School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Reading/ELA, Grade 7

Reading/ELA | Informational | Literary | Writing | Language | Listening | Speaking

Sample Assessments: Each sample assessment item gives an idea of how an assessment item on the MSA might be presented. The items appropriately measure the content of the State Curriculum and may be formatted similarly to those appearing on the MSA; however, these are sample items only and have not appeared on any MSA form.

Standard 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text

Indicator 2. Analyze text features to facilitate understanding of literary texts

Objective a. Analyze text features that contribute to meaning

Assessment limit: In the text or a portion of the text

Selected Response Item
Read this passage about a family’s dinner table conversation from the novel Absolutely Normal Chaos.
In paragraphs 2 and 3 words are placed in parentheses. The most probable reason the words are in parentheses is that the author is—
  1. showing sympathy for Dad
  2. amused by the conversation
  3. showing the narrator is at the table
  4. helping the reader follow the conversation
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_7_032.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item
Read the article titled 'Absolutely Normal Chaos' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.

Read paragraph 18.

Send him here? To this house? To live with us? As I said, my mom didn't look too happy about this.

The words are written in italics mostly to suggest Sally's—

  1. distress with Carl Ray
  2. upset with her husband
  3. concern about the size of their home
  4. inability to believe the news from Radene
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_7_085.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Assessment limit:
In the text or a portion of the text
Resources for Objective 3.A.2.a:
Lesson Seeds | SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS |