Overview

In this performance assessment, students will choose a poem and explain what it means through using any grade level conventions taught until now. You will assess grade-level writing mechanics by having them write about a familiar topic such as the dissection of poetry. Final student work should be saved as a PDF for uploading to the virtual scoring software.  

This assessment can be used in grade 4 after grade-specific writing mechanics have been taught. Students should have had instruction on the specific grade-level mechanics you are looking for in this assessment before this assessment is used. 

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Details

Big Ideas & Competencies

Big Ideas Competencies

F. Style and Language

Students can build vocabulary knowledge and apply conventions of grammar and usage specific to the context.

F1

Students can demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and language and usage when writing or speaking (use relative pronouns: who, whose, whom, which, that; and relative adverbs: where, when, why).

NOTE ABOUT ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

Below are analytic teacher rubrics. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

Teacher Rubric

Dimensions Not Yet Meeting Expectations Meeting Expectations Exceeding Expectations

Demonstrate Command of the Conventions of Standard English Grammar and Usage When Writing or Speaking
  • Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.
  • Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
  • Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
  • Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
  • Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
  • Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
  • Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
No exemplars at this time.
  • Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.
  • Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
  • Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
  • Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
  • Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
  • Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
  • Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
  • Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
  • Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).
No exemplars at this time.
  • Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.
  • Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.
  • Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
  • Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
  • Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
No exemplars at this time.

Demonstrate Command of the Conventions of Standard English Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling When Writing
  • Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
  • Use commas in addresses.
  • Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
  • Form and use possessives.
  • Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
  • Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
  • Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.
No exemplars at this time.
  • Use correct capitalization.
  • Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
  • Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
  • Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
No exemplars at this time.
  • Use punctuation to separate items in a series. 
  • Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.
  • Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?), and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
  • Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
  • Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
No exemplars at this time.

Use Knowledge of Language and its Conventions When Writing, Speaking, Reading, or Listening
  • Choose words and phrases for effect.
  • Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.
No exemplars at this time.
  • Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
  • Choose punctuation for effect.
  • Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).
No exemplars at this time.
  • Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
  • Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.
No exemplars at this time.

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