Grade 6 Reading Proficiency Assessment # 3 Directions and Answer Key

For use in Jefferson County Schools only

2012-13 Grade 6 Reading Proficiency Assessment # 3 Directions and Answer Key

The Reading Proficiency Assessment is made up of twelve Multiple-Choice questions, one Short Answer question, and one Extended Response question focused on three literary and three informational reading standards. Make a class set of the student test booklets to use with all groups. Remind students that they are to record their answers only on the appropriate student answer sheet.

Before Administering the Assessment  Teachers should read and take the proficiency assessment before giving it to students.  Print all Student Answer Sheets and test booklets according to CASCADE directions.  Make sure answer sheets match the assessment.  Make a class set of Student Test Booklets to reuse with each class.  Provide each student with an Extended Response and Short Answer Form and General Scoring Guides.  Arrange for accommodations for ECE and ESL students as indicated on the IEP or PSP.

Directions for Administering the Assessment  Explain to the students that this assessment will help you determine what they know at this point. Encourage them to do their best.  Remind students of appropriate test-taking procedures for Multiple-Choice questions, Short Answer questions, and Extended Responses. They should answer every question. If they are unsure of an answer, they should determine a best guess and go back to the text to verify the answer selection.  Review how to record answers on the scan form. Emphasize that they SHOULD NOT WRITE ANY ANSWERS IN THE TEST BOOKLET. The Extended Response and Short Answer Question response should be recorded on a separate form.  Remind students that you will only score answers that are written in the space provided for Short Answer questions and Extended Response.  Since the Short Answer Question is new, explain that answers should be brief, limited to one or two sentences.  Distribute assessment materials and review directions.  Monitor students during the assessment to make sure they are recording answers correctly.  When finished, test booklets should be collected and students should work on other material until all have completed the assessment.  Collect student answer sheets and check for stray marks before scanning.

After Administering the Assessment  Use the Kentucky General Scoring Rubrics attached to score the Short Answer and the Extended Response questions. Both questions must be scored and bubbled on the scan sheet before entering into CASCADE. Follow the LEXMARK Scanner directions for scanning student answer sheets.  Collect Student Test Booklets and reuse for analysis with students.  Involve students in self-assessment utilizing the Self-Analysis form available in the Literacy Closet on the Gheens website.  Analyze class data from CASCADE. Results should be used to determine next instructional steps needed to move students toward mastery of reading standards.

Teacher Answer Key and Kentucky Core Academic Standards Grade 6

Number Answer Kentucky Core Academic Standards RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the 1. D narrator or speaker in a text. RL.6.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used 2. A in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. RL.6.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used 3. C in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. RL.6.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and 4. B explain how it is conveyed in the text. RL.6.9: Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., 5. D stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza 6. C fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. Short RL.6.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and

Answer explain how it is conveyed in the text. RI.6.9: Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with 7. A that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person). RI.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or 8. D section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. RI.6.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used 9. A in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. RI.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or 10. D section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. RI.6.9: Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with 11. B that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person). RI.6.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and 12. A explain how it is conveyed in the text. RI.6.9: Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with Extended that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same Response person).

2 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

Teacher Resources

Short Answer Response Look-Fors

After reading the passage “My Chilly Assignment,” answer the following Short Answer question on the form provided by your teacher.

Use details from the passage to describe the author’s at titude about her topic?

Answers may include but are not limited to: She was excited about her assignment to Antarctica because she would get to study the Emperor penguin in its natural habitat.

She thought the Emperor penguin was an extraordinary animal and was thrilled to have the chance to study them in their natural habitat.

This was the chance of a life time for her because she would get to study the Emperor penguin in its natural habitat. Extended Response Look-Fors

Extended Response Question

After reading the two passages “A Visit with a Guide Dog” and “Meet Buddy,” record your answer to the

Extended Response Question in the space provided. Any part of the answer written on the back or outside

of the space provided WILL NOT be scored.

“A Visit with a Guide Dog” is about a student’s experience in the classroom. “Meet Buddy” provides the

reader with information. Compare and contrast the two passages and describe how they are the same and

different in their approach to the topic. Include specific examples from both passages to support your

response.

Answers may include but are not limited to:

o Both passages are written about the same topic - guide dogs.

o Both discuss Morris Frank, Buddy, and how guide dogs are trained.

o Both talk about how a guide dog can help a blind person be more independent.

o The first passage is a narrative and is written in first person point

of view.

o The second passage is informational writing.

3 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

Student Name ______Score______Short Answer Question After reading the passage “My Chilly Assignment,” answer the following Short Answer question in the space provided. Answers recorded outside of the space indicated WILL NOT be scored.

Use details from the passage to describe the author’s attitude about her topic?

Do not write outside of this box.

______

4 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

Student Name ______Score ______

Extended Response Question

After reading the two passages “A Visit with a Guide Dog” and “Meet Buddy,” record your answer to the Extended Response Question in the space provided. Any part of the answer written on the back or outside of the space provided WILL NOT be scored.

“A Visit with a Guide Dog” is about a student’s experience in the classroom. “Meet Buddy” provides the reader with information. Compare and contrast the two passages and describe how they are the same and different in their approach to the topic. Include specific examples from both passages to support your response.

______

______5 ______Middle School ELA______2012-2013

______

6 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

7 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

Student Analysis Sheet, Grade 6 – RPA # 3 Student Name ______Date ______

Question My Correct Standard for Mastery Evidence from Now, “I CAN….” Number Answer Answer the text that supports my answer. RL.6.6 I can explain how an author develops the 1. point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. RL.6.4 I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative 2. and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. RL.6.4 I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative 3. and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. RL.6.6 I can explain how an author develops the 4. point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. RL.6.9 I can compare and contrast text in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical 5. novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. RL.6.5 I can analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure 6. of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. Short RL.6.6 I can explain how an author develops the answer point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. RI.6.9 I can compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a 7. memoir written by and a biography on the same person). RI.6.5 I can analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall 8. structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. RI.6.4 I can determine the meaning of words and 9. phrases as they used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. RI.6.5 I can analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall 10. structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. RI.6.9 I can compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a 11. memoir written by and a biography on the same person). RI.6.6 I can determine an author’s point of view or 12. purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. Extended RI.6.9 I can compare and contrast one author’s Response presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a Question memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

How many did I get right? ______Wrong? ______Which standards do I need to review?

My plan: 8 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

BLANK PAGE

Reading Proficiency Assessment

(RPA # 3)

Copy the Following Pages for Students:

 Class Set of Student Test Booklets including the Kentucky General Scoring Guides for Short Answer and Extended Response questions.  Print individual student Short Answer question and Extended Response Forms

9 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

STUDENT TEST BOOKLET Reading Proficiency Assessment Grade 6

This test section contains twelve Multiple-Choice questions, one Short Answer question, and one Extended Response. Mark your answers for the Multiple-Choice questions on the scan sheet provided. Mark only one answer for each question. If you do not know the answer, make your best guess. Record answers to the Short Answer Question and Extended Response on the forms provided. DO NOT WRITE ANY ANSWERS IN THIS TEST BOOKLET.

Read “Frost-Covered Evenings” and “My Chilly Assignment” before answering Multiple Choice questions 1-6 and the Short Answer question.

Frost-Covered Evenings

1 Frost-covered evening at the bottom of the world: Penguin and friends arrive in style, a penguin prepares for dinner. to dine in the ice-blue depths of a frozen crystal sea. Dressed in his best Mr. Davis and friends arrive in style, black and white 30 to dine in a room of ice-blue silk and crystal 5 while friends gather, chandeliers well-dressed, chatty, and amiable. Bon appétit! Belly to ice, the penguins slide into a Scrumptious feast. Frost-covered evening in Baltimore: Bon appétit! Belly to table, Mr. Davis and friends Mr. Davis prepares for dinner. 35 slide into a scrumptious feast. 10 Dressed in his best black and white Happy, they emerge, well fed, a satisfied lot. while friends gather, Happy, they emerge, well fed, a satisfied lot. well-dressed, “Good food, good friends!” they call out chatty, and amiable. to each other across the frost at the end of the night.

15 Penguin and friends set out on an ice-slick trail; they chatter on about this and that. The dapper friends click and clatter. “Lovely evening!” says one. 20 “Indeed, the weather is fine!”

Mr. Davis and friends set out on an ice-slick sidewalk; they chatter on about this and that. The dapper friends click and clatter. 25 “Fine weather we’re having!” says one. “Lovely evening indeed!”

10 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

My Chilly Assignment

[1] “Laura, pack your bags! You’re going to Antarctica!” [2] These were the words I had been hoping to hear for the past two years. As a research scientist, much of my work takes place in a lab. But I had been keeping my fingers crossed that I would eventually earn a place on the Antarctica Research Team and finally get to visit the coldest continent in the world. My dream was to observe my favorite animals, Emperor penguins, in their natural habitat. It was finally coming true! [3] Two weeks later, I left warm Florida and flew first to Australia. From there, I was on a special airplane designed for polar flight that landed almost twelve hours later on an ice runway in Antarctica. [4] As we came to a stop, I looked out the window at the cold, white world all around. I thought about how much I loved to study penguins. They were out there somewhere in that frozen place, and I couldn’t wait to see them. [5] Until scientists started visiting Antarctica and observing the penguins in the wild, not much was known about them. At one time it was thought that emperor penguins rarely left their own colonies. Research teams that camped out on the ice for weeks at a time soon learned that the penguins’ range could be an area as large as France. They swam to amazing depths in the icy water as they searched for food. I knew there was much more to be learned about the behavior of these incredible birds. [6] My first few days in Antarctica were unbelievably cold and sometimes even painful as my body adjusted to the extreme temperature. Even though I had all the right clothing designed to withstand polar temperatures, it sometimes seemed as if the cold went straight to my bones! But on the morning that I left with the other members of the research team, I felt almost warm inside. I figured that my eager anticipation of seeing the Emperor penguins must have been keeping out the chill. [7] We began our trek across the icy landscape, and I marveled at the amazing shapes of icebergs in the distance. It looked almost like a city skyline in silhouette against a steel-blue sky. Wisps of snow blew around us in dizzying whirls as we made our way across the hard, packed surface. [8] Sometimes in our lives, we have the privilege of seeing something so spectacular that it seems the image gets burned into our permanent memory never to be forgotten. As our team came up over the final hill of sea ice at Snow Hill Island, we saw the Emperor penguins. [9] My first impression was that a very formal dinner party was about to take place, and the well-dressed guests were about to go into the main dining hall for dinner. And such chattering! It was as if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time and were busy catching up on everything! [10] I'm pretty sure I held my breath as the penguins began to notice us. A few penguins separated from the rest and waddled toward our group as if to get a better look. We had been instructed to stand still and let them get used to our presence. It didn't take long, and the penguins soon lost interest in us and continued their busy activity on the icy beach. [11] Over the next twelve days I marveled at how these creatures, both funny and formal at the same time, could thrive in the harshest weather on Earth. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics of these magnificent, flightless birds. I watched adult penguins try to keep an eye out for their fluffy, clumsy chicks, and I held my breath in awe as the penguins began their deep dives into the cold water in search of food. [12] When I left Antarctica at the end of my visit, I had thousands of photographs, hours of video, and reams of research notes about emperor penguins. I had learned how penguins adapt to the extreme temperatures. I had watched penguins dive into waters so deep that other creatures

11 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

would never have survived. I had recorded vocal calls that emperor penguins use for identification. [13] But I knew that the most important thing I was taking back home with me was not the photos, videos, or notes. In fact, it was not something that could be named at all. It was a unique feeling deep within me. It was the experience of being in the unique company, if only for a short time, of a most extraordinary inhabitant of Earth, the Emperor penguin.

1. Which of the following best reflects the narrator’s point of view in "Frost-Covered Evenings"?

A. Both the penguins and Mr. Davis’s guests must dress for dinner. B. Both the penguins and Mr. Davis’s guests dine on fish for dinner. C. Dinner with the penguins is a much colder experience than with Mr. Davis. D. Dinner with the penguins and with Mr. Davis is an enjoyable evening.

2. Which type of figurative language is used in line 27 of “Frost-Covered Evenings”?

Penguin and friends arrive in style, to dine in the ice-blue depths of a frozen crystal sea.

A. Personification B. Imagery C. simile D. Metaphor

3. The author of “My Chilly Assignment” uses words like spectacular, magnificent, extraordinary to…

A. describe the freezing temperatures in Antarctica B. Explain research the team would be doing C. Share her appreciation for the penguins in their environment D. Describe the funny appearance of the penguins

4. Which sentence below best reveals the narrator’s point of view about the penguins in “My Chilly Assignment”?

A. As we came to a stop, I looked out the window at the cold, white world around.

B. My dream was to observe my favorite animals, the Emperor penguins, in their natural

habitat. C. I’m pretty sure I held my breath as the penguins began to notice us.

D. We began our trek across the icy landscape, and I marveled at the amazing shape of

icebergs in the distance.

12 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

5. What is the main difference between the passage and the poem?

A. “My Chilly Assignment” is general, while “Frost-Covered Evenings” is specific.

B. “My Chilly Assignment” is cheerful, while “Frost-Covered Evenings” is hopeful.

C. “My Chilly Assignment” describes the penguins, while “Frost-Covered Evenings”

describes Mr. Davis. D. “My Chilly Assignment” describes a single experience, while “Frost-Covered Evenings”

compares two scenes.

6. Read the sentence from “My Chilly Assignment.”

Sometimes in our lives, we have the privilege of seeing something so spectacular that it seems the image gets burned into our permanent memory never to be forgotten.

Why does the author include this sentence?

A. to show readers that Laura was sometimes forgetful B. to show readers that Laura’s eyes were being burned by the bright sun C. to show readers that Laura was deeply affected by her surroundings D. to show readers that Laura’s surroundings were beautiful

After reading the passage “My Chilly Assignment,” answer the following Short Answer question on the form provided by your teacher.

Short Answer Question

Use details from the passage to describe the author’s attitude about her topic?

13 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

Read “A Visit with a Guide Dog” and “Meet Buddy” before answering Multiple Choice questions 7-12 and the Extended Response question.

A Visit with a Guide Dog

[1] It all started when our teacher, Ms. Greene, opened the classroom door and said, “Well, hello… won’t you come in?” [2] In walked a woman followed by two large black and brown German Shepherds. The dogs were wagging their tails. They walked right in and sat next to the woman, without even so much as turning to look at the kids who were so excited to see them. We learned that the woman, whose name was Allison, was a teacher, too. Only instead of kids, she taught dogs! It turned out that she is a trainer at The Seeing Eye Guide Dog School in our town. The two dogs with her were named Abby and Flash. [3] First, Allison told us a little bit about the history of guide dogs. We learned that guide dogs have been used as far back as the time of the Roman Empire. The first American guide dog actually came from Switzerland. She was a female German Shepherd named Buddy, trained especially for a blind man named Morris Frank, who came from Nashville, Tennessee. [4] Allison asked the class to think about the kinds of challenges that blind people face every day. They need to be able to walk down crowded sidewalks, cross busy streets, or go up stairs. Many daily activities that we take for granted can be frustrating and even dangerous for the blind. Allison told us that with guide dogs at their side, blind people could be more independent. [5] Jaime asked Allison how dogs learn to be guide dogs. Allison said that guide dogs have to go to a special school. They even have to take tests! The class laughed at that. Allison then pointed to Flash. She told us that Flash is a brand-new student at The Seeing Eye Guide Dog School. For the next two years Flash will be attending classes. He will learn basic commands, such as “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Stop.” He will then go on to more rigorous training where he will learn how to be a guide dog. Who knew dogs had to go to school for so long? In fact, Flash will be one of ten dogs in his class, and he will have up to four instructors working with him and the other dogs. [6] The other dog, Abby, has been working as a guide dog for more than seven years. One student asked what happens to guide dogs when they get older. Allison told us that they “retire” from their jobs just like people. After that, older guide dogs are often adopted into other families where they will live for the rest of their lives. [7] Allison also pointed out that guide dogs not only need to behave and follow commands; they also must to be able to anticipate what their owner needs them to do. Sometimes, the dogs must know when to disobey a command if it will place the owner in a situation that could be dangerous. [8] I think one of the most interesting things I learned today was that dogs can go to school and they can have jobs. Listening to Allison today also made me realize how much responsibility a guide dog has and what an important service they perform.

14 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

Meet Buddy

[1] In 1926, an American woman named Dorothy Harrison Eustis was traveling through Potsdam, a large city in Germany. While there she visited a very special place: a training school where German Shepherd dogs were being trained to help soldiers who had lost their eyesight during World War I. The head of the training school believed if these dogs were properly trained, they could help blind people become more independent. With the help of their dog guides, blind people would not be so dependent on others to do things for them. [2] Dorothy’s visit to the school in Potsdam stayed with her. She wondered if she could train her own German Shepherd dogs to become guide dogs for the blind. She returned to her home in Switzerland and began to think about a way that she could teach her dogs to become “working” dogs for the blind. She was so excited about the idea of guide dogs that in 1927 she wrote an article about her visit to the Potsdam school for The Saturday Evening Post, a popular American magazine. Soon Dorothy received many letters from blind people all over the world who wanted to know how they could get guide dogs. [3] One day, Dorothy received a letter from a man named Morris Frank, who lived in Nashville, Tennessee. Morris had lost his sight in both eyes by the time he was a young adult. He had heard about Dorothy’s article. He was writing to ask for her help. He was tired of not being able to live on his own; he asked if she could help him find a guide dog. He also told Dorothy that if she would help him, he would do what he could to teach people about how important guide dogs could be for the blind. Morris Frank’s letter was very convincing. She wrote back to Morris and told him to come to Switzerland. [4] Later that year, Morris Frank arrived in Switzerland. During his stay, Dorothy trained a female German Shepherd dog named Kiss. Finally the day arrived for Morris to meet his new “eyes.” He was told the dog’s name was Kiss. Morris did not like the dog’s name and asked if he could change it to Buddy. For Morris, the dog’s new name represented her new role in his life. [5] Buddy became the first “seeing eye dog” in the United States. What once were difficult and scary situations, such as crossing a busy street, riding on a bus, or climbing up stairs, became easier with f Buddy’s help. As time went on, Morris came to depend on Buddy to act as his “eyes” to the world. Morris Frank and Buddy visited all over the country to talk about how important guide dogs were to the blind. With Buddy at his side, Morris saw his life as a new and exciting exploration of the world. In 1929, Dorothy gave money to Morris so that he could open the first school to train guide dogs in the United States. Morris Frank never forgot about Buddy or how she helped him find a new life. After her death, he named all of his other guide dogs Buddy, in her honor.

15 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

7. Read the sentences below.

“After they graduate from school, guide dogs are carefully matched to their human companions. There are many factors to consider, such as a person’s tone of voice, pace of movement, and living environment.”

Why would these suggested sentences fit better in “A Visit with a Guide Dog” than they would in “Meet Buddy”?

A. because they discuss how guide dogs are trained and what they do after they finish school B. because “Meet Buddy” does not discuss the actual ways that Buddy helped Morris Frank C. because they are spoken by a student rather than a narrator D. because they discuss the history of guide dogs going back to ancient Rome

8. Which sentence from “Meet Buddy” supports the idea that Buddy was an excellent match for Morris Frank?

A. Morris Frank and Buddy visited all over the country. B. Buddy became the first “seeing eye dog” in the United States. C. Morris did not like the dog’s name and asked if he could change it to Buddy. D. As time went on, Morris came to depend on Buddy to act as his “eyes” to the world.

9. Read this sentence from “Meet Buddy.”

Finally the day arrived for Morris to meet his new “eyes.”

What does the phrase new “eyes” refer to in this passage?

A. A guide dog B. A dog trainer C. eyeglasses D. A cure for blindness

10. Read these sentences from “A Visit with a Guide Dog.”

“Allison said that guide dogs have to go to a special school. They even have to take tests!”

“One student asked what happens to guide dogs when they get older. Allison told us that they ‘retire’ from their jobs just like people do.”

What idea do these sentences help to develop?

A. Guide dogs need to stay in school in order to perform their jobs. B. The most important part of a guide dog’s job is to follow basic commands. C. A guide dog can only perform its job for a few years before it has to stop working and retire. D. Guide dogs have an important job that requires them to work in a way that is similar to humans.

16 Middle School ELA 2012-2013

11. Which detail is found in both passages?

A. Guide dogs have been used by the blind as far back as the Roman Empire. B. The first American guide dog came from Switzerland. C. Dorothy Harrison Eustis was the American woman who trained Buddy. D. Morris Frank was the blind man who named Buddy.

12. Which quotation from “A Visit with a Guide Dog” best shows that the narrator wants to build suspense?

A. It all started when our teacher, Ms. Greene, opened the classroom door and said,

“Hello…won’t you come in.” B. Only instead of kids, she taught dogs!

C. Did you know that the first American guide dog actually came from Switzerland?”

D. They need to be able to walk down crowded sidewalks, cross busy streets, or go up stairs.

After reading the two passages “A Visit with a Guide Dog” and “Meet Buddy,” answer the following Extended Response question on the form provided by your teacher.

Extended Response Question

17 Middle School ELA 2012-2013