SESSION ONE - JMap

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH 

The University of the State of New York 

SESSION ONE 

REGENTS HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION 

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION 

IN 

ENGLISH 


Tuesday, August 16, 2005 — 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 

The last page of this booklet is the answer sheet for the multiple-choice 

questions. Fold the last page along the perforations and, slowly and carefully, tear 

off the answer sheet. Then fill in the heading of your answer sheet. Now circle 

“Session One” and fill in the heading of each page of your essay booklet. 

This session of the examination has two parts. Part A tests listening skills; you 

are to answer all six multiple-choice questions and write a response, as directed. 

For Part B, you are to answer all ten multiple-choice questions and write a 

response, as directed. 

When you have completed this session of the examination, you must sign the 

statement printed at the end of the answer sheet, indicating that you had no 

unlawful knowledge of the questions or answers prior to the session and that you 

have neither given nor received assistance in answering any of the questions 

during the session. Your answer sheet cannot be accepted if you fail to sign this 

declaration. 

The use of any communications device is strictly prohibited when taking this 

examination. If you use any communications device, no matter how briefly, your 

examination will be invalidated and no score will be calculated for you. 

DO NOT OPEN THIS EXAMINATION BOOKLET UNTIL THE SIGNAL IS GIVEN. 

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH SESSION ONE

Part A 

Overview: For this part of the test, you will listen to an account about United States currency, answer some 

multiple-choice questions, and write a response based on the situation described below. You will hear the 

account twice. You may take notes on the next page anytime you wish during the readings. 

The Situation: Your social studies class is studying the international 

monetary system. You have been assigned to report on the evolution of the 

United States dollar. In preparation for writing your report, listen to an 

account by Daniel Gross. Then use relevant information from the account 

to write your report. 

Your Task: Write a report for your social studies class in which you discuss the evolution of 

the United States dollar. 

Guidelines: 

Be sure to 

• Tell your audience what they need to know about the evolution of the United States 

dollar 

• Use specific, accurate, and relevant information from the account to support your 

discussion 

• Use a tone and level of language appropriate for a report for a social studies class 

• Organize your ideas in a logical and coherent manner 

• Indicate any words taken directly from the account by using quotation marks or 

referring to the speaker 

• Follow the conventions of standard written English 

Comp. Eng. — Session One – Aug. ’05 [2]

NOTES 

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO. 

Comp. Eng. — Session One – Aug. ’05 [3] [OVER]

Multiple-Choice Questions 

Directions (1–6): Use your notes to answer the following questions about the passage read to you. Select the best 

suggested answer and write its number in the space provided on the answer sheet. The questions may help you think 

about ideas and information you might use in your writing. You may return to these questions anytime you wish. 

1 The speaker refers to the United States dollar as 

“ancient” in order to stress the dollar’s 

(1) symbolic value 

(2) frequent changes 

(3) universal acceptance 

(4) long life 

4 The federal government gained the exclusive 

right to print money during 

(1) the Revolutionary War 

(2) the Civil War 

(3) World War I 

(4) World War II 

2 What did early settlers of the New World use as 

currency? 

(1) quarters (3) paper money 

(2) common items (4) land 

3 A problem with the currencies printed by banks 

during the nineteenth century was that these 

dollars were 

(1) unequally valued 

(2) redeemable for gold 

(3) rapidly devalued 

(4) replaced by coins 

5 The two-dollar bill and the Susan B. Anthony 

coin are noted in order to stress the dollar’s 

(1) positive image 

(2) difficulty to counterfeit 

(3) green and black color 

(4) resistance to change 

6 The predominant organizational pattern of the 

account is 

(1) cause and effect 

(2) order of importance 

(3) chronological order 

(4) spatial order 

After you have finished these questions, turn back to page 2. Review The 

Situation and read Your Task and the Guidelines. Use scrap paper to plan 

your response. Then write your response in Part A, beginning on page 1 of 

your essay booklet. After you finish your response for Part A, go to page 5 

of your examination booklet and complete Part B. 


Part B 

Directions: Read the text and study the graph on the following pages, answer the multiple-choice questions, 

and write a response based on the situation described below. You may use the margins to take notes as you read 

and scrap paper to plan your response. 

The Situation: The student council in your school is organizing a volunteer 

program, matching student volunteers with individuals and community 

organizations in need of assistance. You have been asked to write an article 

for your school newspaper encouraging students to volunteer by describing 

the trend toward student volunteerism and the benefits of such programs 

for both recipients and volunteers. 

Your Task: Using relevant information from both documents, write an article for your 

school newspaper in which you encourage students to volunteer by describing the trend 

toward teen volunteerism and the benefits of such programs for both recipients and 

volunteers. 

Guidelines: 

Be sure to 

• Tell your audience what they need to know about the trend toward teen 

volunteerism and the benefits of such programs for both recipients and volunteers 

• Use specific, accurate, and relevant information from the text and the graph to 

support your discussion 

• Use a tone and level of language appropriate for an article for your school 

newspaper 


• Indicate any words taken directly from the text by using quotation marks or 

referring to the author 



5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

40 

45 

50 

Volunteerism’s new face 

…Volunteering has become a significant part of teen culture. Fifty-nine 

percent of 12- to 17-year-olds said they’d volunteered in the past year, according 

to a 1996 study by the Independent Sector, the most recent national study on 

teen volunteering habits available. In a fall 1999 teen-age marketing and lifestyles 

study done by the marketing firm Teenage Research Unlimited, six in 10 teens 

said that volunteering was “in.” 

“A lot of people think we’re this big community of bad kids, and half [of] us 

aren’t like that at all,” says Clara, a freshman at Grant High School. “This is one 

way to prove that.” 

It is, for many teens, the new norm, a given, reinforced by the community 

service requirements that many schools now require to graduate, and the 

increase of service learning — which combines classroom lessons with volunteer 

projects — in many school curricula. 

Teen music reflects and celebrates the trend: The Backstreet Boys lend the 

name of their song “Larger than Life,” and free concert tickets, to a contest 

promoting public service. Rage Against the Machine’s album “The Battle of Los 

Angeles,” full of calls to action and celebrations of activism, debuts at the top of 

the billboard charts, selling 430,000 copies in one week. The album’s CD-liner 

notes explain how to contact or get involved with groups such as Rock for Choice 

and Women Alive. Hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill tucks information about her 

nonprofit, The Refugee Project, in the liner notes of her album “The 

Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” 

“It’s part of the culture now,” says Clayton Miller, 16, a junior at Lincoln High 

School who, along with his twin brother, Greg, has traveled to Mexico to help 

build homes for the needy and helped shop for groceries for Portland-area people 

who couldn’t get to the store. 

“It’s kind of like learning how to read,” Greg says. “When you are taught how 

to help others, it begins to come naturally after a while.” 

Teens say they are far from being passive drones, just going through the 

motions of required service. They acknowledge without judgment that there are 

a fair number of résumé padders and kids just serving their time who make up 

the volunteer numbers. But young people and those who work with them say 

what’s interesting about teens right now is how many are choosing to do 

community service work beyond what is required of them, driving the trend and 

changing the way teen volunteers are viewed. 

A couple of years ago, volunteers from the AmeriCorps program going into 

Portland-area high schools and middle schools to help coordinate service learning 

projects began noticing something: A lot of kids were approaching them after 

class, wanting to learn more about volunteering. The kids wanted to find out what 

they could do outside of school, where they could go for more information…. 

More than a decade ago, some foretold the increase in teen volunteerism. In 

their 1991 book “Generations,” William Strauss and Neil Howe predicted that 

this generation of teens would be civic-oriented. “Teen peer leaders will express 

a growing interest in community affairs and a growing enthusiasm for collective 

action,” they wrote. 

In the four years following that prediction, the number of volunteers grew by 

7 percent, from 12.4 million teens to 13.3 million, according to the 1996 

Independent Sector study. 

The number of schools involving students in community service has increased 

dramatically in the last decade, according to a 1999 U.S. Department of 

Education survey. 


55 

60 

65 

70 

75 

80 

85 

90 

95 

100 

In 1984, 27 percent of high schools said they had students participating in 

community service. In 1999, 83 percent said they did, according to the study. 

Nearly half of the schools surveyed in 1999 said service learning was part of their 

curriculum. 

And students are taking volunteering beyond the classroom in increasing 

numbers if you look at the service organizations teens choose. Membership in 

Key Club, an after-school service club for high-schoolers sponsored by the 

Kiwanis Club, has increased steadily for the past three years. Two years ago, there 

were 196,000 members. Now there are 205,000, according to the national 

organization. 

At Grant High School the Octagon Club, a community service club sponsored 

by the Optimist Society of Lloyd Center, has grown from four members six years 

ago to more than 50 members this year. It’s now one of the largest Octagon Clubs 

in the country. For one of its projects, students feed the homeless two times a 

month at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church. So many students were showing up 

that they had more help than they could use, says adviser John Mears. 

A lot of teens are interested in doing volunteer work that is different from 

projects many teens may have done in the past, says Megan Buscho, a 15-year-old 

sophomore who helped set up the Youth Involvement Center at Cleveland High 

school and helps other students find volunteer opportunities that fit their interests. 

“A lot of kids aren’t interested in the usual kinds of volunteer opportunities 

like serving people in a soup kitchen,” she says. “They’re more interested in doing 

things that get to the root of the problem, like finding out what gets people in the 

soup kitchen in the first place and preventing that.” 

Some of what’s behind this is teens’ realization that they may not be able to 

vote, says Buscho. “But we can affect change before then. By getting out there 

and volunteering, adults can see what we are thinking about, what we care about, 

and we can influence how adults think about young people.” 

While teens such as Clara Ard are aware that volunteering is one way to mend 

the negative stereotypes adults may harbor about their generation, what’s 

drawing them out to rainy riverbanks on the weekends or moving them to set a 

table for seniors goes beyond that, teens say. 

Some perceive volunteering as a way to give back to their community. “The 

seniors at our church pray for our youth group regularly,” Ard says, “and I think 

it’s important to thank them.” 

It is a chance for teens to exercise their values — whether it’s their religious 

convictions, political motivations or sense of social justice. Volunteering is a way 

for them to be connected to something larger. 

“Helping others makes me feel so good,” says Josi Henderson, 18, a senior at 

Grant. “I really feel like my day isn’t complete without practicing some act of 

kindness.” She credits her volunteer experiences in high school with helping her 

decide what she wants to do with her life. She wants to major in speech pathology 

in college and, afterward, join the Peace Corps. “I really want to devote my life 

to helping others,” she says. 

“I think our generation is changing the definition of what it means to be a 

good citizen,” Buscho says. “It used to be that being a good citizen was about 

patriotism and being true to your country. Now the definition is: Know what’s 

going on in your country, be involved, and then you can change things. Through 

volunteering, we can start doing things about the issues that affect us.” 

— Inara Verzemnieks 

excerpted from “Volunteerism’s new face” 

The Oregonian, December 25, 1999 


Benefits Gained * 

GRAPH 

Importance of benefits gained from teen volunteering – 1996 and 1992 

I learned to respect others. 

I learned to be 

helpful and kind. 

I learned how to get along with 

and relate to others. 

I gained satisfaction 

from helping others. 

I learned to understand people 

who are different than me. 

74.7% 

75.0% 

73.9% 

74.2% 

66.7% 

95.6% 

93.2% 

91.5% 

90.2% 

85.2% 

I understand more 

about good citizenship. 

I understand more about how 

voluntary organizations work. 

66.8% 

63.8% 

83.3% 

81.3% 

I’m more aware about 

programs in my community. 

I explored or learned 

about career options. 

56.0% 

52.8% 

70.1% 

67.0% 

I did better in school/my 

grades improved. 

I’ve developed new 

career goals. 

41.8% 

43.6% 

64.3% 

61.6% 

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 

100.0% 

1996 

1992 

* Based on the percentage of of respondents who who 

stated that a specific benefit was “Very 

important” or “Somewhat important.” important”. 

Source: (adapted) Independent Sector, 2000 



Directions (7–16): Select the best suggested answer to each question and write its number in the space 

provided on the answer sheet. The questions may help you think about ideas and information you might want 

to use in your writing. You may return to these questions anytime you wish. 

7 In lines 7 through 9 Clara indicates that by doing 

volunteer work, teens can prove that they are 

(1) competitive (3) intelligent 

(2) skilled (4) respectable 

8 According to the writer, volunteering for social 

causes has been promoted by 

(1) highway signs 

(2) nonprofit organizations 

(3) musical celebrities 

(4) political leaders 

9 “It’s part of the culture now” (line 23) refers to 

the growth of 

(1) helping needy people 

(2) performing benefit concerts 

(3) mentoring young artists 

(4) traveling to Mexico 

10 As used in line 29, “passive drones” most nearly 

means people who 

(1) eliminate resistance (3) use caution 

(2) avoid work (4) accept challenge 

11 The prediction of an increase in the civic 

orientation of teens (line 41) is supported by 

(1) personal interviews 

(2) expert testimonials 

(3) studies and surveys 

(4) questions and answers 

12 As used in line 74, getting to “the root of the 

problem” most nearly means discovering the 

problem’s 

(1) origin (3) solution 

(2) effects (4) frequency 

13 Students who are too young to vote see 

volunteering as a way to demonstrate their 

(1) independence (3) beliefs 

(2) talents (4) education 

14 The experience of Josi Henderson (lines 90 

through 95) is most likely included to 

demonstrate that student volunteer work may 

lead to 

(1) finding hobbies 

(2) discovering a vocation 

(3) building a résumé 

(4) developing friendships 

15 According to the graph, the greatest increase in 

benefit between 1992 and 1996 was in 

(1) getting along with and relating to others 

(2) understanding about good citizenship 

(3) exploring or learning about career options 

(4) improving academically 

16 According to the graph, for 1996 which benefit 

was most important to teen volunteers? 

(1) respecting others 

(2) gaining satisfaction from helping 

(3) understanding differences 

(4) being aware of community 

After you have finished these questions, turn to page 5. Review The Situation 

and read Your Task and the Guidelines. Use scrap paper to plan your response. 

Then write your response to Part B, beginning on page 7 of your essay booklet. 



Session One – Essay A 

Essay B 

________ 

________ 


COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION IN ENGLISH 

Session Two – Essay A 

Essay B 

________ 

________ 

Tear Here 


Tuesday, August 16, 2005 — 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 

Total Essay Score 

Session One – 

A–Multiple Choice 

B–Multiple Choice 

________ 

________ 

Session Two – 

A–Multiple Choice 

________ 

ANSWER SHEET 

Total Multiple Choice 

Final Score 

Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sex: ■ Male ■ Female 

School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Write your answers to the multiple-choice questions for Part A and Part B on this answer sheet. 

Part A 

Part B 

1 _______ 7 _______ 

2 _______ 8 _______ 

3 _______ 9 _______ 

4 _______ 10 _______ 

5 _______ 11 _______ 

6 _______ 12 _______ 

13 _______ 

14 _______ 

15 _______ 

16 _______ 

HAND IN THIS ANSWER SHEET WITH YOUR ESSAY BOOKLET, 

SCRAP PAPER, AND EXAMINATION BOOKLET. 

Your essay responses for Part A and Part B should be written in the essay booklet. 

Tear Here 

I do hereby affirm, at the close of this examination, that I had no unlawful knowledge of the questions or answers prior to the examination and 

that I have neither given nor received assistance in answering any of the questions during the examination. 

____________________________________________________________ 

Signature 


COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH SESSION ONE 

Tear Here 

Tear Here 

Comp. Eng. — Session One – Aug. ’05 [12] 

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH SESSION ONE

E 


FOR TEACHERS ONLY 



ENGLISH 

Tuesday, August 16, 2005— 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 

SCORING KEY AND RATING GUIDE 

Mechanics of Rating 

Updated information regarding the rating of this examination may be posted on the 

New York State Education Department’s web site during the rating period. Visit the site 

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ and select the link “Latest Information” for any recently 

posted information regarding this examination. This site should be checked before the rating 

process for this examination begins and at least one more time before the final scores 

for the examination are recorded. 

The following procedures are to be used for rating papers in the Comprehensive 

Examination in English. More detailed directions for the organization of the rating 

process and procedures for rating the examination are included in the Information 

Booklet for Administering and Scoring the Comprehensive Examination in English. 

Scoring of Multiple-Choice Questions 

Indicate by means of a checkmark each incorrect or omitted answer to multiplechoice 

questions on the Session One answer sheet; do not place a checkmark beside 

a correct answer. Use only red ink or red pencil. In the box provided under each 

part, record the number of questions the student answered correctly for that part. 

Transfer the number of correct answers for the Part A and Part B multiple-choice 

questions to the appropriate spaces in the box in the upper right corner of each student’s 

SESSION ONE answer sheet. 

Session One 

Correct Answers 

Part A Part B 

(1) 4 (7) 4 

(2) 2 (8) 3 

(3) 1 (9) 1 

(4) 2 (10) 2 

(5) 4 (11) 3 

(6) 3 (12) 1 

(13) 3 

(14) 2 

(15) 4 

(16) 1 

The University of the State of New York • THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT • Albany, New York 12234

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH — SESSION ONE — continued 

Rating of Essays 

(1) Follow your school’s procedures for training for rating. This process should include: 

Introduction to the task— 

• Raters read the task and summarize its purpose, audience, and format 

• Raters read passage(s) and plan own response to task 

• Raters share response plans and summarize expectations for student responses 

Introduction to the rubric and anchor papers— 

•Trainer reviews rubric with reference to the task 

•Trainer reviews procedures for assigning scores 

•Trainer leads review of each anchor paper and commentary 

(Note: Anchor papers are ordered from high to low within each score level.) 

Practice scoring individually— 

• Raters score a set of five papers individually 

•Trainer records scores and leads discussion until raters feel confident enough to move 

on to actual scoring 

(2) When actual rating begins, each rater should record his or her individual rating for a 

student’s essay on the rating sheet provided, not directly on the student’s essay or 

answer sheet. Do not correct the student’s work by making insertions or changes of any 

kind. 

(3) Each essay must be rated by at least two raters; a third rater will be necessary to resolve 

scores that differ by more than one point. The scoring coordinator will be responsible 

for coordinating the movement of papers, calculating a final score for each student’s 

essay, and recording that information on the student’s answer paper for Session One. 

[2]

QUALITY 

6 

Responses at this 

level: 

SESSION ONE – PART A – SCORING RUBRIC 

LISTENING AND WRITING FOR INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING 

5 


level: 

4 


level: 

3 


level: 

2 


level: 

Meaning: the extent to 

which the response 

exhibits sound 

understanding, 

interpretation, and 

analysis of the task 

and text(s) 

-reveal an in-depth 

analysis of the text 

-make insightful 

connections between 

information and ideas in 

the text and the assigned 

task 

-convey a thorough 

understanding of the text 

-make clear and explicit 




task 

- convey a basic 


-make implicit 




task 

-convey a basic 


-make few or superficial 




task 

-convey a confused or 

inaccurate understanding 

of the text 

-allude to the text but 

make unclear or 

unwarranted 

connections to the 

assigned task 

Development: the 

extent to which ideas 

are elaborated using 

specific and relevant 

evidence from the 

text(s) 

-develop ideas clearly 

and fully, making 

effective use of a wide 

range of relevant and 

specific details from the 

text 


and consistently, using 

relevant and specific 

details from the text 

-develop some ideas 

more fully than others, 

using specific and 

relevant details from the 

text 

-develop ideas briefly, 

using some details from 

the text 

-are incomplete or 

largely undeveloped, 

hinting at ideas, but 

references to the text are 

vague, irrelevant, 

repetitive, or unjustified 

Organization: the 

extent to which the 

response exhibits 

direction, shape, and 

coherence 

-maintain a clear and 

appropriate focus 

-exhibit a logical and 

coherent structure 

through skillful use of 

appropriate devices and 

transitions 



-exhibit a logical 

sequence of ideas 

through use of 


transitions 




sequence of ideas but 

may lack internal 

consistency 

-establish, but fail to 

maintain, an appropriate 

focus 

- exhibit a rudimentary 

structure but may 

include some 

inconsistencies or 

irrelevancies 

-lack an appropriate 

focus but suggest some 

organization, or suggest 

a focus but lack 

organization 

Language Use: the 


response reveals an 

awareness of audience 

and purpose through 

effective use of words, 

sentence structure, 

and sentence variety 

-are stylistically 

sophisticated, using 

language that is precise 

and engaging, with a 

notable sense of voice 

and awareness of 

audience and purpose 

-vary structure and 

length of sentences to 

enhance meaning 

-use language that is 

fluent and original, with 

evident awareness of 




control rhythm and 

pacing 

-use appropriate 

language, with some 


and purpose 

-occasionally make 

effective use of sentence 

structure or length 

-rely on basic 

vocabulary, with little 


or purpose 

-exhibit some attempt to 

vary sentence structure 

or length for effect, but 

with uneven success 


imprecise or unsuitable 

for the audience or 

purpose 

-reveal little awareness 

of how to use sentences 

to achieve an effect 

Conventions: the 



conventional spelling, 

punctuation, 

paragraphing, 

capitalization, 

grammar, and usage 

-demonstrate control of 

the conventions with 

essentially no errors, 

even with sophisticated 

language 


the conventions, 

exhibiting occasional 

errors only when using 

sophisticated language 

-demonstrate partial 

control, exhibiting 

occasional errors that do 

not hinder 

comprehension 

-demonstrate emerging 


occasional errors that 

hinder comprehension 

-demonstrate a lack of 


frequent errors that make 

comprehension difficult 

• If the student writes only a personal response and makes no reference to the text(s), the response can be scored no higher than a 1. 

• Responses totally unrelated to the topic, illegible, incoherent, or blank should be given a 0. 

• A response totally copied from the text(s) with no original student writing should be scored a 0. 

1 


level: 

-provide minimal or no 

evidence of textual 

understanding 

-make no connections 

between information in 


task 

-are minimal, with no 

evidence of development 

-show no focus or 

organization 

-are minimal 


incoherent or 

inappropriate 

-are minimal, making 

assessment of 

conventions unreliable 

- may be illegible or not 

recognizable as English 

[3]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper A—Level – A 6 – A 

[4]

Anchor Paper – Part A—Level 6 – A 

[5]


[6]

Anchor Level 6 – A 

Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Reveals an in-depth analysis of the text (The evolution of the dollar from a modest means … is 

a remarkable story). The response makes insightful connections between information and ideas 

in the text and the assigned task (it is best to discuss the dollar in two distinct categories and 

This representative status … has made it resistant to change). 

Develops ideas clearly and fully, making effective use of a wide range of relevant and specific 

details from the text (colonists … used common items … for transactions, Franklin published a 

self-serving treatise, Features of this currency, Jackson … forced the bank out of business, 

European leaders … recognized the potential for change) to illustrate the evolution of the 

American dollar. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the historical events in the evolution of the dollar. 

The response exhibits a logical and coherent structure, beginning in seventeenth century 

Germany with the use of coins, tracing the dollar to “Continentals” … backed … only by the 

novice colonial government, then to the Act that made the U.S. government the sole issuer of 

currency, and concluding with the current status of the dollar … as a symbol for our nation. 

Transitions are skillfully used (As the economic historian Goodwin points out, Unfortunately, In 

order to do so). 

Is stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging (treatise in which he 

advocated, Gross theorizes, represented a youthful resistance), with a notable sense of voice 

(There is reason why … The reason is stability) and an awareness of audience and purpose. The 

response varies sentence structure and length to enhance meaning (A currency means more than 

its face value; the dollar is more than 100 cents). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions with essentially no errors. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 6 in all qualities. 

[7]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper A—Level – A 6 – B 

[8]

Anchor Paper – Part A—Level 6 – B 

[9]

Anchor Level 6 – B 

Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Reveals an in-depth analysis of the text, characterizing the U.S. as a powerful, dynamic nation 

that has steadfastly preferred its own monetary system. The response makes insightful 

connections between information and ideas in the text and the assigned task, stating that the 

American monetary system has become a vehicle of stability … and a source of pride. 


details from the text to support a discussion of the dollar’s evolution (the American dollar can 

be traced back, colonists used … common items … to barter, “Massachusetts became the first 

state … to issue… paper currency,” Continental Congress printed … “Continentals,” The 

government … issued notes on credit). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus (America has earned its place in the international 

monetary system of today). The response exhibits a logical and coherent structure, first 

presenting information about how American’s self image and identity are closely tied … to its 

currency, then tracing “the humble origins of the American dollar” to “the need for paper 

currency and then to the attempt to create a unified currency system, and ending with its gain in 

power and prestige. Transitions are skillfully used. 

Is stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging, with a notable sense 

of voice and awareness of audience and purpose (this nation’s predilection and sought to fill the 

void). The response varies structure and length of sentences to enhance meaning (Traders often 

broke them into eight pieces, giving rise … to a quarter). 


Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 6 in all qualites. 

[10]


[11]


[12]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a thorough understanding of the text (Money … including the American dollar, has 

undergone a progressive evolution). The response makes clear and explicit connections 

between information and ideas in the text and the assigned task (the dollar we know today has 

been around for over 200 years). 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, using relevant and specific details from the text to 

discuss the dollar during the colonial period (colonists traded commen items), the nineteenth 

century (two hundred eight different banks … had been created and The US government needed 

a way to pay the soldiers … in … the civil war), and the twentieth century (The two dollar bills, 

Susan B. Anthony dollar coins … served as novelties for a time). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the changes in the American dollar. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas through use of appropriate transitions to trace the dollar’s 

evolution (In 1691, In 1775, It wasn’t until the Civil War, the dollar … today, after World War 

One). 

Uses language that is fluent and original [similarly, the respective countries and cultures have 

progressed as well and The “greenbacks” were “warbucks” with a black front and (not 

coincidentally) a green back], with some examples of informality (got by fine and stuck) and 

evident awareness of audience and purpose (In the words of Daniel Gross, “Why mess with 

success?”). Sentence structure and length are varied to control rhythm and pacing (Though the 

dollar now is considered the greatest “brand” … it has not always been this way). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (commen and unim), 

punctuation (“currencies come and go”, and “contenentals”.), and capitalization (continental 

congress, e. pluribus unim, Another) that do not hinder comprehension. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 5, although it is somewhat weaker 

in conventions. 

[13]


[14]


[15]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a thorough understanding of the text (Over the years the U.S. dollar has evolved to … 

stand for “something more then just one hundred cents”). The response makes clear and 

explicit connections between information and ideas in the text and the assigned task (The U.S. 

dollar has evolved from worthless to a shining symbol of everything American). 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, using relevant and specific details from the text to 

discuss the history (colonial period and banks charters), positive image (poor step-sister and 

Winston Churchill), and resilience (Euro and Susan B. Anthony coin) of the American dollar. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the evolution of the dollar. The response exhibits a 

logical sequence of ideas, tracing the evolution of money through the use of appropriate devices 

and transitions (problems with currency led to the creation of the U.S. dollar, After World War 

I, The U.S. dollar has truly overcome its humble origins). The ending shifts abruptly. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (Much has changed since the fumbling times of a 

struggling country), although sometimes imprecise (to become and stand for, then for “than,” 

affective for “effective”), with evident awareness of purpose (Though from humble origins, the 

U.S. dollar is now universally accepted). The response varies sentence structure and length to 

control rhythm and pacing (One such symbol is the U.S. dollar). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (involk and counterfitting), 

punctuation (from thus and nation and), and capitalization (continental congress and great seal) 

that do not hinder comprehension. 



[16]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper A—Level – A 5 – C 

[17]

Anchor Paper – Part A—Level 5 Part – CA — Practice Paper – A 

[18]

Anchor Level 5 – C 

Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a thorough understanding of the text (The United States dollar … has evolved 

throughout America’s history). The response makes clear and explicit connections between 

information and ideas in the text and the assigned task (the U.S. dollar … has evolved into the 

world’s most readily accepted and trustworthy money). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others. The response uses specific and relevant details 

from the text to discuss the history of the dollar from 1791 to the Civil War (colonists … barter 

with each other, the National Bank Act gave the government exclusive rights to print money) to 

the present day United States dollar. The post World War I period is left undeveloped. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the evolution of the dollar. The response exhibits a 

chronological sequence of ideas through use of appropriate devices and transitions (Since 1791 

and In America’s case). 

Uses language that is fluent and original (America’s monetary system is so efficient and 

trustworthy), with evident awareness of audience and purpose (we have found a system that 

works). The response varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing 

(During the dollar’s two hundred year life span, its image has been tweaked and altered). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (currancy, begining, 

Massacuttes, barataring) and grammar (evolves and A nation’s … their) that do not hinder 

comprehension. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 5, although it is somewhat 

weaker in development and conventions. 

[19]


[20]


[21]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the text, explaining how the dollar has evolved over the past 

two hundred years. The response makes implicit connections between information and ideas in 

the text and the assigned task (Since then … “great global brand”). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others. The response uses specific details to explain the 

colonist’s barter system, the federal government’s right to issue money, and the dollar’s rise to 

power in the twentieth century with its unifying image. Less developed is how the early 

government struggled with the currency. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the development of the dollar. The response exhibits 

a logical sequence of ideas, moving from early colonial times with no actual money through the 

years to the present success of the dollar, but lacks internal consistency, as some facts are out of 

chronological order (“green backs” issue precedes the Jackson decision). 

Uses language that is appropriate, although sometimes awkward (Change in currency … for it, 

is giving a sense of unity, had withstood … prosperity) and imprecise (excepted for “accepted”), 

with some awareness of audience (our nations’ symbols) and purpose (Though it has evolved … 

today). The response occasionally makes effective use of sentence structure (There was a major 

power shift after World War I … were ruined). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (counterfit and everyday), 

punctuation (arrived they, things such, established saying), capitalization (bank of the United 

States and Two-Dollar Bill), and proofreading (the for “there”) that do not hinder 



[22]


[23]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the text (The evolution of the United States dollar has been 

an extremely important factor on history), though it exhibits some confusion (currency has 

changed but the dollar has not). The response makes implicit connections between information 

in the text and the assigned task (In 1691, Massachusetts was the first state to issue paper 

currency). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others. The response uses specific and relevant details to 

explain how the colonial currency’s value was not equal and how the U.S. dollar became 

widely excepted. The government’s problems with the dollar in the 1700’s and 1800’s are 

minimally developed. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the U.S. dollar throughout history. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, presenting the chronological changes in currency from 

everyday items to its current power all around the world, using simple transitions (When, after, 

Now a days) to mark these changes, but is logically inconsistent (Either way). 

Relies on basic vocabulary, that is at times imprecise (and etc., when for “went,” write for 

“right”) and repetitive (In 1775, In 1818, It was in 1863, It was after). The response exhibits 

some attempt to vary sentence structure (The main problem with currency back then was that its 

value wasn’t the same everywhere). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (suprising and issueing), 

punctuation (For example during, world they, peoples Visa), and capitalization (continental 

congress and mastercards) that do not hinder comprehension. 


weaker in language use. 

[24]


[25]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the text (The United States dollar has been through many 

forms before becoming today’s product). The response makes implicit connections between 

information and ideas in the text and the assigned task (America’s greatest brand began when 

colonists … were forced to bartar with more than just common items). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others. The response gives reasons why today’s dollar is 

viewed favorably, but fails to explain reasons why in the early 1920’s … the American dollar 

began to conquer the nation. 

Establishes a focus on the dollar’s resistance to change, but shifts to the evolution of the dollar. 

The response exhibits a rudimentary structure that includes inconsistencies, listing several ideas 

(bartar, paper dollar, American dollar, changes to … apperance and value, acceptance) and 

jumping from colonial times to the early 1920s to today in one paragraph. 

Uses appropriate, although occasionally awkward, language (today’s product), with some 

awareness of audience and purpose (the United States paper money has found acceptance by 

not only our nation, but others as well). The response occasionally makes effective use of 

sentence structure (Although it has seen many forms … with other currencys). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (countries practices and 

barter) and punctuation (it’s use and todays conclusion) that do not hinder comprehension. 


weaker in organization. 

[26]


[27]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic although somewhat confused understanding of the text (the National Bank Act 

was issued to the Federal Government). The response makes few connections between 

information and ideas in the text and the assigned task (Today, it is universally accepted). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some details from the text (the word “dollar” originated from 

coins, Massachusetts was the first … paper currency, the Continental Congress then printed … 

“Continentals”). 

Establishes, but fails to maintain, an appropriate focus, concluding that the two dollar bill and 

the Susan B. Anthony coin is resistant to change. The response exhibits a rudimentary structure. 

Relies on basic vocabulary (The U.S. dollar first came out in the year 1791), with little 

awareness of audience and purpose. The response attempts to vary sentence structure, but with 

uneven success (In the 16th century … which today, it is known). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in punctuation (its’ currency and 

banks, was) and grammar (Wars and revolutions causes and bill and … coin is resistant) that do 

not hinder comprehension. 


stronger in conventions. 

[28]


[29]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the text (The dollar bill … is still used today). The response 

makes superficial connections between information and ideas in the text and the assigned task 

(before the dollar bill, there were coins). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some details from the text (In the year seventeen seventy-five … 

by the year eighteen - eighteen … printing dollar bills). 

Establishes a focus on the dollar’s great value and how it has been used for so long. The 

response exhibits a rudimentary structure with minimal transitions (also and In conclusion), but 

includes some inconsistencies (known as the english dollar) and irrelevancies (some is traded 

for less and some for more). 

Relies on basic although sometimes imprecise (excepted for “accepted”) vocabulary, with little 

awareness of purpose (the dollar has been a popular item in America). The response exhibits 

some attempt to vary sentence structure, but with uneven success. 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (alot) and frequent 

errors in punctuation (printed, by the year; star wars they; the dollar bill positive image), 

capitalization (they loved and american visa), grammar (coins that was became to be and bill 

and … coin wasn’t), and usage (eighteen - eighteen) that make comprehension difficult. 



[30]


[31]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the text, noting the gradual change of the dollar. The 

response makes few connections between information and ideas in the text and the assigned 

task, indicating that as the years went by people used items to trade and the first state to issue 

paper money was Massachusetts. 

Is largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the text are vague (The “greenbacks” 

were some kind of paper), repetitive (The “greenbacks” were some kind of paper used as 

money), and unjustified (Thats when the value of the dollar became more popular). 

Suggests a focus on the evolution of the dollar but lacks organization, presenting a series of 

unconnected ideas in paragraph 1 (trading items, coining the Euro, and using the greenback), 

moving to 1863 and the National Federal Bank, and then shifting back to the origin of the 

dollar in paragraph 2. 

Relies on basic vocabulary, with little awareness of audience (Going back to the passage). The 

response attempts to vary sentence structure and length, but with uneven success (However … 

the U.S. dollar is still popular & hasn’t lost the value). 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (liqour and eagel), 

punctuation (by people and success By), and grammar (“greenbacks” … it lost and a quote that 

state) that hinder comprehension. 


in development and organization. 

[32]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a confused understanding of the text (Every bill or coin in the U.S has somebody that 

has accomplished something on it). The response alludes to the text, but makes unclear 

connections to the assigned task (Money is very ancient and it gives symbolic value). 

Is largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the text are vague (as they said in the 

story) or unjustified (Every bill or coin in the U.S has somebody … it). 

Lacks an appropriate focus but suggests some organization with the use of paragraphs. 

Uses language that is imprecise (Money is very ancient … it gives symbolic value and kind of 

like). The response reveals little awareness of how to use sentences to achieve an effect. 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in punctuation (new modern money, 

ancient as they, story it gives, U.S) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[33]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys an inaccurate understanding of the text (The dollar has changed history). The response 

alludes to the text, but makes unclear connections to the assigned task (It was created a adapted 

very quickly). 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the text are vague 

(Over time the whole world started to the use them and The dollar has changed … time). 

Lacks an appropriate focus but suggests some chronological organization (It started out and 

Over time the whole world). 

Uses language that is imprecise (The United States currency is a very unique and It started out 

as Settelers using trading items). The response reveals little awareness of how to use sentences 

to achieve an effect. 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling, punctuation (used. Since 

1791 and US dollar), capitalization (Dollar and Since), and grammar (created a adapted and It 

… them) that make comprehension difficult. 


[34]

Anchor Paper – Part A—Level 2 – C 

[35]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a confused understanding of the text (The Swetich crown Bank is … world). The 

response alludes to the text, but makes unclear (The United States courrency come and go) or 

unwarranted (Bengemant Franklin … deckoted it with the grate seal) connections to the task. 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the text are irrelevant 

(Bill is difficult to counterfeit), repetitive (because of its universal acceptance and the 

acceptance … all over the world), and unjustified (The United States have system of repressing 

free Marketing). 

Lacks an appropriate focus but suggests some organization, using separate paragraphs for the 

introduction, body, and conclusion, with a few chronologically accurate references (In the 1691 

Mattassis isue their first dollar and In 18 century Philidelpha have 29 cety Banks). 

Uses language that is imprecise and at times incoherent (Today people refter as great Bills 

becase of it is a strong courrency). The response reveals little awareness of how to use 

sentences to achieve an effect. 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (Swetich, destrubat, 

honcon, isue), punctuation (and coin They and Jamaica it is), capitalization (vesa, Bill, Black), 

grammar (Ecador use and not all dollar created equal), and usage (dollar has their own) that 

make comprehension difficult. 


[36]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides minimal evidence of textual understanding beyond one sentence taken directly from 

the text (the federal … government gain the exclusive right to print money during the civil war). 

Is minimal, with no evidence of development. 

Suggests a focus on the dollar but lacks organization. 

Is minimal, making assessment of language use unreliable. 

Is minimal, making assessment of conventions unreliable. 


stronger in organization. 

[37]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides minimal textual understanding (In 1925 Winton Churchill … dollar bill means more). 

The response makes no connections to the assigned task. 


Shows no focus or organization. 




[38]

Part A — Practice Paper – A 

[39]


[40]

Part A — Practice Paper – B 

[41]

Part A — Practice Paper – C 

[42]


[43]

Part A — Practice Paper – D 

[44]

Part A — Practice Paper – E 

[45]


[46]

Practice Paper A–Score Level 4 


Practice Paper B–Score Level 3 



Practice Paper C–Score Level 5 



Practice Paper D–Score Level 2 



Practice Paper E–Score Level 4 


[47]

SESSION ONE – PART B – SCORING RUBRIC 

READING AND WRITING FOR INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING 

QUALITY 

6 


level: 

5 


level: 

4 


level: 

3 


level: 

2 


level: 







and text(s) 

-reveal an in-depth 

analysis of the 

documents 




the documents and the 

assigned task 

-convey a thorough 

understanding of the 

documents 





assigned task 

- convey a basic 


documents 





assigned task 

-convey a basic 


documents 





assigned task 


inaccurate understanding 

of the documents 

-allude to the documents 

but make unclear or 

unwarranted 

connections to the 

assigned task 






document(s) 





specific details from the 

documents 


and consistently, using 

relevant and specific 

details from the 

documents 



using specific and 

relevant details from the 

documents 


using some details from 

the documents 




references to the 

documents are vague, 

irrelevant, repetitive, or 

unjustified 





coherence 







transitions 







transitions 






consistency 



focus 



include some 


irrelevancies 





organization 


























pacing 




and purpose 







or purpose 








purpose 








punctuation, 

paragraphing, 







language 









not hinder 

comprehension 









• If the student addresses only one text, the response can be scored no higher than a 3. 




1 


level: 


evidence of 

understanding 


between information in 


assigned task 




organization 

-are minimal 


predominantly 

incoherent, 

inappropriate, or copied 

directly from the text 


assessment of 


-may be illegible or not 


[48]

Anchor Part B — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 6 – A 

[49]


[50]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Reveals an in-depth analysis of the documents, explaining that the benefits of volunteering 

involve more than recipient gratitude or personal happiness enjoyed. The response makes 

insightful connections between information and ideas in the documents and the assigned task, 

stating that students who volunteer … are given an opportunity to build character and selfawareness 

for a successful future. 


details from the documents (volunteering removes “the negative stereotypes;” in 1996, 95.6 

percent said that they “learned to respect others;” 64.3 percent had improved their school 

grades). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on volunteerism and its benefits. The response exhibits 

a logical and coherent structure, moving from the satisfaction one receives from helping others, 

to additional benefits for the volunteers (volunteer experience … aid them in future), and to a 

concluding directive to become involved. The response makes skillful use of repeated 

references to the future and transitions. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (Beyond her initial satisfaction, After an initial nudge, 

to highlight their views), with evident awareness of audience and purpose (So … get “in”). The 

response varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (As Verzemnieks 

advises … something larger”). 



in language use. 

[51]

Anchor Part B — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 6 – B 

[52]


[53]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 6 – B 

[54]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Reveals an in-depth analysis of the documents, stating that teenage volunteers are becoming 

quite plentiful, and for good reasons. The response makes insightful connections between 

information and ideas in the documents and the assigned task, noting that the payoff for helping 

… the less fortunate would be … desireable for any high school student. 


details from the documents (learning to respect others; understanding people different from 

them … learning about new career options and six in ten teenagers say volunteering is indeed 

“in” and more than fifty-nine percent are volunteering). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the increase in and benefits of teen volunteering. 

The response exhibits a logical and coherent structure, first addressing the increase in the 

number of volunteers, followed by a discussion of the payoffs, rewards, and secondary benefits 

of volunteering (negative views … change), and concluding with the wish that more people will 

consider volunteering. Transitions are skillfully used. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (Some people may put volunteering aside because they 

don’t know where to go to find adequate information on such topics and Sparing one’s time for 

the needy and less fortunate can manifest many different promising rewards). The response 

varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (Volunteering is 

encouraged; it gives the volunteer self-satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors in punctuation (They are:, 

Greg Miller says that, “It’s kind, That too isn’t) and agreement (negative views … one, The 

kindness … prevent, teenagers … a good citizen). 


in language use and conventions. 

[55]


[56]


[57]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a thorough understanding of the documents by addressing volunteerism and its 

benefits. The response makes clear and explicit connections between information and ideas in 

the documents and the assigned task, provided through the voice of a student advocate for 

volunteerism (Many popular music artists … are promoting volunteer work). 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, using relevant and specific details from the documents 

to discuss the trend toward student volunteerism (Volunteering … has become a “significant 

part of teen culture”), and its benefits (meet new people, gives … satisfaction, learn respect, 

become their … career, lives are changed for the better). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on volunteerism, its benefits, and advocacy for a 

volunteer program. The response exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, moving from a 

presentation of the volunteer program, to the benefits of volunteering (It adds … well-rounded 

student), to benefits for the recipients and concluding with the call for students to volunteer for 

the school’s new program. Appropriate devices and transitions are used (Lastly, … as well). 

Uses language that is fluent (In addition … satisfaction), with evident awareness of audience 

and purpose (Since I am secretary, I would like to inform the student body). The response varies 

structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (The benefits of such volunteer 

programs … the school). 

Demonstrates partial control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (Race 

Against the Machines and inturn), punctuation (people, and and feeling; a thrill), and 

agreement (student … they and someone’s personality … their character) that do not hinder 




[58]


[59]

Anchor Paper – Part B—Level 5 – B 

[60]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a thorough understanding of the documents asserting that many teenagers have 

excepted the task of spending time helping others and have found out how great it makes them 

feel. The response makes clear and explicit connections between information and ideas in the 

documents and the assigned task (To become more aware of the opportunities that await, 

contact the student council). 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, using relevant and specific details from the documents 

to discuss student volunteerism and its benefits (According to a study by Teenage Research 

Unlimited, volunteering is now “in” and According to this graph, 90.2% of teens responding 

said that they “gained satisfaction from helping others”). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on teenage acceptance of volunteerism and its benefits. 

The response exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, moving from discussion of a personal benefit 

(Being able to say “I helped someone today” really makes one feel great) to a group benefit (it 

makes others feel good about them), and then to discussion of service-oriented organizations 

and benefits gained by recipients. The response concludes with a call to gain more information. 

Transitions are appropriate. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (In addition, through volunteering teens learn to 

respect others and, in turn, they gain respect for themselves and It is now a caring art rather 

than a boring duty), with evident awareness of audience and purpose. The response varies 

structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (Volunteering does make … 

this). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (varrious, Independant, 

negitive, sterotypical, hungery, signifigant) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[61]

Anchor Part B — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 5 – C 

[62]

Anchor Paper – Part B—Level 5 – C 

[63]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a thorough understanding of the documents by addressing the increasing trend in 

volunteering and its copious benefits. The response makes clear and explicit connections 

between information and ideas in the documents and the assigned task, noting that volunteering 

gives teens a chance to express their values and give back to the community. 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, using relevant specific details from the documents, 

stating that between 1991 and 1996 the number of volunteers grew by seven percent. The 

response discusses the effect teen volunteerism has on community attitudes toward teens (a 

chance to break the stereotype and to find out that teens aren’t a bad community of kids) and 

the benefits to teens (Volunteers may learn to be more helpful and kind) and to recipients (the 

recipients become more appreciative of today’s youth). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on teen volunteerism. The response exhibits a sequence 

of ideas, moving from a definition of volunteering to a discussion of its benefits (Volunteering 

shows teens to be … caring people and Although the volunteers themselves recieve great 

benefits, the recipients of volunteer assistance are also greatly benefitted) and then to a 

conclusion encouraging people to become involved. Appropriate devices and transitions are 

used. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (wrongly used, Active volunteer, while embracing, 

generational gaps), with evident awareness of audience and purpose. The response varies 

structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (Teens are beginning to realize 

the dual benefits of volunteering). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (prevelent, recieve, 

percieved) and punctuation (todays teenagers; Active volunteer, Megan Buscho said; elders it) 

that do not hinder comprehension. 



[64]


[65]

Anchor Paper – Part B—Level 4 – A 

[66]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 4 – A 


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the documents (Many more students are volunteering for 

school and other organizations for their own spiritual benifets as well as the help given to 

another). The response makes implicit connections between information and ideas in the 

documents and the assigned task (Teens are finding new benifits and challenges within 

volunteering … their attention). 


from the documents to discuss the trend toward volunteerism and the benefits for the 

volunteers. The benefits for the recipients are less developed (Such is the case at soup kitchens 

and when teens volunteer to help another go to the store when they cannot). 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on volunteerism and its benefits. This topic is discussed 

in two separate paragraphs, and is somewhat repetitive. The response exhibits a logical 

sequence of ideas, first discussing the trend toward volunteerism, then moving to the benefits 

for the volunteers as well as for the recipients, and concluding with an appeal encouraging 

students to become volunteers. The non sequitur at the end detracts from the conclusion. 

Uses appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose (Volunteer work is 

strongly encouraged and we ask all of those who are able to to participate). The response 

occasionally makes effective use of sentence structure and length (Volunteer work is an 

important aspect of teen life today.). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (benifets, incrediable, 

plothera, dramaticaly, experince), punctuation (years teen; popular and; place they), 

capitalization (Back street Boys and Graph), and usage (amount of students) that do not hinder 



[67]


[68]


[69]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the documents (There are many benefits for those who 

volunteer and especially for the recipients). The response makes implicit connections between 

information and ideas in the documents and the assigned task (That shows how the teens are 

being influenced by musical celebrities to go out and make a change in your community by 

volunteering). 


from the documents to discuss the increase in student volunteerism (It is showing how teens are 

joining organizations for the cause of volunteering) and the benefits for the volunteer (free 

tickets to a Backstreet Boys concert). The benefits for those in need are less developed. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on the trend toward student volunteerism and the 

benefits of such a program. The response exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, first describing 

the increase in student volunteerism, moving to supporting examples of the benefits of 

volunteering, and concluding with a plea to students to become involved in volunteering. 

Language Use Uses appropriate language that is sometimes imprecise (It looks to be and it raised to 95.6%), 

with some awareness of audience and purpose (I think that if everyone begins to volunteer, 

there will be alot more change shown in all of the students in our school). The response exhibits 

some attempt to vary sentence structure for effect, but with uneven success (Also by helping out 

other students to learn about volunteering opportunities good because you are helping out 

people in the community). 

Conventions 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (recieve and alot), 

punctuation (says “The Backstreet Boys and You too as), agreement (teens … in your 

community and I hope students … to become a better person), and word omission (In an article 

… help show and In the graph called … shows how) that do not hinder comprehension. 


[70]


[71]


[72]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the documents by stating that teen volunteering is the “thing 

to do,” and that such volunteerism can give a real sense of achievement and fulfillment. The 

response makes implicit (The amount of people volunteering is steadily rising at a rate of about 

20% every four years and Volunteering has increased because of schools, and non profit 

organizations), although sometimes unwarranted, connections to the assigned task. 

Develops some ideas more fully than others, using specific and relevant details from the 

documents to discuss the increase in student volunteerism as well as the personal benefits for 

volunteers (a sense of acomplishment and a higher respet for others). Benefits for recipients are 

less developed. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on volunteering for the community. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, focusing first on the increase in student volunteerism, then 

on the reasons for this increase, and finally on the benefits (learned to be kind and helpful). The 

loosely connected ideas in the second paragraph affect internal consistency. 

Uses appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose (Volunteering for the 

comunity or your school should be done by everyone). The response exhibits some attempt to 

vary sentence structure or length for effect, but with uneven success (First of all … major 

reason). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (acording, intrest, curicular, 

carrear, probally) and occasional errors in punctuation (Volunteering, may seem and old saying 

of; give) and usage (amount of people and to try and solve) that do not hinder comprehension. 


[73]


[74]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the documents, noting that teen volunteerism has become a 

fade in the past 8 years. The response makes a few superficial connections to the task (Many 

communities have decided … who need the help). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some details from the documents (Many students began to 

volunteer because it was required in school and Josi Henderson also felt that volunteering 

helped develope her career goals). 

Establishes an appropriate focus on the reasons teens are motivated to volunteer (Many teens 

look at volunteering … all bad and Others feel … in all aspects), but fails to maintain it. The 

response exhibits a rudimentary structure with introductory and body paragraphs. There is no 

conclusion. 

Relies on basic vocabulary (this generation of kids), with little awareness of audience or 

purpose. The response exhibits some attempt to vary sentence structure, but with uneven 

success (Now teens are beginning to see the benefits or the benefits that you receive from 

helping others). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (fade and develope), 

punctuation (text “Volunteerism’s New face”), capitalization (recipients, who), grammar (she 

credit her), and usage (8 years) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[75]


[76]



Quality 

Meaning 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the documents, stating that volunteering is a really good 

thing to do and There are many benefits for both recipients and volunteers. The response makes 

few connections between information and ideas in the documents and the assigned task (Most 

people that are volunteering or want to are teen kids ages 12 – 17 years old). 

Development Develops ideas briefly, using some details from the documents (According to the graph in 1996 

there was more benefits gained from teens volunteering than in 1992 and In the article there is 

alot of teens volunteering to do many things). 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Establishes an appropriate focus on volunteering (There are many people … help out). The 

response exhibits a rudimentary structure, but the paragraphs consist mainly of loosely 

connected ideas. 

Relies on basic vocabulary (teen kids and volunteering is a big thing), with little awareness of 

audience or purpose. The response exhibits some attempt to vary sentence structure for effect, 

but with uneven success (As a volunteer … so they need help). 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (grocieries and alot), 

punctuation (According to the Graph in 1996 there), and subject-verb agreement (there was 

more benefits, there is a lot of teens, there is “twin brothers) that hinder comprehension. 


[77]


[78]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 3 – C 


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the documents (It’s been proven that by volunetering you not 

only help others but improve yourself). The response makes few connections between 

information and ideas in the documents and the assigned task. 

Develops ideas briefly, using some details from the documents (The #1 benifit is said to be 

learning to respect others). Much of the response is based on a discussion of hypothetical 

situations (a senior citizen in a retirment home and in your own school systems). 

Establishes an appropriate focus on volunteerism (Become a volenteer!). The response exhibits 

a rudimentary structure of three paragraphs. 

Relies on basic vocabulary (& if you don’t care, go home; b/c you can’t go alone; sit idle by & 

watch), with little awareness of audience or purpose. The response makes some attempt to vary 

sentence structure or length for effect, but with uneven success. 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (benifits and worrie), 

punctuation (Its; show, you; volunteers then; do, do it), and capitalization (in 1992, in 1996, 

this, Many) that hinder comprehension. 


[79]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a basic understanding of the document (Many students in this past year have 

volunteered for programs in helping rebuild communities, needy, and rehab programs). The 

response makes few connections between information and ideas in the document and the 

assigned task. There is no reference to the graph. 

Is largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the documents are vague (The only 

thing … similar to that) or unjustified (All of students … fun to do). 

Suggests a focus on volunteering. The response lacks organization, consisting of one paragraph 

loosely related ideas. 

Uses language that is imprecise (Studies show most kids who do volunteering go to college and 

or encounter very sucessful jobs). The response reveals little awareness of how to use sentences 

to achieve an effect. 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in punctuation (just like you, if you; in 

your community you; a difference and we) and grammar (All of students and There is many) that 

do not hinder comprehension. 


stronger in meaning and conventions. 

[80]


[81]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a confused understanding of the documents (matching student volunteers with 

individuals and community organizations in need of getting out of trouble). The response 

alludes to the documents but makes unclear connections to the assigned task (it is something 

you can do way you don’t have nothing else to do). 

Is largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the documents are vague (Alot of teen 

around the world help organization group) or unjustified (1992 95.0% also learned to be 

helpful and kind and A girl name … help people). 

Suggests a focus on volunteerism but lacks organization. The one paragraph response loosely 

strings together several facts from the documents. 

Uses language that is imprecise or unsuitable for the audience and purpose (go to a contact and 

volunteer is a lot of way to help). The response reveals little awareness of how to use sentences 

to achieve an effect (Help you to learn and If you volunteer … you don’t know). 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (wented, chane, voluntee), 

punctuation (dont and music you), capitalization (trouble it and time it), and grammar (95.6% of 

teen, you can celebrates, learn thing, YMCA help little kids) that makes comprehension 

difficult. 


[82]


[83]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a confused or inaccurate understanding of the documents (Since 1992 the school 

program have a volunteer work, what is very good for the society and yourself). The response 

alludes to the documents but makes unclear connections to the assigned task (Today the 

teenagers are more “open mind” for the society). 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the documents are 

vague (The Key Club helps ours society since a long time ago) or repetitive (The society needs 

your help, help your society, help your … society). 

Suggests a focus on volunteerism work. The response suggests some organization with a series 

of short paragraphs. The response has no conclusion. 

Uses language that is imprecise for the audience and purpose (Here I am for speak about the 

volunteerism work). The response reveals little awareness of how to use sentences to achieve an 

effect. 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in punctuation (help. for; club, what; 

past) and grammar (for speak, program have a volunteer, what call Key Club, Kids … can be a 

member, more “open mind,” more … volunteered themself) that make comprehension difficult. 


[84]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides minimal evidence of understanding. Although the response implies that volunteering 

is of value, it makes no connections between information in the documents and the assigned 

task. 

Is minimal, limited to a personal narration of summer plans (For the summer … neighborhood). 

Suggests a focus on volunteering, but brings this focus to a personal level (My brother … eleven 

years old). The one paragraph response lacks organization. 

Uses language that is imprecise (Volunteer is a job and trying to better in life). The response 

reveals little awareness of how to use sentences to achieve an effect. 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (succed), punctuation 

(thats and If you volunteer you), and word omission (you probably succed) that hinder 


Conclusion: Although the response fits criteria for Levels 1, 2 and 3, it remains at Level 1 because 

the response makes no reference to either document. 

[85]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides minimal evidence of understanding. The response alludes to benefits (you get to learn 

more about people and it feel good), but makes no reference to the documents or task. 

Is minimal. The response consists of two general statements about the value of volunteering. 

Shows no focus or organization. 

Is minimal. The response of two sentences makes assessment unreliable. 


Conclusion: The response best fits the criteria for Level 1 in all qualities. 

[86]

Part B — Practice Paper – A 

[87]


[88]

Part B — Practice Paper – B 

[89]


[90]

Part B — Practice Paper – C 

[91]

Part B — Practice Paper – D 

[92]


[93]


[94]

Part B — Practice Paper – E 

[95]


[96]


[97]






Conclusion: Although the response fits criteria for Levels 3 and 4, it remains at Level 3 because 

the response addresses only one text. 





[98]

[99]

[100]

DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHERS 

LISTENING SECTION 


Tuesday, August 16, 2005—8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 


BE SURE THAT THE LISTENING SECTION IS ADMINISTERED TO EVERY STUDENT. 

1 Before the start of the examination period, say: 

Do not open the examination booklet until you are instructed to do so. 

2 Distribute one examination booklet and one essay booklet to each student. 

3 After each student has received an examination booklet and an essay booklet, say: 

Tear off the answer sheet, which is the last page of the examination 

booklet, and fill in its heading. Now circle “Session One” and fill in the 

heading on each page of your essay booklet. 

4 After the students have filled in all headings on their answer sheets and essay booklets, say: 

Look at page 2 of your examination booklet and follow along while I read 

the Overview and The Situation. 

Overview: 

For this part of the test, you will listen to an account about United States 

currency, answer some multiple-choice questions, and write a response 

based on the situation described below. You will hear the account twice. 

You may take notes on the next page anytime you wish during the 

readings. 

The Situation: 

Your social studies class is studying the international monetary system. 

You have been assigned to report on the evolution of the United States 

dollar. In preparation for writing your report, listen to an account by 

Daniel Gross. Then use relevant information from the account to write 

your report. 

Now I will read the passage aloud to you for the first time. 

5 Now read the passage aloud, including the attribution at the end. Read with appropriate expression, but without 

added comment. 

[1]

Listening Passage 

The Swedish krona and Bolivian boliviano aren’t merely answers to crossword puzzle 

clues, they’re meaningful national and historical symbols. Indeed, a nation’s self-image and 

identity is inextricably linked with its currency. But currencies come and go. Wars and 

revolutions cause new regimes to replace outmoded systems. More recently, the advent of 

the ecumenical Euro has dispatched 12 once-proud monetary systems to the pages of 

history. 

Given this, a currency that lasts for 200 years—say, the U.S. dollar, which has been legal 

tender since 1791—is a marvel. And it’s especially noteworthy that this nation, which selfconsciously 

engages in constant reinvention, has stuck so fiercely to its ancient money. Of 

course, when you consider that the dollar is one of America’s greatest brands, this stubborn 

attachment to the greenback makes more sense. 

The U.S. system of representative democracy and free markets may not be universally 

accepted. But the U.S. dollar sure is. It’s more graciously received around the globe than 

American Express and Visa combined. Ecuador uses the American dollar as its own 

currency, and local currencies from Hong Kong to Jamaica are pegged to the U.S. dollar. 

All of which shows a remarkable faith in what is really more an idea than a hard currency. 

“Money is a belief that has to be shared with other people,” notes Justin Goodwin, in his 

entertaining and discursive book, Greenback. 

As Goodwin shows, the mighty dollar has humble origins. In the sixteenth century, coins 

made in Joachimstal, which lies in a valley (a thal, in German) in what is now the Czech 

Republic, were widely used. That coin, and others like it, came to be known as the thaler— 

in English, the dollar. (Despite intrepid investigations, the origin of the $ symbol remains 

obscure.) 

When the English settled the New World, colonists used as currency things they had or 

found: corn, peas, rum, nails, and strings of beads and shells (what the Massachusetts 

Indians called wampum). The rare silver dollars that found their way into circulation were 

ineffective for small transactions, and frugal traders would knock them into eight pieces. 

(Which is why, to this day, people refer to a quarter as “two bits.”) 

Of course, paying for 20 acres of land with several barrels of rum didn’t prove an effective 

means of commerce. So the colonists turned to paper money. In 1691, Massachusetts 

became, in Goodwin’s words, “the first state since medieval China to issue its own paper 

currency.” And the question of how to establish a colonial paper currency occupied the 

leading minds of the colonies. Benjamin Franklin made his debut as a pamphleteer in 1729 

with a piece titled “A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper-Currency.” 

(His agitation for paper money was a little self-serving, because Franklin owned a chain of 

print shops in New England.) 

It wasn’t until 1775 that the newly established Continental Congress printed its own 

paper bills, calling them Continentals. These first dollars bore several features—the Great 

Seal, with the eagle, the pyramid with the disembodied eye on top, and the term E Pluribus 

Unum—variations of which survive to this day. But since these first bucks were backed only 

by the credit of the struggling colonial government, the bills depreciated rapidly. 

For much of the nineteenth century, printing money was generally the province of banks 

that obtained charters from states. By 1813, 208 banks were literally making money, from 

the Delaware City Bank to the Bank of Saint Nicholas in New York, whose bills featured 

Santa Claus. But not all dollars were created equal. In theory, every bill could be taken to 

the bank from which it was issued and redeemed for gold or silver. But due to significant 

distances and skepticism surrounding unfamiliar bills, a dollar bank note from a 

Massachusetts bank might be worth only 93 cents in Ohio, and even less in Indiana. The 

closest thing the young nation had to a national currency were the notes issued by the 

Philadelphia-based Bank of the United States, which had a 29-city branch network. But as 

[2]

the bank rose as a central power, President Andrew Jackson took it on in an epic political 

battle. The bank went out of business in 1841. 

The Civil War established the federal government as a force in currency. Faced with bare 

coffers—at the start of the war, the United States had just $200,000—and a need to pay the 

growing Union Army, the government in 1862 first issued notes on the credit of what 

remained of the United States. Black on the front and green on the back, they came to be 

known as “greenbacks.” But these war bucks quickly lost value as negative battlefield 

reports came in. The federal ten-cent bills were dubbed “shinplaster,” in part because they 

resembled the sort of paper one might use to plaster a sore leg, and in part because that was 

pretty much all they were good for. Nonetheless, the National Bank Act of 1863 gave the 

federal government the exclusive right to issue money. 

The dollar would remain a poor stepsister to European currencies until the world’s 

financial center of gravity shifted after World War I across the Atlantic. With the Old 

World’s power in decline and the New World’s might in ascendance, shrewd European 

observers recognized a tectonic shift. “If the English pound is not to be the standard which 

everyone knows and can trust, the business not only of the British Empire but of Europe as 

well might have to be transacted in dollars instead of pounds sterling,” Winston Churchill 

declared in 1925. Even then, the dollar stood for something more than 100 cents. By the 

1920s, Goodwin notes, it was “a brand like the other brands already beginning to conquer 

and even define aspects of the nation.” 

In fact, like Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonald’s, and Starbucks, the dollar has been one of 

the great global brands of the past century. People the world over seek it out and use it, not 

just because it meets a need, but because it conjures up a positive image in consumers’ 

minds, and because it stands for something that its competitors don’t. 

In many ways, Americans regard the dollar the way they do other consumer brands. Just 

as some long-time patrons rejected New Coke and didn’t swallow all the innovations in the 

traditional McDonald’s menu, so have Americans proved reluctant to accept changes to the 

dollar. Neither the $2 bill nor the Susan B. Anthony caught on. And the design tweaks 

introduced in the 1990s—intended to foil counterfeiters—were met with less than universal 

approval. 

For a forward-looking nation like the United States, our attitude toward the dollar may 

seem overly nostalgic. But with currencies, as is generally the rule in business, why mess 

with success? 

—from “Eight Bits” 

Attaché, April 2003 

6 After reading the passage aloud once, say: 

You may take a few minutes to look over The Situation and your notes. 

(Pause) Now I will read the passage aloud a second time. 

7 Read the passage a second time. 

8 After the second reading, say: 

Now turn to page 4 of your examination booklet, read the directions, and 

answer the multiple-choice questions. Be sure to follow all the directions 

given in your examination booklet and your essay booklet. You may now 

begin. 

[3]

[4]

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH 


SESSION TWO 


COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION 

IN 

ENGLISH 


Wednesday, August 17, 2005 — 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 

The last page of this booklet is the answer sheet for the multiple-choice 

questions. Fold the last page along the perforations and, slowly and carefully, tear 

off the answer sheet. Then fill in the heading of your answer sheet. Now circle 

“Session Two” and fill in the heading of each page of your essay booklet. 

This session of the examination has two parts. For Part A, you are to answer 

all ten multiple-choice questions and write a response, as directed. For Part B, you 

are to write a response, as directed. 

When you have completed this session of the examination, you must sign the 

statement printed at the end of the answer sheet, indicating that you had no 

unlawful knowledge of the questions or answers prior to the session and that you 

have neither given nor received assistance in answering any of the questions 

during the session. Your answer sheet cannot be accepted if you fail to sign this 

declaration. 

The use of any communications device is strictly prohibited when taking this 

examination. If you use any communications device, no matter how briefly, your 

examination will be invalidated and no score will be calculated for you. 

DO NOT OPEN THIS EXAMINATION BOOKLET UNTIL THE SIGNAL IS GIVEN. 

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH SESSION TWO

Part A 

Directions: Read the passages on the following pages (an excerpt from a short story and a poem). Write the 

number of the answer to each multiple-choice question on your answer sheet. Then write the essay in your essay 

booklet as described in Your Task. You may use the margins to take notes as you read and scrap paper to plan 

your response. 

Your Task: 

After you have read the passages and answered the multiple-choice questions, 

write a unified essay about opportunities for learning as revealed in the 

passages. In your essay, use ideas from both passages to establish a controlling 

idea about opportunities for learning. Using evidence from each passage, 

develop your controlling idea and show how the author uses specific literary 

elements or techniques to convey that idea. 

Guidelines: 

Be sure to 

• Use ideas from both passages to establish a controlling idea about opportunities for 

learning 

• Use specific and relevant evidence from each passage to develop your controlling 

idea 

• Show how each author uses specific literary elements (for example: theme, 

characterization, structure, point of view) or techniques (for example: symbolism, 

irony, figurative language) to convey the controlling idea 


• Use language that communicates ideas effectively 


Comp. Eng. — Session Two – Aug. ’05 [2]

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

40 

45 

Passage I 

I was very late for school that morning, and I was terribly afraid of being 

scolded, especially as Monsieur Hamel had told us that he should examine us on 

participles, and I did not know the first thing about them. For a moment I 

thought of staying away from school and wandering about the fields. It was such 

a warm, lovely day. I could hear the blackbirds whistling on the edge of the wood, 

and in the Rippert field, behind the sawmill, the Prussians going through their 

drill. All that was much more tempting to me than the rules concerning 

participles; but I had the strength to resist, and I ran as fast as I could to school. 

As I passed the mayor’s office, I saw that there were people gathered about 

the little board on which notices were posted. For two years all our bad news had 

come from that board—battles lost, conscriptions, orders from headquarters; and 

I thought without stopping: 

“What can it be now?” 

Then, as I ran across the square, Wachter the blacksmith, who stood there 

with his apprentice, reading the placard, called out to me: 

“Don’t hurry so, my boy; you’ll get to your school soon enough!” 

I thought that he was making fun of me, and I ran into Monsieur Hamel’s 

little yard all out of breath. 

Usually, at the beginning of school, there was a great uproar which could be 

heard in the street, desks opening and closing, lessons repeated aloud in unison, 

with our ears stuffed in order to learn quicker, and the teacher’s stout ruler 

beating on the desk: 

“A little more quiet!” 

I counted on all this noise to reach my bench unnoticed; but as it happened, 

that day everything was quiet, like a Sunday morning. Through the open window 

I saw my comrades already in their places, and Monsieur Hamel walking back 

and forth with the terrible iron ruler under his arm. I had to open the door and 

enter, in the midst of that perfect silence. You can imagine whether I blushed and 

whether I was afraid! 

But no! Monsieur Hamel looked at me with no sign of anger and said very 

gently: 

“Go at once to your seat, my little Frantz; we were going to begin without 

you.” 

I stepped over the bench and sat down at once at my desk. Not until then, 

when I partly recovered from my fright, did I notice that our teacher had on his 

handsome blue coat, his plaited ruff, and the black silk embroidered breeches, 

which he wore only on days of inspection or of distribution of prizes. Moreover, 

there was something extraordinary, something solemn about the whole class. But 

what surprised me most was to see at the back of the room, on the benches which 

were usually empty, some people from the village sitting, as silent as we were: old 

Hauser with his three-cornered hat, the ex-mayor, the ex-postman, and others 

besides. They all seemed depressed; and Hauser had brought an old spellingbook 

with gnawed edges, which he held wide-open on his knee, with his great 

spectacles askew. 

While I was wondering at all this, Monsieur Hamel had mounted his 

platform, and in the same gentle and serious voice with which he had welcomed 

me, he said to us: 

“My children, this is the last time that I shall teach you. Orders have come 

from Berlin to teach nothing but German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. 

Comp. Eng. — Session Two – Aug. ’05 [3] [OVER]

50 

55 

60 

65 

The new teacher arrives to-morrow. This is the last class in French, so I beg you 

to be very attentive.” 

Those few words overwhelmed me. Ah! the villains! that was what they had 

posted at the mayor’s office. 

My last class in French! 

And I barely knew how to write! So I should never learn! I must stop short 

where I was! How angry I was with myself because of the time I had wasted, the 

lessons I had missed, running about after nests, or sliding on the Saar! My books, 

which only a moment before I thought so tiresome, so heavy to carry—my 

grammar, my sacred history—seemed to me now like old friends, from whom I 

should be terribly grieved to part. And it was the same about Monsieur Hamel. 

The thought that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me 

forget the punishments, the blows with the ruler. 

Poor man! It was in honour of that last lesson that he had put on his fine 

Sunday clothes; and I understood now why those old fellows from the village 

were sitting at the end of the room. It seemed to mean that they regretted not 

having come oftener to the school. It was also a way of thanking our teacher for 

his forty years of faithful service, and of paying their respects to the fatherland 

which was vanishing.… 

—Alphonse Daudet 

from “The Last Class – The Story of a Little Alsatian” 

from Little French Masterpieces, 1903 

G. P. Putnam’s Sons 


5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

Passage II 

MORNING GLORY 

The faces of the teachers 

know we have failed and failed 

yet they focus beyond, on the windowsill 

the names of distant galaxies 

and trees. 

We have come in dragging. 

If someone would give us 

a needle and thread, or send us 

on a mission to collect something 

at a store, we could walk for twenty years 

sorting it out. How do we open, 

when we are so full? 

The teachers have more faith than we do. 

They have organized into units. 

We would appreciate units 

if we gave them a chance. 

Nothing will ever again be so clear. 

The teachers look at our papers 

when they would rather be looking at 

a fine scallop of bark 

or their fathers and mothers thin as lace, 

their own teachers remaining in front 

of a class at the back of their minds. 

So many seasons of rain, sun, wind 

have crystallized their teachers. 

They shine like something on a beach. 

But we don’t see that yet. 

We’re fat with binders and forgetting. 

We’re shaping the name of a new love 

on the underside of our thumb. 

We’re diagnosing rumor and trouble 

and fear. We hear the teachers 

as if they were far off, speaking 

down a tube. Sometimes 

a whole sentence gets through. 

40 

But the teachers don’t give up. 

They rise, dress, appear before us 

crisp and hopeful. They have a plan. 

If cranes can fly 1,000 miles 

or that hummingbird return from Mexico 

to find, curled on its crooked fence, a new vine, 

surely. We may dip into the sweet 

together, if we hover long enough. 

—Naomi Shihab Nye 

from Fuel, 1998 

Boa Editions, Ltd. 



Directions (1–10): Select the best suggested answer to each question and write its number in the space 

provided on the answer sheet. The questions may help you think about the ideas and information you might 

want to use in your essay. You may return to these questions anytime you wish. 

Passage I (the short story excerpt) — Questions 1– 4 

refer to Passage I. 

1 When Frantz is introduced in the first paragraph, 

his most prominent characteristic is his 

(1) ability in athletics 

(2) love of learning 

(3) fear of punishment 

(4) knowledge about nature 

2 When he gets to school, Frantz first realizes that 

something is different when he is 

(1) made to stand alone 

(2) greeted with silence 

(3) praised by Monsieur Hamel 

(4) escorted to his desk 

3 Monsieur Hamel’s attire and the presence of the 

people in the back of the classroom reinforce the 

(1) significance of the day 

(2) content of the lesson 

(3) need of attention 

(4) atmosphere of celebration 

4 What does Frantz conclude from the news that 

Monsieur Hamel is leaving? 

(1) Frantz will no longer be punished. 

(2) Frantz has used too much time studying. 

(3) Frantz will not be allowed back in school. 

(4) Frantz has a new perspective on school. 

Passage II (the poem) — Questions 5–10 refer to 

Passage II. 

5 According to the poet, a characteristic displayed 

by teachers is 

(1) happiness (3) determination 

(2) pessimism (4) inattention 

6 The word “dragging” (line 6) suggests that the 

students are 

(1) reluctant (3) angry 

(2) afraid (4) disgusted 

7 The poet uses the word “open” (line 11) to indicate 

becoming 

(1) eligible (3) employable 

(2) receptive (4) satisfied 

8 According to the poet, teachers in the classroom 

model their educational practices on 

(1) recent studies 

(2) their best students 

(3) their former teachers 

(4) scientific theories 

9 Lines 28 through 32 are used to present examples 

of things that 

(1) are a basis for lessons 

(2) keep students in school 

(3) cause sibling rivalry 

(4) distract students from learning 

10 The poet mentions the experience of cranes 

(line 39) and the hummingbird (line 40) to 

reinforce the theme that 

(1) persistence will produce results 

(2) travel will enhance learning 

(3) sweetness will improve the environment 

(4) friendship will promote love 

After you have finished these questions, turn to page 2. Review Your Task and the Guidelines. Use scrap 

paper to plan your response. Then write your response to Part A, beginning on page 1 of your essay booklet. 

After you finish your response for Part A, go on to page 7 of your examination booklet and complete Part B. 


Part B 

Your Task: 

Write a critical essay in which you discuss two works of literature you have read from the particular perspective 

of the statement that is provided for you in the Critical Lens. In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of 

the statement, agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using 

specific references to appropriate literary elements from the two works. You may use scrap paper to plan your 

response. Write your essay in Part B, beginning on page 7 of the essay booklet. 

Critical Lens: 

“I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see 

more of the truth.” 

— Nicolas Cage, as quoted in 

“His Truth is Out There” 

from Los Angeles Times, 

November 12, 2000 

Guidelines: 

Be sure to 

• Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria for 

analysis 

• Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it 

• Choose two works you have read that you believe best support your opinion 

• Use the criteria suggested by the critical lens to analyze the works you have chosen 

•Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to appropriate literary elements 

(for example: theme, characterization, setting, point of view) to develop your analysis 

• Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner 

• Specify the titles and authors of the literature you choose 





Tear Here 



Wednesday, August 17, 2005 — 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 

ANSWER SHEET 

Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sex: ■ Male ■ Female 

School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Write your answers to the multiple-choice questions for Part A on this answer sheet. 

Part A 

1 _______ 6 _______ 

2 _______ 7 _______ 

3 _______ 8 _______ 

4 _______ 9 _______ 

5 _______ 10 _______ 

HAND IN THIS ANSWER SHEET WITH YOUR ESSAY BOOKLET, 

SCRAP PAPER, AND EXAMINATION BOOKLET. 

Your essay responses for Part A and Part B should be written in the essay booklet. 

Tear Here 

I do hereby affirm, at the close of this examination, that I had no unlawful knowledge of the questions or answers prior to the examination and 

that I have neither given nor received assistance in answering any of the questions during the examination. 

Comp. Eng. — Session Two – Aug. ’05 [11] 

____________________________________________________________ 

Signature

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH SESSION TWO 

Tear Here 

Tear Here 

Comp. Eng. — Session Two – Aug. ’05 [12] 

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH SESSION TWO


E 

FOR TEACHERS ONLY 



ENGLISH 

Wednesday, August 17, 2005— 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., only 

SCORING KEY AND RATING GUIDE 

Mechanics of Rating 

Updated information regarding the rating of this examination may be posted on the 

New York State Education Department’s web site during the rating period. Visit the site 

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ and select the link “Latest Information” for any recently 

posted information regarding this examination. This site should be checked before the rating 

process for this examination begins and at least one more time before the final scores 

for the examination are recorded. 

The following procedures are to be used for rating papers in the Comprehensive 

Examination in English. More detailed directions for the organization of the rating 

process and procedures for rating the examination are included in the Information 

Booklet for Administering and Scoring the Comprehensive Examination in English. 

Scoring of Multiple-Choice Questions 

Indicate by means of a checkmark each incorrect or omitted answer to multiplechoice 

questions on the Session Two answer sheet; do not place a checkmark beside 

a correct answer. Use only red ink or red pencil. In the box provided under each 

part, record the number of questions the student answered correctly for that part. 

Transfer the number of correct answers for the Part A multiple-choice questions to 

the appropriate spaces in the box in the upper right corner of each student’s 

SESSION ONE answer sheet. 

Session Two 

Correct Answers 

Part A 

(1) 3 

(2) 2 

(3) 1 

(4) 4 

(5) 3 

(6) 1 

(7) 2 

(8) 3 

(9) 4 

(10) 1 

The University of the State of New York • THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT • Albany, New York 12234

COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH — SESSION TWO — continued 

Rating of Essays 

(1) Follow your school’s procedures for training for rating. This process should include: 

Introduction to the task— 

• Raters read the task and summarize its purpose, audience, and format 

• Raters read passage(s) and plan own response to task 

• Raters share response plans and summarize expectations for student responses 

Introduction to the rubric and anchor papers— 

•Trainer reviews rubric with reference to the task 

•Trainer reviews procedures for assigning scores 

•Trainer leads review of each anchor paper and commentary 

(Note: Anchor papers are ordered from high to low within each score level.) 

Practice scoring individually— 

• Raters score a set of five papers individually 

•Trainer records scores and leads discussion until raters feel confident enough to move 

on to actual scoring 

(2) When actual rating begins, each rater should record his or her individual rating for a 

student’s essay on the rating sheet provided, not directly on the student’s essay or 

answer sheet. Do not correct the student’s work by making insertions or changes of any 

kind. 

(3) Each essay must be rated by at least two raters; a third rater will be necessary to resolve 

scores that differ by more than one point. The scoring coordinator will be responsible 

for coordinating the movement of papers, calculating a final score for each student’s 

essay, and recording that information on the student’s answer paper for Session One, 

and determining the student’s final score for the examination. The chart located on the 

Department’s web site should be used for determining the final examination score. 

[2]

SESSION TWO – PART A – SCORING RUBRIC 

READING AND WRITING FOR LITERARY RESPONSE 

QUALITY 







and text(s) 

6 


level: 

-establish a controlling 

idea that reveals an indepth 

analysis of both 

texts 


connections between the 

controlling idea and the 

ideas in each text 

5 


level: 


idea that reveals a 

thorough understanding 

of both texts 





4 


level: 


idea that shows a basic 

understanding of both 

texts 





3 


level: 


idea that shows a basic 


texts 




ideas in the texts 

2 


level: 


incomplete 


texts 

-make a few connections 

but fail to establish a 

controlling idea 






text(s) 





specific evidence and 

appropriate literary 

elements from both texts 


and consistently, with 

reference to relevant and 






with reference to 


evidence and 




using some evidence 

from the texts 

-may rely primarily on 

plot summary 











coherence 

-maintain the focus 

established by the 






transitions 


established by the 






transitions 






consistency 



focus 



include some 


irrelevancies 





organization 


























pacing 




and purpose 







or purpose 








purpose 








punctuation, 

paragraphing, 







language 









not hinder 

comprehension 













1 


level: 


evidence of textual 

understanding 


between the texts or 

among ideas in the texts 




organization 

-are minimal 


incoherent or 

inappropriate 


assessment of 




[3]


[4]


[5]


[6]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea on the importance of learning opportunities that reveals an indepth 

analysis of both texts. The response makes insightful connections between the controlling 

idea and the ideas in each text (he realizes that something … will now be lost and education is 

crucial for survival). 


evidence to elaborate on missed learning opportunities for Frantz in Passage I (school not … his 

chief priority, he experiences … shock, he is … able to appreciate his teacher) and for the 

distracted and slightly reluctant learners in Passage II. Appropriate literary elements of 

characterization (a typical child … easily distracted and graceful and dignified), symbolism 

(“handsome blue coat” and hummingbird), and theme are incorporated into the discussion. 

Maintains the focus on education as established by the controlling idea. The response exhibits a 

logical and coherent structure, first establishing Frantz’s new perspective on schooling (he 

should have held something this precious closer) for Passage I, then contrasting teachers’ and 

students’ educational perspectives for Passage II, then moving to a discussion of symbolism for 

each work, and concluding with a summary paragraph. The response skillfully uses devices and 

transitions (again conveys, Ironically, On the other hand). 

Is stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging (suddenly jolted, fazed 

by these shortcomings, keys to unlocking this valuable gift), with a notable sense of voice and 

awareness of audience and purpose (The readings convey … can be given). The response varies 

structure of sentences to enhance meaning (They are, however, being exposed to … a glimpse of 

what they may ultimately become). 



[7]


[8]


[9]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that reveals an in-depth analysis of both texts (Some students … 

swept away). The response makes insightful connections between the controlling idea and the 

ideas in each text (This story illustrates the idea that our opportunities to learn often go 

unnoticed until it is too late and if students would work with their teachers, their learning 

opportunities would be sweet). 


details to characterize Frantz’s changed perception of school (Frantz … contemplates skipping 

school, He becomes angry, “My books … seemed … like old friends) for Passage I. In Passage 

II, the response uses a simile to describe students … as the teacher’s obstacles and then 

incorporates how these students “hear the teachers … speaking down a tube.” The use of 

characterization is successfully incorporated into the discussion. 

Maintains the focus on students who do not realize the learning opportunities offered to them … 

until they are stripped away. The response exhibits a logical and coherent structure, first 

summarizing Passage I, followed by a chronology of Frantz’s day to delineate his changed 

perspective. For Passage II, the response begins with a topic sentence about the sheer 

determination of teachers that is illustrated through a discussion of literary elements (shining 

“like something on a beach” and The imagery of the cranes and the hummingbird). Transitions 

are skillfully used (When Frantz does arrive and It is evident). 


of voice (perception … changes dramatically, trumpets loudly, ultimately will be harvested). 

The response varies structure and length of sentences to enhance meaning (The author uses 

characterization … fields”). 



[10]


[11]


[12]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that learning opportunities are often taken for granted, revealing 

a thorough understanding of both texts. The response makes clear and explicit connections 

between the controlling idea in Passage I (a young boy’s realization that he has wasted many 

learning opportunities, and in Passage II (how learning opportunities can be taken for granted). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others, with references to specific and relevant evidence 

from both texts. The response uses point of view and characterization to develop Passage I 

(“How angry I was with myself” and His character experiences a sudden maturity), while 

theme and tone are alluded to for Passage II, but not fully developed. 

Maintains the focus established by the controlling idea. The response exhibits a logical 

sequence of ideas to trace Frantz’s changed attitude about school for Passage I, and to highlight 

the narrator’s appreciation for teachers who don’t give up on their students in Passage II, 

through the use of appropriate internal (When he discovers and However) and external 

transitions (Passage I depicts and Both passages convey). 

Uses language that is fluent and original, with evident awareness of audience and purpose (His 

entire culture was replaced, and he now saw his loathsome books as old friends). The response 

varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (The old village men … 

symbolize how far-reaching education is). 



stronger in conventions and somewhat weaker in development. 

[13]


[14]


[15]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that reveals a thorough understanding of both texts (Despite … 

distractions, most students are eventually able to accept, and sometimes even embrace learning 

because of their teacher’s perseverence). The response makes clear and explicit connections 

between the controlling idea and the ideas in Passage I (the narrator’s attitude shifts quickly) 

and Passage II (by perseverence … of our teachers … students … recognize the importance of 

their education). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others. The response uses relevant and specific evidence 

from Passage I to detail the events of Frantz’s day and their effect on him (“for a moment [he] 

thought of staying away from school, he becomes unsettled, his teacher greets him affably, he 

becomes outraged) incorporating literary elements of point of view and characterization into the 

discussion. Passage II relies on the presentation of quoted lines from the poem with little 

discussion. 

Maintains the focus established by the controlling idea (teachers … playing an integral role in 

guiding students). The response exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, beginning with strong 

topic sentences for the discussion of Passage I and Passage II, then using chronological order to 

present information from the story and quotes from the poem, and ending with a strong 

summary conclusion. Transitions are appropriately used. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (utilizes anecdote to convey, contemplating the 

importance, guided by … persistence), with evident awareness of audience and purpose. The 

response varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (Most children 

dread school; they would prefer to be playing). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional spelling errors (bulwarck and 

upraided) only when using sophisticated language. 


in development. 

[16]


[17]


[18]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that reveals a thorough understanding of both texts (The 

importance of the values obtained from teachers is … taken for granted). The response makes 

clear and explicit connections between this idea and the texts by referring to Frantz’s regrets 

(opportunities … taken for granted) in Passage I, and asserting that teachers are important to a 

child’s development in Passage II. 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, using relevant and specific evidence from Passage I to 

discuss Frantz as a reluctant student by using quotes from the text and detailing the 

circumstances that change Frantz’s attitude toward his education. The response develops the 

controlling idea similarly for Passage II, stating that students are concerned with other less 

important things like rumors and trouble, and incorporates literary elements of imagery 

(“warm, lovely day”), characterization (teachers are determined), and foreshadowing (sees the 

cluster of townsfolk) into the discussion of both texts. 

Maintains the focus established by the controlling idea on the importance of teachers and 

schooling. The response exhibits a logical sequence of ideas with strong topic sentences 

introducing the discussion of each passage, the transition similar to set up the Passage II 

discussion, and a conclusion that reasserts the controlling idea (Education is an opportunity … 

granted). 

Uses appropriate language, that is sometimes awkward, clichéd (put the pieces together, one 

step further to say, the task at hand), and imprecise (states and implies). The response 

occasionally makes effective use of sentence structure (In the beginning … day”). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting frequent errors in comma use [quiet and; classes, and; 

imagery, (not like in the first passage),; elements such as] that do not hinder comprehension. 



[19]


[20]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that shows a basic understanding of both texts (Some of the most 

signifigant people in a person’s life … are their teachers). The response makes implicit 

connections between the controlling idea and the ideas in both passages (An excellent example 

of this can be found in Passage I and the poem “Morning Glory” tells a similar story). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others, with reference to specific and relevant evidence 

from both texts. The response details Frantz’s experiences for Passage I (He decides to go to 

school and passing a message board with a small crowd around it) and Passage II (unreceptive 

nature of students, a long tube, “a fine scallop of bark”). Literary elements of foreshadowing, 

personification, and metaphor are successfully incorporated into the discussion, but imagery 

and structure are left undeveloped. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on teachers who are often unappreciated. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, chronologically telling the events in Frantz’s day that led 

him to appreciate the efforts of Monsieur Hamel for Passage I and using contrast to tell a 

similar story … from the teacher’s perspective for Passage II. Transitions are appropriately 

used. 

Uses appropriate language that is sometimes repetitive (despite this …despite wanting). The 

response occasionally makes effective use of sentence structure (Frantz finds himself 

thunderstruck … before). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting frequent errors in vague pronoun referents (example of 

this, lost it, This is further emphasized, despite this), occasional errors in punctuation [taught,) 

and much while], and proofreading (to educate to educate). 


[21]


[22]


[23]


[24]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea on the necessity of using time wisely that shows a basic 

understanding of both texts (Throughout life, you cannot waste time because … of the lessons 

you may be missing). The response makes implicit connections between the controlling idea and 

the ideas in Passage I stating that the boy regretted the fact that he wasted so much time and 

that there was so much he did not learn, and in Passage II suggesting that teachers help push 

students to use their time wisely to learn valuable lessons. 


and appropriate literary elements from both texts. While the response attempts to discuss both 

texts through the literary elements of theme and conflict, the man vs man conflict in Passage I is 

not developed, and the paragraph devoted to this conflict repeats much of what is said in the 

second paragraph. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on wise use of time. The response exhibits a logical 

sequence of ideas, contrasting themes of regret (Frantz wasted so much time … that … he did 

not learn) with themes of faith and persistence (teachers do not let you give up) and then 

moving to a discussion of conflict between teachers and students. The response concludes with 

a reference to the controlling idea (If you do not use your time wisely, you may regret it in the 

future). 

Relies on basic vocabulary (Not knowing what was going on and boy sat at his desk and 

listened to his teacher talk) with some imprecision (throught these two passages, a big theme of 

regret, During this passage) and little awareness of audience and purpose. The response 

exhibits some attempt to vary sentence structure or length (Monsieur Hamel let everyone know 

… taught in schools), but with uneven success. 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (alot and alittle), 

punctuation (did not take and it also, to his class he notices, teachers persistence), and grammar 

(who he would never and lessons in which) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[25]


[26]


[27]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that shows a basic understanding of both texts by stating that the 

theme to these passages is teachers giving students great opportunities and the children do not 

even realize it. The response makes implicit connections between the controlling idea and the 

ideas in each text (In the end the boy states how much valuable time he has wasted when he 

could be learning how to read and write and teachers are very important but students won’t see 

that until later down the road). 


from both texts. The response focuses on the beginning of Passage I, including two quotations 

describing the fields, blackbirds, and the Prussian soldiers drilling, but focuses less on the 

events at the school. For Passage II, the response focuses on three quotations about teachers and 

their determination. Both passages make reference to appropriate literary elements and devices, 

including simile, imagery, and theme. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on what teachers do for the students. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas discussing each work separately, using chronological order 

in the discussion of Passage I, but lacking internal consistency in Passage II, shifting from a 

discussion of the teacher’s characteristics to the students’ (Many students could relate to this) 

back to the teacher’s characteristics. 

Relies on basic vocabulary, with some awareness of audience and purpose (Passage one and 

Passage two, “Morning Glory” use literary elements and techniques to show the controlling 

idea). The response attempts to vary sentence structure, but with uneven success (the Poet 

states what he recognizes what the teachers gave up and is showing that, that ). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in punctuation (The writer makes it 

sound so lovely, he; Morning Glory; give up the teachers), capitalization (The writer, in the end 

Proves and Both passages State), grammar (The writer … it’s and their life), and usage 

(beginning on how) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[28]


[29]


[30]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that shows a basic understanding of the texts, suggesting that 

students make their own learning opportunities. The response makes superficial connections 

between the controlling idea and the ideas in each passage (Regrettion … would help push the 

people to make there own learning opportunities). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some evidence from the texts (He was afraid to be late, his 

teacher was leaving, the teachers don’t give up). 

Establishes, but fails to maintain, an appropriate focus. The response exhibits a rudimentary 

structure, stating that a person creates his/her own opportunities for learning in the introduction 

and conclusion, but lacks consistency, contradicting this idea in the body of the essay (He 

wanted to learn but nobody was there to push him). 

Relies on basic vocabulary that is sometimes imprecise (Regrettion). The response occasionally 

makes effective use of sentence structure (He was dissappointed because he had wasted too 

much time and missed too many lessons). The response relies on plot summary. 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (Franzt, oppurtunities, 

Punishement, frightning, Persistance), punctuation (in Passage I the learning, eventually it, 

trying so, will if), and grammar (Anybody … their and the person themselves) that do not hinder 



[31]


[32]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea about teachers who show many opportunities for learning and 

how hard they work that shows a basic understanding of the texts. The response makes 

superficial connections between the controlling idea and the ideas in Passage I (it talked about a 

boy and his teacher) and Passage II (the poem “Morning Glory” is about how the teachers 

feel). 

Is largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas, but references to the text are vague (he noticed his 

teacher is different), repetitive (“teachers have more faith than we do”), or unjustified 

(Monsieur Hamel is a French teacher at the school). 

Establishes a focus on teachers and how hard they work, but fails to maintain a focus in the 

discussion of Passage I (Frantz missed out getting to know his teacher). The response exhibits a 

rudimentary structure. 

Relies on basic vocabulary that is sometimes imprecise (In this it shows, shows disaplin to the 

students, listing), with some awareness of purpose (In the first passage and In the Second 

passage). The response exhibits some attempt to vary sentence structure and length, with 

uneven success (That now everything must be taught in Germen). 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (instrested, disaplin, 

conection), punctuation (school he, school today, students this), grammar (tense shifts), and 

usage (of what they say) that hinder comprehension. 



[33]


[34]


[35]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Establishes a controlling idea that shows a basic understanding of the texts (you never 

appreciate learning and teachers until you get it took away), although it misidentifies the genre 

of both passages by calling them these two essay. The response makes superficial connections 

between the controlling idea and the ideas in each text (he was upset with him self for being late 

… and not studying). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some evidence from the texts (a young boy on his way to school, 

new people in the room, he was … Replaced, teachers are trying harder, distracted with love), 

but relies primarily on plot summary. 

Establishes an appropriate focus on missed opportunities for learning. The response exhibits a 

rudimentary structure. 

Uses language that is imprecise (In passage I it talk about, they Replaced him because they had 

to taught in German, this sybolized learn as something) and unsuitable for the audience and 

purpose (this kid). The response shows little awareness of how to use sentences to achieve an 

effect (he went to school and … but … and … and). 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (clase, resistants, some 

thing), punctuation (scolded but, to he, better not his, didnt, do and, symbolism this 

symbolized), capitalization (Replaced and french), and grammar (had to taught, He realize, was 

broke, make us do good) that make comprehension difficult. 



[36]


[37]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys a confused understanding of Passage II, stating that the point of veiw is of someone 

comming out of a concentration camp, and conveys an incomplete understanding of Passage I 

by indicating no understanding of why the teacher is leaving. The response makes a few 

connections, but fails to establish a controlling idea. 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped. The response hints at ideas, but references to the texts 

are vague (both show the same thing and Frantz is late to school so he comes rushing in) and 

unjustified (Frantz thought it was going to a nice day and they learned to block out the pain and 

feel better inside and survive). 

Suggests a focus on how important learning is and suggests organization with an introduction 

and a separate paragraph for each passage. The response lacks a conclusion. 

Relies on basic language that is sometimes unsuitable for the audience and purpose (w / out for 

“without” and B / C for “because”). The response exhibits some attempt to vary sentence 

structure, but with uneven success. 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (hansome, plaitted, untill, 

ironicly, servive) and occasional errors in capitalization (Idea and Irony) that do not hinder 



stronger in language use and conventions. 

[38]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys an incomplete understanding of both texts by restating the task (establish a controlling 

idea … about … learning) and making a few connections to Passage I (blackbirds and the open 

feilds), but no connections to Passage II. The response fails to establish a controlling idea. 

Is largely undeveloped. The response hints at ideas, with a few vague references to Passage I 

(the student use symbolism to … represent freedom of school and the little board … represents 

bad news). There is no discussion of Passage II. 

Lacks an appropriate focus but suggests some organization with the use of an introduction and 

two body paragraphs. 

Relies on basic vocabulary that is sometimes imprecise (wandering to what is going on), with 

little awareness of audience and purpose. Sentences are unevenly successful. 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (oppurtunites, simbolism, 

feilds), punctuation (idea for example and school he), grammar (oppurtunites … is and 

establish controlling idea), and usage that hinder comprehension. 


stronger in language use. 

[39]


[40]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Conveys an incomplete understanding of both texts. The response states that the boy’s 

opportunity for learning French was gone for Passage I. For Passage II the response 

paraphrases the poem and contains only one original sentence (They ignore the teachers all the 

time). The response makes a few connections, but fails to establish a controlling idea, stating 

only that the opportunities for learning some take it more serous than others. 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped. The response briefly describes the beginning of Passage 

I, making only vague references to the text (He did not Know why then his teacher said that 

was his last day). With Passage II, the response refers only to one stanza and fails to develop 

the ideas there. 

Suggests a focus on taking opportunities for learning seriously but lacks organization, 

combining the discussion of Passage I into the introductory paragraph, and then separating the 

remainder of the discussion into two short, separate paragraphs. The response similarly presents 

information for Passage II. 

Uses language that is imprecise (the boy was not taking anything serous and their for “there”) 

and unsuitable for the audience and purpose (He should not have slacked off so much). The 

response reveals little awareness of how to use sentences to achieve an effect (He relised it 

when he was to late). 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (realised, lessions, 

them selfs), punctuation (several missing periods), and capitalization (day. he) that hinder 




[41]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides minimal evidence of textual understanding. The response makes only a general 

reference to the two passages and provides no analysis of the texts. 


Suggests a focus on teachers helping students, but lacks organization. 





[42]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides minimal evidence of textual understanding, making no connections between the texts 

and the task. The response exhibits only a few personal observations (Is just the matter of 

putting time in) and an unsupported reference to the passage. 

Is minimal, with no evidence of development. The response begins to summarize Passage I, but 

ends abruptly with no reference to Passage II. 

Suggests a focus on the opportunities for learning and suggests some organization with the use 

of transitions (and, where ever, if, then). 





[43]


[44]


[45]


[46]


[47]


[48]


[49]


[50]

Part A — Practice Paper – D 

[51]


[52]


[53]








in meaning. 






stronger in meaning. 

[54]

SESSION TWO – PART B – SCORING RUBRIC 

READING AND WRITING FOR CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

QUALITY 







and text(s) 

6 


level: 

-provide an interpretation 

of the "critical lens" that 

is faithful to the 

complexity of the 

statement and clearly 

establishes the criteria 

for analysis 

-use the criteria to make 

insightful analysis of the 

chosen texts 

5 


level: 

-provide a thoughtful 

interpretation of the 

"critical lens" that clearly 


for analysis 

-use the criteria to make 

a clear and reasoned 

analysis of the chosen 

texts 

4 


level: 

-provide a reasonable 


"critical lens" that 


for analysis 



criteria and the chosen 

texts 

3 


level: 

-provide a simple 


"critical lens" that 

suggests some criteria 

for analysis 

-make superficial 


criteria and the chosen 

texts 

2 


level: 

-provide a confused or 

incomplete interpretation 

of the "critical lens" 

-may allude to the 

"critical lens" but do not 

use it to analyze the 

chosen texts 






text(s) 









and consistently, with 

reference to relevant and 






with reference to specific 

and relevant evidence 

and appropriate literary 



using some evidence 

from the text 

-may rely primarily on 

plot summary 











coherence 


established by the critical 

lens 





transitions 


established by the critical 

lens 





transitions 






consistency 



focus 



include some 


irrelevancies 





organization 


























pacing 




and purpose 







or purpose 








purpose 








punctuation, 

paragraphing, 







language 









not hinder 

comprehension 













1 


level: 

-do not refer to the 

"critical lens" 

-reflect minimal or no 

analysis of the chosen 

texts 




organization 

-are minimal 


incoherent or 

inappropriate 


assessment of 




[55]


[56]


[57]


[58]



Quality 

[59] 

Commentary 

The response: 

Meaning Provides an interpretation of the critical lens that is faithful to the complexity of the statement (I 

agree with this statement because characters with flaws … give the reader a more accurate 

view of humanity). The response uses the criteria to make an insightful analysis of the chosen 

texts (Fitzgerald depicts Gatsby’s character to show that human nature doesn’t always make 

sense and uses Dimmesdale to show the contrary nature of human behavior). 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 


evidence and appropriate literary elements from both texts to support a discussion of the 

realistic nature of characters. The response discusses setting (In such a setting rumors fly about 

and a strictly religious colony) as an influence that creates the conflicts the characters face 

(Gatsby was involved in illegal activities, but … needed the money … to impress Daisy and He 

secretly tortured himself because of the guilt). 

Maintains the focus on all people have flaws; therefore, characters with imperfections possess 

greater truth. The response exhibits a logical and coherent structure, first interpreting the 

critical lens, then presenting background information about characters in conflict, and 

concluding that characters of interest are those who seem real. Coherence is strengthened 

through the skillful use of transitions (He also finds, Therefore, All of this leads back, Overall). 


of voice (cookie-cutter images, a pathetic romantic who lives in the shadow, religious calling 

has been trampled upon) and awareness of audience and purpose (Gatsby’s conflict creates … 

that motivate us into action). The response varies structure and length of sentences to enhance 

meaning (He is an interesting character, appearing strong … yet not strong enough … of his 

actions). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions with essentially no errors, even with sophisticated 

language. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 6 in all qualities.


[60]


[61]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides an interpretation of the critical lens that is faithful to the complexity of the statement 

(A wealth of knowledge can most often stem from one who has made … mistakes). The response 

uses the criteria to make an insightful analysis of The Grapes of Wrath (Tom Joad lived it and 

… Sometimes unethical means must be taken in order to survive) and Don Quixote (Through 

Quixote’s feverish dream, we, too, see the truth of the world). 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, with reference to relevant and specific evidence. The 

response refers to setting (hardships of the Dust Bowl) and characterization (a convict with a 

shady past, … deep insight, and acquired wisdom) to show how Tom’s imperfections give the 

reader “more of the truth,” and refers to setting (delusional journey) and characterization (fit of 

insane righteousness and feverish dream) to show how through Alonso Quixano’s charade … 

we see … the world as a frighteningly forbidding place. 

Maintains the focus on vulnerable human heroes who share … truths. The response exhibits a 

logical and coherent structure, first introducing both heroes, then presenting separate pargraphs 

of information to show characters’ flaws, and then linking them to the reality shown (Sometimes 

unethical means must be taken and There is always evil out there). Coherence is strengthened 

through the skillful use of transitions (Therein lies, perhaps the one biggest flaw, It is through). 

Is stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging (machinations of life 

and omnipotent evil and the quest to eradicate it), with a notable sense of voice and awareness 

of audience and purpose. The response varies structure and length of sentences to enhance 

meaning (The protagonist, the aging Alonso Quigana, takes the reader to the edge of insanity 

as he convinces himself he is Don Quixote, knight errant). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions with essentially no errors, even with sophisticated 

language. 



[62]


[63]


[64]


[65]


[66]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a thoughtful interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria for 

analysis, stating that when a character seems to deviate from what’s expected, that’s where the 

truth is evident. Their mistakes … make them more real and human. The response uses the criteria 

to make a clear and reasoned analysis of Catcher in the Rye and Death of a Salesman. 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, with reference to relevant and specific evidence from the 

texts to discuss the flaws which make characters realistic in Catcher in the Rye (Holden is striving 

to prevent kids from experiencing the adult world, yet he tries to be in it himself and In the bar, 

Holden not only tries getting alcohol, but he also attempts to pick up older women) and in Death of 

a Salesman (Salesman Willy Loman is going through midlife crisis and Willy recollects memories 

of his brother … but only in Willy’s imagination). The response integrates references to 

appropriate literary elements in both discussions (The title of Catcher in the Rye is symbolic itself; 

The characterization of Holden is held in a stark contrast; Willy’s characterization shows that as 

humans, sometimes our flaws … get in the way). 

Maintains the focus established by the critical lens on characters’ mistakes, and flaws which are 

used to show how realistic they truly are. The response exhibits a logical and coherent structure, 

with each paragraph reinforcing the focus as it relates to the text (and this is what makes him more 

of a real person and Although flaws can be tragic, they … real mindset of the character). The 

skillful use of transitions (At one point in the story, Because of his situation, Lastly) further 

strengthens coherence. 

Uses language that is fluent and original (While trying to maintain this whole ‘adult macho-man’ 

persona), with evident awareness of audience and purpose (I agree with this quote … people do 

make mistakes). The response varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and 

pacing (That’s what makes us human). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (alot), 

punctuation (every kid from experiencing it; including his sister), grammar (when him), and usage 

(intends on protecting and emotional to the simplest things) only when using sophisticated 

language. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 5, although it is somewhat stronger 

in organization. 

[67]


[68]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a thoughtful interpretation of the critical lens, stating that when the characters in a 

piece of literature have their slip-ups, they, along with the reader, come closer to recognizing a 

universal truth in their situation. The response uses the criteria to make a reasoned analysis of 

The Crucible and A Raisin in the Sun. 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently. The response discusses internal conflict (battles his 

own conscience due to his flaws and This “flaw” becomes a heavy burden on Walter’s heart) 

and climax (as the climax occurs, and likewise to John Proctor, Walter realizes his self-worth) 

as they relate to the lens. 

Maintains the focus as established in the introduction, and reinforced in the conclusion, that the 

best way for an author to convey a universal truth to the reader is through a character who has 

his downfalls and makes mistakes. The response exhibits a logical sequence of ideas discussing 

first the character’s flaw, then his revelation and, finally, how this represents a universal truth. 

The appropriate use of transitions helps strengthen coherence (As the play carries on, Similar to 

John Proctor, Regardless of flaws). 

Uses language that is fluent and original, with evident awareness of audience and purpose. The 

response varies structure and length of sentences to control rhythm and pacing (Mirroring The 

Crucible, Hansberry concludes her play with that universal truth that being a “man” is 

accepting ones self and being content with ones own self worth. The truth was produced by 

Walter Lee’s flaws). 

Demonstrates control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (occurance 

and predecesor) and punctuation (says “I; model, he; adultery, the; familys’) only when using 

sophisticated language. 


[69]

Part Anchor A — Paper Practice – Part Paper B—Level – A 5 – C 

[70]


[71]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a thoughtful interpretation of the critical lens and uses this interpretation to make a 

clear and reasoned analysis of the chosen texts (characters, like Hamlet who procrastinates, or 

Willy Lowan, in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, who is chasing an unrealistic dream are 

far more tangible than those who are the epitome of perfection). 

Develops ideas clearly and consistently, with relevant and specific evidence while discussing 

Hamlet’s and Willy Loman’s character flaws (Hamlet even knows he is a procrastinator and 

obsession with money and his desire to live … the American Dream) and noting how they are 

further understood through Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony and Miller’s use of allegory. 

Maintains the focus established by the critical lens. The response exhibits a logical sequence of 

ideas, first identifying the character flaws, then exemplifying them through the characters’ 

specific actions, and, finally, concluding that, because of these, they are also so human. The 

response uses appropriate transitions (Even the greatest, At one point, They were the type). 

Uses language that is fluent and original, with evident awareness of audience and purpose 

(While it is not likely that everyone reading it will be a should-be prince … many readers 

overanalyze situations and procrastinate). The response varies structure and length of sentences 

to control rhythm and pacing (No one is perfect, and to achieve perfection is impossible). 

Demonstrates partial control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling 

(soliliquies, throught, heros), punctuation (Uncle Hamlet, upsetting they, interesting), and 

grammar (Hamlet … know that) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[72]


[73]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a reasonable interpretation of the critical lens, stating that flawed characters are more 

real and believable, thereby making the story more interesting. The response makes implicit 

connections between the criteria and the texts (Romeo’s flaw made the story and Macbeth’s 

flaws shape the plot of the story). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others, giving specific examples to characterize Romeo’s 

impatience (rushes quickly to mary her) and Macbeth’s greed (resorts to murder to hurry up the 

process) and how they affect plot. The response is less specific in explaining how these flaws 

make the story more interesting and popular. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on flawed characters who show truth. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas by first interpreting the lens, then moving to body 

paragraphs that parallel in their discussion of a character’s flaws and how they shaped the plot 

to make it more real to the reader. The response ends with a summary conclusion. 

Uses appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose (He, like many real 

people and it makes him seem true and mortal). The response occasionally makes effective use 

of sentence structure or length (He is too spontaneous and impatient at the end of the story …, 

and then he commits suicide to be with her). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (Shakespear, immpattient, 

mary, Scottland), punctuation (is though, and faster but), and grammar (a character … them, a 

flawless character … they are, and so bad) that do not hinder comprehension. 


[74]


[75]


[76]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a reasonable interpretation of the critical lens, stating the purpose of these flawed 

characters is to show the reader the truth about life and society. The response makes implicit 

connections between the criteria and Fahrenheit 451 (He knew that it is better to live on his own 

mind than on the corrupted mind of the government) and The Catcher in the Rye (he realizes 

that kids just have to grow up). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others, providing specific details about the truths that 

Montag learns about society (Upon reading them he realized that reading books helped him 

gain knowledge), but is less specific in discussing the truths Holden discovers (He learns his 

lesson at the end and it helps the reader to see the truth about innocents). The response 

incorporates a discussion of the literary elements of setting, characterization, theme, and pointof-view. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus on seeing the truth in characters’ flaws. The response 

exhibits a logical sequence of ideas, presenting information about the process each character 

undergoes to overcome personal flaws in the discovery of truth (Montag realized that reading 

books helped him gain knowledge and Holden learns … to see the truth about innocents). The 

abrupt shift from setting to character at the beginning of paragraph 3 detracts from internal 

consistency. 

Uses appropriate language that is sometimes imprecise (the expedition of the novel), with some 

awareness of audience and purpose (The important thing is to learn from the mistakes … of the 

characters). The response occasionally makes effective use of sentence structure (The reader 

sees the truth through Holden’s actions). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (futureistic, portrayes, 

Symbolicly, Specificly) and punctuation (This in turn makes, He like everyone else let, novels 

characters, characters inner thoughts) that do not hinder comprehension. 


[77]


[78]


[79]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a reasonable interpretation of the critical lens, stating it is easier to relate to a 

character that has problems. The response makes implicit connections between the criteria and 

The Scarlet Letter (qualities that make her likeable) and Frankenstein (everyone in their life has 

wanted revenge on someone). 

Develops some ideas more fully than others, emphasizing the character’s flaws and problems 

(Hester’s main flaw is that she’s an adulteress and He wants to make Frankenstein suffer for 

rejecting him) more than the reader’s ability to relate to the characters. The response uses 

specific details for discussing how Hawthorne uses the theme of sin and its effect, but is less 

specific in explaining how Shelly shows the flaws of a character through the point of view of 

Frankenstein’s monster. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus by reinforcing in the conclusion the idea that people 

can relate better with character that have problems. The response exhibits a logical sequence of 

ideas within body paragraphs by discussing characters’ flaws, followed by how the reader can 

relate. Some internal inconsistency exists in the discussion of Dimmesdale, which is not 

connected to the lens. 

Uses appropriate, although sometimes, imprecise (she is discriminated and secluded by and to 

uplift the town) or unsuitable (& and w/)language, with some awareness of audience and 

purpose (It is easy to relate to the monster’s feelings). The response occasionally makes 

effective use of sentence length (The monster, however, cannot control his anger and ends up 

killing the people instead). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (Prynn and agaisnt), 

punctuation (her daughter, Pearl in), grammar (there is still qualities), and usage (a person … 

will ignore their) that do not hinder comprehension. 


in language use. 

[80]


[81]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a simple interpretation of the lens stating that when a character isn’t perfect and has 

problems then it is more believable and more like a regular person. The response makes 

superficial connections between the criteria and Catcher in the Rye (Holden … was not a 

perfect character) and A Raisin in the Sun (Walter … has many flaws). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some evidence from A Raisin in the Sun by saying Walter wants a 

lot for his family, he wants to be able to support them and care for them. The response makes 

generalizations in discussing A Catcher in the Rye, suggesting Holden had many flaws and 

problems … common for teenagers, but offering no specific proof. 

Maintains a clear and appropriate focus, introducing the idea that flawed characters are more 

believable and then reinforcing that idea in both body paragraphs (flaws made the character 

more believable and made the book easier to believe) and in the conclusion (Their 

imperfections help people to understand and relate). The response uses transitions to help 

strengthen coherence (These flaws and the other piece). 

Relies on basic vocabulary that is sometimes unsuitable (down to earth and messed up). The 

response occasionally exhibits some attempt to vary sentence structure, but with uneven 

success, relying mainly on simple sentences. 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in punctuation (quote “I, truth.” said, 

Catcher in the Rye, perfect it) and capitalization (money. which and raisin) that do not hinder 



stronger in organiztion and conventions. 

[82]


[83]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a simple interpretation of the critical lens, stating the more imperfect a character the 

easier it is to understand the character and think the character is true. The response makes 

superficial connections between the criteria and characters in Macbeth (Macbeth is … easily 

persuaded) and Of Mice and Men (George has a big emotional flaw). 

Develops ideas briefly, using some evidence from the text to show that Lady Macbeth 

convinced her husband to kill King Duncan and that George’s love for Lennie leads him to 

commit murder. The response hints at foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men, mentioning Candy 

and his dog, but no further reference is made to literary elements. 

Establishes an appropriate focus on flaws that reveal the truth of the character. The response 

exhibits a rudimentary structure although it fails to follow the order of texts established in the 

introduction. 

Relies on basic vocabulary, that is sometimes unsuitable and imprecise (gonna, we was, comes 

in to play) with little awareness of audience. The response exhibits some attempt to vary 

sentence structure, but with uneven success (All the while before Macbeth states that if he is 

destine … doing anything). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (Stienbeck, happend, him 

self, qoute) and punctuation (Lady Macbeth with much ease persuades and Before the search 

for Lennie began George) that do not hinder comprehension. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response fits the criteria for Level 3, although it is somewhat stronger in 

conventions. 

[84]


[85]


Quality 

Commentary 

The response: 

Meaning Provides a simple interpretation of the critical lens, suggesting some criteria for analysis (a 

person’s character is seen through their flaws). The response makes superficial connections 

between the criteria and the characters in The Lords of Discipline (Will is deemed as a student 

with no dignity) and Hamlet (Hamlet has gone “mad” since his father was murdered by his 

uncle). 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Develops ideas briefly, using some evidence from the text to note how each character is 

perceived as a result of his flaw (is liked by all and Hamlet becomes a man of … ridicule). The 

response mentions characterization (Shakespeare, uses characterization to describe how 

truthful), although there is no discussion to support this statement. 

Establishes, but fails to maintain an appropriate focus, moving from how flaws affect 

perception of a character to how flaws make one more truthful. The response uses a 

rudimentary structure of introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. Occasional use of 

transitions (In and However) provide further coherence. 

Relies on basic vocabulary, with some awareness of purpose (I agree). The response attempts to 

vary sentence structure, but with uneven success (By having flaws, people are able to see the 

person that is inside and Also, Will is able … through their own flaws). 

Demonstrates partial control, exhibiting errors in punctuation (“Broken Arrow”, and “Gone in 

60 Seconds”,) and grammar (about another from their flaws) that do not hinder comprehension. 



[86]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a confused interpretation of the critical lens (characters with flawes are easier 

clarifyied because there is more thruth seen in them). The response alludes to the critical lens 

(This quote) but does not use it to analyze, “Feathertop,” the single text selected. 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped making no reference to literary elements. The response 

hints at ideas (He finds out that he is not a real man and is devistated), but references to the text 

are vague (this confused scarecrow has many flawes). 

Lacks an appropriate focus, but suggests some organization. The response introduces the idea 

that truth can be seen in flawed characters and continues on in a single paragraph to discuss the 

single work, “Feathertop,” although it does not connect this plot summary back to the lens. 

Relies on basic vocabulary that is sometimes imprecise (easier clarified). The response exhibits 

some attempt to vary sentence structure and length, but with uneven success (This quote is true 

because in the short story “Feathertop,” this confused scarecrow has many flawes. Even 

though he has many flawes but still finds true love). 

Demonstrates emerging control, exhibiting occasional errors in spelling (flawes, thruth, 

devistated) and capitalization (polly) that hinder comprehension. 


stronger in language use and conventions. 

[87]


[88]


Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a confused interpretation of the critical lens suggesting truth is found in Huckleberry 

Finn (Mr. Twain put a kind of accent to make the characters sound from the south). The 

response alludes to the idea of the King and Duke being flawed characters, but does not relate 

their flaws to truth. 

Is largely undeveloped, hinting at the idea of characters being flawed (Or when made a flaw in 

wlicks brother scam), but references to the single text are vague and unjustified (But under all 

those lies and cons they did care). 

Suggests a focus on flawed characters by agreeing with the quote and briefly referring to flawed 

characters in Huckleberry Finn, but the response lacks organization. 

Uses language that is imprecise and unsuitable with little awareness of how to use sentences to 

achieve an effect (Flawed I believe is fake or mistake, the King and Duke were flawed people 

until they got busted coning many committunitys to going to a fake Shakespere play). 

Demonstrates a lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors in spelling (belive, committunitys, 

Shakespere, suppoaibly), punctuation (I, agree and truth”.), and grammar (be contributed to) 

that make comprehension difficult. 


[89]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a confused interpretation of the critical lens (they are truthful). The response reflects 

minimal analysis of a single text. 

Is incomplete and largely undeveloped, hinting at the idea that George and Leni represent truth 

(two brother like figures that go from place to place making little money). 

Suggests some focus on the idea that mice of men was more truthful, but lacks organization. 

The response consists of one loosely constructed paragraph containing two facts and a repeated 

opinion. 

Uses language that is imprecise and unsuitable (mice of men, there for “their”, +). The response 

reveals little awareness of how to use sentences to achieve an effect. 

Are minimal, making assessment of conventions unreliable. 

Conclusion: Overall, the response best fits the criteria for Level 2 in all qualities, although it is 

somewhat weaker in meaning and conventions. 

[90]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a confused interpretation of the critical lens (Even though that the Chacter has a 

mistake or a flaw, That there maye be more truth involved with Every day life). The response 

reflects a minimal analysis of only one text which it does not identify. 


Lacks an appropriate focus but suggests some organization. The response introduces the lens, 

makes a brief reference to one text, and uses a concluding sentence in a four-sentence 

paragraph. 

Is minimal, using language that is incoherent (The men all get along who are going to the 

Concitatsen camp No matter what each other look like or age and Color). 



stronger in meaning and organization. 

[91]



Quality 

Meaning 

Development 

Organization 

Language Use 

Conventions 

Commentary 

The response: 

Provides a simple interpretation of the critical lens by saying that characters that have flaws 

helps the reader to see how the character handles things in life, but makes no reference to any 

specific texts. 


Suggests a focus (If the character was perfect, then the reader can’t see any of the truth), but 

lacks organization. 



Conclusion: Although the response fits criteria for Levels 1 and 2, it remains at Level 1 because 

the response makes no reference to any text. 

[92]


[93]


[94]


[95]


[96]


[97]


[98]


[99]


[100]


[101]


[102]


[103]












Regents Comprehensive Examination in English 

Map to Learning Standards 

Key Ideas 

Listening and writing for 

information and understanding 

Reading and writing for 

information and understanding 

Reading and writing for literary 

response 

Reading and writing for critical 

analysis and evaluation 

Part of Test 

Session One – Part A 

Session One – Part B 

Session Two – Part A 

Session Two – Part B 

[104]

[105]

[106]

[107]

The Chart for Determining the Final Examination Score for the August 2005 Regents 

Examination in Comprehensive English will be posted on the Department’s web site 

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/ on Wednesday, August 17, 2005. Conversion charts 

provided for previous administrations of the Regents Examination in Comprehensive 

English must NOT be used to determine students’ final scores for this administration. 

[108]

Total 

Essay 

Score 

 

Total Multiple-Choice Score 

Regents Comprehensive Examination in English—August 2005 

Chart for Determining the Final Examination Score (Use for August 2005 examination only.) 

To determine the student’s final examination score, locate the student’s total essay score across the top of the chart and the student’s total 

multiple-choice score down the side of the chart. The point where those two scores intersect is the student’s final examination score. For example, a 

student receiving a total essay score of 19 and a total multiple-choice score of 16 would receive a final examination score of 77. 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

0 0 1 2 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 

1 1 1 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 

2 1 2 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 

3 1 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 

4 2 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 

5 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 

6 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 

7 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 

8 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 

9 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 

10 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 

11 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 

12 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 

13 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 

14 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 

15 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 

16 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 

17 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 

18 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 

19 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 

20 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 

21 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 97 

22 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 97 

23 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 97 98 

24 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 97 99 

25 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 97 98 99 

26 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 97 99 100

Total 

Essay 

Score 

 

Total Multiple-Choice Score 

Regents Comprehensive Examination in English—August 2005 

Chart for Determining the Final Examination Score (Use for August 2005 examination only.) 

To determine the student’s final examination score, locate the student’s total essay score across the top of the chart and the student’s total 

multiple-choice score down the side of the chart. The point where those two scores intersect is the student’s final examination score. For example, a 

student receiving a total essay score of 19 and a total multiple-choice score of 16 would receive a final examination score of 77. 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

0 0 1 2 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 

1 1 1 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 

2 1 2 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 

3 1 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 

4 2 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 

5 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 

6 2 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 

7 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 

8 3 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 

9 3 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 

10 4 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 

11 5 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 

12 6 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 

13 7 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 

14 8 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 

15 9 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 

16 10 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 

17 12 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 

18 13 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 

19 14 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 

20 16 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 

21 18 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 97 

22 19 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 97 

23 21 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 97 98 

24 22 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 97 99 

25 24 27 31 34 38 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 72 76 79 82 85 88 90 93 95 97 98 99 

26 25 29 32 36 40 43 47 51 55 59 62 67 70 74 77 80 84 86 89 92 94 96 97 99 100

SESSION ONE - JMap

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