2017 texas staar test end of course english 2 texas staar test – end of course – english 2 total...

2017 TEXAS STAAR TEST – END OF COURSE – ENGLISH 2

Total Possible Score: 68 Needed Correct to Pass: 47

Needed Correct to Master: 62 Score = multiple choice correct answers + (2 x essay score)

Time Limit: 5 Hours

This file contains the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) administered in Spring, 2017, along with the answer key, learning objectives, and, for writing tests, the scoring guide. This document is available to the public under Texas state law. This file was created from information released by the Texas Education Agency, which is the state agency that develops and administers the tests. All of this information appears on the Texas Education Agency web site, but has been compiled here into one package for each grade and subject, rather than having to download pieces from various web pages. The number of correct answers required to "pass" this test is shown above. Because of where the "passing" score is set, it may be possible to pass the test without learning some important areas of study. Because of this, I believe that making the passing grade should not be considered "good enough." A student's goal should be to master each of the objectives covered by the test. The "Needed Correct to Master" score is a good goal for mastery of all the objectives. The test in this file may differ somewhat in appearance from the printed version, due to formatting limitations. Since STAAR questions are changed each year, some proposed questions for future tests are included in each year's exams in order to evaluate the questions. Questions being evaluated for future tests do not count toward a student's score. Those questions are also not included in the version of the test made available to the public until after they used as part of the official test. The test materials in this file are copyright 2017, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited without express written permission from the Texas Education Agency. Residents of the state of Texas may reproduce and use copies of the materials and related materials for individual personal use only without obtaining written permission of the Texas Education Agency. For full copyright information, see: http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Welcome_and_Overview/Site_Policies/ Questions and comments about the tests should be directed to: Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division 1701 N. Congress Ave, Room 3-122A Austin, Texas 78701 phone: 512-463-9536 email: [email protected] Hard copies of the released tests may be ordered online through ETS at: http://texasassessment.com/uploads/2017-released-test-order-form-final-tagged.pdf .

When printing questions for math, make sure the print menu is set to print the pages at 100% to ensure that the art reflects the intended measurements. For comments and questions about this file or the web site, you can e-mail me at [email protected]. Please direct any questions about the content of the test to the Texas Education Agency at the address above.

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®STAARState of Texas

Assessments of Academic Readiness

English II

Administered March 2017

RELEASED

Copyright © 2017, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited without express written permission from the Texas Education Agency.

WRITING

English II

Page 3

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Sofia’s track coach told her about an athlete who displayed great sportsmanship during a competition. After some additional research, Sofia wrote the following paper. Read Sofia’s paper and think about the revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

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First a Champion and Then a Hero (1) Meghan Vogel seemed destined to be a track star. (2) Her mother had

been a track coach for more than 20 years and had taken Vogel to her first track

meet when she was just four weeks old. (3) By the age of 17, Vogel was a standout

on her high school track team. (4) A junior, Vogel had been identified as a favorite to

win the 1,600-meter race at the 2012 state track meet in Ohio. (5) She not only

won the race, but she also ran the distance faster than she had ever run it before.

(6) Vogel was a state champion. (7) But interestingly, it was not her first-place finish

in this race that caught the world’s attention. (8) It was her last-place finish in the

next race.

(9) Following her win, Vogel received a gold medal and celebrated with her

family and teammates. (10) Then, less than an hour after the awards ceremony, it

was time for her to line up for the 3,200-meter race, eight long laps around the

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track. (11) For about four laps Vogel was able to keep up with the other runners, but

then she started losing steam. (12) Realizing that she hadn’t recovered from her

previous race, her pace slowed to a jog. (13) As she came around the final turn, she

was in last place.

(14) Arden McMath, a sophomore from another school, was also running in

this race. (15) Like Vogel, McMath had started the race strong. (16) And also like

Vogel, she had begun to fall behind. (17) She had been running at a faster pace

than she was used to, and it was taking its toll on her. (18) But McMath refused to

give up and pushed on with the goal of simply finishing. (19) Suddenly, however, her

legs began to cramp, and she fell to the ground.

(20) Looking ahead, Vogel saw what happened. (21) She knew that if one of

the race officials helped McMath get up, the girl would be disqualified from the race.

(22) So without really thinking about it, Vogel sped up and helped McMath to her

feet. (23) McMath then put her arm around Vogel’s neck, and the two walked the

final 30 meters to the finish line together. (24) But Vogel’s gesture of kindness didn’t

stop there. (25) She made sure to push McMath across the line first.

(26) Meanwhile, in the stands, the crowd cheered louder and louder. (27) Vogel had

become an instant hero.

(28) Of course, the media hounded. (29) They spent hours being interviewed

over the phone and even appeared together on national television to tell their story.

(30) People were eager to read and hear about Vogel’s selfless act of kindness.

(31) Although she was a little embarrassed at first, McMath was happy to be part of

such an inspiring story. (32) And while Vogel was initially surprised by all the

attention the race was receiving, she soon realized that people just enjoy hearing a

story that makes them smile.

(33) Meghan Vogel was honored at the National Sportsmanship Awards as an

outstanding role model for youth.

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1 Sofia would like to add the following detail to the first paragraph (sentences 1–8).

The team just happened to be one of the best in the area, and Vogel’s mom was the coach.

Where should this sentence be inserted?

A

B

C

D

After sentence 1

After sentence 3

After sentence 5

After sentence 6

2 What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 12?

F

Realizing that she hadn’t recovered from her previous race, she slowed her pace to a jog.

G She realized that she hadn’t recovered from her previous race, her pace slowed to a jog.

H Realizing that she hadn’t recovered from her previous race, a jog was all she could slow her pace to.

J She realized that she hadn’t recovered from the pace of her previous race, which slowed to a jog.

3 Sofia wants to add a quotation after sentence 25 to support the idea that she is trying to convey. Which of the following could best accomplish this goal?

A “She was in front of me the whole race, so she deserved to finish in front of me no matter what it took,” Vogel later commented.

B “I remember moving to her position,” Vogel recalled after the event. “[McMath] was doing the best she could to keep her body upright.”

C “We are a little bit of a minority being distance runners,” Vogel shared sometime later. “I think we all have an instant connection.”

D Vogel quietly commented at a later time, “At the time, all I was thinking was that she fell so I probably should pick her up.”

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4 Which of the following could replace sentence 28 and provide a more effective transition between the fourth paragraph (sentences 20–27) and the fifth paragraph (sentences 28–32)?

F Overall, the girls thought they would eventually have to talk to members of the media.

G In conclusion, the media wanted a story, and they were going to get it no matter what it took.

H In the days that followed, both girls were inundated with calls from the media.

J However, the girls were soon being interviewed over the phone and on national television.

5 Sofia would like to add a quotation to the end of her paper to help bring it to an effective conclusion. Which of the following would be the most effective for her to add?

A

Interestingly, Vogel has been reported to have once said to a reporter, “I was just worried about getting Arden across the finish line and not hurting her.”

B Looking back at the day that she both won a gold medal and came in last place, Vogel said, “I got more attention for helping Arden than for winning at state, but I don’t mind. Sportsmanship is a much bigger deal than winning a race.”

C “It definitely caught me off guard,” Vogel said of the attention after the race. “I was expecting the first week of my summer to be pretty relaxed. I was looking forward to getting away. All I could think was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’”

D One day Vogel was heard to have said to a group of people who were listening, “When I hear words like that I think of Harriet Tubman and saving people’s lives. I don’t consider myself a hero.”

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Aisha wrote about a clever way to help penguins that have been affected by oil spills. Read Aisha’s paper and look for any revisions she should make. Then answer the questions that follow.

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(1) When oil spills from a ship at sea, it can have devastating consequences

on wildlife in the area. (2) One animal that has been affected by oil spills off the

shore of Australia is the little penguin, also known as the fairy penguin. (3) A group

wanted to help these birds. (4) It made sweaters.

(5) Thousands of tiny fairy penguins nest in burrows along the shoreline of

Australia. (6) Each day the penguins leave their burrows, and out to sea they head

to spend the day swimming and feeding. (7) But in the late 1990s and early 2000s,

a number of oil spills in the region threatened the very existence of these birds.

(8) Experts tried to help, but they couldn’t get to all the birds fast enough. (9) Some

penguins would try to groom themselves. (10) They swallowed the toxic oil and

died. (11) Knits for Nature formulated a unique plan. (12) They asked volunteers to

knit sweaters for the penguins to wear. (13) The sweaters would not only protect the

birds from the oil but would also keep them warm while they waited for their turn to

be cleaned.

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(14) The response to the call for sweaters was tremendous. (15) One

great-grandmother in Australia knitted more than 1,000. (16) Other people from

around the world also expressed interest in making sweaters for the little penguins.

(17) The Penguin Foundation, the group now in charge of Knits for Nature, soon had

40,000 sweaters on hand. (18) Some of the sweaters were used for little penguins

at the Wildlife Clinic at Phillip Island Nature Parks in Australia. (19) Others were

distributed to nearby wildlife centers. (20) The foundation also sold some of the tiny

sweaters to raise funds for fairy penguin research and conservation.

(21) Because there are now a large number of sweaters in storage, the

Penguin Foundation has asked that no more be sent. (22) However, the group

expressed its gratitude to all the knitters who contributed to the cause. (23) Park

manager Peter Dann said, “It’s humbling to think that the world’s smallest penguin is

receiving so much love from around the world.”

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6 Aisha would like to offer a more effective thesis statement for her paper. Which of the following could replace sentences 3 and 4 and help accomplish this goal?

F

There was a group in the area that would be called Knits for Nature. This particular group decided that it wanted to help the birds and made sweaters for them that would do this.

G A group of concerned conservationists in the area came together to help these birds. The group, which called itself Knits for Nature, began temporarily fitting the oil-soaked birds with handmade sweaters.

H While many people wanted to help the little birds, Knits for Nature acted quickly. After learning about the plight of Australia’s fairy penguins, they knew that there was something they could contribute.

J These birds desperately needed some help, or they might all die. A group known as Knits for Nature came to the rescue for the birds with their sweaters.

7 What is the most effective way to revise sentence 6?

A Each day the penguins that leave their burrows head out to sea for spending the day swimming and feeding.

B Each day the penguins head out to sea to spend the day swimming and feeding, leaving their burrows.

C Each day the penguins leave their burrows they head out to sea to spend the day swimming and feeding.

D Each day the penguins leave their burrows and head out to sea to spend the day swimming and feeding.

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8 What is the most effective way to combine sentences 9 and 10?

F

Some penguins would try to groom themselves because they swallowed the toxic oil and died.

G Attempting to groom themselves were some penguins, who swallowed the toxic oil and died.

H While attempting to groom themselves, some penguins swallowed the toxic oil and died.

J Some penguins would try to groom themselves, they swallowed the toxic oil and died.

9 What is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 17?

A

However

B For example

C Furthermore

D As a result

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Lily’s teacher asked her to write about a time she learned a lesson from animals. Lily has written this paper, but before she submits her final copy, she would like you to proofread it. Read Lily’s paper and think about the corrections she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

The Seagull and the Crow (1) My Literature teacher explained that a fable is a story that teaches a

lesson or moral and often uses animals as characters. (2) Last summer I witnessed

an honest-to-goodness fable unfold before my eyes.

(3) As an end-of-summer treat, my parents had booked accommodations at a

small hotel near the beach. (4) The weather wasn’t as sunny or warm as we had

hoped, so we spent most of our time in the hotel room. (5) Luckily, we had a great

view of the ocean. (6) I was happy to relax indoors and watch the hardier

beach-goers, the sea birds, and the surf. (7) When my parents and sister decided to

go into town to shop one afternoon, I opted to stay in the room. (8) I’m glad I did

because that’s when the “fable” played out.

(9) Our fourth-floor room had a sliding glass door that opened onto a small

balcony. (10) The sides below the balcony railing was enclosed in plexiglass to make

the area safer for pets and young children. (11) The balcony was just large enough

to hold a little round table and two chairs. (12) As I gazed outside, two coastal

inhabitants arrived. (13) First a seagull and then a crow swooped onto the balcony

to finish off the remainders of our breakfast bagels. (14) There were plenty of

crumbs, so the birds shared the meal peacefully. (15) After a while, the crow

seemed satisfied, took off, and flew out of sight. (16) The seagull, who was the

much larger of the two, had room for more and stayed a bit longer before preparing

to leave. (17) The gull’s departure, however, did not go well! (18) The transparent

plexiglass obviously had the bird confused. (19) It attempted one shallow takeoff

after another each time it banged itself against the glass. (20) The more the seagull

failed, the harder it tried, finally knocking itself to the ground, which caused me to

fear for its life! (21) I wasn’t sure what to do, but I wasn’t keen on the idea of

sliding open the door and confronting a big, panicky gull.

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(22) Then a black shape crossed the sky. (23) The crow had returned. (24) I

didn’t know if it was hungry again and had come back for more crumbs or if it had

heard the distressed gull, but what happened next simply amazed me! (25) That

crow landed on the floor of the deck and cawed as if to get the seagull’s attention.

(26) The dazed seagull took note. (27) The crow stared at the gull and then hopped

from the floor onto a chair. (28) After just a second the seagull did the same.

(29) The crow hopped onto the tabletop and then onto one of two lanterns sitting on

the table. (30) The seagull followed suit. (31) Finally the crow took another hop,

leading the gull to the balcony rail. (32) The birds perched on the rail together for

just a moment and then flew away toward the sea.

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The Seagull and the Crow, Still Together Later That Day

(33) This is an absolutely true story and without a doubt one of the coolest

things I’ve ever seen. (34) I just sat there for a while with my mouth hanging open.

(35) There was no missing the message in what I had witnessed. (36) The moral of

“The Seagull and the Crow” was clearly this no matter how dissimilar two creatures

might be, they will have opportunities to help and support each other. (37) The

image of that crow returning to rescue the floundering seagull is etched in my mind

as a reminder of my responsibility to always lend a helping hand to others.

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10 What change needs to be made in sentence 1?

F

Change Literature to literature

G Insert a comma after story

H Change uses to use

J Change animals to animal’s

11 What change should be made in sentence 10?

A

Change was enclosed to were enclosed

B Change to make to this was supposed to make

C Change safer to more safer

D No change should be made.

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12 What is the correct way to write sentence 19?

F

Attempting one shallow takeoff after another and each time banging itself against the glass.

G It attempted one shallow takeoff after another. Each time banging itself against the glass.

H Attempting one shallow takeoff after another. Each time it banged itself against the glass.

J It attempted one shallow takeoff after another, each time banging itself against the glass.

13 How should sentence 36 be changed?

A

Insert a colon after this

B Change dissimilar to dissimular

C Delete the comma

D Change they to you

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Grace wrote the following paper to encourage her peers to begin voting as soon as they turn 18. Read Grace’s paper and think about the corrections she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

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Vote! (1) In 1971 the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution

lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. (2) Young adults, some still in high school,

were finally allowed to help select our nation’s leaders. (3) Initially, young people

were excited to have this right, but today many do not bother to vote. (4) In fact, in

the 2012 presidential election, fewer then 40 percent of U.S. citizens between the

ages of 18 and 24 voted. (5) Young people should appreciate their right to vote and

register as soon as they’re eligible.

(6) We are fortunate to live in a democracy in the United States. (7) One of

the cornerstone’s of a democracy is the right people have to vote for those who

represent them in government. (8) However, certain populations, including women,

African Americans, and most recently, those under 21, have had to fight for this right

in the United States. (9) In some countries there are citizens still fighting for this

right. (10) When we exercise our right to vote, we honor those who have worked

hard to make sure that we have this opportunity.

(11) Voting also provides young adults with a voice in government. (12) The

decisions that local, state, and federal officials make can directly affect young

people. (13) Politicians can decide, for example, how much federal aid will be

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offered for college tuition and how much minimum wage will be. (14) They also

decide how much people will pay in taxes and how that money will be spent.

(15) Will it be used to build more roads and parks, or should it be spent on medical

research and law enforcement? (16) Since many of these issues are important to

you and your future, you should participate in the voting process. (17) Those who

do not take the time to vote do not have the right to complain about the decisions

made by their elected officials.

(18) In addition to electing leaders. (19) Voters get to say yes or no to

questions related to their local communities. (20) For example, residents in

Cleveland, Ohio, recently voted to remove traffic enforcement cameras from the city.

(21) And the citizens of San Francisco, California, voted in favor of an initiative that

limits the height of new buildings in the waterfront area of the city. (22) Should your

community raise its sales tax, impose a tax on sugary drinks, or help pay for a sports

arena. (23) Each of these questions has appeared on a local ballot, and some have

won or been defeated by narrow margins. (24) Your vote at age 18 counts just as

much as the vote of an older citizen. (25) It is important that you take the

opportunity to stand up for the things that concern you.

(26) As a sophomore in high school, you are probably a couple years away

from turning 18, but you can and should start thinking about voting now. (27) It’s

your privilage as a U.S. citizen, and it will definitely have an impact on your future.

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14 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 4?

F

Change presidential to Presidential

G Change the comma after election to a semicolon

H Change then to than

J No change should be made in sentence 4.

15 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 7?

A

Change cornerstone’s to cornerstones

B Change is to are

C Change them to you

D No change should be made in this sentence.

16 What is the correct way to write sentences 18 and 19?

F

In addition to electing leaders, voters get to say yes or no to questions. That are related to their local communities.

G In addition to electing leaders, voters get to say yes or no to questions, they are related to their local communities.

H In addition to electing leaders, voters get to say yes or no to questions related to their local communities.

J Sentences 18 and 19 are written correctly in the paper.

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17 What change should be made in sentence 22?

A

Change its to it’s

B Change sugary to sugery

C Change help pay to helped pay

D Change the period to a question mark

18 What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 27?

F

Change privilage to privilege

G Delete the comma

H Change it to they

J No change needs to be made.

BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

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WRITTEN COMPOSITION: Persuasive

Read the following quotation.

Think of all the beauty that’s still left in and around you and be happy.

—from The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

Even in difficult circumstances, some people focus on the positive aspects of life. Think carefully about this statement.

Write an essay stating your opinion on whether a person can choose to be happy.

Be sure to —

• state your position clearly

• use appropriate organization

• provide specific support for your argument

• choose your words carefully

• edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling

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USE THIS PREWRITING PAGE TO PLAN YOUR COMPOSITION.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE YOUR COMPOSITION ON THE LINED PAGE IN THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

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USE THIS PREWRITING PAGE TO PLAN YOUR COMPOSITION.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE YOUR COMPOSITION ON THE LINED PAGE IN THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

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READING

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Read the next two selections and answer the questions that follow.

Voyageurs by Scott Russell Sanders

1 In morning mist on a northern river, a slab of stone tumbled from a boulder into the water, where it came to life and floated, turning into a sleek black head that swam in circles dragging a V of ripples behind it. A beaver, I thought, as I watched from shore. But no sooner had I named it than the creature bobbed up and then dove, exposing a long neck and humped back and pointed tail. Not a beaver, I realized, but an otter. I was pleased to find a label for this animate scrap, as though by pinning the right word on the shape-shifter I could hold it still.

2 Presently a second otter, then a third and fourth broke free of the boulder and slithered down into the mercury sheen of the river. They dove without a splash, their tails flipping up to gleam like wands in the early sunlight, and they surfaced so buoyantly that their forepaws and narrow shoulders lifted well out of the water. Then one after another they clambered back onto the rock and dove again, over and over, like tireless children taking turns on a playground slide.

3 My daughter Eva came to stand beside me, the hood of her parka drawn up against the cool of this July morning here in the north woods, on the boundary between Minnesota and Ontario. We passed her binoculars back and forth, marveling at these sleek, exuberant animals.

4 “Wouldn’t you love to swim with them?” she whispered.

5 “I’d love to sit on that boulder and let them do the swimming,” I answered.

6 “If only they’d let us!”

7 Always quick to notice the flicker of life, Eva had spent the past two summers studying birds with a research team, and now, halfway through college, she had become a disciplined as well as a passionate observer. Science had complicated her vision without lessening her delight in other creatures.

8 “What do you suppose they’re doing?” I asked.

9 “The technical term for it,” she said, “is goofing around.”

10 “I suppose you’ve got some data to back that up.”

11 “I’ll show you the graphs when we get home.”

12 Drawn by our whispers and watchfulness, the others from our camp soon joined us on the granite bluff, some bearing mugs of coffee, some with plates of steaming blueberry pancakes. We had been canoeing in the Boundary Waters Wilderness for several days, long enough for the men’s faces to stubble with beards, for the women’s faces to burnish from wind and sun. When all ten of us were gathered there beside the river, intently watching, suddenly the otters quit

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diving, swiveled their snouts in our direction, then ducked into hiding beneath some lily pads. After a couple of minutes, as though having mulled over what to do about this intrusion, they sallied out again and resumed their romping, chasing one another, bobbing and plunging, but farther and farther away, until they disappeared around the next bend.

13 If our scent or voices had not spooked them, then our upright silhouettes, breaking the glacier-smoothed outline of the shore, must have signaled danger to the otters. There was no way of knowing what else, if anything, we meant to them. What did the otters mean to us? What held us there while our pancakes cooled, while acres of mist rode the current past our feet, while the sun rose above a jagged fringe of trees and poured creamy light onto the river? What did we want from these elegant swimmers?

14 Or, to put the question in the only form I can hope to answer, what did I want? Not their hides, as the native people of this territory, the Ojibwa, or the old French voyageurs might have wanted; not their souls or meat. I did not even want their photograph, although I found them surpassingly beautiful. I wanted their company. I desired their instruction—as if, by watching them, I might learn to belong somewhere as they so thoroughly belonged here. I yearned to slip out of my skin and into theirs, to feel the world for a spell through their senses, to think otter thoughts, and then to slide back into myself, a bit wiser for the journey.

15 In tales of shamans the world over, men and women make just such leaps, into hawks or snakes or bears, and then back into human shape, their vision enlarged, their sympathy deepened. I am a poor sort of shaman. My shape never changes, except, year by year, to wrinkle and sag. I did not become an otter, even for an instant. But the yearning to leap across the distance, the reaching out in imagination to a fellow creature, seems to me a worthy impulse, perhaps the most encouraging and distinctive one we have. It is the same impulse that moves us to reach out to one another across differences of race or gender, age or class. What I desired from the otters was also what I most wanted from my daughter and from the friends with whom we were canoeing, and it is what I have always desired from neighbors and strangers. I wanted their blessing. I wanted to dwell alongside them with understanding and grace. I wanted them to go about their lives in my presence as though I were kin to them, no matter how much I might differ from them outwardly.

From Writing from the Center (Indiana University Press, 1995) © 1995 by Scott Russell Sanders; reprinted by permission of the author.

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from One Kingdom:

Our Lives with Animals by Deborah Noyes

1 Ideally a zoo visit is a mentorship—emotional, intellectual, spiritual—a way to interact with nature on a concentrated scale. It’s the wide, wild world in miniature, and its human architects are conscientious stewards. The zoo experience should be, first and foremost, meaningful. There’s too much at stake for it not to be.

2 But zoos are a paradox. Even as children, many of us feel there—together with our interest and curiosity—a muffled unease. People do have meaningful encounters in zoos, or they wouldn’t flock to them in record numbers. I’ve had my share, usually late in the day when the crowds have thinned or gone, when the heat of the sun has waned, when the evening’s meal is imminent and the animals know it, when I’m willing to sit alone—blank and patient and outside myself—and sit some more. But more often my experience has been representative.

3 If the animals are visible at all—not off exhibit or obscured by the very greenery installed to protect their privacy (and who would begrudge them?)—we watch through wire or glass, aching for a connection that rarely comes. Some children (adults, too) rap on the window or otherwise urge the animals on with funny faces and undignified attempts at cross-species communication. Do something, we think, and they do precisely what they will or won’t. Natural antics—monkeys grooming or swinging in play—delight us, but familiar zoo behaviors like pacing, swaying, or regurgitating food evoke a vague embarrassment, as of some unwelcome intimacy. We may half-heartedly read the sign stationed to inform us of the captive’s natural habitat and behaviors, but by now its unnatural fate may well have disheartened us. We seek solace in interaction, buttons to push and levers to pull, or we fix on some other distraction: tired toddlers wailing for ice cream, the heat, a blaring boombox.

4 In the end, novelty wins out over a tangle of emotions we can’t name; that, or the tug to move on to the next exhibit, to the gift shop, to the snack bar, before our legs give out. In this way we carry on . . . consumers at odds with our own motives.

5 Perhaps we’re uneasy because the animals withhold from us the one thing we would have: their consent. It would ease my spirit (prepare for some shameless anthropomorphism here), to be sure, if the wolf suddenly ceased its pacing, looked up, met my eye, and said, “Welcome, friend, and thanks for being here today. You see me, and it has changed you. I now see the worth of my sacrifice.” But he will not pause. He does not look. I am unforgiven.

English II

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6 These are my own feelings, not representative of anyone else’s, I realize. But zoos do seem to leave many people uncomfortable, maybe because—despite our best intentions—it’s a lopsided exchange. We consume a healthy sampling of the world’s biodiversity in an afternoon, and we make it home for dinner. But what do humans give zoo animals in return? The benefits of captive breeding. Basic care and protection (survival is no picnic in the wild; animals certainly have it easier in captivity). But is survival enough, and why is it ours to give?

7 It’s an old controversy, and a circular one. There are as many ways to justify captivity (the animals have nowhere else to go . . . they’re safer and better nourished in zoos . . . they’re educational ambassadors here on behalf of their kind) as there are arguments against it. I have, with difficulty, weighted the scale first one way and then the other, and in the end I’m no closer to knowing than I ever was. I fear someday we’ll regret what could not be helped, but for now I continue to see the intrinsic worth of zoos.

Copyright © 2006 by Deborah Noyes. First published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Reprinted by permission of Jill Grinberg Literary Agency, LLC on behalf of the Proprietor.

English II

Page 27

Use “Voyageurs” (pp. 24–25) to answer questions 19–25. Then fill in the answers on your answer document.

19 In paragraph 2, what does clambered mean?

A

Called back and forth to one another

B Climbed awkwardly on all fours

C Clawed in search of something

D Completed a complicated action

20 The description of the otters in paragraphs 1 and 2 suggests they are —

F

loving

G hostile

H playful

J tense

21 In paragraph 7, the author includes the information about his daughter’s studies primarily to —

A

provide background information about their trip to the north woods

B explain the details of her scientific research studies of wild animals

C indicate that delight in nature need not disappear with scientific knowledge

D show that scientific knowledge has the ability to transform our attitudes about all life

English II

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22 Which quotation best illustrates the author’s yearning for connection with the world?

F

Science had complicated her vision without lessening her delight in other creatures.

G We had been canoeing in the Boundary Waters Wilderness for several days, long enough for the men’s faces to stubble with beards, for the women’s faces to burnish from wind and sun.

H I am a poor sort of shaman. My shape never changes, except, year by year, to wrinkle and sag.

J I desired their instruction—as if, by watching them, I might learn to belong somewhere as they so thoroughly belonged here.

23 In paragraph 2, the author uses the figurative language “their tails flipping up to gleam like wands in the early sunlight” to illustrate the —

A

magical beauty of the otters

B mystical allure of the morning

C cheerful nature of the otters

D tranquility of the morning setting

English II

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24 Why does the author ask several questions in paragraphs 13 and 14?

F

To analyze his disagreements with others about how to protect nature

G To evaluate his reasons for worrying about the creatures before him

H To review the ways humankind has harmed nature

J To explore his motivations for continuing to stand by the river

25 Which quotation best supports the theme of the interrelatedness of living creatures?

A I was pleased to find a label for this animate scrap, as though by pinning the right word on the shape-shifter I could hold it still.

B “I’d love to sit on that boulder and let them do the swimming,” I answered.

C Drawn by our whispers and watchfulness, the others from our camp soon joined us on the granite bluff, some bearing mugs of coffee, some with plates of steaming blueberry pancakes.

D I wanted them to go about their lives in my presence as though I were kin to them, no matter how much I might differ from them outwardly.

English II

Page 30

Use One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals (pp. 26–27) to answer questions 26–31. Then fill in the answers on your answer document.

26 Which statement best expresses the main idea of the essay?

F

As uncomfortable as zoos can make us feel, they are useful and appealing.

G Zoos benefit everyone by helping animals and educating people.

H When visiting zoos, people should respect the animals.

J Zoos have initiated many improvements that benefit animals.

27 Read this quotation from paragraph 1.

It’s the wide, wild world in miniature, and its human architects are conscientious stewards.

In this quotation, the author means that —

A

zoos should provide visitors with opportunities to feed and care for the animals

B zoos need to be designed to accommodate most of the world’s animal species

C people are responsible for properly feeding the animals in zoos

D people have built and control the unnatural world the animals in their care now inhabit

English II

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28 What evidence does the author primarily use to support her message?

F

Facts about biodiversity

G Expert opinions and interviews

H Personal observation and reflection

J Details about zoo practices

29 The author includes the ideas in paragraphs 3 and 4 primarily to —

A

explain why visitors to zoos often experience troubling emotions

B describe the zoo habitats of the animals that children most like to visit

C advocate for zoo programs that will provide more-stimulating activities for the animals

D inform visitors to zoos how to behave when viewing the animals

English II

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30 Why does the author include an imaginary conversation with a wolf in paragraph 5?

F

To contrast the experience of animals in a zoo with that of wild animals

G To suggest that animals are worthy of moral consideration

H To ridicule the behavior of zoo visitors who do not respect the animals

J To present a subtle argument for the improved treatment of animals

31 Which of the following provides the best summary of the essay?

A Zoos exhibit the world’s animals to millions of visitors every year. But since the animals’ habitats do not provide the freedom and stimulation found in the wild, the animals often act in unnatural ways that are disturbing to the people observing them.

B Zoos provide meaningful opportunities for people to observe animals they might not otherwise see. However, seeing animals in captivity can be disheartening and can make people wonder whether the benefits of zoos outweigh the disadvantages.

C Zoos allow people the opportunity to observe wild animals at close range. Although these opportunities are beneficial to people, the animals in zoos live in unnatural habitats that restrict their movement and cause them permanent harm.

D Zoos give visitors a view of the world’s animals in settings similar to their natural habitat. By providing care and food to these animals, zoos improve the survival chances for many species facing extinction in the wild.

English II

Page 33

Use “Voyageurs” and One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals to answer questions 32–36. Then fill in the answers on your answer document.

32 Which question do the authors of both essays have about wildlife?

F

What measures should people take to protect wildlife?

G What is mankind’s ideal relationship with wild animals?

H Which wildlife species have benefited most from mankind’s influence?

J Which animal behaviors help humans understand their own behaviors?

33 What is one difference between the two essays?

A “Voyageurs” describes the behavior of many observers, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals reveals only the author’s actions.

B “Voyageurs” explains the findings of scientific studies, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals includes only the author’s viewpoint.

C “Voyageurs” describes wild animals in their natural habitat, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals describes animals in captivity.

D “Voyageurs” advocates for wildlife preservation, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals argues that animals are safer in captivity.

34 While the author of One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals sees zookeepers as the “conscientious stewards” of wild animals, the author of “Voyageurs” —

F thinks it is inhumane to keep animals in captivity

G wishes he could co-exist with all creatures

H wants to escape civilization and live in nature

J supports programs to provide safer habitats for wildlife

English II

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35 What is one difference between the endings of the two essays?

A “Voyageurs” ends with an apologetic tone, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals ends by proposing further study.

B “Voyageurs” ends with a call to action, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals ends by redefining key terms.

C “Voyageurs” ends with a summary of key points, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals ends with a rhetorical question.

D “Voyageurs” ends with a tentative assertion, while the excerpt from One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals ends with a clarification of beliefs.

36 What is one similarity between the authors of the two essays?

F

They both wish to experience a connection with animals.

G They both suggest that human intervention is harmful to wildlife.

H They both think that wild animals are healthier when left in their natural habitat.

J They both believe that animals behave most naturally when not being observed.

English II

Page 35


Using Maps vs. GPS by Steven Kurutz

1 Call me a fossil, but when I take a road trip I like to get around by using printed maps. I’ve been licensed to drive for 20 years, and every car I’ve owned has contained a Rand McNally Road Atlas, with the maps of the Northeastern states dog-eared and loosened from their staples. Navigating by map carries over to foreign roads, too. In May my wife and I went to France, where we drove around Provence and dipped a wheel into Italy.

2 Before we left, I amassed the blanket topographical coverage I imagine the Allied generals had when they stormed the Continent. Collecting the maps was an interminable process. Bookstores have scaled back their selection in recent years. Or stopped selling maps altogether. Apparently, a good number of people think printed maps are pointless nowadays.

3 For instance, my wife. Her idea of an enjoyable drive doesn’t involve messing with accordion folds and reading eye-chart type, while I yell out from behind the wheel: “We just passed a sign. Do you see Route 6 anywhere on there?” She prefers GPS. Likes the ease of it. Takes comfort in knowing we’re on the best route. According to the navigation software, anyway.

4 There’s admittedly something satisfying about watching the blue-dot version of yourself inch closer to its destination. And sure, for the rush-hour commuter it’s very 21st century for your phone to alert you to an accident snarling traffic up ahead. But I would argue that a road trip, especially one taken with another person, is a lesser experience with GPS or navigation apps. I’m not even going to get into how, in choosing the single most efficient route to your desired destination, GPS excludes other routes and destinations you might not realize you desire to see, and removes serendipity—which as any undergrad with a Penguin Classics edition of On the Road knows, is the very oxygen that makes a road trip come alive.

5 Consider this, though: Using printed maps requires travelers to work together. You become a team. Driver and navigator. Your ability to get along and solve problems is tested in valuable, revealing ways. GPS removes that entire interpersonal dynamic. It encourages a passive form of journeying: sit back and drift, because the vaguely Australian-sounding computer lady will tell you to turn left in a quarter mile.

6 Driving by map, on the other hand, engages you actively with your surroundings. It makes you observe road signs, be in the moment. And that closer engagement, I’ve found, imprints the landscape more vividly and permanently on your mind. When I return home, I can unfold my maps and take myself back to a town or a stretch of highway.

English II

Page 36

7 Often I’ll buy a map months before the trip, and by studying it try to pull the opposite trick—to transport myself into the place I intend to visit. It builds anticipation. Eric Riback, a map publisher in upstate New York who writes a blog called Mapville, described this to me poetically as the “seeking, dreaming part of travel that you can do with a map.”

8 I used to seek and dream at the Hagstrom Map and Travel Center on West 43rd Street. I loved that store. It closed four years ago, leaving New York, like many cities, without a specialty map shop.

9 Mr. Riback believes we live in a golden age for maps. “More people are using more maps in more ways than they have in our lifetime,” he said. But he estimated that printed map sales are less than half of what they once were. And filling stations no longer sell maps as a rule. People still like to frame printed maps as art; they just don’t like using them as much when road tripping.

10 My wife wishes I fell into this camp. I know this because as we left the Europcar agency in Avignon, she turned to me and said, “My heart sank when you declined GPS.” Later, in the car, as we regarded a local map provided by the agent—a much-photocopied and essentially unreadable document—she said, “Now my seven-day nightmare begins.”

11 This was our honeymoon, incidentally.

12 Maybe she was having flashbacks to our trip to Rome two summers ago. We planned to drive up to Tuscany for a few days. I’d caved and agreed to GPS. But, as happens, there was a mix-up and our rental car came unequipped. She went pale and began breathing irregularly. Outwardly, I comforted. Inwardly, I rejoiced. I’d packed a map. I’d get to test my mettle in a foreign country. And on Italian roads, no less, where the center line is basically decorative.

13 Traveling in a strange place by map alone builds confidence that I can get around in the world. GPS may eliminate a big source of travel stress—getting lost—but it also removes some of the thrill and personal challenge. In Rome, without GPS, we found ourselves in a maddening maze of arbitrary-seeming and suddenly reversing one-way streets. Much smoother was our recent European road trip. I handled the driving, my wife semi-embraced the map-reader role and we kept up steady communication, pointing out road signs, noting landmark cues, growing gently hypnotized by the traffic circles.

14 There we were, the two of us, finding our way on foreign roads, satellite-unassisted. At one point, I asked my wife if she still wanted GPS, and though she replied yes, I’m sure I heard a pause before she answered.

From The New York Times, July 14, 2014 © 2014 The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited.

English II

Page 37

37 Read these sentence fragments from paragraph 3.

Takes comfort in knowing we’re on the best route. According to the navigation software, anyway.

The author is implying that —

A travelers may experience something from a drive that computers can’t predict

B navigation software has become more reliable

C driving in unfamiliar places should make people uncomfortable

D uncertainty leads to navigational difficulties

38 The author’s main purpose for writing this article is to —

F describe the problems that occur when drivers ignore printed maps in favor of GPS

G argue that navigating with printed maps produces a better road-trip experience than using GPS

H show that GPS and printed maps complement each other

J explain why drivers have so willingly adopted GPS over printed maps

39 Why does the author include the quotation from Eric Riback in paragraph 7?

A To support his own viewpoint that maps enhance travel

B To show that map publishers are engaged in creative activities

C To establish that a community of map enthusiasts still exists

D To explain how maps can act as mementos

English II

Page 38

40 Read this quotation from paragraph 4.

I’m not even going to get into how, in choosing the single most efficient route to your desired destination, GPS excludes other routes and destinations you might not realize you desire to see, and removes serendipity—which as any undergrad with a Penguin Classics edition of On the Road knows, is the very oxygen that makes a road trip come alive.

In this statement, the author shows that he thinks —

F planning a trip in exact detail takes too much time and effort

G young people are more adventurous than older, more experienced travelers

H it’s worthwhile to risk wasting time during a trip in the hopes of being surprised

J less well-known tourist attractions can be as thrilling as the popular ones

41 In paragraph 12, the word mettle means —

A resourcefulness

B mastery of language

C willingness to change

D tolerance

42 On the advantages of using paper maps, the author’s wife is mostly —

F curious

G skeptical

H neutral

J flustered

English II

Page 39

43 Which detail about printed maps is most important to the author’s argument?

A They are available in fewer places today than they once were.

B They encourage a driver and a navigator to work together.

C They are sometimes difficult to read.

D They can be framed as art.

44 Why does the author begin the selection with the words “Call me a fossil”?

F To indicate how people often address him

G To acknowledge that he is older than most of his readers

H To show he understands that his views are considered outdated

J To establish that he is used to his beliefs being questioned

English II

Page 40


from All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr

Eight-year-old Marie-Laure, who went blind at the age of six, lives with her father in Paris shortly before World War II. Marie-Laure’s father has built a model of their neighborhood so that Marie-Laure can practice navigating the streets on her own. Each Tuesday on his day off work, her father takes her to a new area of the neighborhood and lets her guide them both home.

1 Tuesday after Tuesday she fails. She leads her father on six-block detours that leave her angry and frustrated and farther from home than when they started. But in the winter of her eighth year, to Marie-Laure’s surprise, she begins to get it right. She runs her fingers over the model in their kitchen, counting miniature benches, trees, lampposts, doorways. Every day some new detail emerges—each storm drain, park bench, and hydrant in the model has its counterpart in the real world.

2 Marie-Laure brings her father closer to home before making a mistake. Four blocks three blocks two. And one snowy Tuesday in March, when he walks her to yet another new spot, very close to the banks of the Seine1, spins her around three times, and says, “Take us home,” she realizes that, for the first time since they began this exercise, dread has not come trundling up from her gut.

3 Instead she squats on her heels on the sidewalk.

4 The faintly metallic smell of the falling snow surrounds her. Calm yourself. Listen.

5 Cars splash along streets, and snowmelt drums through runnels; she can hear snowflakes tick and patter through the trees. She can smell the cedars in the Jardin des Plantes a quarter mile away. Here the Metro hurtles beneath the sidewalk: that’s the Quai Saint-Bernard. Here the sky opens up, and she hears the clacking of branches: that’s the narrow stripe of gardens behind the Gallery of Paleontology. This, she realizes, must be the corner of the quay and rue Cuvier.

6 Six blocks, forty buildings, ten tiny trees in a square. This street intersects this street intersects this street. One centimeter at a time.

7 Her father stirs the keys in his pockets. Ahead loom the tall, grand houses that flank the gardens, reflecting sound.

8 She says, “We go left.”

1The Seine is a river in Paris.

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Page 41

9 They start up the length of the rue Cuvier. A trio of airborne ducks threads toward them, flapping their wings in synchrony, making for the Seine, and as the birds rush overhead, she imagines she can feel the light settling over their wings, striking each individual feather.

10 Left on rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Right on rue Daubenton. Three storm drains four storm drains five. Approaching on the left will be the open ironwork fence of the Jardin des Plantes, its thin spars like the bars of a great birdcage.

11 Across from her now: the bakery, the butcher, the delicatessen.

12 “Safe to cross, Papa?”

13 “It is.”

14 Right. Then straight. They walk up their street now, she is sure of it. One step behind her, her father tilts his head up and gives the sky a huge smile. Marie-Laure knows this even though her back is to him, even though he says nothing, even though she is blind—Papa’s thick hair is wet from the snow and standing in a dozen angles off his head, and his scarf is draped asymmetrically over his shoulders, and he’s beaming up at the falling snow.

15 They are halfway up the rue des Patriarches. They are outside their building. Marie-Laure finds the trunk of the chestnut tree that grows past her fourth-floor window, its bark beneath her fingers.

16 Old friend.

17 In another half second her father’s hands are in her armpits, swinging her up, and Marie-Laure smiles, and he laughs a pure, contagious laugh, one she will try to remember all her life, father and daughter turning in circles on the sidewalk in front of their apartment house, laughing together while snow sifts through the branches above.

Reprinted with the permission of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., from ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr. Copyright © 2014 by Anthony Doerr. All rights reserved.

English II

Page 42

45 In paragraph 14, the word asymmetrically means —

A lopsidedly

B luxuriously

C stylishly

D conspicuously

46 The story explores a theme about the —

F challenges of parent–child relationships

G need to face reality

H pleasure of becoming self-reliant

J struggle for recognition

47 The sentence fragments in paragraph 10 help convey Marie-Laure’s —

A total disorientation

B quiet resentment

C giddy overexcitement

D intense focus

English II

Page 43

48 The tone of the concluding paragraph can best be described as —

F serious

G joyous

H sentimental

J condescending

49 After Marie-Laure’s father says “Take us home” in paragraph 2, the reader can infer from Marie-Laure’s reaction that —

A her father says this whenever they go for a walk

B her father never explains the exercise

C she has gained self-confidence

D she fears being disappointed

50 For Marie-Laure, the chestnut tree in paragraphs 15 and 16 symbolizes —

F success

G forgiveness

H solitude

J hope

English II

Page 44

51 Which quotation shows that Marie-Laure is referring to the model in her kitchen as she finds her way home?

A They start up the length of the rue Cuvier.

B This street intersects this street intersects this street. One centimeter at a time.

C She says, “We go left.”

D Instead she squats on her heels on the sidewalk.

52 What does the description of the model in paragraph 1 reveal about the father’s character?

F His expectations for his daughter are unrealistic.

G His love for Marie-Laure is limitless.

H He is meticulous and dedicated.

J He is concerned with irrelevant details.

BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT. English II

Page 45 STOP

STAAR English II

March 2017

801245

STAAR® English II 2017 Release

Answer Key Paper

Item Number

Reporting Category

Readiness or Supporting

Content Student Expectation

Correct Answer

1 5 Supporting E.15(A) B 2 5 Readiness E.13(C) F 3 5 Supporting E.15(A) A 4 5 Supporting E.15(A) H 5 5 Supporting E.15(A) B 6 5 Supporting E.15(A) G 7 5 Readiness E.13(C) D 8 5 Readiness E.13(C) H 9 5 Readiness E.13(C) D 10 6 Readiness E.18(A) F 11 6 Supporting E.17(A) A 12 6 Readiness E.17(C) J 13 6 Readiness E.18(B) A 14 6 Readiness E.13(D) H 15 6 Readiness E.18(B) A 16 6 Readiness E.17(C) H 17 6 Readiness E.18(B) D 18 6 Readiness E.19(A) F

Prompt 4 Readiness E.16(A) * 19 1 Readiness E.1(B) B 20 2 Supporting E.6(A) H 21 2 Supporting E.6(A) C 22 2 Supporting E.2 Fig. 19(B) J 23 2 Supporting E.6(A) A 24 2 Supporting E.6(A) J 25 2 Supporting E.2 Fig. 19(B) D 26 3 Readiness E.8(A) F 27 3 Readiness E.9(C) D 28 3 Supporting E.9(B) H 29 3 Readiness E.9(C) A 30 3 Readiness E.9(C) G 31 3 Readiness E.9(A) B 32 1 Readiness E.19(B) G 33 1 Readiness E.19(B) C 34 1 Readiness E.19(B) G 35 1 Readiness E.19(B) D 36 1 Readiness E.19(B) F 37 3 Supporting E.10 Fig. 19(B) A 38 3 Readiness E.8(A) G 39 3 Supporting E.10 Fig. 19(B) A 40 3 Supporting E.10 Fig. 19(B) H 41 1 Readiness E.1(B) A 42 3 Supporting E.10 Fig. 19(B) G 43 3 Readiness E.8(A) B 44 3 Supporting E.10 Fig. 19(B) H 45 1 Readiness E.1(B) A 46 2 Readiness E.2 Fig. 19(B) H 47 2 Readiness E.5 Fig. 19(B) D 48 2 Readiness E.5 Fig. 19(B) G 49 2 Readiness E.5 Fig. 19(B) C 50 2 Supporting E.7(A) F 51 2 Readiness E.5 Fig. 19(B) B 52 2 Readiness E.5 Fig. 19(B) H

Note: The first character of the Content Student Expectation designates English I or English II

* A scoring guide is used to determine the scores for the written composition.

Copyright © 2017, Texas Education Agency (TEA). All rights reserved.

STAAR English II Persuasive Writing

Texas Education AgencyStudent Assessment Division

March 2017

Score Point 1

The essay represents a very limited writing performance.

Organization/Progression

qq The organizing structure of the essay is inappropriate to the purpose or the specific demands of the prompt. The writer uses organizational strategies that are only marginally suited to the persuasive task, or they are inappropriate or not evident at all. The absence of a functional organizational structure causes the essay to lack clarity and direction.

qq Most ideas are generally related to the issue specified in the prompt, but the writer’s position is missing, unclear, or illogical. The writer may fail to maintain focus on the issue, may include extraneous information, or may shift abruptly from idea to idea, weakening the coherence of the essay.

qq The writer’s progression of ideas is weak. Repetition or wordiness sometimes causes serious disruptions in the flow of the essay. At other times the lack of transitions and sentence-to-sentence connections causes the writer to present ideas in a random or illogical way, making one or more parts of the essay unclear or difficult to follow.

Development of Ideas

qq The development of ideas is weak. The argument is ineffective and unconvincing because the reasons and evidence the writer uses to support the position are inappropriate, vague, or insufficient.

qq The essay is insubstantial because the writer’s response to the prompt is vague or confused. In some cases, the essay as a whole is only weakly linked to the prompt. In other cases, the writer develops the essay in a manner that demonstrates a lack of understanding of the persuasive writing task.

Use of Language/Conventions

qq The writer’s word choice may be vague or limited. It reflects little or no awareness of the persuasive purpose and does not establish a tone appropriate to the task. Word choice may impede the quality and clarity of the essay.

qq Sentences are simplistic, awkward, or uncontrolled, significantly limiting the effectiveness of the essay.

qq The writer has little or no command of sentence boundaries and spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage conventions. Serious and persistent errors create disruptions in the fluency of the writing and sometimes interfere with meaning.

STAAR English IIMarch 2017 Persuasive — 1

Score Point 1The writer of this composition offers the position that happiness “is not something you can choose to be its something you can be made to be.” There is no attempt to support this position. The writer makes several statements regarding happiness: “happiness is something everyone has felt at one moment in life,” “Happiness is the number one positive emotion,” “happiness can cause boastfulness.” The writer shifts abruptly from idea to idea, and the essay does not progress in a logical manner. The writer reiterates the position at the end of the essay, but this does not help develop the ideas of the position statement. This essay represents a very limited writing performance because it lacks clarity and direction.


Score Point 1In this composition, the writer takes the position that “A person can choose to be happy”; however, the supporting ideas are weakly developed, and the sentence-to-sentence connections cause disruptions in the flow of the essay. The student begins the second paragraph with a topic sentence stating that people choosing to be happy is a good thing. The student goes on to write, “Choosing to be happy or not is not real. Why not be sad?” The flow from each of these sentences is hindered because there are no explicit or implicit connections among these ideas, making this part of the essay unclear and difficult to follow. In addition, the progression of ideas is not always logical. For example, the idea that sadness “can make you feel real and happy” does not contribute to the argument because it makes no sense within the context of the essay. Awkward sentences and inappropriate word choice further impede the clarity of the essay. All these factors contribute to an essay that represents a very limited writing performance.


Score Point 1The writer of this composition states that “A person can choose to be happy. Anyone can choose to be happy.” Although the student provides several examples explaining how a person can be happy, they are too brief and lack the detail needed to support the position statement. In addition, the writer has little control of sentence boundaries, causing disruptions to the fluency of the writing and impeding the clarity of the essay. Because the writer ineffectively develops the many ideas provided and exhibits a lack of control of sentence boundaries, this essay represents a very limited writing performance.


Score Point 1The writer of this composition agrees that a person can choose to be happy but does not make an effective argument to support this idea. The writer explains that a happy person will have “positive things in his/hers life,” but if that person is sad “negative things will come to you.” However, the writer does not tie this idea to the choice to be happy. The writer then goes on to describe people who are “always mad” or “always happy,” but the ideas are vague and do not contribute in a logical or clear way to the essay. Overall, this composition represents a very limited writing performance.



March 2017

Score Point 2

The essay represents a basic writing performance.


qq The organizing structure of the essay is evident but may not always be appropriate to the purpose or the specific demands of the prompt. The essay is not always clear because the writer uses organizational strategies that are only somewhat suited to the persuasive task.

qq Most ideas are generally related to the issue specified in the prompt, but the writer’s position is weak or somewhat unclear. The lack of a clear, effective position or the writer’s inclusion of irrelevant information interferes with the focus and coherence of the essay.

qq The writer’s progression of ideas is not always logical and controlled. Sometimes repetition or wordiness causes minor disruptions in the flow of the essay. At other times transitions and sentence-to-sentence connections are too perfunctory or weak to support the flow of the essay or show the relationships among ideas.


qq The development of ideas is minimal. The argument is superficial and largely unconvincing because the reasons and evidence the writer uses to support the position are not always appropriate or are too briefly or partially presented.

qq The essay reflects little or no thoughtfulness. The writer’s response to the prompt is sometimes formulaic. The writer develops the essay in a manner that demonstrates only a limited understanding of the persuasive writing task.


qq The writer’s word choice may be general or imprecise. It reflects a basic awareness of the persuasive purpose but does little to establish a tone appropriate to the task. Word choice may not contribute to the quality and clarity of the essay.

qq Sentences are awkward or only somewhat controlled, weakening the effectiveness of the essay.

qq The writer demonstrates a partial command of sentence boundaries and spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage conventions. Some distracting errors may be evident, at times creating minor disruptions in the fluency or meaning of the writing.


Score Point 2In this essay, the writer presents an evolving position that “Anyone can choose to be happy” and that “it depends on the person.” The writer develops this position by explaining how “you are the one who has the choice to not be happy anymore” when others make rude remarks. However, this example is too briefly presented to effectively support the argument. In addition, the writer’s word choice is too general to get a specific idea of what he is talking about. For example, the student writes that your loved ones “will always be there to cheer you up no matter what the situation is.” The student does not go on to relate how this ties back to his position. Overall, the minimal development and general word choice in this essay represent a basic writing performance.


Score Point 2In this response, the writer offers the position that a person can choose happiness “because its up to you on how to live your day and life. You are the only one who has control over your happiness.” The writer asserts that people will try to “ruin your day . . . but it will be your decision if you let them.” In the third paragraph, the student briefly presents an example of how to find happiness through family, friends, and loved ones. These ideas are general and reflect little thoughtfulness. Although the writer provides an appropriate organizational structure, the overall development is minimal and the argument is superficial. This essay represents a basic writing performance.


Score Point 2The writer of this essay takes the position that a person “can’t simply choose to be happy.” The hypothetical example of a person who cannot choose to be happy because they are depressed due to “a lot going on at home” is only minimally developed. Instead of linking this idea more clearly to the position, the student provides brief speculations as to why a person might choose to mask feelings of sadness. In addition, the writer’s word choice is too general and does little to establish an appropriate persuasive tone. For these reasons, this response represents a basic writing performance.


Score Point 2In the last paragraph of this essay, the writer shares the position that you can choose to be happy when you focus on the positive. Although the writer provides an appropriate organizational structure, the examples contained within the paragraphs are superficially developed and minimal. In the first body paragraph, for example, the writer notes that “scientists state that if you smile then your brain starts to change and then *bam* your actually happy and not at all gloomy.” This idea is too partial because it is dropped and not developed with a more specific example. This essay represents a basic writing performance.



March 2017

Score Point 3

The essay represents a satisfactory writing performance.


qq The organizing structure of the essay is, for the most part, appropriate to the purpose and responsive to the specific demands of the prompt. The essay is clear because the writer uses organizational strategies that are adequately suited to the persuasive task.

qq The writer establishes a clear position. Most ideas are related to the position and are focused on the issue specified in the prompt. The essay is coherent, though it may not always be unified due to minor lapses in focus.

qq The writer’s progression of ideas is generally logical and controlled. For the most part, transitions are meaningful, and sentence-to-sentence connections are sufficient to support the flow of the essay and show the relationships among ideas.


qq The development of ideas is sufficient. The argument is largely convincing because the reasons and evidence the writer uses to support the position are specific and appropriate.

qq The essay reflects some thoughtfulness. The writer’s response to the prompt is original rather than formulaic. The writer develops the essay in a manner that demonstrates a good understanding of the persuasive writing task.


qq The writer’s word choice is, for the most part, clear and specific. It reflects an awareness of the persuasive purpose and establishes a tone appropriate to the task. Word choice usually contributes to the quality and clarity of the essay.

qq Sentences are reasonably varied and adequately controlled, contributing for the most part to the effectiveness of the essay.

qq The writer demonstrates an adequate command of sentence boundaries and spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage conventions. Although some errors may be evident, they create few (if any) disruptions in the fluency of the writing, and they do not affect the clarity of the essay.


Score Point 3In the opinion of the writer of this essay, people should not choose “the way they feel,” but should instead let “emotions flow naturally.” To support this argument, the student writes candidly about how “it is unhealthy to choose to be happy all the time” because people are “not naturally going to be happy” during “a tough circumstance.” The writer adds that keeping one’s real emotions “balled up inside” can “lead to stress” and this can increase the “chances of stroke.” These ideas are developed with enough specificity that the reader can understand the writer’s flow of thought. The student maintains a persuasive tone throughout the essay by including rhetorical questions (“. . . would you choose to be happy?”), concessions (“I can’t speak for other people . . .”), and a call to action in the conclusion (“If your mad be mad, if your happy then be happy.”). The writer maintains focus on the stated position, and the sentence-to-sentence connections are sufficient to show the relationships among ideas. In addition, the writer has a few lapses in sentence boundaries. These lapses are minor and do not affect the clarity of the essay. Therefore, the overall progress of the response is logical and coherent, making this a satisfactory writing performance.


Score Point 3The writer’s position in this response is that “no matter what type of situation someone is in they always have the right to choose their happiness.” The writer then organizes the paper by discussing two different times a person might not be happy. In the first example, “the sadness of losing a loved one” is eventually replaced by remembering “they are in a better place.” In the second example, the writer argues that out of the many emotions one might feel from a breakup, “One of those emotions can be to choose to be happy, because now another opportunity for someone better has been offered.” The writer supports the idea of choosing happiness with specific and appropriate examples that reflect some thoughtfulness. Overall, this essay represents a satisfactory writing performance.


Score Point 3The writer of this essay believes that “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it” and concludes the introduction with a position statement: “Happiness is, in fact, a choice.” To support this position, the writer presents two examples. The first example is a personal anecdote about the writer’s aunt who is battling cancer. According to the student, the aunt “stayed strong and didn’t let her issues affect her happiness.” The second example is about the character Larry from the television show Parks and Recreation. This example is not as persuasive as the personal anecdote because the writer counterbalances Larry’s hardships at work with his “beautiful home . . . model trophy wife and lovely kids.” By stating this, the writer does not necessarily tie this paragraph into the position statement. In addition, both paragraphs are related to the thesis, but the essay as a whole is not unified because the two disparate examples are not specifically related to each other. Therefore, this response represents a satisfactory writing performance.


Score Point 3The writer of this response begins by suggesting Anne Frank was an example of someone who “chose to be happy by focusing on the good things that were around her.” According to the writer, “a person can choose to be happy even if they are facing difficult circumstances by focusing on the good things instead of the bad.” By using a cause-and-effect organizational strategy, the writer demonstrates how people can choose happiness instead of sadness. Although the examples the writer provides are appropriate (focusing on the good things in life, listening to upbeat music, and forgiving a grudge), these details lack the specificity and depth needed to be wholly effective. However, the progression of ideas is generally logical and controlled, and the sentence-to-sentence connections support the flow of this satisfactory writing performance.



March 2017

Score Point 4

The essay represents an accomplished writing performance.


qq The organizing structure of the essay is clearly appropriate to the purpose and responsive to the specific demands of the prompt. The essay is skillfully crafted because the writer uses organizational strategies that are particularly well suited to the persuasive task.

qq The writer establishes a clear position. All ideas are strongly related to the position and are focused on the issue specified in the prompt. By sustaining this focus, the writer is able to create an essay that is unified and coherent.

qq The writer’s progression of ideas is logical and well controlled. Meaningful transitions and strong sentence-to-sentence connections enhance the flow of the essay by clearly showing the relationships among ideas, making the writer’s train of thought easy to follow.


qq The development of ideas is highly effective. The argument is forceful and convincing because the reasons and evidence the writer uses to support the position are specific and well chosen.

qq The essay is thoughtful and engaging. The writer may choose to recognize the complexities of the issue, consider opposing or alternate points of view, use his/her unique experiences or view of the world as a basis for writing, or connect ideas in interesting ways. The writer develops the essay in a manner that demonstrates a thorough understanding of the persuasive writing task.


qq The writer’s word choice is purposeful and precise. It reflects a keen awareness of the persuasive purpose and maintains a tone appropriate to the task. Word choice strongly contributes to the quality and clarity of the essay.

qq Sentences are purposeful, varied, and well controlled, enhancing the effectiveness of the essay.

qq The writer demonstrates a consistent command of sentence boundaries and spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage conventions. Although minor errors may be evident, they do not detract from the fluency of the writing or the clarity of the essay. The overall strength of the conventions contributes to the effectiveness of the essay.


Score Point 4The writer of this essay introduces a complex position in the first paragraph. According to the writer, there are “natural” and “artificial” emotions, and although people may fool themselves into believing they are happy, their natural emotions do not give them “a choice when it comes to being happy.” In the first body paragraph, the writer effectively develops the first idea of natural emotion with a compare-contrast organizational structure, comparing the notion of choosing to be happy with choosing to fall in love, and the student logically concludes that “We must fall into happiness to truly feel it” just as we fall in love. Sustaining the focus on the position statement into the third paragraph, the writer extends the argument to a discussion of artificial or “fake” emotions. Citing movies, television, friends, and family as exemplars, the writer explains how happiness is often confused with a positive outlook. By sustaining this strong focus throughout the composition, the writer has created a unified essay. The student’s purposeful and precise command of language and the essay’s logical progression of well-developed ideas indicate an accomplished writing performance.


Score Point 4In this essay the writer asserts that “happiness is a choice based on your attitude, and your level of gratitude.” Using a personal anecdote, the writer supports this position by developing the ideas of attitude and gratitude in succession, first by effectively describing the joyful attitude the student witnessed among impoverished people in Africa. Second, the writer strengthens the position by recounting with detail the gratitude of these children when presented with new shoes. By focusing on the relationship between attitude and gratitude, the writer is able to unify and deeply develop the essay. In addition, the writer has used her unique view of the world to make the essay thoughtful and engaging. The writer’s command of language (I was rendered speechless; broke my heart . . . mended it back together; joy they carried like a shield) further enhances the effectiveness of this accomplished writing performance.


Score Point 4The writer of this essay recognizes the complexity of the issue by taking the position that “external conditions and internal willpower both heavily influence the true state of happiness.” The writer examines these opposing ideas in a logical manner throughout the essay. First, the writer develops the idea of the effect of external factors on happiness by citing specific examples (air, food, falling, bacteria, and exams). Then the writer develops the idea of willpower by describing the conditions suffered by individuals or groups (Anne Frank, slaves in the U.S. South, and Buddhists) whose willpower enabled them to find happiness. The classification organizational strategy the student uses throughout the composition is particularly well suited to the persuasive task and contributes to the overall quality of this accomplished writing performance.


Score Point 4In this essay the writer asserts that “we can choose to enjoy ourselves,” and that due to our resilience, “Our conscious mind has the power to fix itself, if we allow it to.” The student recognizes the complexity of the issue and sets up an effective organizing structure, juxtaposing those who choose to be happy with those who do not. The essay includes numerous, well-chosen examples of people who have suffered losses but who nonetheless “survive through their will to live.” In contrast to these examples, the writer cites Japan’s “notoriously low rate of happiness,” which, according to the student, results from the emphasis in Japan on “study, work, and bring home a paycheck” at the expense of choosing to be happy. Throughout the essay, the sentence-to-sentence connections enhance the flow of the essay by clearly showing the relationships among ideas, making this accomplished essay easy to follow.

English II Assessment

Eligible Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

STAAR English II Page 1 of 12

Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

December 2013



December 2013

STAAR English II Assessment

Genres Assessed: Literary Informational • Fiction (Readiness) • Expository (Readiness) • Literary Nonfiction (Supporting) • Persuasive (Supporting) • Poetry (Supporting) • Procedural (Embedded, Supporting) • Drama (Supporting) • Media Literacy (Embedded, Supporting) • Media Literacy (Embedded, Supporting)

Reporting Category 1: Understanding and Analysis Across Genres The student will demonstrate the ability to understand and analyze a variety of written texts across reading genres.

(1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to

(A) determine the meaning of grade-level technical academic English words in multiple content areas (e.g., science, mathematics, social studies, the arts) derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes; Supporting Standard

(B) analyze textual context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words; Readiness Standard

(C) infer word meaning through the identification and analysis of analogies and other word relationships; Supporting Standard

(D) show the relationship between the origins and meaning of foreign words or phrases used frequently in written English and historical events or developments (e.g., glasnost, avant-garde, coup d’état); Supporting Standard

(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine or confirm the meanings of words and phrases, including their connotations and denotations, and their etymology. Readiness Standard

(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) compare and contrast differences in similar themes expressed in different time periods; Supporting Standard



December 2013

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas and details in several texts selected to reflect a range of viewpoints on the same topic and support those findings with textual evidence. Supporting Standard

(Figure 19) Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message. The student is expected to

(B) make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. Readiness Standard



December 2013

Reporting Category 2: Understanding and Analysis of Literary Texts The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze literary texts.

(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(B) analyze archetypes (e.g., journey of a hero, tragic flaw) in mythic, traditional and classical literature; Supporting Standard

(C) relate the figurative language of a literary work to its historical and cultural setting. Supporting Standard

(3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) analyze the structure or prosody (e.g., meter, rhyme scheme) and graphic elements (e.g., line length, punctuation, word position) in poetry. Supporting Standard

(4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) analyze how archetypes and motifs in drama affect the plot of plays. Supporting Standard

(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) analyze isolated scenes and their contribution to the success of the plot as a whole in a variety of works of fiction; Readiness Standard

(B) analyze differences in the characters’ moral dilemmas in works of fiction across different countries or cultures; Supporting Standard

(C) evaluate the connection between forms of narration (e.g., unreliable, omniscient) and tone in works of fiction. Supporting Standard



December 2013

(6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) evaluate the role of syntax and diction and the effect of voice, tone, and imagery on a speech, literary essay, or other forms of literary nonfiction. Supporting Standard

(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author’s sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) explain the function of symbolism, allegory, and allusions in literary works. Supporting Standard

(12) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students are expected to

(A) evaluate how messages presented in media reflect social and cultural views in ways different from traditional texts; Supporting Standard

(D) evaluate changes in formality and tone within the same medium for specific audiences and purposes. Supporting Standard


(B) make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. Readiness Standard (Fiction) / Supporting Standard (Literary Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama, Media Literacy)



December 2013

Reporting Category 3: Understanding and Analysis of Informational Texts The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze informational texts.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author’s purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) analyze the controlling idea and specific purpose of a passage and the textual elements that support and elaborate it, including both the most important details and the less important details. Readiness Standard

(9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to

(A) summarize text and distinguish between a summary and a critique and identify non-essential information in a summary and unsubstantiated opinions in a critique; Readiness Standard

(B) distinguish among different kinds of evidence (e.g., logical, empirical, anecdotal) used to support conclusions and arguments in texts; Supporting Standard

(C) make and defend subtle inferences and complex conclusions about the ideas in text and their organizational patterns. Readiness Standard

(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to

(A) explain shifts in perspective in arguments about the same topic and evaluate the accuracy of the evidence used to support the different viewpoints within those arguments. Supporting Standard



December 2013

(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to

(A) evaluate text for the clarity of its graphics and its visual appeal; Supporting Standard

(B) synthesize information from multiple graphical sources to draw conclusions about the ideas presented (e.g., maps, charts, schematics). Supporting Standard

(12) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students are expected to

(A) evaluate how messages presented in media reflect social and cultural views in ways different from traditional texts; Supporting Standard

(D) evaluate changes in formality and tone within the same medium for specific audiences and purposes. Supporting Standard


(B) make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. Readiness Standard (Expository) / Supporting Standard (Persuasive, Procedural, Media Literacy)



December 2013

Reporting Category 4: Composition The student will demonstrate an ability to compose a variety of written texts with a clear, controlling thesis; coherent organization; sufficient development; and effective use of language and conventions.

(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to

(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers, lists) and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and rhetorical devices used to convey meaning; Readiness Standard

(C) revise drafts to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed; Readiness Standard

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Readiness Standard

*(15) Writing/Expository [and Procedural] Texts. Students write expository [and procedural or work-related] texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to

(A) write an [analytical] essay of sufficient length Readiness Standard

that includes (i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of

sentence structures;

(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;

(iii) a thesis or controlling idea;

(iv) an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context;

(v) relevant evidence and well-chosen details;

(vi) distinctions about the relative value of specific data, facts, ideas that support the thesis statement.

*Expository writing will no longer be assessed on STAAR English II. However, expository writing will continue to be the type of writing assessed on STAAR Modified English II, since April 2014 will be the last administration of that assessment.



December 2013

(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience Readiness Standard

that includes (A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise

and relevant evidence;

(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context;

(E) an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas.



December 2013

Genres Represented in the Revision and Editing Sections of the Test: Literary Informational • Literary Nonfiction • Expository • Persuasive

Reporting Category 5: Revision The student will demonstrate an ability to revise a variety of written texts.


(C) revise drafts to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed. Readiness Standard

(15) Writing/Expository [and Procedural] Texts. Students write expository [and procedural or work-related] texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to

(A) write an [analytical] essay of sufficient length that includes

(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures; Supporting Standard

(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs; Supporting Standard

(iii) a thesis or controlling idea; Supporting Standard

(iv) an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context; Supporting Standard

(v) relevant evidence and well-chosen details; Supporting Standard

(vi) distinctions about the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas that support the thesis statement. Supporting Standard

(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience that includes

(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence; Supporting Standard

(C) counter–arguments based on evidence to anticipate and address objections; Supporting Standard



December 2013

(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context; Supporting Standard

(E) an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas; Supporting Standard

(F) a range of appropriate appeals (e.g., descriptions, anecdotes, case studies, analogies, illustrations). Supporting Standard



December 2013

Reporting Category 6: Editing The student will demonstrate an ability to edit a variety of texts.


(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Readiness Standard

(17) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when [speaking and] writing. Students are expected to

(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, [and speaking]: Readiness Standard

(i) more complex active and passive tenses and verbals (gerunds, infinitives, participles); Supporting Standard

(ii) restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses; Supporting Standard

(iii) reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another); Supporting Standard

(C) use a variety of correctly structured sentences (e.g., compound, complex, compound-complex). Readiness Standard

(18) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions. Students are expected to

(A) use conventions of capitalization; Readiness Standard

(B) use correct punctuation marks Readiness Standard

including (i) comma placement in nonrestrictive phrases, clauses, and

contrasting expressions; Supporting Standard

(ii) quotation marks to indicate sarcasm or irony. Supporting Standard

(19) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to

(A) spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings. Readiness Standard

2017 texas staar test end of course english 2 texas staar test – end of course – english 2 total...

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