“I choose C”

1. BLaST-Cast: The New Design of the PSSA Gr. 3-8 ELA AssessmentChristina ReedCoordinator of Professional Learning and Curriculum Development, IU 17creed@iu17.org

2. “I choose C” The Need for College and Career Ready Standards

4. Purpose • Awareness of new design • Not a substitute for PDE resources • (www.education.state.pa.us) • Not a deep dive

5. Terminology Key PB MC – Passage Based Multiple-Choice Stand Alone MC – Stand Alone Multiple-Choice (Language multiple choice) EBSR– Evidence-Based Selected Response TDA – Text Dependent Analysis SA – Passage-Based Short Answer Special Note:The first number after the item category represents how many items the student will encounter within that specific response category (includes equating and field testing items). The number in ( ) represents how many of those items will count towards a student’s PSSA score (omits equating and field test items). Please see page 2 for PDE’s ELA Test Design and Test Content Blueprints. For additional PSSA resources, please visit www.education.state.pa.us and click on “State Assessment System”

7. Question/Task Types Multiple Choice • Passage-Based MC • Stand Alone MC Evidence-Based Selected Response Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) – Gr. 4-8 Only Passage-Based Short Answer (SA) – Gr. 3 Only

8. Scoring Guidelines

10. Vertical Progression of Rigor • Identify • Describe • Explain • Compare • Analyze • Interpret • Evaluate

17. Implications What We Teach How we Teach Close reading Writing and reading together Writing and reading in all disciplines Evidence-based practices • The Standards • Academic Vocabulary • Level of Rigor • Writing, writing, writing • Analyze, evidence, essay (AEE)

18. What does this mean for YOU? What You Teach How You Teach

19. Contact Christina Steinbacher-Reed creed@iu17.org