What’s all of the “fuss” about the ARMT+ Reading ?

Objectives• To provide an overview of ARMT+

Reading, including item difficulty, new item formats, and sample test questions.

• To suggest strategies to improve reading comprehension instruction across the curriculum.

Mission: Career/College Ready Graduates

Believe….. What every man needs, regardless of his job or

the kind of work he is doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs an objective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he has some worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It must be his own creation. Its success will be measured by the nature of his vision, what he has done to equip himself, and how well he has performed along the line of its development. -Joseph Morrell Dodge

Blueprints ARMT

Content StandardsThe Reading section of the ARMT is aligned to the 2007 English Language Arts Course of Study.

Blueprints ARMT

Types of Reading Assessed

Literary/recreationalstories and poetry

Textual/informationalsubject texts

Functional manuals, brochures, etc.

SAME

BlueprintsARMT+

Item TypesARMT

Multiple Choice Questions

• Stand-alone questions

• Passage-based questions

– Key words underlined (Grade 3)

– Key words italicized (Grades 4-8)

Item TypesARMT

Open-ended Questions

Item TypeARMT+

SAME

Scoring Guidelines ARMT Multiple Choice Questions

Valued at one point each

Scoring Guidelines ARMT Open-ended Responses

• Open-ended Responses– Valued at 3 points each

• Score point 3- demonstrates a thorough understanding

• Score point 2- demonstrates a general understanding

• Score point 1- demonstrates a limited understanding

• Score point 0- no attempt to address the prompt

Scoring GuidelinesARMT

• Open-ended Responses must…– Address the question by

including details and examples from the passage for support.

– Be legible.– Stay within the confines of the

box.

Scoring GuidelinesARMT

Open-ended Responses

• Scanned to the computer• Sent to scorer

– A trained professional – 4 Yr. degree– Intensive project specific training– Pass a test, qualifies– Uses anchor papers for each score point– Scores one subject

Scoring GuidelinesARMT+

SAME

Cut ScoresARMT

Grade

Reading

Mathematics

Levels

Cut ScoresARMT+

SAME

Item Format

Item FormatARMT+

• Passages may be 1-2 pages in length.

• All multiple choice questions have four choices.

• All open-ended response questions have consistent wording.

RIGOR

What is Rigor?• “Challenging all students with high expectations”(Gates

Foundation Web site)• Active, deep, and engaging learning (Small Schools Project)• “Academic rigor is based on expectations established for

students and staff that ensure that students demonstrate a thorough, in-depth mastery of challenging and complex curricular concepts. In every subject, at every grade level, instruction must include commitment to a knowledge core and the application of that knowledge core to solve complex real-world problems.” (North Carolina State Board of Education, 2005)

(Edmunds 2006)

Rigor

KnowledgeComprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

Remembering

Understanding

Applying

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

Rigor• Increased vocabulary• Use of words such as mainly, most likely,

probably, and best • Answer choices ( words, examples, or

excerpts from passages and poems)• Comparisons (poem/poem, poem /passage,

passage/passage, or chart [table, graph, etc.]/passage)

• Previously used formats in upper grades may appear in lower grades.

Rigor Open-ended Responses

• Thorough– Specific– Multiple examples and support (list, portions of a conversation,

line(s) from a poem(s), etc.)– All steps provided within a sequence of steps or events

• General– Basic – Few examples and limited support (2 of 4 ideas listed, a word from a

line in a poem, etc.)– Some steps provided within a sequence of steps or events

• Limited– Vague or incomplete– One incomplete part of a two part question (compare, but does not

contrast; a cause with no effect)– Random step(s) provided within a sequence of steps or events– Glimmer

• No attempt to address the prompt

Provide Opportunities to Write

Everyday is a great day for a writing experience.

• Various audiences• Multiple purposes• All modes• Different forms/types• Multiple topics

Types of Writing• Freewriting• Journals• Notetaking• Questions• Explanation

s• Summaries• Definitions• Memos• Letters

• Reviews• Editorials• Books• Stories• Poems• Reports/

Research papers

• Essays• Plays

Global SkillsNon-exhaustive List

• Drawing conclusions• Sequence of events/information• Making inferences• Fiction/nonfiction• Fact/opinion• Previewing/predicting• Following directions• Vocabulary

Grade 3

• Spelling possessives• Dictionary use • Vocabulary (Standards 2-4)• Literary elements and devices-

identify characters and similes• Text features• Genres- stories, trade books, and

poems

Grade 3Text Features

Why does the author use bold print?

A. To make the dates easier to read

B. To describe the food C. To get the attention of the

reader D. To give the history of the

fair

Grade 3ARMT Sample

An apple is a A. vegetable. B. meat. C. fruit. D. dairy

product.

Grade 3ARMT+ Sample

The words brick and yard are put together to make a word that

means

A. An area where bricks play. B. A piece of material used for

sewing. C. An area where bricks are made. D. One who enjoys bricks.

Grade 4• Vocabulary- Standards 2 and 3• Comparing and Contrasting• Genres- novels, short stories, poetry, and

trade books• Literary elements and devices- identify

characters, similes, main idea, and author’s purpose

• Using text features- titles, headings, glossary, boldface, index, table of contents, and tables

• Use of bias/recognizing persuasive techniques• Notetaking

Grade 4ARMT Sample

Grade 4ARMT Sample

Grade 4 ARMT+ Sample

+Compare and contrast the Sun and the Moon.

Use specific details from the story to support your answer.

Write your answer in the answer document.

Grade 4

ACTIVITY

Grade 5• Vocabulary- Standards 1, 2, and 4• Literary elements and devices- Recognize

setting, character traits, stated purpose, metaphors, personification, and implied purpose(identify)

• Tables and charts• Reference materials

Grade 5 ARMT+ Sample

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams die

Life is a broken winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

Langston Hughes

Grade 5 ARMT+ Samples

Which line from the poem is an example of a metaphor?A. “Hold fast to dreams”B. “Life is a broken winged bird” C. “For when dreams go”D. “Frozen with snow.”

What is the effect of the author’s use of images?

Use details from the poem to support your answer.

Write your answer in the answer document.

Grade 5 ARMT+ Sample

Which sentence shows possession? A. Johnny can’t reach the box on the top shelf. B. Jafaar’s books are in the brown backpack. C. Kenyatta didn’t call me last night. D. I’ve always combed my hair to one side.

Grade 6• Vocabulary-Standards

1 and 3• Interpreting

character’s behavior• Literary elements and

devices- Interpret implied main idea, conflict, personification, and climax(identify)

• Complex predictions• Cause-effect

relationships

Grade 6 ARMT Sample

Grade 6 ARMT+ Sample

Which of the following reveals the climax of the story? A. “As the two friends headed for the trees on the

far side of the field, they heard Butch barking.” B. “He agreed that the wing was broken.” C. “The bird hopped slowly to the opening and then

suddenly flew out.” D. “… I don’t want to let it go too soon and have it

not able to live on its own.”

+

Grade 6 ARMT+ Samples

Sample stems: Who is the intended audience for the

passage? How does the author organize the passage?

+

Grade 6 ARMT+ Sample

Identify the climax. Explain how the story’s events lead to this climax.

Use details from the story to support your answer.

Write your answer in the answer document.

+

Grade 7

• Vocabulary- Standards 1 and 4• Literary elements and devices- main idea

and supporting details, climax, point of view, imagery, mood(determine), and flashback(recognize)

• Genres and subgenres- Distinguish among poetry, short stories, novels, plays, biographies, autobiographies, folktales, myths, parables, fables, and science fiction

Grade 7 “The Road Not Taken”

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted wear,Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally

layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I marked the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to wayI doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Grade 7 ARMT+ Sample

Which statement is most

likely true about the author?

A. The author likes to travel.B. The author enjoys

futuristic stories.C. The author examines his

choices before making decisions.

D. The author cannot read a map.

The mood of “The Road

Not Taken” can be best described as

A. somber B. cautious C. inviting D. impolite

Grade 8• Literary elements and devices- Evaluate

the impact of setting, mood, and characterization on theme- components of plot

• Poetry- ballads, lyric poems, epics, haiku, and limericks- rhythm and rhyme scheme (identify)

• Confirming author’s credentials

Grade 8 ARMT+ Sample

What can the reader

infer about Moss’s dedication to African elephant research?

Use details from the passage to support your answer.

Write your answer in the answer document.

Grade 8Poetry- Langston Hughes

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore--

And then run? Does it stink like rotten

meat? Or crust and sugar over--

like a syrupy sweet?Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.Or does it explode?

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams die

Life is a broken winged bird

That cannot fly.Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

Grade 8Poetry

• Students are responsible for recognizing characteristics of various types of poetry.

• Questions related to poetry may be multiple choice questions (stand-alone and/or passage-related) and open-ended response questions.

ACTIVITYCreate your own questions

Multiple choice- figurative language, mood, theme, etc.Open-ended response- Persuasive techniques, figurative language, mood, compare/contrast, cause/effect, explain, evaluate, point of view, etc.

True or False

I can increase rigor in my classroom by reading longer

stories/passages from the textbook, giving more

assignments, and giving more homework.

FALSE

If you continue to do what you have always

done, you will continue to get the SAME results!

What do high performing schools have in common?

• Teachers regularly observe other teachers.

• Teachers have time to plan and collaborate.

• New teachers receive generous support.

• Teachers take on other leadership roles at the school.(Haycock 2007)

Teacher

Student

Parents

Administrator

Administrator’s Role• Emphasize to teachers that you know they

can succeed.• Expect teachers to keep knowledge fresh.• Guide (learning) communities toward self-

governance.• Make data accessible.• Teach discussion and decision-making skills.• Show teachers the research.• Take time to build trust.

(Hord 2009)

Provide supports that foster a data-driven culture within the

school.• Provide time for collaboration among

departments, grade levels, and data team members.

• Provide targeted professional development.

Support• Test prep activities• Benchmark or Interim

Assessments• Use of assessment

data to guide instruction

• Increased instructional time in math and reading(Response to Instruction-RtI)

• Strategic assignment of teachers

• Instructional pacing• Tutoring outside of school• Alignment of curriculum

with standards• Writing across the

curriculum• Individualized study guides• Personal graduation plans• Summer school

(Center on Education Policy 2007)

Ongoing Cycle

Plan

ImplementAssess

What does this process look like?

• Review available data.• Analyze various teaching strategies.• Create multiple lessons for a concept.• Review implementing “genius” creations.

Available DataState Assessment Results

• All state test results are available before school starts.

• The more familiar you are with group/student reports, the easier they are to use.

• Remember, data should drive instruction.

Available Data

• Classroom Assessments

• Interim Assessments

• Conferences

Diagnosis• Put all of what you’ve gathered into

perspective.• The purpose of your diagnosis is to know

where your students are in order to decide where they need to go.

• Share your diagnosis with the student.• Realize that whatever your diagnosis, you

have only nine months to work with the student.

• Be objective not subjective.

Teach students to examine their own data and set

learning goals.Get organized

Create organizational tools that chart progress on standards and objectives (AL COS), reading/writing assignments, grades, and etc.

Share these organizational tools with your students on day 1, and allow them to develop their own goals.

Explain your expectations. Make these organizational tools a part of your grading

system.

Prepare to Plan• Before anything else, preparation is the key

to success. -Alexander Graham Bell

• There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.

-Colin Powell

You must do the foot work!

• Make sure that you have a manipulative copy of your Alabama Course(s)of Study on your desktop.

• Create multiple copies of your grade level section of the Alabama Course(s) of Study.

• Create in-depth lesson plans that include notes, activities, and handouts associated with the lesson. At the end of this process you are able to see if you have multiple activities/handouts to address all learning styles.

Walk it out!!!• Go to ALEX-Alabama Learning Exchange (

http://alex.state.al.us/index.php) for sample lesson plans, web links, distance learning, and professional learning.

• Once you have completed your in-depth lesson plan, highlight the standards/objectives that mirror what you plan to teach and attach the highlighted copy to the lesson plan.

• Using your manipulative copy of the Alabama Course(s) of Study, copy and paste applicable standards/objectives on a created document to attach to the lesson plan.

3 Requirements for Every Course

• Making Dramatic Presentations• Writing(essays- upper grades,

discussion questions-lower grades)• Developing vocabulary and critical

thinking skills

Making Dramatic Presentations• Students must participate in a

dramatic presentation each grading period.

• A dramatic presentation may be done individually, in pairs, or as a group.

• Students should be given credit for planned, as well as, impromptu presentations.

• Create your grading criteria prior to all presentations.

• Provide students with grading criteria.

• Expose students to multiple presentation strategies.

• Lead by example.

Writing Essays/ Answering Discussion Questions

• Make writing the cornerstone of your classroom.

• Live it, breathe it, and expect it!• Require writing weekly.• Read what students write.• Students buy-in with immediate

feedback and discussion.

Increase Literacy• Provide explicit vocabulary instruction.• Provide direct and explicit comprehension

strategy instruction.• Provide opportunities for extended discussion

of text meaning and interpretation.• Increase student motivation and engagement

in literacy learning.• Make available intensive and individualized

interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialist. (Kamil 2008)

Develop Vocabulary and Critical Thinking Skills

• Every lesson should work to improve students’ vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

• Connect the two skills, if possible.

• Use context clues.

Develop Vocabulary and Critical Thinking Skills

• Reflect on multiple meanings.• Require/provide a dictionary and

thesaurus for each student.• Prepare good questions/activities ahead

of time.• Be quick on your feet and engage

students as much as possible.

More Ideas• Projects• Lecture• Quizzes (oral, listening, and bag)• Recitations• Guest Speakers• Movie Reviews• Debates

Build a Bridge • Often it is not

the “what,” but “how” information is delivered that strikes the interest of students.

Plan, Plan, Plan!

A Teacher…• The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher

explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. -William Arthur Ward

References• Center on Education Policy. (2007). State High School Exams: Working to raise the test scores.

Washington, D.C..:Author.

• Edmonds, J., Lewis, K., and McColskey, W. (2006) Defining Rigor: What rigor Means at Different Levels of the Educational System.

• Hamilton, L., Halverson, R. Jackson, S., Mandinach, E., Supovitz, J., & Wayman, J. (2009). Using student achievement data to support instructional decision making (NCEE 2009-4067).

Washington, DC: National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved fromhttp://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/.

• Haycock, K. (2007) Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps. Education Trust

• Hord, D. (2009). The Principal’s Role in Supporting Learning Communities. Educational Leader ship, 66(5), 22-23. Retrieved October 28, 2009,from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb09/.

Contact

If there are any questions, contact Kanetra Germany, Assessment and Accountability, State Department of Education, (334) 242-8038.