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 3.3 The student will use capitalization, punctuation, and correct spelling appropriately.

Indicator 3.3.1 The student will edit texts for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

Assessment Limits:

  • Using internalized knowledge to identify and correct errors
    • spelling of commonly confused words
    • end punctuation
    • commas: in a series, after introductory elements, setting off appositives and parenthetical statements, in dates and places, before coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences
    • semicolons between closely-related main clauses
    • semicolon and comma in compound sentence with a conjunctive adverb
    • apostrophes
    • capitalization: proper nouns, proper adjectives, geographic places, businesses, organizations and institutions

Selected Response Item - Released in 2005

Read the student-written paragraph on Mountain Biking. This paragraph requires revisions and edits. After reading the paragraph, answer the following question.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 3?

  1. try it; take
  2. try it, take
  3. try it. Take
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2005_331_eng32.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2005

Yuri is writing an article for the school paper about science in the classroom. The draft of Yuri's article requires revisions and edits. Read the draft. Then answer the following.

At the end of a school year, one student said, “I like science now, its not just about studying fungi with teachers in white coats.”

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 11.

  1. now; it's
  2. now, it's
  3. now; its
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2005_331_eng03.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2005

Read the student-written paragraph about Plants Used as Medicine. The paragraph requires revisions and edits. After reading, answer the following question.

What is the correct way to punctuate the underlined part of Sentence 5?

  1. Madagascar an island off the coast of Africa are
  2. Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa are
  3. Madagascar an island off the coast of Africa, are
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2005_331_eng26.xml

Correct Answer:
D

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.

Read Sentence 4 from Mariah's essay

Now, a hospital on the Northwest coast of france uses a flock of forty pigeons to carry tiny samples of human blood to larger testing facilities.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of the sentence?

  1. the northwest coast of france
  2. the Northwest Coast of France
  3. the northwest coast of France
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2005_331_eng47.xml

Correct Answer:
C

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:

Read Sentence 7 from Miriam's essay.

On Saturday, September 12, 1857, the ship sank with its fantastic treasure of gold coins and gold bars still aboard.

Which of these is the correct way to edit the underlined part of this sentence?

  1. Saturday, September 12 1857 the
  2. Saturday, September 12, 1857 the
  3. Saturday, September 12 1857, the
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2006_331_eng04.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item - Released in 2006

The student paragraph “Bats” requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer Numbers 24 through 26.

The student paragraph “Bats” requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer the following.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 2?

  1. bats, however, are
  2. bats, however are
  3. bats however are
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2006_331_eng24.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2006

The student paragraph “African Termites” requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer the following.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 7?

  1. concrete walls, and, it
  2. concrete walls; and it
  3. concrete walls, and it
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2006_331_eng33.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2006

After reading literature from around the world, students researched their own family backgrounds. One student, Shelli, decided to research her Irish heritage and learned that some Irish sports are popular in the United States. The draft of Shelli's essay, “Irish Sports,” requires revisions and edits. Read the draft. Then answer the following.

Read Sentence 3 from Shelli's draft.

This club was founded in 1988 and is part of the Gaelic athletic association, which has its headquarters in Dublin.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part?

  1. gaelic athletic association
  2. Gaelic Athletic association
  3. Gaelic Athletic Association
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2006_331_eng49.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:

Read Sentence 8 from Richard’s draft.

When he wanted to make a snake, he looked at many pictures of snakes and then said, “Spoons!”

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of the sentence?

  1. said spoons.
  2. said, Spoons!
  3. said “Spoons”!
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2007_331_eng05.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

This student paragraph requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer the following:

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 7?

  1. Maryland General assembly
  2. Maryland general Assembly
  3. Maryland General Assembly
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2007_331_eng25.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

The student paragraph below requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer Numbers 32 and 33.

This student paragraph requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer the following:

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 1?

  1. the world’s greatest mountain carving
  2. the worlds’ greatest mountain carving
  3. the worlds’s greatest mountain carving
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2007_331_eng32.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

Terry is writing about the War of 1812 and the origin of the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The draft of the first part of Terry’s essay, “Oh, Say Can You See,” requires revisions and edits. Read the draft. Then answer the following:

Read Sentence 6 from Terry’s draft.

The British fleet was about to begin it’s assault on Fort McHenry a fort guarding the entrance to the harbor of Baltimore.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of this sentence?

  1. its assault on Fort McHenry a fort
  2. its assault on Fort McHenry, a fort
  3. it’s assault on Fort McHenry, a fort
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2007_331_eng47.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2008

Read Sentence 5 from Ricky’s draft.

In 1807, the crew of a Baltimore ship the Canton saw an English ship sinking at sea.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined portion of Sentence 5?

  1. ship the Canton, saw
  2. ship, the Canton saw
  3. ship, the Canton, saw
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2008_331_eng05.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2008

This student paragraph requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer the following item.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 7?

  1. Roosevelt’s sons rode ponies
  2. Roosevelts’ sons rode ponys
  3. Roosevelt’s sons rode ponies’
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2008_331_eng23.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2008

This student paragraph requires revisions and edits. Read the paragraph. Then answer the following item.

What is the correct way to edit the underlined part of Sentence 4?

  1. brother’s rooms
  2. brothers’ rooms
  3. brothers’s rooms
  4. Best as it is
/share/clg/xml/public_release/english/2008_331_eng36.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Resources for 3.3.1:
PUBLIC RELEASE ITEMS | Sample Assessment Items |