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New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)
Professional Development Materials for Reading and
Writing
Introduction
The NECAP Professional Development Materials for Reading and Writing
have been developed by content specialists at the New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, and Vermont Departments of Education in partnership with the
Education Development Center (EDC) and the National Center for the
Improvement of Educational Assessment (NCIEA). The purpose of these
professional development materials is to illustrate how the New England
Common Assessment Program (NECAP) assesses reading and writing in grades 3-8
on its annual test. The sample items serve as a guide to the types of items
that appear on the NECAP assessment and are accompanied by annotations
intended to be helpful to educators. The formatting, style, and wording of
the individual items parallel the actual NECAP assessment items across
different grade levels.
About the sample items
Although the individual items are samples of NECAP assessment items, these
samples do not comprise a practice test. These sample items are not released
items from the NECAP assessment, nor are they meant to represent or
replicate an actual NECAP assessment. In some cases, there are “choices” of
items presented, such as two or more items asking about the same content in
slightly different ways or using different formats for the same content
(e.g., first as a multiple choice item and then as a constructed response
item). This duplication of items with the same specific content does not
occur in the actual NECAP assessment.
The NECAP professional development materials do not include items for
every GLE at each grade level nor do they provide every way to assess
performance on a GLE. These items illustrate what items assessing certain
GLEs might look like at different grade levels. There was an effort to
develop sample items with a focus on the GLE wording that was “newly
introduced” (underlined) at a particular grade level.
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About the item annotations
Annotations appear with each sample item. The annotations are intended to
inform educators about the ways individual items are aligned to different
aspects of the GLEs and about the intended cognitive demand (DOK) of each
item. The annotations include the GLE assessed, the item type, the item
answer key (if multiple choice), and the depth of knowledge (DOK) level. (See
Appendix: Norman Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels for Reading and Writing.)
A sample end of grade 2 (assessed in fall of grade 3) reading item and a
sample end of grade 4 (assessed in fall of grade 5) writing item are
included on the following page with their annotations. If only part of the
GLE wording is included, that means that only part of GLE is tested with
this item. If multiple GLEs are being assessed, which is common with writing
items, multiple GLEs are listed. GLE underlining corresponds to concepts and
skills introduced at this grade level for the first time.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Note that GLEs listed are for the grade prior to the
grade tested, since the NECAP is an assessment given in the fall of the
school year.
End of grade 2 Reading GLEs are used to assess students in fall of
grade 3. This means, for example, that teachers teaching in grade 3,
can use the END OF grade 2 materials to understand what their third
graders will be tested on in the fall and END OF grade 3 materials
to provide grade 3 instruction throughout the school year. |
Passage-Related Reading Items for
Literary Text: “Ant’s Journey” |
| Sample Reading Items for
End of Grade 2 |
Information about the Items |
| 3. Read these lines from the poem.
Scurry now,
No time to waste,
Hurry up,
I’m making haste.
|
What does the word scurry mean?
A. rush
B. walk slowly
C. skip
D. climb up |
Key: A
R-2-2.1
(use context)
Item Type: MC – related to passage
Alignment to GLE R-2-2.1: Students identify the meaning of
unfamiliar vocabulary by… Using strategies to unlock meaning
(e.g., knowledge of word structure or context clues)
Depth of Knowledge: Level 2 - Use context cues to
identify the meaning of unfamiliar words
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Sample end of grade 4 writing item with annotation
W-4-3: Response to Literary Text Passage - “Knoxville, Tennessee”
1. Follow along as the poem is read to you. Then write a paragraph
describing the speaker’s feelings about summer. Use details from the poem in
your response.
End of grade 4 Writing GLEs are used to assess students in fall of
grade 5. |
| Item Type: CR – response to passage - -
“Knoxville, Tennessee” Grade Level: end
of grade 4 Alignment to GLEs
W–4–3.1:
In response to literary text students make and support analytical
judgments about text by… Stating and maintaining a focus
(purpose) when responding to a given question
W–4–3.2:
In response to literary text students make and support analytical
judgments about text by… Making inferences about content,
events, characters, setting, or common themes
W–4–3.3:
In response to literary text students make and support analytical
judgments about text by…Using specific details and references
to text to support focus
Depth of Knowledge: Level 2 – Developing text which
may be limited to one paragraph; Using simple organizational
strategies to structure written work (e.g., basic paragraph form:
indenting, main idea, supporting details; simple transitions)
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About the reading passages
As in the NECAP assessment, the reading passages come from authentic
texts, including an assortment of types and topics within the literary and
informational text categories. They are published works, similar to the ones
students encounter in the classroom and on the NECAP assessment. Some
passages were used for sample items at more than one grade level to show how
to assess different knowledge or skills appropriate to those grade levels
(as described in the GLEs). This approach – to use texts at multiple grade
levels - models good classroom instruction. However, in the NECAP
assessment, passages are used for assessment purposes in one grade only.
And, while the actual NECAP assessment conducts a bias and sensitivity
review of all passages used in the assessment, no bias and sensitivity
review was conduced on the passages included in these materials.
Text complexity
descriptors
specific to each reading passage used in these materials are included with
each passage. An example from the grade 5 reading materials is provided below.
Supplemental Information
about Text Passages Used for End of Grade 4 |
| Title of Passage |
Text Type |
Text Descriptors |
| “The Best Summer Night Is…”
by Jill Esbaum
|
Literary
Poetry |
- Includes familiar setting (summer night, city park)
- Varied vocabulary, but generally familiar; use of descriptive
language and imagery (e.g., glitter stitches, starry quilt, BOOM)
- Use of (narrator’s) voice – told in first person
- Content builds from familiar experiences (e.g., summer,
fireworks)
- Straightforward text structure
- Limited range of punctuation used – ellipses, dash, comma,
period
|
| “A Brick to Cuddle up To,” from
Highlights for Children |
Informational
Historical |
- Includes complex information - historical summary
- Varied vocabulary, but generally familiar; use of descriptive
language and imagery (e.g., toasty space, icy sheets);
Content-specific words defined or explained in context
- Use of (narrator’s) voice – told in third person
- Straightforward text structure Limited range of punctuation used
– period, comma, dash, quotation marks
|
(For more information about “Increasing Text Complexity,” see NECAP
Reading GLEs Grades 3-8 –
Appendix F. For more information about Suggested Informational and
Literary Texts, see NECAP Reading GLEs Grades 3-8 –
Appendix A.)
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About the scoring guides and rubrics
IMPORTANT NOTE: Rubrics for these materials
are still under development and will be included as soon as they become
available.
A generic rubric for reading is included as a guide. In the actual NECAP
assessment, each reading rubric is item-specific, meaning that it will
include more specific information than the one included here. Also included
are generic writing rubrics for both the constructed and extended response
items. In the actual NECAP scoring of both reading and writing, the rubrics
are always accompanied by professional development for scorers which
includes: specific training notes, benchmarks (student samples taken from
the NECAP assessment administration), and on-going calibration for
reliability.
About use of these materials
These NECAP professional development materials may be duplicated and used
for professional development and by teachers in the classroom with their
students. For assistance in planning your professional development
activities or for more information about the NECAP assessments, contact your
state department of education. (See contact information for departments of
education below.)
Professional Development
Materials Development Committee
Departments of Education Content Specialists
Linda Stimson, New Hampshire Department of Education -
lstimson@ed.state.nh.us
Betsey Hyman, Rhode Island Department of Education -
ride8252@ride.ri.net
Jackie Bourassa, Rhode Island Department of Education -
rid05143@ride.ri.net
Diane Girard, Rhode Island Department of Education -
rid00859@ride.ri.net
Marty Gephart, Vermont Department of Education -
martygephart@education.state.vt.us
Lindy Johnson, Vermont Department of Education -
lindyjohnson@education.state.vt.us
Item Development Specialist, Christina Felix
Project Director, Karin Hess, Center for Assessment
View Introduction
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