New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) for Reading

Introduction

The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Reading GLEs have been developed as a means to identify the reading content knowledge and skills expected of all students, for large-scale assessment of reading in grades 3-8. NECAP GLEs are meant to capture the “big ideas” of reading that can be assessed in an on-demand setting, without narrowing the curriculum locally. They are not intended to represent the full reading curriculum for instruction and assessment locally, at each grade. Each NECAP partner state is in the process of developing a set of local GLEs to accompany these reading GLEs, for local assessment purposes. All of the NECAP Reading GLEs described in this document are expected to be assessed locally, as well as through large-scale assessment. “Local GLEs” in reading represent those concepts and skills not easily assessed in an on-demand setting (e.g., reading fluency, reading accuracy, self-correcting while reading, depth and breadth of reading, etc.). Grade Level Expectations – at any grade level – represent reading content knowledge and skills introduced instructionally at least one to two years before students are expected to demonstrate confidence in applying them independently in an on-demand assessment.

The NECAP GLEs in this document can be interpreted as describing the grade level expectations for the end of the grade identified, or the beginning of the next grade. For example, grade 2 NECAP GLEs identify grade level expectations in reading for both the end of grade 2 and the beginning of grade 3, for assessment purposes.

As you review the NECAP Reading Grade Level Expectations, the following are important to understand:

1) The NECAP Reading GLEs are organized into six reading content clusters: Word Identification Skills and Strategies; Vocabulary Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary; Initial Understanding of Literary Texts; Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Text, Citing Evidence; Initial Understanding of Informational Text; and Analysis and Interpretation of Informational Text, Citing Evidence.

2) All of the concepts and skills identified at a given grade level are “fair game” for large-scale assessment purposes. However, conjunctions used throughout this document have specific meaning. The use of the conjunction “or” means that a student can be assessed on all or just some of the elements of the GLE in a given year. The use of “and” between elements of a GLE means that the intent is to assess each element every year. In some situations, “or” is used when students have choices about how they will provide supporting evidence for their response.
(E.g., “R–4–5.2 Describing main characters’ physical characteristics or personality traits; or providing examples of thoughts, words, or actions that reveal characters’ personality traits” means that students may be asked to describe main characters’ physical characteristics OR to describe characters’ personality traits, OR to provide any or all of the following – thoughts, words, OR actions -- to support their responses that reveal characters’ personality traits.)

3) Each NECAP GLE includes three parts.
• A statement in bold, called the “stem,” is at the beginning of each GLE. Each “stem” is the same or similar across the grades for a given GLE, and is meant to communicate the main curriculum and instructional focus of the GLE across the grades.
• The unbolded text within a GLE indicates how the GLE is specified at a given grade level. There are often are several indicators for each GLE stem. Each indicator is coded.
• Differences between adjacent grades are underlined. (Note: Sometimes nothing is underlined within a GLE. In these situations, differences in adjacent grades “assumes increasing text complexity” and is noted for those GLEs.

4) Each GLE is coded for the content area, the grade level, the GLE “stem” number, and the specific indicator for that GLE stem. [E.g., “R—5--6.2” means R (Reading) – 5 (grade 5) - 6 (6th GLE “stem”) – 2 (the second specific indicator for the 6th GLE stem).]

Sample NECAP Reading GLE

Overview of New England Common Assessment Program Grade Level Expectations for Reading

GLE R1: Word Identification Skills and Strategies

GLE R2, R3: Vocabulary Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary

GLE R4: Initial Understanding of Literary Texts

GLE R5, R6: Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Text, Citing Evidence

GLE R7: Initial Understanding of Informational Text (Expository and Practical Text across Content Areas)

GLE R8: Analysis and Interpretation of Informational Text (Expository and Practical Text across Content Areas), Citing Evidence

Return to Reading GLEs Grade: 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

© January 2005. Produced in partnership with New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Departments of Education, Education Development Center, and the Center for Assessment. Permission to photocopy is granted for use in individual classrooms and professional development settings.