Characteristics of High Scoring STAAR Essays

Most people are using the rubric with their students; however, most people don’t realize there is further guidance about what constitutes a high scoring essay.

Open the Scoring Guide the Corresponds with your course. Inside, find the descriptors for score point 4.

English I

English II

English III

Grade 4

Grade 7

In the spaces provided, record the major points required for score point four.

Here's why it is important:
1. The PROGRESSION of terms is important in preparing students for long term success.
2. The descriptors are TARGETS FOR SUCCESS. Paired with the anchor papers, it gives the kids a clear picture of success.
3. If you know the targets when you begin to write, technically, there will be less revision required.
4. The targets become a line-item checklist to evaluate the draft and focus needed revisions.

An extension of this activity would be to have students enter the sample papers to highlight how the essays meet those requirements. (I’d like a copy if you do this.)

Here’s what I thought the answers were to this activity.

Thematically Linked Texts and Shoulder Deep in Living

One of my favorite poems is Remembering Brushing my Grandmother's Hair by Betty Adcock. When googling to find the poem, I found some other outstanding texts about grandmothers. These texts are such a rich place to activate schema and springboard into writing. Below you will find the links to these texts and then my response as a model.

My Grandmother's Hair, by Cynthia Rylant

My Grandmother's Hair, by Joan Swift

Remembering Brushing My Grandmother's Hair by Betty Adcock

My response: 

“Always on a time there comes a sleep stony as a tower, with the wild world beneath, and like this with locked bloom tarnishing - I brushed, She sewed or dozed. The child I was stood shoulder-deep in dying, in a dress of falling silver smoothed by silver, a forgetfulness dimming the trees outside the window like a rain.” From Remembering Brushing My Grandmother’s Hair by Betty Adcock

I see her in the ring of the lamplight by her bed,

whitened head on the pillow, each breath a snore

Until she wakes, my mother’s hand on her chest

Breaths change to high pitched staccato moans

As she wakes, hands flailing to pull back the covers

And reach for the water, the mug now stuck to the wood

The thickener we add to the water, so she can swallow, is sticky

Swinging her legs to the side, I pull her close smelling

The stale sleep on her flesh, her head on my shoulder

Matted hair in my face, tickling my nose with age

And we shift on the one good leg from the bed

To the toilet as mom pulls down her pajama bottoms

Bleach from the bucket faintly covers the other smells:

The consequences and unspoken realities of living

And we reverse the dance, this time to the recliner

Where I will wash her fingerbones, one at a time

Raise her legs with the lever and cover her with fleece

And then wash her face with a hot cloth to clear the sand

And the last residue of sleep while she sighs and relaxes

With such a small comfort, her breath now easy and soft

Until her eyes turn wet, her swollen tongue pronounces gratitude

I lean to kiss her mouth and lay a tissue on her bosom

To catch the inevitable drizzle, shoulder-deep in living

In a dress of her heritage, smoothed by her faith -

the remembering-  brightening the dying as we wait.

Psalm 150:6 All that have life and breath, praise ye the Lord.

Assessing Themes 8.3 and Inferences about the Elements of Fiction 8.6

8.3 analyze literary works that share similar themes across cultures

8.6 Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.

A teacher asked me to find a myth and to create some questions. I used the lead4ward snapshot and the IQ to develop questions.

I used these Texts:

https://www.amazon.com/Midas-Golden-Touch-Charlotte-Craft/dp/006054063X

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014QKIEUM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Javier Martinez readMidas’s version with the correct prosody so that it is easier to understand.

I read the daughter’s part.

King Midas and The Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft

(1) There once lived a very rich king called Midas who believed that nothing was more precious than gold. He loved its soft yellow hue and comforting weight in the palm of his hand. The chink of gold coins dropped into a leather purse sounded sweeter to him than the songs of his finest musicians. There was only one thing that Midas loved more, and that was his daughter, Aurelia.

(2) “Aurelia,” he often told her as she played by the throne, “someday I shall bequeath to you the greatest treasury of gold in all the world.”

(3) There had been a time, however, when King Midas loved roses as much as he now loved gold. He had once called together the best gardeners in his realm, and the garden they created for him became renowned for the beauty and variety of its roses.

(4) But in time the delicate fragrances and exquisite colors meant nothing to Midas. Only Aurelia still loved the garden. Every day she would pick a bouquet of the most perfect roses to adorn the king’s breakfast table, but when Midas saw the flowers, he would think, Their beauty lasts but a day. If they were gold, it would last forever!

(5) One day the king’s guards found an old man asleep under the rosebushes and brought him before King Midas.
(6) “Unbind him,” Midas ordered. “Without my gold, I would be as poor as he. Tonight he shall dine with me!”

(7) So that night the old man sat at the king’s table, where he was well fed and entertained by the king himself. And after a good night’s sleep, the old man went on his way.

(8) That morning, as he often did, Midas went down into his dungeon. With a large brass key, he unlocked the door to the secret chamber where he kept his gold. After carefully locking the door behind  him, he sat down to admire his precious wealth.

(9) “Ah, I do love it so,” he sighed, gazing at his riches. “No matter how hard I work, no matter how long I live, I will never have enough.”

(10) He was lost in these thoughts when the chamber suddenly filled with light. King Midas looked up and was amazed to behold the glowing figure of a young man. Since there was no way into the room but through the locked door, Midas knew that he was in the presence of magic.

(11) “Do you not recognize me, friend?”

(12) Midas shook his head. The mysterious stranger smiled at him, and it seemed that all the gold in the dungeon glittered even brighter.

(13) “I am the old man from the rose garden. Instead of punishing me for trespassing, you entertained me at your table. I had thought to reward you for your kindness, but with so much gold, you must surely want for nothing.”

(14) “That’s not true,” cried Midas. “A man can never have enough gold.”

(15) The stranger’s smile broadened. “Well, then, what would make you a happier man?”

(16) Midas thought for only a moment. “Perhaps if everything I touched would turn to told,” he said.

(17) “That is your wish?”
(18) “Yes, for then it would always be at my fingertips,” Midas assured him.

(19) “Think carefully, my friend,” cautioned the visitor.

(20) “Yes,” replied Midas. “The golden touch would bring me all the happiness I need.”

(21) “And so it shall be yours.”

(22) So beings this imaginative and breathtaking retelling of the myth of the man with the golden touch. To his delight, Midas’s wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. But to his dismay, when he accidentally turns his beloved daughter into a golden statue, Midas learns that was at first seems a blessing can also become a curse.

1. The description of the father in paragraphs 1 and 4 are important to the excerpt because it -

1. reveals Midas’s character traits that foreshadow the problem
2. demonstrates the great wealth of Midas’s kingdom
3. shows the importance of King Midas’s daughter in the story
4. explains how much Midas loves gold

2. Which sentence best illustrates the conflict?

1. There had been a time, however, when King Midas loved roses as much as he now loved gold.
2. “That’s not true,” cried Midas. “A man can never have enough gold.”
3. I had thought to reward you for your kindness, but with so much gold, you must surely want for nothing.”
4. “Think carefully, my friend,” cautioned the visitor.

3.  “Think carefully, my friend,” cautioned the visitor.

This line from the excerpt conveys that the visitor --

1. is happy to grant such a big wish for Midas’s kindness
2. feels unsure that he can grant Mida’s wish
3. believes the wish might have consequences Midas didn’t consider
4. knows that there are many wishes Midas could request

4. Which idea from the excerpt suggests that King Midas will not have a happy ending to his conflict?

1. King Midas believes that gold will bring him happiness.
2. Midas learns that what he thought was a blessing is a curse.
3. Midas believes that gold lasts longer than roses.
4. Midas wishes for everything he touches to turn to gold.

5. The author builds tension in the excerpt by -

1. suggesting that the visitor felt grateful to Midas
2. hinting early in the story about how much he loves Aurelia
3. Indicating that King Midas no longer enjoys roses
4. Implying that the palace guards were cruel to the visitor

6. Which event initiates the rising action of the excerpt?

1. The guards find an old man in the garden, whom the king invites to dinner.
2. Midas tells his daughter he will give her more gold than any other kingdom.
3. The magic visitor returns to reward King Midas.
4. Midas wishes for the golden touch.

7. Midas’s love and desire to support Aurelia contributes to the development of the plot because it --

1. allows the reader to empathize with the king when he accidentally turns her to gold
2. causes the reader to focus on the setting and the wealth of the kingdom
3. provides a contrast when the king is generous with the visitor
4. creates tension between Aurelia and her father

8. The historical context of this excerpt emphasizes the idea that kings in this era often --

1. welcomed visitors for dinner and overnight stays
2. built their wealth to pass on to their children
3. imprisoned those who trespassed
4. believed in magic

King Midas and His Daughter by Marilyn Singer

Because he help out Silenus, this satyr (half-man, half-goat) granted Midas his wish - the power to change anything he touched to gold. Midas made the terrible mistake of touching his daughter. In this version, much time has passed after receiving the golden touch. The daughter longs for the embrace of her father...

The Daughter to her Father...

1   Golden

2   Girl,

3   alas, my

4   good father

5   still dares to call me,

6   who

7   would never offer a gentle hand.

8   what kind of  man would for years not give a caress?

9   I must confess

10 I suffer much.

11  today -

12 so needy

13 so greedy -

14 for one magic touch.

Midas after his mistake…

15  For one magic touch -

16  so greedy,

17  so needy -

18  today,

19  I suffer much,

20  I must confess.

21  What kind of a man would for years not give a caress,

22  would never offer a gentle hand

23  Who

24  still dares to call me

25  “good father?”

26  Alas, my

27  girl!

28  Golden.

8. Which line from the poem best express Midas’s feelings?

1. I must confess, I suffer much.
2. Who still dares to call me “good father?”
3. What kind of man would for years not give a caress?
4. So greedy for one magic touch.

9. Aurelia in “King Midas and the Golden Touch” and the speaker  in “King Midas and his Daughter” both --

F. enjoy the royalty and gardens of King Midas

G. represent the royal daughter of King Midas

H. establish that innocent people can be the victims of choices

J. feel angry and betrayed by King Midas’s focus on gold

10. Through the voices of King Midas and His Daughter, the author explores the idea of -

1. Greed
2. Suffering
3. Innocence
4. Relationships

11. Based on both the story and the poem, what can the reader conclude about the consequences of greed? (Short answer)

12. What statement best expresses the main theme of both excerpts? (Short answer)

13. Complete the statement with your own interpretation: The repetition and rhyme  in lines 12 and 13 and again in 16 and 17 suggest that the speakers each

know…

believe…

want…

Or

feel…

14. The metaphor in the first line is used to emphasize ---

1. the irony that she was his favorite and now is literally made of gold.
2. tension that the daughter cannot be the heir to the throne as a golden statue
3. character traits of the royal family and roles in society
4. the falling action of the story after she has been turned to gold

Plot and Resolution

I'm on a roll. Sorry. Here's another example. 

In this question, the reader must use the plot elements of turning point and falling action to understand how the problem was resolved. First, the reader must find out where the character's problem is resolved. That happens in paragraph 21. 

The conversation between the narrator and Uncle Roy itself is the turning point because that sets the scene for what the character decides to do next. It looks like kids who didn't understand what role the conversation played in terms of plot structure weren't understanding the passage correctly.

In addition, notice that kids who didn't follow conflict/problem correctly earlier in the story chose answer A. But there is ample evidence that the character already knew he or she was wrong! 

Note the some evidence in the image below that points the reader in the right direction. After identifying the resolution, the reader must examine the evidence in the conversation itself. First of all, the narrator tells her uncle that she's just been sitting there since coming home from the store. Then, he calls her to action, "get busy and do it." Then, the character realizes that she needs to do what Uncle Roy says. She goes into the kitchen and tells the truth. All of that is falling action that leads to the resolution of grandma's hug. 

In this case, understanding the order of the plot elements helps the reader navigate correctly to the right place in the text to find the answer. 

How readers USE plot to comprehend

This question asks students to understand how the setting and the characters influence the plot, specifically the problem. If a reader misses the point here, they will misunderstand the story.

Notice that kids in the state chose the answer about how the monkey’s liked fruit. If kids are only looking at one portion of the descriptions, particularly paragraphs 2 and 3, one of the main ideas from those paragraphs is that the monkeys are enjoying the fruit. But that is NOT what the question is asking. The question basically asks how the description of the monkeys  is USED in the plot. How does the description of the monkeys(the characters) help the reader understand the PROBLEM of another one of the characters (the mother). This description also clarifies the problem:  that usually, the monkeys are dangerous. This will be an important plot point later in the resolution of the story.  

Again, kids are missing these questions because our instruction is mismatched. We are not teaching the elements of plot and stopping there. Nor is it enough to annotate for plot. Our real work comes in teaching kids how to USE the plot elements to understand what they read. 

STAAR, PLOT, and Why can't they get the right answer?

I was driving home from lunch when this came in my email box. 

We worked on Plot this week in 6th grade. Most of my students know the definitions of climax, falling action, etc. They can put those words on the correct spot on the plot line. They can also take events from a book and put them on the correct spot of the plot line. 

When they are given a STAAR style question about plot, they miss it! What's the deal? 

I voice texted back "Because the questions are not about naming the elements." 

Good thing I know this person well, or she would have thought I was being snotty. When I got back to my desk, I started digging for a better answer. 

Here is is: 

I LOVE YOUR QUESTION!

Here’s a sample. Notice that students are SUMMARIZING about the plot element of either rising action. In addition the story for this questions doesn’t really have a classical climax, as we usually define it.   Note that some of these questions can also be paired with figure 19. In that case students would be asked to make INFERENCES by using their knowledge of plot. 

Exhibit A: Lead4Ward IQ, page 14

To be successful, students have to find the paragraph where the first instance of a changed attitude exists. They have to find the SHIFT – the turning point/climax. Look at all the evidence and where Patrick's attitude shifts. 

Notice also that 24 percent of the state chose the wrong answer choice D. The answer to your question about why kids are getting the wrong answer for the PLOT question on STAAR lies also in identifying the logical flaws involved in choosing answer choice D. 

The key here is navigating through the plot to notice WHEN the change occurred. The change in his attitude was the turning point when he started acting differently and resolving  his problem. STAAR asks students to USE plot elements to comprehend. It’s not enough to know what they are and where they happen in a story. We talk about plot elements because they help us create a schema to hold meaning and interpret the texts.