School Improvement in Maryland

Public Release Item: Public Release items have appeared on HSA forms and then are released for public viewing and use. Releasing items is one step to ensuring that schools, districts, and other stakeholders understand how the core learning goals are assessed on the HSA.

Goal 3 Controlling Language

Expectation 3.1 The student will demonstrate understanding of the nature and structure of language, including grammar concepts and skills, to strengthen control of oral and written language.

Indicator 3.1.8 The student will expand sentences by positioning phrases and clauses to accomplish a purpose.

Assessment Limits:

  • Expanding sentences by using correctly placed modifiers, including appositives, verbals, dependent clauses, and restrictive or nonrestrictive clauses

Selected Response Item - Released in 2005

Mariah is interested in carrier pigeons and decides to write an essay about them. The draft of Mariah's essay requires revisions and edits. Read the draft, and answer the following question.

Which of these sentences most clearly and effectively adds supporting details to Sentence 5?

  1. There are also remote outposts where birds still carry messages in Orissa, India, to and from a police station there.
  2. Also, in Orissa, India, a police station still uses the birds to carry messages to remote outposts.
  3. Still using the birds as well, is also a police department in Orissa, India, sending messages to outposts that are remote.
  4. The birds also carry messages from a police department in Orissa, India, to outposts that are still remote.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2005_318_eng48.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2006

Miriam is writing a draft of an essay about the SS Central America, a ship that sank in 1857. The draft of Miriam's essay requires revisions and edits. Read the draft. Then answer the following:

Which sentence most clearly and effectively adds supporting details to Sentence 4?

  1. The SS Central America, which was a 280-foot steamship with a side paddle-wheel when a storm hit, was off the coast of the Carolinas.
  2. The SS Central America was a 280-foot steamship with a side paddle-wheel, which was off the coast of the Carolinas when a storm hit.
  3. The SS Central America, a 280-foot steamship with a side paddle-wheel, was off the coast of the Carolinas when a storm hit.
  4. The SS Central America was off the coast of the Carolinas when a storm hit, and it was a 280-foot steamship with a side paddle-wheel.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2006_318_eng03.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

Students in an art appreciation class conducted research and wrote about different ways of creating art. Richard wrote an article about a Baltimore sculptor. The draft of Richard’s article, “A Spoon Reborn,” requires revisions and edits. Read the draft. Then answer the following:

Which sentence most clearly and effectively adds supporting details to Sentence 7?

  1. An example of his “kitchen” art is “Art Ducko,” a Donald Duck-like sculpture he made from a discarded aluminum water pitcher, salt shakers, and a copper lid.
  2. An example of his “kitchen” art is a sculpture that looks like Donald Duck and that he called “Art Ducko” because it is made from a discarded aluminum water pitcher, salt shakers, and a copper lid.
  3. “Art Ducko” is an example of his “kitchen” art, and it looks like Donald Duck, a sculpture made from a discarded aluminum water pitcher, salt shakers, and a copper lid.
  4. “Art Ducko” is a sculpture that is an example of his “kitchen” art, and it is Donald Duck-like since he made it from a discarded aluminum water pitcher, salt shakers, and a copper lid.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2007_318_eng04.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2008

Read Sentence 8 from Ricky’s draft.

Sailor and Canton were bred with other dogs.

Which sentence clearly and effectively adds supporting details to Sentence 8?

  1. Sailor and Canton were strong swimmers, and they were bred with other dogs that had hunting abilities which is what was wanted in their offspring.
  2. Sailor and Canton were strong swimmers and were bred with other dogs to develop hunting abilities in their offspring.
  3. Sailor and Canton, they were strong swimmers who were bred with other dogs with hunting abilities in order to develop those hunting abilities in their offspring.
  4. Sailor and Canton, strong swimmers, were bred with other dogs because they wanted hunting abilities in their offspring.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2008_318_eng06.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2008

In Jessica’s English class, students are writing about artists they admire. Jessica decided to write about the piano player and composer Eubie Blake. The draft of Jessica’s essay requires revisions and edits. Read the draft. Then answer the following item.

Which sentence most clearly and effectively adds supporting details to Sentence 7?

  1. He continued to perform and met the most important musicians of his time, including singer Noble Sissle, becoming later his long-time collaborator.
  2. He continued to perform and met the most important musicians of his time, including singer Noble Sissle, who later would become his long-time collaborator.
  3. He continued to perform and met the most important musicians of his time, and he met singer Noble Sissle, because she would later become his long-time collaborator.
  4. He continued to perform and met the most important musicians of his time, one of whom included singer Noble Sissle, and she later would become his long-time collaborator.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2008_318_eng50.xml

Correct Answer:
B