Study Guide

Field 112: Physical Education/Health/Safety 
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

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The following materials contain:

• Test directions for the constructed-response assignment
• A sample constructed-response assignment
• An example of a strong and weak response to the assignment, and a rationale for each
• The performance characteristics and scoring scale

Test Directions for the Constructed-Response Assignment

This section of the test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You are to prepare a written response of approximately 300–to600 words on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.

Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response.

As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response to the assignment, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the content area through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.

Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

 start bold PURPOSE: end bold  the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
 start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold  accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
 start bold SUPPORT: end bold  quality and relevance of supporting details
 start bold RATIONALE: end bold  soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

The constructed-response assignment is intended to assess subject matter knowledge and skills, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the scoring criteria. Your response should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your written response must 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 topic. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.

Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

Competency 0029 
Analyze instructional objectives and activity plans, students' assignments and work, and assessment strategies in physical education/health/safety education; and describe how to use these analyses to identify students' strengths and needs and inform instruction.

 start bold Use the information provided to complete the assignment that follows. end bold 

Using your knowledge of physical education, write an essay of approximately 300–to600 words in which you describe a lesson that you might incorporate into a physical education unit. For this response, you should:

• select one or more of the bullet points in the "Indicators of Student Learning" table and describe a lesson that you might use to develop student understanding of the bullet point(s) you selected;
• explain how you might address the learning needs of a diverse population of students during an inclusive activity related to the lesson;
• explain why the activity you described would be developmentally appropriate and effective;
• identify one challenge students may encounter during the activity you described, and explain how you would differentiate instruction or adapt the activity to maximize the participation of all students; and
• describe one strategy for assessing student learning related to the activity and lesson you discussed.

Exhibit 1: Learning Standard

A first-grade physical education teacher is planning a physical education unit aligned with the following standard from the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Physical Education.

Standard 3

Demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain
a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.

Fitness Knowledge
S3.E3

Grade 1: Identifies the heart as a muscle that grows stronger
with exercise, play, and physical activity.

Exhibit 2: Indicators of Student Learning

Content Students will Understand

• Major body systems
• Cardiovascular endurance
• Duration
• Intensity
• Muscular strength

Students will Practice/Learn

• Warm-ups
• Aerobic activities
• Cooldowns

Sample Strong Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment

 start bold The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work. end bold 

Rationale for the Sample Strong Response

Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.

This is a generally accurate response as it achieves the purpose of the assignment by designing a lesson for a class of first-grade students centered on Standard SE.E3: "Identifies the heart as a muscle that grows stronger with exercise, play, and physical activity." Bullet points were appropriately selected (students will understand cardiovascular endurance and will practice aerobic activities).

Content of the lesson is generally accurate (e.g., the response correctly describes the size of the heart, how to find a pulse, the effect of exercise on heart rate) and includes an appropriate application of subject matter knowledge. Chunking small amounts of information followed by physical activity is an appropriate teaching strategy for the development level of first graders who have a shortened attention span. It also ties to prior learning (i.e., freeze tag) and introduces new content.

The lesson includes multiple means of relaying content through use of visuals, verbal instruction, and physical applications (e.g., making a fist, feeling your pulse, playing tag, and doing exercises).

The response generally meets the needs of the diverse learners in the classroom. The writer uses both English and Spanish words and pictures, and explains the teacher would learn the Spanish translations of the key academic words to be used in the lesson. These accommodations would help meet the needs of the English Learners in the classroom. The examinee also includes information about the autistic child (a tactile learner) who will be given a ball or other object to replicate their heartbeat. These strategies will help all students have equal access to the new content.

One challenge that the examinee points out, noted above, is that a first grader's developmental level is such that attention spans are usually short, thus "chunking" small bits of information followed by a physical activity to help keep them focused would be used. Other challenges include addressing the needs of the EL students and the autistic student.

An informal assessment strategy is described as using an exit ticket in which the students would match the picture to the correct academic vocabulary word, which is developmentally appropriate and effective for the grade level. Overall, this response provides an adequate understanding of the subject matter.

Sample Weak Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment

Rationale for the Sample Weak Response

Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.

This response partially fulfills the purpose of this assignment and reflects little knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. To begin with, the class is described as having English Learners but does not indicate what language needs are present. The class is also described as having one student who has an aide in the classroom, but the aide does not come to PE. No reference is made to what developmental issues or what supports are needed for that student. The examinee does not give accurate information about the size of the heart ("it is as big as MY fist") and does not tell the students the size of their heart is the size of their own fist. The explanation of how to feel one's pulse is vague and not conducive for them to actually feel their pulse "on their neck." There is no information about which two fingers to use, and where on the neck they should place them to feel their pulse. Feeling a pulse on one's carotid artery is much more difficult than having the students simply placing their hand on their heart (chest). The inclusion of the word "cardiovascular endurance" was not fully explained or how the term is related to the heart.

Moreover, the lesson partially fulfills the assignment as the lesson is not appropriate for first graders. This is shown by the fact that the lesson has too much information given to students all at once. The examinee does not consider the developmental level of a first-grade student, or that their attention span cannot process a lot of information at once. In addition, the students will be sitting for a longer period of time than is appropriate for that age. Although the students do run a lap, to have the walkers or slowest ones do another lap is detrimental as it could be viewed as a punishment.

The reasons given for why the activity would be developmentally appropriate and effective is weak and lacks support as well as a sound rationale. In regard to the challenge students may encounter (bullet four), the examinee refers to the student with an aide, but there is no indication that the teacher is aware of the learning/behavior issues this student has and the only accommodations are to sit the student in the front and have them run a shorter distance.

The examinee fails to reflect on how the ELL students will be included and what differentiated instructional strategies could be used to help their academic language development. By using the thumbs up/down type of assessment, true student learning is not measured. This response reflects little knowledge and understanding of how to introduce cardiovascular endurance and aerobic activities to a first-grade class. Overall, the response demonstrates a partial understanding of the subject matter.

Performance Characteristics

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the constructed-response assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses

Purpose	The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
Subject Matter Knowledge	The accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
Support	The quality and relevance of supporting details
Rationale	The soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

Scoring Scale

Scores will be assigned to each response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.

Score Point	Score Point Description
4	start bold The "4" response reflects a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold  The purpose of the assignment is fully achieved. There is a 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	start bold The "3" response reflects a general knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold  The purpose of the assignment is largely achieved. There is a generally accurate and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge. The supporting evidence generally supports the discussion; there are some relevant examples. The response reflects a general understanding of the topic.
2	start bold The "2" response reflects a partial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold  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	start bold The "1" response reflects little or no knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold  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 unscorable because it is illegible, not written to the assigned topic, written in a language other than English, or lacking a sufficient amount of original work to score.
B	There is no response to the assignment.

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