Assessment Anchors

Assessment Anchors

Day 2

Read this selection

• Mrs. Allen likes to travel. Since she just moved into the area, she has decided to explore a different town every day. She always eats lunch in a local restaurant and likes to talk to the people there. She also visits the area stores. Sometimes she even makes purchases. In her journal, she records the names of the people she meets and their contact information so that she can keep in touch.

Use appropriate strategies to comprehend literature during the reading process.

• L.F.1.3.1 Identify and/or explain stated or implied main ideas and relevant supporting details from a text.

• Note: Items may target specific paragraphs.• Based on information in the passage, why does Mrs. Allen

visit different places in town each day?A. She has to complete many errands.B. She has forgotten her journal.C. She wishes to meet many people in town.D. She buys new clothes at different stores in town.

Answer

• Answer C is correct. Mrs. Allen seems to enjoy meeting new people and keeping in touch. While the story says that she sometimes makes purchases, it doesn’t say she purchases clothing. In addition, B is incorrect because she still has her journal. There is no mention of her running errands.

Read this passage

Seagraves has nothing to do today. As he walks through town, he sees and hears the neighbors as they go about their daily lives. He hears a distant noise and decides to investigate. As he walks along the path, he sees some animals in the distance. Seagraves walks down toward the oxen. He finds a nice spot to relax. He lies down on the ground and watches the different animals at work and at play and notices the birds were responsible for the noise that drew him to this place.

Use appropriate strategies to comprehend literature during the reading process.

• L.F.1.3.2 Summarize the key details and events of a fictional text, in part or as a whole.

• Read the incomplete summary of the passage.• • Seagraves walks down toward the oxen.• • He lies down on the ground and watches the different animals

at work and at play.• • Seagraves hears the neighbors as they go about their daily lives.• Which sentence best completes the summary?

A. Seagraves hears the cry of birds.B. Seagraves is inspired by the scenes of the land.C. Seagraves is nervous about the surrounding activity.D. Seagraves hears the sound of wagons.

Answer

• Answer A is correct. While he hears sounds of animals and people at work and play, we are not told that there are wagons. Additionally, if he is relaxing, he is obviously not nervous, nor is he particularly inspired.

Read this passage

• After the tornado, Samuel met his neighbor, Rob, as they were surveying the damage to their land. While their homes remained, the fences and the land were not as fortunate. Sam made a mental list of all of the things to fix as he and Rob continued walking between their land. Sam was worried that his livestock would wander if the fence wasn’t fixed immediately and Rob agreed that the fence should be a priority as well.

L.F.2.1 Use appropriate strategies to make and support interpretations of literature.

• L.F.2.1.1 Make inferences and/or draw conclusions based on analysis of a text.

• What does Samuel most likely do at the end of the passage after he looks at the landscape?

A. He eats dinner with Rob.B. He visits his neighbors.C. He goes out to the field to do some work.D. He goes to the meadow to watch the gophers.

Answer

• Answer C is the best. While it is possible that Samuel looks at gophers, his attitude is one of disgust with the state of the land. With that mindset, he is unlikely to sit down to dinner with so much work needing done.

L.F.2.1 Use appropriate strategies to make and support interpretations of literature.

• L.F.2.1.2 Cite evidence from a text to support generalizations.• Which sentence from the passage best supports the

generalization that beauty comes in many forms?A. “The lark’s infrequent whistle, piercingly sweet,

broke from the longer grass in the swales nearby.”B. “It was the second year of the town’s existence, and

Carl had not yet grown restless under its monotony.”C. “Many a night, Carl lay in his bunk against the side of his cabin and reflected on the past.”D. “The rattle of wagons and the voices of men

speaking to their teams multiplied.”

Answer

• Answer A is the best answer. None of the others really speak of descriptions of sounds or sights that have any beauty.

L.F.2.2 Use appropriate strategies to compare, analyze, and evaluate literary forms.

• L.F.2.2.1 Analyze how literary form relates to and/or influences meaning of a text.

• How does the author’s use of fiction as a literary form influence the meaning of the passage?

A. It allows the author to present facts about life in the Midwest.

B. It allows the reader to learn about the author’s family life.

C. It allows the author to use persuasive techniques to create an argument.

D. It allows the reader to understand how the main character feels.

Answer

• Fiction is not real. Therefore, in fiction, especially with novels and longer works, the characters have a great deal of importance. Many times, novels are written either in the first person (which allows the reader to feel and see that the narrator does) or third person omniscient (which is the all-knowing point of view where the reader knows thoughts and feelings of all characters)

L.F.2.2 Use appropriate strategies to compare, analyze, and evaluate literary forms.

• L.F.2.2.2 Compare and evaluate the characteristics that distinguish fiction from literary nonfiction.

• In which way are the poem and the passage similar?A. Both examine the value of nature in bringing

serenity to life.B. Both suggest that family always supports its

members.C. Both examine how hard life can be living in a big

city.D. Both reveal that experience brings clarity to one’s

thoughts.

The Environment• Almost everyone would agree that cleaning up the environment and keeping it

that way is a good thing. The obvious negative impacts on human health and the ecosystems on Earth are well understood. Yet, there are underlying consequences to compliance to this most basic need that need to be studied, as well. The government of the U.S. has requested voluntary action from citizens and industry, and it has also legislated action in order to start the clean-up process. An example of this is the Clean Air Act. The good news is that this law requires that emissions into the air meet certain standards that will help clean up the environment. Under this act, cars have to reduce emissions of nitrous oxides by 60%, and "clean coal" technologies have to reduce harmful emissions by 20%. Industry is required to reduce emissions of over 200 compounds that are known to cause health problems. The bad news is the cost of compliance. Estimates of consumer costs for a cleaner environment go as high as $50 billion a year, and that study does not even take into account the loss of jobs from reshaping industries to meet the new standards.

Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the paragraph?

A. Industries in nations across the United States need to unite to maintain the standards created by the Clean Air Act despite the costs to the country. B. Industries are doing their part to reduce emissions that are known to have ill effects on the environment and human health. C. Although legislation that supports cleaning up the environment is a good idea, the costs of such efforts need to be evaluated. D. Cleaning up the environment is best accomplished through both legislation like the Clean Air Act and volunteerism from humans impacted by emissions.

Paragraph 1: The Environment

• The correct answer is C. Choice A is too opinionated. The paragraph does not give a call to action in any way. Choice B is too narrow, as it fails to mention the negative impacts that cleaning up the environment can have. Choice D is off topic, although it's tricky because it uses verbiage from the paragraph. The paragraph does not give a lesson in cleaning up the environment. Choice C is correct because it encompasses the gist of the entire paragraph without being too narrow or too broad.

Asperger’s Syndrome• A child with Asperger's Syndrome may move into the personal

space of others, failing to recognize body language and even verbal cues that he or she has transgressed. Friends and new acquaintances alike may be acknowledged with tight and enthusiastic hugs. Bypassing typical greetings like "Hi, how are you?" an older child with Asperger's may launch into discourse on the latest topic of concern. This narrow special interest (e.g., Civil War maritime strategies, accuracy of train schedules) may be age-inappropriate (e.g., "Power Rangers" cartoons at age 16) or boring, but a child with this disorder will often continue to clarify, oblivious to disinterest, "looks," or snickers from the people close by.


A. Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder that affects an afflicted child's social interactions.

B. Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder that affects many different aspects of an afflicted child's life. C. Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder causing an afflicted child to have narrow special interests that are often age-inappropriate. D. Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder causing an afflicted child to act especially reserved around new experiences and people.

Paragraph 2: Asperger's Syndrome

• The correct answer is A. Although Asperger's is a disorder that affects many aspects of a child's life, this paragraph only deals with the social interactions, which gets rid of Choice B. Choice B is too broad. Choice C is inaccurate because it only talks about one aspect of social interactions, making it too narrow. Choice D is incorrect because it is inaccurate, according to the paragraph – children with Asperger's are often equally friendly or equally reserved to new acquaintances and old friends.

North Point School District• Recently, a $114 million bond was approved which will be

used in the upcoming year to renovate existing schools and build new schools in the North Point school district. Additions will also be built onto the three high schools, three new elementary schools will be built, and a Career Center will also be constructed for high school students on the campus of North Point Community College. In addition, technology in the district will be brought up to date, teacher's will receive bonuses denied last year, and two new vice principals will be hired for Smithson Middle School and Harry P. Shulte Middle School.


A. North Point School District is going to be going through major changes in the upcoming year. B. North Point School District has received bond money to build new schools and update technology in the upcoming year. C. North Point School District is going to be going through changes which will take place in the spring of next year. D. North Point School District has received bond money which will be used to upgrade the entire school district in many ways this upcoming year.

Paragraph 3: North Point School District

• The correct answer is D. Choice A is too broad when compared to Choice D. Major changes talked about in Choice A could be negative, whereas all of the changes mentioned in the paragraph are really upgrades. Choice D makes that distinction. Choice B is too narrow; it only mentions two of the upgrades. Choice C is inaccurate.

Paragraph 4: Students with Special Needs

• Often, students are not capable of performing within a designated range of expectations in school. Those students who hover below the normative range due to physical or cognitive impairments must be evaluated to determine if special services or accommodations are needed. High schools are required to offer a wide array of special services to those students who are evaluated as incapable of staying within the normative range of performance standards in the classroom. The special services offered can help these students reach their maximum potential, but before they can be administered, a teacher has to identify that there is a problem.


A. High schools are required to help students with special needs achieve their maximum potential. B. High schools are required to help students who have been identified by a teacher as having special needs, achieve their maximum potential. C. High schools serve the needs of various types of students, including those who have been identified as having special needs. D. High schools serve the needs of various types of students, but only offer special services to those who have been identified as having cognitive impairments.

Paragraph 4: Students with Special Needs

• The correct answer is B. Although Choice A is a good choice and would be acceptable if no other options were available, Choice B is slightly more specific, indicating the teacher's role in the process, which is mentioned at the end of the paragraph. Choice C is too broad; no other type of student is mentioned in the paragraph. Choice D is inaccurate, because the paragraph never indicates that students with special needs are the only students receiving any type of service.

Paragraph 5: Legends• Legends make children dream of princesses riding bare back through

fields of fragrant heather. They immortalize noble knights, champions for humanity, who fought tyranny as they raced through a village with sword brandished and banner waving in the afternoon breeze. Legends awaken imagination in the young and spur creativity in the old. The famous and trustworthy story of King Arthur is one of those great legends made famous through repeated telling. According to the stories about King Arthur, he was a man of valor, integrity, and honor in the face of challengers and opposition. He strove to lead all of England down the path of goodness and prosperity without any foolish moves or attacks of cowardice. He supposedly did all of these wonderful things, but as it seems, not one person knows how this legend came to be, and some even debate that he was once alive.


A. King Arthur's legends have been inspirational for both the old and the young. B. Legends, like that of King Arthur, can be inspirational despite their muddled beginnings or deficient proof. C. Legends can inspire both the young and the old.

D. Legends, like that of King Arthur, are inspirational to those who want to believe in fairy tales.

Paragraph 5: Legends

• The correct answer is B. Choice A is too narrow. It only addresses King Arthur's legend, not all legends, which are discussed in the first few sentences. Choice C is too broad. It doesn't mention King Arthur at all, the subject of the last half of the paragraph. Choice D is inaccurate because it supposes that the legend of King Arthur is false, a statement not made in the paragraph.

Using your best inference strategies, make an inference about the following statements. The first two are done

for you.

• I wouldn't eat after that two-year-old if I were you.

• Inference: The two-year-old probably did something gross to the food you were about to eat or has a cold and you could catch it. Something bad will happen to you if you eat it!

Using your best inference strategies, make an inference about the following statements. The

first two are done for you.• For Valentine’s Day, my fantastic neighbor

gave his wife a poem that took him about two seconds to write. Sheesh.

• Inference: My neighbor is not very considerate since he didn't take his time writing the poem.

Using your best inference strategies, make an inference about the following statements.

• A man ran after a retreating bus, waving his briefcase frantically.

• Inference:


• If she died, I wouldn’t go to her funeral.

• Inference:


• Jake almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella even though he would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.

• Inference:


• Hey! What happened to all the school construction money taken from the taxpayers? It paid for this toilet the money was flushed down.

• Inference:


• As you give a speech in front of a large audience, you realize that people are laughing behind their hands and pointing to the region below your waist.

• Inference:


• No, Honey, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on my birthday present. Just having you for a husband is the only gift I need. In fact, I’ll just drive my old rusty bucket of bolts down to the mall and buy myself a little present. And if the poor old car doesn't break down, I’ll be back soon.

• Inference:


• A woman walks into a hospital clutching her abdomen and cursing out her husband, who trails behind her carrying a large bag.

• Inference:


• You're driving on the highway, listening to the radio, and a police officer pulls you over.

• Inference:

Suggested Answers

• 3. A man ran after a retreating bus, waving his briefcase frantically.• Inference: The man had to take that bus to work and he was

running late. He wanted the bus driver to stop the bus so he could get on it.

• 4. If she died, I wouldn’t go to her funeral.• Inference: I'm extremely angry with this woman for some major

reason, because one of the worst things a person could do is to hate someone after they have passed away.

• 5. Jake almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella even though he would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.

• Inference: Jake heard that it was going to rain later in the day.

Suggested Answers

• 6. Hey! What happened to all the school construction money taken from the taxpayers? It paid for this toilet the money was flushed down.

• Inference: The school district is wasting tax payer's money.

• 7. As you give a speech in front of a large audience, you realize that people are laughing behind their hands and pointing to the region below your waist.

• Inference: You forgot to zip up your fly or you have something on your pants.

Suggested Answers• 8. No, Honey, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on my birthday

present. Just having you for a husband is the only gift I need. In fact, I’ll just drive my old rusty bucket of bolts down to the mall and buy myself a little present. And if the poor old car doesn't break down, I’ll be back soon.

• Inference: The wife wants the husband to buy her a new car for her birthday.

• 9. A woman walks into a hospital clutching her abdomen and cursing out her husband, who trails behind her carrying a large bag.

• Inference: The woman is in labor.• 10. You're driving on the highway, listening to the radio, and a police

officer pulls you over.• Inference: You've broken the law in some way while driving.

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Assessment Anchors