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Grade 8 - Claim 1 - Target 4

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English Language Arts

Target 4

Reasoning & Evidence

Make an inference or draw a conclusion about a text OR make inferences or draw conclusions in order to compare texts (e.g., dialogue, plot, character development, points of view, themes) and use supporting evidence as justification/explanation.

Sample Item

Grade 8

Test

Claim 1

Reading

Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts.

Grade

Grade 8

Standards

RL-1RL-3RL-6RL-9

Standards

  • RL-1

    Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

  • RL-3

    Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

  • RL-6

    Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

  • RL-9

    Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material...

Clarifications

Items require students to analyze a text (or texts) by making inferences or drawing conclusions about dialogue, plot, character development, points of view, or themes, etc. Additionally, students will apply key evidence from the...

Range Achievement Level Descriptors

Evidence Required

  • 1

    The student will make an inference about a literary text or texts and identify details within the text or texts that support that inference.

Item Guidelines

Depth of Knowledge

  • R-DOK3

    Deep knowledge becomes more of a focus at Level 3. Students are encouraged to go beyond the text; however, they are still required to show understanding of the ideas in the text. Students may be encouraged to explain, generalize, or...

  • R-DOK4

    Higher order thinking is central and knowledge is deep at Level 4. The standard or assessment item at this level will probably be an extended activity, with extended time provided. The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if...

Allowable Item Types

  • Evidence-based Select Response, two-part multiple choice response (EBSR);
  • Hot Text, select text
  • Short Text, constructed response (WR)

Stimuli

  • Passages

    Each text must include explicitly and implicitly stated details that can be used to make inferences and provide conclusions. Refer to Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: English Language Arts & Literacy Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) and Performance Task (PT) Stimulus Specifications for...

  • Dual-Text Stimuli

    When a dual-text set contains one literary and one informational text, the literary text (text #1) is the primary focus, and the set of items must include items from the literary stimulus as well as items written across both texts....

Accessibility

Refer to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines for information on accessibility.

Development Notes

Short Text (Constructed Response) will always be DOK 3.

Task Models

Task Model 1

  • Item Types

    Evidence-based Select Response, two-part multiple choice response (EBSR);

  • Depth of Knowledge

    R-DOK3, R-DOK4

Target Evidence Statement

  • The student will make an inference about a literary text or texts and identify details within the text or texts that support that inference.

Task Description

This item has two parts.The item stem of PART A will prompt the selection of a statement that requires the student to make an inference OR draw a conclusion about the text. The answer choices...

Appropriate Stems

Lead In: This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Appropriate Stems for PART A: Which of these inferences about [provide character’s name/setting/plot/author’s point of view/theme/topic/etc.] is supported by the text? What...

Appropriate Stems for Dual-Stimuli

PART A: Read the [sentence(s)/line(s)/set(s) of lines/paragraph(s)] from [title text #2]. [excerpt from text] Based on this information, [what inference can be made/what can a reader infer] about [provide character’s name/setting/plot/theme/topic/character-narrator point of view] in [title text...

Scoring Rules

Correct response for both parts: 1 point; Incorrect response for either or both parts: 0 points