STAAR ESSAY GRADING PRACTICE

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Essay Grading Day!

Learning Objective: Today we will analyze how to write a successful STAAR essay!

Essential Question: What makes an essay good or bad according to the STAAR rubric?

Learning Objective: Today we will analyze how to write a successful STAAR essay!

Multiple Choice

What is the maximum number of points you can score on the STAAR essay?

• 2 Points for Grammar

• 3 Points for Organization

• 1 Points for Grammar

  2 points for Organizatio

• 3 points for Organization

  2 Points for Grammar

Right! 5 Points!

Remember, you can score a:
Grammar -
*0 (lots of mistakes)
*1 (Inconsistent mistakes)
*2 (little to no mistakes)

​Organization:
0 - No thesis, evidence, org. reasoning., no intro/conclusion
1 - Thesis is present, not clear, some text evidence, little understanding of the passage.
2 - Thesis/claim present, not fully developed. Text evidence. Some org. and reasoning.
3 - Has everything. Claim ,evidence, reasoning, flows well.

The following essays are student samples from the CA

These samples come from all teams, and each 7th grade RLA teacher submitted them. This means it is likely not your essay, but it may look familiar. We chose these essays because we felt they represented a bulk of student samples. 

Comments during this next phase of the lesson needs to be polite. Language needs to be appropriate and considerate. It may be your essay up here next.

Prompt and Instructions:

Read the selection “Grade Points.” Based on the selection, write a response to the following:

Explain how Mrs. Encarnacion’s action helped teach Marcus a lesson. Provide specific examples from the text to support your analysis.

Write a well-organized informational essay that uses specific evidence from the selection to support your answer.

Remember to –

·Clearly state your thesis

·Organize your writing

·Develop your ideas in detail

·Use evidence from the selection in your response

·Use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar

Manage your time carefully so that you can –

·Review the selection

·Plan your response

·Write your response

·Revise and edit your response

Write your response in the box provided.

Open Ended

Mrs. Encarnacion kept Marcus and Dylan after class, talking to them about the rude comments they spoke to emily. She explains to them how they've been in the same situation as emily, angry about their grades. Mrs. Encarnacion also explains to the pair that they dont know whats going on inside Emily's head, that they shouldn't be mean to anyone no matter the situation, letting them leave without any consequences.

Answer: What did this essay do well? Where do they need to improve?

Open Ended

She helped him get better at math becuase ,he was not so good at it. and she gave him lessons to get good at it not hes good in veery class.

Answer the following below: What did this essay do well? Where do they need to improve?

Poll

Marcus said that Mrs.Encarnacion gave them mercy that shows that she wants to help and she wants to fix the problom that they had and when she made them apologize the problom was fixed.

What would you give this essay, add the score together and select the choice below:

Grammar - 0, 1, or 2

Organization: 0, 1, 2, or 3

• 0

• 1

• 2

• 3

Open Ended

Mrs. Encarnacion’s action helped teach Marcus a lesson by showing him that he's been in the same sitaution as Emily, but she didn't make fun of him. We see this in paragraph 28, when it states “That’s true,” Mrs. Encarnacion agreed, “and it’s not like you haven’t been in her position before. You have both been upset about your grades in the past and asked for help just like Emily. I understand that it can be frustrating when it feels like someone is taking things too far or you feel like they are rubbing it in your face. It is okay to feel that way, but you also have to have patience and grace when people irritate you. You don’t know why Emily worries about her grades or what is going on in her head. You only know your thoughts and feelings. Try to have compassion and be patient with her and the others. Give them the benefit of the doubt before you attack them.”. This shows that Mrs. Encarnacion’s action helped teach Marcus a lesson by showing him that he's been in the same sitaution as Emily, but she didn't make fun of him.

What about this essay? Answer below what they did well? What do they need to improve on?

Open Ended

Mrs.Encarnacion's lesson helped to teach Marcus that treating people wrong is bad.

Mrs.Encarcion's said he has been in Emily's position before about grades.For example" i understand that it can be frustrating when it feels like taking things too far or you feel like they are rubbing it in your face.It is okay to feel that way,but you also have to have patience and grace when people irritate you."

This shows that Mrs.Encarnacion's is teaching Marcus how to have patience and grace with people.

What do you notice about this essay? What did they do well on? What do they need to improve on?

Multiple Choice

Mrs. Encarncion's action helped teach Marcus a lesson by giving Marcus tips on how he should treat/deal people who irritate him. She also helped teach Marcus a lesson by understanding him. She helps him understand by not punishing him.

According to Mrs. Encarncion, "you also have to have patience and grace when people irritate you." Mrs. Encarncion also states, "Try to have compassion and be patient with her and the others. Give them the benefit of the doubt before you attack them." To help Marcus understand she states, "While it was not right for you to say what you did, I think you have learned from it and will think before speaking next time. I am showing you a bit of compassion on this one."

These quotes show how Mrs. Encarncion helps Marcus improve with how he should treat/deal with people who irritate him. And if Mrs. Encarncion didn't give Marcus any tips and did punish him, he would never learn and continue to do his mistake. And putting the siuation from Marcus' point of view would help him learn from his mistake.

What about this essay, add up the grammar and organization points from below and select what you would give this essay

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Last year 75% of these essays were graded by AI

When we compared AI to our own grading, it graded close to what we do, but typically one point lower. AI is a usually a little tougher to please than your teacher. This means we need to be extra mindful when constructing our responses that we are writing a solid essay. 

​Now complete the worksheet until the end of class!

For question 5, write what you think you would give yourself.