School Improvement in Maryland
Public Release Item Scoring Information Return

Goal 3 Geography

Expectation 3.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of cultural and physical geographic factors in the development of government policy.

Indicator 3.1.1 The student will evaluate demographic factors related to political participation, public policy and government policies.

Assessment Limits:

  • Political causes and effects of reapportionment, redistricting and voting patterns.
  • Influence of demographic factors on government funding decisions.

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item - Released in 2006

Study the graph below and use it to answer the BRIEF CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE that follows.

  • Using the information in the bar graph, identify funding decisions the Maryland General Assembly would make regarding money for local governments.
  • Describe the effects these decisions would have on local government decisions.
  • Include details from the graph to support your answer.

Write your answer on the lines in your Answer Book.

The following 4 Sample Student Responses represent a range of score points.

Sample Student Response #1

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response shows minimal knowledge. Although fragments of a basic idea are presented (larger fund to southern Maryland because it has the biggest population; more people would benefit), the fragments are skeletal and incomplete. (Compare to this Level 1 anchor paper.)


Sample Student Response #2

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of governmental funding and population growth. Basic ideas (giving funding to southern Maryland because it had the largest population increase; other areas will not get as much funding and will not spend as much) are provided with a little support (western Maryland…may not have enough funding to build a new school or road that it needed). (Compare to this Level 2 anchor paper.).


Sample Student Response #3

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This response shows understanding of governmental funding and population growth. Accurate concepts are well supported (give the most money to southern Maryland because it has had a population growth of about 2.1%; so will probably need new schools and highway development; some of the money usually parceled out to Baltimore and western Maryland may be taken away, because they only had a growth of .8% and .5%). Powerful evidence of higher order thinking skills is demonstrated through extensive application of analysis (with their increased funds…might decide to build new schools, hire new teachers, create new housing, decrease taxes), cause-and-effect reasoning (because they have more money to spend, they will most likely use as much as possible so that more people want to move in their region, increasing the money the General Assembly gives them), and comparison/contrast (Baltimore and Western Maryland would probably back off on spending and increase taxes so that day-to-day costs could be met).


Sample Student Response #4

image of student response

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of governmental funding and population growth. Accurate concepts are supported (since Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore are growing the most rapidly, they would receive more funding than Western Maryland or Baltimore). Some evidence of higher order thinking skills is provided through appropriate application of comparison/contrast (the city {Baltimore} might not have the budget to fund all the programs or projects it wants. However, Southern Maryland would use it's funds in many ways; public housing; better health care; jobs).


Additional Resources

Anchor Papers used in scoring

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Rubric
Print: Scoring Rubric (pdf)
Score 4

This response shows understanding of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is insightful, integrates knowledge, and demonstrates powerful application.

  • The application shows powerful evidence of higher order thinking skills.
  • Concepts are accurate and well supported.
  • There are no misconceptions.
  • The response is comprehensive.
Score 3

This response shows some understanding of the content, question, and/or problem. The response includes appropriate application that demonstrates evidence of higher order thinking skills.

  • The application shows some evidence of higher order thinking skills.
  • Concepts are accurate and supported.
  • There are no interfering misconceptions.
  • The response may not develop all parts equally.
Score 2

This response shows knowledge of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is acceptable with some key ideas. The response shows little or no evidence of application.

  • The response includes some basic ideas.
  • The response provides little or no support.
  • There are minimal misconceptions.
Score 1

This response shows minimal knowledge of the content, question, and/or problem. The response is related to the question, but it is inadequate.

  • The response includes incomplete or fragmented ideas or knowledge.
  • There may be significant misconceptions.
Score 0

The response is completely incorrect or irrelevant. There may be no response.

Knowledge and Understanding indicate the degree to which the response reflects a grasp of the content, question, and/or problem presented in the stimulus. The response indicates mastery that progresses from knowledge to understanding.

Last Revised June 2001
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