How to Answer Constructed Response

QuestionsStaff DevelopmentThursday, Sept. 16

CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE ASSESSMENT

• Questions are designed to be open-ended, short-answer questions.

• Intended to measure higher-level cognitive skills as well as content knowledge

• Use a range of primary and secondary resources and authentic real-world examples such as timelines, maps, graphs, cartoons, charts, and short readings

• Graded utilizing a rubric

Constructed Response Prompts• Ask you to apply your knowledge and

understanding in a short written answer.

• Require the students to determine exactly what is being asked (first).

• Then, they construct a response that includes the answers to all parts of the prompt.

• As you see, these are “short answer questions” and are not meant to be answered as an essay.

• Identify the parts of the question asked, then make sure that your response answers each of the four parts.

• No answer at all gets 0 points!• Answering 1 part of the question

correctly counts as 1 point, 2 parts = 2 points, and so on.

Suggested Process to Teach Students

1. Carefully read the prompt.2. If the prompt refers to a text, read the

text carefully, then, reread the prompt.3. Create a detailed checklist of all items

included in the prompt.4. Write a response that includes all items

in the checklist.5. As you read your response, check the

items off on the checklist as you come across them to ensure all required elements of the response have been included.

TIPS…• Use the verbiage of the prompt to form

the topic sentence of your response.

• Make sure you include all parts of the question in your answer. Remember, you get a point for each part you answer correctly!

• Make sure you EXPLAIN each item with a concrete detail—something specific!

Let’s look at some examples:

• PROMPT A: What are two characteristics of mammals? Give two examples of mammals.

• Checklist should include:– Characteristic of a mammal #1– Characteristic of a mammal #2– Example of a mammal #1– Example of a mammal #2

CONSTRUCTED RESPONSEFOR PROMPT A

•Two characteristics of mammals are they are warm-blooded (1 point) and give birth to their young (2 points). Two examples of mammals are humans (3 points) and bears (4 points).

Another example:

• PROMPT B: Name two kinds of overhead serves in volleyball. Explain the benefits of using each one.

• Checklist should include:– Type of overhead serve #1– Benefit of using overhead serve #1– Type of overhead serve #2– Benefit of using overhead serve #2

CONSTRUCTED RESPONSEFOR PROMPT B

• Answer: Two kinds of overhead serves are the top spin (1 point) and the floater (2 points). Top spin would be used for speed projection (3 points) and the floater for height (4 points).

• Answer: One kind of overhead serves is the top spin (1 point) which is used for speed projection (2 points). Another type is the floater (3 points) which is used for height (4 points).

Another example:

The sky is lowTHE sky is low, the

clouds are mean, A travelling flake of

snow Across a barn or

through a rut Debates if it will go. A narrow wind

complains all day How some one

treated him; Nature, like us, is

sometimes caught Without her diadem.

– Emily Dickinson

• PROMPT C: How does the word "person" give you a clue as to the meaning of personification?Why do you think a writer would want to use personification in a poem? List two examples of personification found in the poem at left.

PROMPT C: How does the word "person" give you a clue as to the meaning of personification?Why do you think a writer would want to use personification in a poem? List two examples of personification found in the poem at left.

Checklist should include:

“Person”Personification?

Why a writer would use personification?

Example of personification from poem #1

Example of personification from poem #2

Constructed Response For Prompt C

The word “person” lets me know that personification means that some object in the poem has qualities or actions like a person (1 point). A poet might use personification to help the reader feel a relationship to the object personified (2 points). “The clouds are mean” (3 points) and “narrow wind complains” (4 points) are both examples of personification from the poem.

Now you try one alone:

• PROMPT D: Identify your greatest areas of strength and weakness as a teacher. Explain how each of these came to be true.

•YOU WILL NOT BE ASKED TO SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE!!! This is just an opportunity for self-reflection.

• Did you include these items in your checklist?– Greatest strength– How this became a strength– My greatest weakness– How this became a weakness

• Since this Constructed Response is worth 4 points, because it should include 4 elements.

• Give your response a score now.

EVALUATE AND SCORE YOUR OWN RESPONSE:

REMEMBER….•For any constructed response you ask students to write, you should have a rubric that you create to score them. This rubric should basically be structured around the checklist and whether any elements of the response are missing.

ALSO REMEMBER…• You will also need to have a list of

acceptable answers for any fact-based prompts. For instance, if the prompt asked the student to identify any southeastern states in the United States and explain how they got their nicknames. You would need to identify which states are acceptable answers. Obviously, if a student listed California as a southeastern state, this portion of their response would get no credit because it is not a southeastern state.

THIS YEAR…• Tennessee will be field-testing a

constructed response assessment in November.

• 3rd grade will include Reading/L.A. (30 min.) and Math (25 min.).

• 7th grade will include Reading/L.A. (40 min.), Math (35 min.), and Science (35 min.).

• Social Studies will be assessed through Reading/L.A. in both grade levels.

State Expectations• Per the in-service we attended this Summer

led by those who were conveying state expectations of upcoming Constructed Response tests:– On standardized tests, these short written

answers are scored as 0,1,2,3, or 4 points.

– A full 4 point response answers all 4 parts of the question, usually two, two-part questions.

• BUT…All constructed responses that we give our students to practice don’t HAVE to be 4 parts!!!

NOW YOU WRITE ONE!!!• On the handout you are given, fill in

the names of you and your partner(s).• Together, write a constructed

response prompt that assesses a standard that you have taught recently, are teaching, or will teach soon.

• Also create a checklist that identifies each element that a complete response should include (according to the prompt you’ve written).

• Once you and your partner have completed this, leave it in the middle of your table.