School Improvement in Maryland

Sample Assessments: Each sample assessment item gives an idea of how an assessment item on the High School Assessment (HSA) might be presented. The items appropriately measure the content of the Core Learning Goals and are formatted similarly to those appearing on the HSA.

Goal 2 Composing in a Variety of Modes

Expectation 2.2 The student will compose texts using the prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing strategies of effective writers and speakers.

Indicator 2.2.2 The student will select and organize ideas for specific audiences and purposes.

Assessment Limits:

  • Selecting a logical sequence of ideas or sentences
  • Determining an appropriate organizational structure emphasizing purpose and/or audience
  • Selecting or deleting information to suit a given purpose or audience
  • Identifying the logical placement of a sentence or paragraph within a text

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

Read this paragraph. Then answer the following.

Which of these sentences best fills the blank in the paragraph?

  1. Of course, the school and local public libraries are still excellent resources when doing school work.
  2. If you like to ask "how" and "why" questions, there are sites that explain the secrets of the mechanical world.
  3. The amount of information on the Internet is expanding all the time, and the number of users is also growing.
  4. With a few keystrokes and clicks of a mouse, it's becoming easier to locate resources for completing assignments.
/share/clg/xml/sample_assessment/english/2003_222_eng52.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

After reading the essay “Starving Pea Pickers,” students searched for more information about photographers and photography to use in their own writing. The following question is about what the students did when researching and writing their reports.

Jennifer decided to write about A. Aubrey Bodine, a famous Maryland photographer. Which of these ideas would be most appropriate to include in a report about Bodine's career as a photographer?

  1. the methods used to process photographs
  2. how photographers learn from one another
  3. the subjects he chose for his photographs
  4. comparisons of photographs of different eras
/share/clg/xml/sample_assessment/english/2003_222_eng12.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

After reading a novel set in the future, students wrote essays about significant changes that occurred in the last two centuries. Pedro decided to write about changes in communication technology. Read Pedro's essay: Communication Technology.

To complete his essay, Pedro plans to continue discussing different communication technologies. Which of these is the best way for Pedro to organize information about other inventions in his report?

  1. compare the different types of inventions
  2. explain the various problems with each invention
  3. analyze the life and educational background of each inventor
  4. describe the inventions in the order in which they were developed
/share/clg/xml/sample_assessment/english/2003_222_eng29.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item - Released in 2002

A ninth-grade social studies class is writing research reports on people who have accomplished their goals or inspired others to achieve. Michael chose to write about Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Mt. Everest in 1953. Read the draft of Michael's report: “Tenzing Norgay, Mountain Climber.” Then answer the following:

Michael found additional information about Tenzing Norgay's early life. In which paragraph should the information be included?

  1. first paragraph
  2. second paragraph
  3. third paragraph
  4. fourth paragraph
/share/clg/xml/sample_assessment/english/2002_222_eng21.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2002

Sandra wrote a paragraph describing her favorite place, “Smithville Beach.” Read the paragraph. Then answer the following:

Where should the sentence below be inserted in the paragraph?

Elsewhere, swimmers paddle around on rubber rafts and inner tubes.

  1. after Sentence 2
  2. after Sentence 3
  3. after Sentence 10
  4. after Sentence 11
/share/clg/xml/sample_assessment/english/2002_222_eng41.xml

Correct Answer:
C
Resources for 2.2.2:
Public Release Items | SAMPLE ASSESSMENT ITEMS |