Test Information Guide

Field 62: Reading Specialist
Sample Open-Response Item

The following materials contain:

Sample Test Directions for Open-Response Items

This section of the test consists of two open-response item assignments. You will be asked to prepare a written response of approximately 150–300 words for each assignment. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response for each assignment. You must write responses to both of the assignments.

For each assignment, read the topic and directions carefully before you begin to work. Think about how you will organize your response.

As a whole, your response to each assignment must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge of the field. In your response to each assignment, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the subject area by applying your knowledge rather than by merely reciting factual information.

Your response to each assignment will be evaluated based on the following criteria.

The open-response item assignments are intended to assess subject knowledge. Your responses must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the evaluation criteria by scorers. Your responses should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of each response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your responses should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.

Be sure to write about the assigned topics. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review your work and make any changes you think will improve your responses.

Sample Open-Response Item

Objective 0017
Prepare an organized, developed analysis on a topic related to the development of foundational reading skills.

Use the information below and the exhibits provided to complete the exercise that follows.

A reading specialist is assessing the reading performance of a fourth-grade student using the results from two different assessments: (1) a record of the student's performance reading aloud a passage from a grade-appropriate text; and (2) a record of the student's performance reading aloud from a grade-appropriate word list.

Given the assessment results provided in the exhibits and your knowledge of foundational reading skills (e.g., phonemic awareness skills, phonics skills, recognition of high-frequency words, syllabication skills, morphemic analysis skills, automaticity, reading fluency [including use of context for confirmation or self-correction]), write a response of approximately 150–300 words in which you:

Be sure to cite specific evidence from the information provided to support all parts of your written response.

Passage-Reading Assessment

an annotated passage

The passage has been marked by the teacher to indicate how the student read the text. There is a key to the symbols at the bottom of the passage. I will read the key first. Then I will read the passage through as it is written. I will then reread the passage a second time, indicating the student's performance and the teacher's observations.

Beginning of key. A circle around a word or letters indicates deletion. A single vertical line indicates a short pause. A back arrow indicates a repetition. A circled letter C indicates a self-correction. A carat indicates an insertion. Two vertical lines indicate a long pause. A word written above another word indicates a substitution. End of key. Beginning of passage.

William loved to take the train out of the city, and past the suburbs, to visit his uncle's big, sprawling farm in the country. He liked to watch from the train window as the tall buildings disappeared, and the suburbs gradually transformed into wide open land.

William couldn't wait to see his cousins and all of the animals on the farm. He liked to be helpful with the chores during his visits. Midsummer on the farm was always filled with activity. Most of all William enjoyed participating by harvesting and preparing berries for making preserves. He loved the predictable days he spent on the farm, waking early and working until the chores were done. Although William was sad to leave at the end of his visit, seeing the city appear in the distance as the train approached his home was always delightful.

I will now read the passage again with the teacher's observations.

William loved to take the train out of the city, and past the suburbs, to visit his uncle's big, sprawling farm in the country. The teacher wrote will I am with a macron above the I and a self-correction symbol above the word William. The teacher marked a long pause before the word suburbs. The teacher wrote S U with a macron above the U, S U with a breve above the U, and a self-correction symbol over the word suburbs. The teacher wrote count R Y, and a self-correction symbol above the word country.

He liked to watch from the train window as the tall buildings disappeared, and the suburbs gradually transformed into wide open land. The teacher wrote likes above the word liked. The teacher wrote builders and a self-correction symbol over the word buildings. The teacher wrote disappoint over the word disappeared. The teacher marked a short pause before the word suburbs. The teacher wrote grad all and a self-correction symbol above the word gradually. The teacher wrote transferred over the word transformed.

William couldn't wait to see his cousins and all of the animals on the farm. The teacher wrote could over the word couldn't and want over the word wait. The teacher wrote cow sins and a self-correction symbol over the word cousins.

He liked to be helpful with the chores during his visits. The teacher wrote likes over the word liked. The teacher circled the word be. The teacher circled F U L in the word helpful.

Midsummer on the farm was always filled with activity. The teacher wrote M I summer with a macron over the I above the word midsummer. The teacher wrote actives over the word activity.

Most of all William enjoyed participating by harvesting and preparing berries for making preserves. The teacher wrote part I C pat I N G over the word participating. The teacher wrote a repetition and a self-correction symbol over the phrase participating by harvesting. The teacher wrote prep A R and I N G over the word preparing. The teacher wrote P R E S with a breve over the E and serves above the word preserves.

He loved the predictable days he spent on the farm, waking early and working until the chores were done. The teacher wrote P R E D with a breve over the E, I C with a breve over the I, and table with a macron over the A above the word predictable. The teacher wrote where with a self-correction symbol over the word were.

Although William was sad to leave at the end of his visit, seeing the city appear in the distance as the train approached his home was always delightful. The teacher wrote all through with a self-correction symbol above the word although. The teacher wrote distant over the word distance. The teacher wrote D E L with a breve over the E, and light with a self-correction symbol above the word delightful.

Word-Reading Assessment

Printed Word Student's Oral Response
prevented prev en ted
silent sill ent
refund reff und
difficult plus sign
turmoil check mark
surpass check mark
entertain check mark
mermaid check mark
unknowingly un known lee
blooming check mark

Key:
check mark = immediate recognition
plus sign = pause, then recognition
? = no recognition
printed word = substitution

Sample Strong Response to the Open-Response Item

The results of the reading specialist’s assessments reveal that the student’s foundational reading skills strengths include his ability to read r-controlled words (CVr or CVrC words). The evidence for this is noted in the Passage-Reading Assessment, when the student accurately and with automaticity read the words farm, suburbs, transformed, chores and harvesting. This strength was observed again in the Word-Reading Assessment when the student immediately recognized the r-controlled words turmoil, surpass, entertain and mermaid.

The student demonstrated two significant needs in the area of foundational reading skills. The student presented with difficulty in the area of identifying parts of words such as the prefixes, suffixes or roots of words. In the passage-reading assessment, the student had difficulty reading multisyllable words with inflectional suffixes, for example, the words disappeared (read disappoint) and liked (read likes), and words with derivational endings, for example, the words helpful (read help) and delightful (read delight). The student presented with a need in the area of knowing and applying correct syllable-division patterns when reading. This affected the student’s ability to accurately and automatically read the words suburbs, participating, preparing in the passage assessment, and the words prevented and silent in the word assessment.

An evidence-based intervention to address these two areas of need would be for the reading specialist to provide the student with explicit, individualized instruction. This should include a review of identifying and applying syllable types and the rules for where to divide words. This instruction should include a visual/chart indicating where to divide words into syllables as a reminder and a reference. The student should be given guided practice applying their knowledge of the syllable types and rules for syllable-division when decoding words in isolation, then in sentences, and then in texts.

This intervention would be effective in strengthening foundational skills for accurately and automatically reading (and spelling) multisyllabic words, including those with suffixes. This will result in reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.

Scoring Rubric

Performance Characteristics

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the open-response item(s).

Performance Characteristics
Purpose The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment.
Subject Matter Knowledge Accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge.
Support Quality and relevance of supporting details.
Rationale Soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter.

Scoring Scale

The scoring scale below, which is related to the performance characteristics for the tests, is used by scorers in assigning scores to responses to the open-response item(s).

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response reflects a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
  • The purpose of the assignment is fully achieved.
  • There is substantial, accurate, and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is sound; there are high-quality, relevant examples.
  • The response reflects an ably reasoned, comprehensive understanding of the topic.
3 The "3" response reflects an adequate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
  • The purpose of the assignment is largely achieved.
  • There is a generally accurate and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is adequate; there are some acceptable, relevant examples.
  • The response reflects an adequately reasoned understanding of the topic.
2 The "2" response reflects a limited knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
  • The purpose of the assignment is partially achieved.
  • There is a limited, possibly inaccurate or inappropriate, application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is limited; there are few relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a limited, poorly reasoned understanding of the topic.
1 The "1" response reflects a weak knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
  • The purpose of the assignment is not achieved.
  • There is little or no appropriate or accurate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence, if present, is weak; there are few or no relevant examples.
  • The response reflects little or no reasoning about or understanding of the topic.
U The response is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, primarily in a language other than English, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
B There is no response to the assignment.