CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE

WHAT ARE CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE QUESTIONS?

Constructed-response questions are assessment items that ask students to apply knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities to real-world, standards-driven performance tasks. Sometimes called open-response items, constructed-response questions are so named because there is often more than one way to correctly answer the question, and they require students to construct or develop their own answers without the benefit of any suggestions or choices. (Tests That Teach by Karen Tankersly) Constructed response questions include extended-response* open-response, fill in the blank, and short answer. Here are some characteristics of constructed response questions. Constructed response prompts: Can use authentic, real-world situations or stimuli. Can include maps, charts, graphs, timelines, reading passages, etc.

Constructed response questions can assess: Content knowledge. Application-level skills. One broad standard. Several specific standards.

Constructed response answers: Are based on knowledge, not opinion. Can be simple, requiring students to fill in the blank or answer in one or two sentences. Can be complex, requiring students to answer in multiple paragraphs, create graphs, charts, or maps by processing information, or develop a solution for a problem. Can require high-level thinking by having students analyze, synthesize, or evaluate information. If complex, are scored using a rubric, allowing for no credit, partial credit, or full credit for answering the question. The rubric should include examples to allow for scoring consistency.

*Extended constructed-response questions are lengthier and more complex exercises that allow for a finer level of discrimination in scoring the responses.

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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SAMPLE SHORT ANSWER ITEMS

(Samples and information taken from Spring 2011 District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) Training

Sample Short Answer Items for KCAS Mathematics (Calculator allowed) Grade: 05 Subject: MA Item Type: SA CCS 1: M_5.MD.1 AE1: 2.10 DOK: 2 Focus: convert and use measurements Calculator allowed? yes Item: Mara needs to buy 2 pieces of rope to hang a swing. Each piece of rope must be 10 FEET long. The rope is only sold in lengths that are whole numbers of YARDS. What is the LEAST number of YARDS of rope Mara must buy to make the swing? Show your work or explain your thinking. Exemplar: 7 (yards) The total length of rope needed is 20 feet, because Since , the total number of yards of rope needed is . There are 3 feet in a yard. . The rope is only sold in

lengths of whole yards, so Mara needs to buy 7 yards of rope.

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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 Sample Short Answer Items for KCAS Mathematics Grade 5 (Calculator allowed) Item: Mara needs to buy 2 pieces of rope to hang a swing. Each piece of rope must be 10 FEET long. The rope is only sold in lengths that are whole numbers of YARDS. What is the LEAST number of YARDS of rope Mara must buy to make the swing? Show your work or explain your thinking.

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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 Sample Short Answer Items for Mathematics (No calculator allowed)

Grade: 06 Subject: MA Item Type: SA CCS 1: M_6.EE.2c AE1: 2.12 DOK: 1 Focus: evaluate expressions Calculator allowed? no

Item: An expression is shown below.

What is the value of the expression when Exemplar: 41

and

? Show your work.

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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 Sample Short Answer Items for KCAS Mathematics Grade 6 (No calculator allowed) Item: An expression is shown below.

What is the value of the expression when

and

? Show your work.

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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 SampleAnswerSpaceforKCASShortAnswerMathematicsItems

SampleAnswerSpaceforKCASShortAnswerReadingItems

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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KASCS TOP TEN TIPS FOR SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Use flashcards containing important information and details to prepare for the test.

Read the question carefully, looking for multiple parts.

Look for clues in the question that will help with the answer.

Underline key words in the question.

Do not look for hidden meanings. Short answer questions are basic.

When answering the question, use content vocabulary as much as possible.

Use short, concise sentences to answer the question. Condense the information.

If youre not sure of the details for the answer, use generic information.

If there could be two possible answers, over answer. You could get full or partial credit. If youre stuck and dont know the answer, skip the question then come back to it. Other questions might help you answer it. If not, make an educated guess. Do not leave it blank.

2011, KASC

Senate Bill 1 Implementation Institute

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