School Improvement in Maryland
Public Release Item Scoring Information Return

Goal 4 Economics

Expectation 4.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of economic principles, institutions, and processes required to formulate government policy.

Indicator 4.1.3 The student will examine regulatory agencies and their social, economic, and political impact on the country, a region, or on/within a state.

Assessment Limits:

  • How regulatory agencies respond to social issues/concerns, and/or market failures.
  • Regulatory agencies that respond to social issues and/or market failures:
    • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
    • Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
    • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

    Other national agencies and state and local agencies can be used, but information will be provided in the item.

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item - Released in 2007

Read the excerpt below and use it to answer the BRIEF CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE that follows.

Children's Television Programming

“[An educational program] must be a regularly scheduled, weekly program of at least 30 minutes, and aired between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. The program must also be identifi ed as educational and informational for children when it is aired…. Broadcasters will … air three hours per week of [educational] programming.”

—from an order issued by the
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) in 1996

  • Describe benefits of the FCC regulations outlined above.
  • Do you consider the regulations outlined above to be a form of censorship? Explain why or why not.
  • Include details and examples to support your response.

Write your answer on the lines in your Answer Book.

The following 7 Anchor Papers represent a range of score points and are used in conjunction with the rubrics to assess student responses.

Anchor Paper #1

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #1: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: Because the student gives a fragment of a relevant idea (there has to be something), this response shows minimal knowledge.


Anchor Paper #2

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #2: Rubric Score 1

Annotation: This response shows minimal knowledge. Although much of the information is drawn from the prompt (regular schedule; weekly programs; 30 minutes; educational), some relevant fragments of ideas are provided (educational programs have a concrete schedule; shows that are aired are catagorized).


Anchor Paper #3

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #3: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of FCC regulations and censorship. Benefits are briefly given (help to control; see something they can learn from), and an explanation is attempted (suposed to be the times when a child is most likely to watch; tries to protect childeren from some violent or inappropriate content). These are basic ideas with little support.


Anchor Paper #4

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #4: Rubric Score 2

Annotation: This response shows knowledge of FCC regulations and censorship. The student provides basic ideas in the discussion of benefits (parents would know; fit the time; way to learn) and the explanation of censorship (FCC is setting the show times, the ratings; even setting the period of time).


Anchor Paper #5

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #5: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of FCC regulations and censorship. Accurate concepts (help to ensure that educational television shows that benefit children are being aired) are interwoven with appropriate application of cause-and-effect reasoning (helps to educate; create in them a love for learning; may help the youth to grow up; then benefit the U.S.). Additional higher order thinking is demonstrated in the second paragraph's analysis of censorship (not actually directly blocking; making sure that children's educational programs meet certain requirements; helps the parents; provides guidelines).


Anchor Paper #6

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #6: Rubric Score 3

Annotation: This response shows some understanding of FCC regulations and censorship. The student provides accurate concepts (promote educational value; forces the broadcasters to consider more carefully what they air; parents are satisfied). Some evidence of higher order thinking is demonstrated through the analysis of why the regulations should not be considered censorship (nowhere does it ban any other type of program; outlines some requirements).


Anchor Paper #7

image of student response

Score for Anchor Paper #7: Rubric Score 4

Annotation: This response shows understanding of FCC regulations and censorship. The student provides well supported, accurate concepts (making network television more family-oriented; they will be exposed to 'educational and informational' shows, unadulterated programming). By interweaving and evaluating governmental principles (prior restraint; First Amendment; equal time rule) throughout the discussion of why the regulations do not constitute censorship, this response shows powerful evidence of higher order thinking.


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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