Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Common Core
English Language Arts Test
Performance Level Descriptions
Grade 3
August 2014
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK /
ALBANY, NY 12234
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Performance Level 4
Demonstrate an in-depth
understanding of a literary text
by asking insightful questions
and by answering questions,
referring explicitly to the text as
the basis for the answers.
Performance Level 3
Demonstrate a thorough
understanding of a literary text
by asking and answering
questions, referring to the text
as the basis for the answers.
Performance Level 2
Demonstrate a basic
understanding of a literary text
by asking factual questions and
by answering questions, making
inconsistent attempts to refer to
the text as the basis for the
answers.
Performance Level 1
Demonstrate a limited or
inaccurate understanding of a
literary text by asking and
answering questions without
referring to the text as a basis
for answers.
Demonstrate an in-depth
analysis of an informational text
by accurately determining the
main idea, fully recounting the
key details, and providing a
thorough explanation of how the
details support the main idea.
Demonstrate a thorough
understanding of an
informational text by accurately
determining the main idea,
recounting most of the key
details, and providing an
explanation of how the details
support the main idea.
Demonstrate a basic
understanding of an
informational text by
determining the main idea,
recounting some of the key
details, but providing little or no
explanation of how the details
support the main idea.
Demonstrate a limited or
inaccurate understanding of an
informational text; may identify
an explicit main idea, recounting
some of the minor details, but
without explaining how the
details support the main idea.
* Level 1 PLDs describe students who did not demonstrate sufficient evidence to be classified into Level 2; Level 1 contains the widest range of performance on the test: from
the lowest-scoring students, including those students who attempted but got no answers correct, to those students who are on the cusp but just below Level 2.
4
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
* Level 1 PLDs describe students who did not demonstrate sufficient evidence to be classified into Level 2; Level 1 contains the widest range of performance on the test: from
the lowest-scoring students, including those students who attempted but got no answers correct, to those students who are on the cusp but just below Level 2.
5
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Demonstrate an in-depth
understanding of literary
structure by precisely referring
to parts of stories, dramas, and
poems when writing about a
text, using terms such as
chapter, scene, and stanza.
Demonstrate a thorough
understanding of literary
structure by referring to parts of
stories, dramas, and poems
when writing about a text, using
terms such as chapter, scene,
and stanza.
Demonstrate a limited
understanding of literary
structure by referring
inconsistently to parts of stories,
dramas, and poems when
writing about a text, using terms
such as chapter, scene, and
stanza.
Demonstrate an inability to
identify literary structure by
referring inaccurately to parts of
stories, dramas, and poems
when writing about a text,
without using terms such as
chapter, scene, and stanza.
Provide an inaccurate or no
description of how each
successive part of a literary text
builds on earlier sections.
* Level 1 PLDs describe students who did not demonstrate sufficient evidence to be classified into Level 2; Level 1 contains the widest range of performance on the test: from
the lowest-scoring students, including those students who attempted but got no answers correct, to those students who are on the cusp but just below Level 2.
6
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Provide an inaccurate or no
explanation of how specific
aspects of a texts illustrations
contribute to what is conveyed
by the words in a story (e.g.,
create mood, emphasize aspects
of a character or setting).
Provide an inaccurate or no
description of the logical
connection between particular
sentences and paragraphs in an
informational text (e.g.,
comparison, cause/effect,
first/second/third in a
sequence).
* Level 1 PLDs describe students who did not demonstrate sufficient evidence to be classified into Level 2; Level 1 contains the widest range of performance on the test: from
the lowest-scoring students, including those students who attempted but got no answers correct, to those students who are on the cusp but just below Level 2.
7
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Demonstrate an inability to
compare and contrast the
themes, settings, and plots of
stories written by the same
author about the same or similar
characters (e.g., in books from a
series).
Demonstrate an inability to
compare and contrast the most
important points and key details
presented in two informational
texts on the same topic.
Demonstrate an emerging
command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling by
producing writing with some
errors that may hinder
comprehension.
Exhibit an inconsistent,
occasionally limited, or
imprecise use of language and
its conventions when reading
and writing.
Demonstrate a confident
command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling by
producing writing with few
errors.
* Level 1 PLDs describe students who did not demonstrate sufficient evidence to be classified into Level 2; Level 1 contains the widest range of performance on the test: from
the lowest-scoring students, including those students who attempted but got no answers correct, to those students who are on the cusp but just below Level 2.
8
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Determine or clarify
inadequately and/or
inconsistently the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on
grade 3 reading and content,
demonstrating limited
internalization of strategies.
Demonstrate an inability to
determine the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on
grade 3 reading and content.
Demonstrate an in-depth
understanding of word
relationships and nuances in
word meanings by choosing
words precisely and
purposefully.
Use, in a precise and nuanced
way, grade 3-appropriate
conversational, general
academic, and domain-specific
words and phrases, including
those that signal spatial and
temporal relationships in a
precise and nuanced way.
Demonstrate an understanding
of word relationships and
nuances in word meanings by
choosing words that suit the
purpose.
Demonstrate a limited
understanding of word
relationships and nuances in
word meanings by choosing
words that show little or no
connection to purpose.
Use, in an inconsistent way,
grade 3-appropriate
conversational, general
academic, and domain-specific
words and phrases, including
those that signal spatial and
temporal relationships
Demonstrate an inability to
understand word relationships
and nuances in word meanings
by choosing words that show no
connection to purpose.
Produce competent
informative/explanatory texts
that adequately examine a topic
and convey ideas clearly.
Produce
informative/explanatory texts
that address a topic with
insufficient clarity and
coherence.
Produce
informative/explanatory texts
that address a topic inaccurately
or with no clarity and coherence.
[NA at grade 3]
[NA at grade 3]
[NA at grade 3]
[NA at grade 3]
* Level 1 PLDs describe students who did not demonstrate sufficient evidence to be classified into Level 2; Level 1 contains the widest range of performance on the test: from
the lowest-scoring students, including those students who attempted but got no answers correct, to those students who are on the cusp but just below Level 2.
9