English Language Arts Grade Level Considerations for Grades 6–8

1. English Language Arts Grade Level Considerations for Grades 6–8

2. Considerations for Middle School (Grades 6–8) • Reading level • Contexts • Item Difficulty • Assessment Targets

3. Style Guide

4. Reading Level • Increasingly complex text, independence and proficiency • Claim 1 (Reading) and 3 (Speaking and Listening) passages range from being above, at, or below grade level • For claim 2 (Writing) and 4 (Research) the passages one grade below the assessed grade

5. Vocabulary Use language that is clear and vocabulary that is at or below the assessed grade level Appropriate to middle school students Vocabulary measured in context must be at least two levels above grade

6. Middle School Context • Appropriate • historical figures and events • space exploration • school community • robots • Inappropriate • fear of dentists • philosophy • constitutional construction • driving • voting • work

7. Item Difficulty • Items should include a range of difficulty • Anticipated difficulty for sample items

8. Smarter Balanced English Language Arts Claims and Assessment Targets • Claim 1: Reading • Claim 2: Writing • Claim 3: Speaking & Listening • Claim 4: Research

9. Middle School Claim 1: Reading Students can read closely and analyticallyto comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts. Selected Response, ConstructedResponse, and Technology-Enhanced Items 45% Literary texts: stories, poems, plays/drama, myths, mysteries, science fiction, historical fiction 55% Informational texts: literary nonfiction, historical documents, scientific articles, technical texts

10. Middle School Claim 2: Writing Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences. • Selected Response, ConstructedResponse, Technology-Enhanced Items and Performance Tasks • Middle School Claim 2 Performance Tasks include: • Narrative writing • Informational/explanatory writing • Argumentative writing

11. Middle School Claim 3: Speaking & Listening Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences. • Selected Response, ConstructedResponse, or Technology-Enhanced Items • Middle School Performance Tasks • Oral presentations

12. Middle School Claim 4: Research Students can engage in research / inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information. Selected Response, ConstructedResponse,and Technology-Enhanced Items Performance Tasks Real world sources Multiple sources

13. Middle School English Language ArtsGrade Level Considerations Vocabulary, style, context, and item difficulty Claims and assessment targets from the Smarter Balanced Content Specifications