Study Guide
Field 115: Reading Specialist
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment
Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
The following materials contain:
- Test directions for the constructed-response assignment
- A sample constructed-response assignment
- An example of a strong response to the assignment
- 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 300to600 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 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 matterThe 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 0014
Analyze assessment data related to a student's reading and writing development and plan appropriate instructional strategies for the student.
start bold To complete the assignment below, you will need to view the information provided in the exhibits. end bold
Using your knowledge of foundational reading and writing, analyze the information provided and write a response of approximately 300to600 words in which you:
- identify a significant need that the student demonstrates related to foundational reading, writing, or spelling skills (e.g., phonemic awareness skills, phonics skills, recognition of high-frequency words, syllabication skills, morphemic analysis skills, automaticity, reading fluency, comprehension), citing specific evidence from the exhibits to support your analysis;
- describe one appropriate, research-based instructional strategy or intervention to address the student's identified need; and
- explain why the instructional strategy or intervention you described would be effective in addressing the need you identified.
Be sure to utilize the exhibits in your response.
Exhibit 1: Annotated Pasage
In the middle of the school year, Oliver, a first-grade student, reads aloud a passage from an unfamiliar narrative text. As Oliver reads, the teacher notes his performance on a separate copy of the text. Shown below is the teacher's record of Oliver's oral reading performance.
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.
"Out you go, Lola," said Luke. He opened the door. Lola the dog saw the big tub on the sidewalk. She turned and looked back at Eva.
Eva said, "Lola, you will like the bath. You will like to be clean."
Lola did not go out. She made a sad little sound.
Luke put a big smile on his face. "Come on, Lola!" he said. "After your bath, we will go for a walk. We can play with the ball."
Lola did not get up. She did not even lift her head. It was as if she did not hear Luke.
"I know what to do," said Eva. "Keep the door open wide." She ran out to the big tub of water. She kicked off her flip-flops. And she stepped in. "So much fun!" she called loudly. She hit the soapy water with the dog brush. Splash! "I get to have your bath, Lola!" she called.
What was that big blur of fur? It was running at her! Eva grinned. She jumped out quickly to make room!
I will now read the passage again with the teacher's observations.
"Out you go, Lola," said Luke.
The teacher wrote S A D with a macron above the A over the word said.
The teacher wrote a self-correction symbol after Luke and marked a repetition of the phrase said Luke.
He opened the door.
The teacher wrote opens over the word opened. The teacher wrote D U dash OR with a macron over the U, and then a self-correction symbol.
Lola the dog saw the big tub on the sidewalk.
The teacher marked a short pause before the word sidewalk and wrote side wall above the word sidewalk.
She turned and looked back at Eva.
The teacher wrote turns above the word turn and looks above the word looked.
Eva said, "Lola, you will like the bath.
The teacher wrote sad with a macron over the A above the word said.
You will like to be clean."
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
Lola did not go out.
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
She made a sad little sound.
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
Luke put a big smile on his face.
The teacher wrote put with a breve over the U above the word put, and then a self-correction symbol and marked a repetition of the phrase put a big smile.
"Come on, Lola!" he said.
The teacher wrote sad with a macron above the a over the word sad and then a self-correction symbol.
"After your bath, we will go for a walk.
The teacher wrote the word wall over the word walk, and then marked a repetition of the phrase go for a walk with a self-correction symbol.
We can play with the ball."
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
Lola did not get up.
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
She did not even lift her head.
The teacher inserted a symbol for a short pause before the word even. The teacher wrote H E D with a macron over the E above the word head and then marked a repetition of the phrase her head with a self-correction symbol.
It was as if she did not hear Luke.
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
"I know what to do," said Eva.
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
Keep the door open wide."
The teacher inserted a symbol for a short pause before the word door.
She ran out to the big tub of water.
The teacher wrote W A T with a breve over the A, and also a self-correction symbol above the word water.
She kicked off her flip-flops.
The teacher wrote the word kicks over the word kicked.
And she stepped in.
The teacher wrote the word steps over the word stepped.
"So much fun!" she called loudly.
The teacher wrote the word calls over the word called, a symbol indicating the word out was inserted before the word loudly and circled the suffix L Y in the word loudly.
She hit the soapy water with the dog brush.
The teacher circled the suffix Y in the word soapy.
Splash!
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
"I get to have your bath, Lola!" she called.
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
What was that big blur of fur?
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
It was running at her!
The teacher did not mark this sentence.
Eva grinned.
The teacher wrote G R I N dash N E D over the word grinned and a breve above the I and the E.
She jumped out quickly to make room!
The teacher wrote the word jumps over the word jumped and circled the suffix L Y in the word quickly.
Exhibit 2: Oral Reading Fluency
The teacher calculates Oliver's oral reading fluency score (words correct per minute) and accuracy score. The teacher also assigns Oliver a holistic score of 1to4 in three dimensions of his oral reading performance, with 4 representing the highest score for that dimension. These additional notes are shown below.
a table depicting a student's oral reading scores Indicator Score Words Correct Per Minute 27 W C P M Accuracy 92% Smoothness 2 Appropriate Phrasing 3 Appropriate Pace 2to3 start bold Notes end bold
First-grade 50th percentile midyear benchmark is 29 W C P M.
Exhibit 3: Student Response
After Oliver reads aloud the passage, the teacher provides him with feedback about the words he misread and then has Oliver reread the passage. Afterward, the teacher asks Oliver some questions about what he has read. A transcript of their conversation is shown below.
Teacher: What is this story about?
Oliver: They want Lola to have a bath.
Teacher: Who are the characters?
Oliver: There are two kids, Luke and Eva, and Lola. Lola is the dog.
Teacher: What happens first?
Oliver: Luke says, "Go out, Lola!" But she doesn't.
Teacher: Why doesn't Lola go out?
Oliver: She doesn't hear him.
Teacher: Then what happens?
Oliver: Luke shouts because he's mad that they can't play with the ball.
Teacher: Why do you think that he's mad?
Oliver: (reviewing the text) There's an exclamation point. That means loud.
Teacher: How do Luke and Eva solve the problem about Lola?
Oliver: Eva tries to show Lola what to do. She gets in the tub and starts splashing and taking a bath.
Teacher: Does that solve the problem?
Oliver: I don't think so.
Teacher: How does the story end?
Oliver: A blur of fur starts running toward the tub, so Eva jumps out.
Teacher: Why does Eva jump out?
Oliver: I don't know. Maybe she's scared of it?
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
Oliver demonstrates a need in his phonics skills, specifically in correctly decoding the inflectional ending E D. He either assigns an S ending to the word he is reading or separates a one syllable word into two, pronouncing the E D ending as a second syllable. This can be seen throughout the Annotated Passage. Oliver consistently reads past tense verbs as present tense, e.g., opens for opened, calls for called, jumps for jumped. In the last paragraph he reads "grinned" as grin ned, pronouncing the E D ending as E D instead of D. These decoding errors ultimately have an effect on his comprehension of the story. In the Student Response Oliver answers the teacher's questions as if the story takes place in the present. For example, in response to the teacher's question, "How does the story end?" Oliver responds, "A blur of fur starts running toward the tub, so Eva jumps out." Correctly decoding words with inflectional endings is important because they change both the tense and meaning of a verb. Oliver needs to learn how to tell if an event occurred in the past, so he must be taught the E D ending.
The first thing I will do is make a chart on the board with three columns: one for root words, one with the S ending, and one with the E D ending. Under the root word column, I will list several words that Oliver misread, such as open, turn, kick, and grin. I will explain to Oliver that these words are verbs, and they are action words, or something you can do. We can add endings, also known as suffixes, to verbs to change them to something happening right now or something that happened in the past, or before. I will start with the word open and write "opens" under the S column, explaining that adding the S to open means it's happening right now. I will have Oliver read the word with me and will then give him an example, "He slowly opens the door to see who is there." Next, I will write opened under the E D column and have Oliver read the word aloud with me. I will explain, "If I add the E D ending to open, it means it happened in the past or before now. If I say, 'I opened the window yesterday,' that means it already happened and it's done." We will then move to the next word on the chart, turn. I'll go through the same process, writing "turns" and "turned" and have Oliver read them aloud to me. Then I'll give him a sample sentence for each. We will continue filling out the chart until it is complete. Finally, I will bring Oliver's attention back to the original story and ask him to underline all the past tense verbs he can find, drawing his attention to any he misses. After Oliver underlines the words, I will have him read the passage out loud.
This strategy would be effective in teaching Oliver the difference between the inflectional endings S and E D because it is presented explicitly with direct instruction and is developmentally appropriate. The chart provides a visual format that is easy to follow, and the sample sentences help place each word into context. By underlining the words and then reading them within the story, Oliver will receive additional practice with decoding the past tense words he initially struggled to read. Inflectional endings are typically introduced in the first grade, so this is a new concept for Oliver. Once Oliver can automatically recognize a verb as present tense or past, both his accuracy and comprehension will increase.
Rationale for the Sample Strong Response
The response fulfills the purpose of the assignment (refer to the instructions for the assignment) by identifying and providing evidence of Oliver's foundational reading need (i.e., phonics skills, specifically inflectional endings), describing one appropriate, research-based instructional strategy for addressing Oliver's need (i.e., explicitly teaching the difference between two inflectional endings), and explaining why the strategy effectively addressed the identified need. The writer begins by stating a clear reading need demonstrated by the exhibits. Additionally, the writer demonstrates subject matter knowledge by accurately identifying and interpreting a weakness in Oliver's reading performance (as indicated in the Annotated Passage and Student Response), by explicitly noting that "Oliver consistently reads past tense verbs as present tense," and that "these decoding errors ultimately have an effect on his comprehension of the story." The writer then goes on to suggest an appropriate research-based strategy to address Oliver's identified need. The writer supports the instructional strategy with accurate explanations, specific and relevant examples (e.g., providing specific examples of how the teacher would explicitly teach the inflectional ending -ed), and a detailed rationale explaining the support that the strategy will provide to effectively address Oliver's reading need. Finally, the writer demonstrates a clear understanding of reading pedagogy related to phonics skills and comprehension, including the ability to correctly interpret assessments and plan effective and explicit instruction.
Sample Weak Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment
For the most part Oliver had good comprehension of the story and understood the problem. He was able to comprehend the beginning of the story, that Luke and Eva wanted Lola the dog to have a bath, and then when Eva tried to show Lola what to do. But Oliver didn't understand that Eva solved the problem by tricking Lola into jumping into the tub and taking a bath. Perhaps Oliver lost interest in the story by the end and didn't pay attention to the solution. Oliver's need lies with understanding the solution of a story. The evidence that supports this is from the Student Response when Oliver doesn't understand that the blur of the fur at the end of the story is actually Lola the dog. He thinks that Eva jumped out of the tub because she was scared of the blur of fur. He didn't realize that Eva was actually getting out of the tub so that Lola could have a bath.
I would give Oliver another story to read, maybe one with a more obvious solution, and have him fill out a problem/solution graphic organizer. The organizer will have an area for Oliver to write in the problem and another area for the solution. If Oliver works well with other students, it might be a good idea for him to work with a partner that has good comprehension. Oliver is strong in recognizing the problem in a story, and he and his partner could work together in arriving at the solution.
By having Oliver fill in an organizer he'll be able to organize the information from the story and make sense of it all. A partner will help him attend to all parts of the story and make the solution easier to see.
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. The examinee should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The purpose of this assignment is only partially achieved. Although the writer attempts to address all three bullets (refer to the instructions for the assignment), a specific reading need is not clearly identified, an inappropriate strategy is suggested, and the strategy is not sufficiently supported with examples or explanations as to how it will address Oliver's need. The writer begins by stating, "Perhaps Oliver lost interest in the story by the end and didn't pay attention to the solution." This is not a clearly stated reading skill. The lack of a specific reading need reflects limited subject matter knowledge, which leads the writer to describe an inappropriate strategy that will do little, if anything, to improve Oliver's reading skills. The writer offers a limited description of the strategy, and provides only a few relevant examples, which do not leave the reader with a clear understanding of just how the writer plans to improve Oliver's reading need. The writer explains that the strategy would be effective because it would help Oliver to "make sense of it all" and "make the solution easier to see." The writer, therefore, was unable to correctly interpret the assessments and plan effective instruction, demonstrating a lack of knowledge about current reading pedagogy and best practices.
Performance Characteristics
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the constructed-response assignment.
Scoring Scale
Scores will be assigned to each response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.