personal

information. These ideas are adequately used as topic sentences for the body paragraphs. The

first body paragraph identifies three “dot” types, .gov, .edu, and .com, followed by a comment

regarding each. Although this structure is formulaic, the transition to the .com characterization

clarifies the connection for the reader (The dot that isn't as reliable as the others is the .com dot).

The second paragraph adequately progresses from identifying the type of personal information that

one needs to be careful with to the ramifications of carelessness with this type of information. A

brief sentence summarizing this paragraph (This is way you have to be careful about what you put

out there) is used to adequately transition to the next paragraph. The third paragraph uses

functional internal transitions (Also, . . . One more thing . . . ) to list reasons why one needs to know

the source of the information on a website. Once again, the writer uses an adequate concluding

sentence to complete this paragraph. Although functional, the conclusion does nothing more than

mirror the introduction. Adequate transitional strategies and progression of ideas from beginning to

end result in a holistic Organization/Purpose score of 3 for this response.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 58

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 8

IMMIGRATION

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

Over 60 million people came to the United States between 1860 and 1910.

These people came because of hardships in their country, opportunities in America,

and of Americas modern technology. The United States is a country that many

people immigrated to and this is why.

Many people immigrated to the United States because of hardships. For

example, Russian Jews came from Russia to escape prejudice and persecution, in

the form of violent attacks. These people came to America to be safe from harm. In

addition, Southern Italians suffered from high birth rates, since the traditions was to

give land to their first born son, it left many peoples children landless. These people

came to America for their children to have a better life. Also, many Europeans came

to America to escape conflict and poverty brought on by over crowding. These

people came to America to have a better life for themselves and their children. This

is the many hardships immigrants faced before they came to America.

In addition to hardships, many people came to America because of

opportunities. To show this, people came to America for jobs. Many Europeans

came to America to find work, since over crowding in Europe lead to job

"shortages". Furthermore, people came to America to avoid hunger. A food shortage

in Ireland killed 1 million people from starvation. People used that as a wake up call

to move to a better place with more food. Finally, people saw an opportunity in

resources. People packed up their belongings and came to America for more

resources for them and their families. A great number of people immigrated to

America because of opportunities.

Finally, people immigrated to America because of the new technology in

America. For example, from 1860 to 1910 over 200,000 miles of railroad tracks were

layed across America which meant for easy travel . In addition to railroad tracks,

Over 2,200 newspaper were delivered daily from 1860 to 1910. People found that

new technology and the printing press made it easier to get news in America. Lastly,

people came to America because of the new technology in factories. Jobs were

needed in these factories and immigrants were ready to work. People came to

America to get their hands on this new technology.

In conclusion, many immigrants came to the United States between 1860 and

1910. The hardships in their own countries "pushed" them here, the opportunities

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 59

and new technology "pulled" immigrants to come live in America. America was a

very promising country to the people between 1860 and 1910.

The response has a clear and effective organizational structure, creating a sense of unity and

completeness. It is fully sustained, and consistently and purposefully focused. The opening

paragraph begins with a sharp and effective thesis (These people came because of hardships in

their country, opportunities in America, and of Americas modern technology.). Although functional

transitions are present between and within paragraphs throughout this response, transitions are

weak at times (Also, Finally, Lastly). There is a logical progression of ideas from beginning to end

from the hardships faced by immigrants in paragraph one to the opportunities to overcome these

hardships in paragraph two to the new technology in America in paragraph three. The conclusion

goes beyond simply restating the information in the introduction by using the “push” and “pull”

concepts from the source material to synthesize the ideas, and, in total, the response receives a

score of 4 for Organization/Purpose.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 60

Grade 6

Explanatory - Organization and Purpose

Sample4-Point

Baseline Anchor Response 9

USING THE INTERNET WISELY

Grade 6 ELA Full-Write Response from 2013 Smarter Balanced Pilot Test

Response

The internet is a place where friends and family can connect, and you can make

new friends off of social networking sites. The internet is huge though, so you need

yo make good decisions on the sites you decide to visit. Some may seem inviting

when you type something up in the search engine, but when you actually go to the

site, it may seem like one huge ad. There are many different ways to judge a site to

see if you should continue there, and you should know them. You want to steer clear

of those sites that are just a way for the site creator to make money. Here are some

tips you can use to judge a site.

Many sites may seem good enough, but when you delve into the facts, you will

see how the site is unreliable and you should stay away. One good way to find that

out is by looking at the site's URL. The URL is the thing at the top of the screen

which says which site you are at, and it should say something like

http://www.website.something, and you can find many things from whats after the

dot at the end. Sites that end in .edu are from schools and universities, and normally

very well made and fun to go through. Sites that end in .museum or .lib are sites

made by a museum or library, respectively, and each are informative. Sites that end

in .org are formed by an organization and are very reliable. The sites that end in

.com are the ones you should be careful of. Some may be good, but anyone can set

up a .com site, so it may be an ad or someone just trying to sell you something.

Always pay attention to the URL to make sure that the site is informative and

reliable.

The internet is filled with information, but if you have a household computer,

decide with your parents or guardian to decide when you can use it, what sites you

are allowed to visit, and whether or not you should download a certain software. You

should also set up privacy settings, and try not to give out your personal information

unless you completely trust that site. If it's a social networking site, and you don't set

privacy settings, anybody around the world can learn all about you, which is not a

good thing at all. Also make sure not to upload content, such as pictures and videos,

that are inappropriate and would make someone uncomfortable or embarrassed.

The internet is a great place, but set up boundaries and think about what you are

doing.

If you're doing a report for school, the internet is a great place for information on

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 61

your subject, but not all of the info you find will be accurate. First you should find out

who posted this information and see if they are trying to sell you something or

actually provide information. Also make sure that they're not playing a prank on you.

Next you should find out when the information was posted onto the site. You should

also try to find where they found this information, and if those sites are trustworthy

as well. You could also send an e-mail to an expert on the subject, but don't use e-

mails that other people recieved, because you don't know who sent that e-mail, so

they may not actually be very knowledgeable in that subject. You can use the

internet fpr school reports, but you'll still want to know the facts about that page.

The internet can be a tool used to catch up with friends and dp research. Still,

there are some sites that just want to sell you things and other sites that just use

their site for advertising. You want to learn how to judge a site in an instant, by

looking at how many ads there are, and if it seems professional. You don't want to

go to a site that is just a complete ad to you and provides no real information, do

you? That's why you want to be able to steer clear of those sites so you can get real

facts and information.

The response has a clear and effective organizational structure, creating a sense of unity and

completeness. The response is fully sustained and consistently and purposefully focused. The

response begins with an effective introduction that highlights, without listing, the basic concepts to

be addressed more fully in the body of the essay. The first body paragraph logically progresses

from alerting the reader that one needs to look beyond the veneer of a website to explaining how

“urls” work to specific types of websites (.edu, .museum, .lib) to describing specifically the .com,

which is most prone to problems because of its open and commercial characteristics. An effective

summary sentence concludes this paragraph (Always pay attention to the URL to make sure that

the site is informative and reliable.). The remaining body paragraphs take a similar approach with

privacy concerns and with determining accuracy of information. Some basic transitions are used on

occasion (First, Also, Next) and although there is some overuse of the conjunction “but,” the term is

used to successfully establish a helpful contrast to help clarify relationships for the reader (e.g.,

The internet is filled with information, but if you have a household computer, decide with your

parents or guardian to decide . . . .). An effective conclusion completes the response that, when

consideredas a whole, receives a score of 4 for Organization/Purpose.

Note regarding citations or attributions to source material: The Pilot Test full-write task instructions

did not direct students to reference their sources by name or number as do the Field Test task

instructions.

SCORE POINT

Smarter Balanced English/Language Arts Scoring Guide 62

Grade 6

Explanatory - Evidence and Elaboration