2017 texas staar test grade 7 writing - scott … texas staar test – grade 7 – writing total...

2017 TEXAS STAAR TEST – GRADE 7 – WRITING

Total Possible Score: 46 Needed Correct to Pass: 32

Needed Correct to Master: 38

Time Limit: 4 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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No tax dollars were used for this web site.

®STAARState of Texas

Assessments of Academic Readiness

GRADE 7 Writing

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

Writing

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Writing

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WRITTEN COMPOSITION

Writing

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WRITTEN COMPOSITION: Expository

READ the information in the box below.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy said that the United States should set a goal of landing an American on the moon by 1970. After much hard work and preparation, two Americans landed on the moon in 1969.

THINK carefully about the following statement.

Some people think it is easier to accomplish something if they set a goal in advance.

WRITE an essay explaining why setting a goal is important.

Be sure to —

• clearly state your controlling idea• organize and develop your explanation effectively• choose your words carefully• use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

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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.

Writing

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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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REVISING AND

EDITING

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

Isaiah has written the following narrative about a time when he briefly questioned a decision. Read Isaiah’s paper and look for any revisions he should make. Then answer the questions that follow.

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Have I Made a Mistake? (1) My sweaty toes are clenched inside my black-and-white tennis shoes.

(2) I glance at my hands and notice that my knuckles have turned white. (3) I

decide that perhaps I should loosen my grip on the heavy bar that’s pressing against

my chest. (4) Unfortunately, my hands aren’t interested in what my brain is telling

them to do. (5) I consider for a moment whether getting on the Viper was a good

life choice, but the sudden forward movement of the roller coaster makes me realize

that it’s too late for second-guessing.

(6) I look ahead to see a blurry tunnel approaching at what must be about

60 miles an hour. (7) I wonder briefly what it would feel like to hit the roof of the

tunnel at this speed and decide that it’s probably better not to think of such things.

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(8) A shrill scream snaps me out of my daydream from the car behind me and

returns my focus to the world around me. (9) All I can hear is the whoosh of the

wind, the thunder of the car’s metallic wheels, and shrieks of my fellow passengers

that are piercing. (10) I’m certain now that I have indeed made a poor life choice,

but the ride isn’t over, so I must just hold on and hope to survive.

(11) The pressure of the wind on my face and eyes becomes extreme. (12) I

feel as though I might get sick, but I try hard to overcome my nausea. (13) As the

Viper continues to twist and turn, I hang on for dear life. (14) When I’m sure I can’t

take another second of this “adventure,” the roller coaster bursts out of the tunnel

and up into the air. (15) The car begins looping upward, and the feeling of being

upside down suddenly feels liberating. (16) I look down and notice all the park

attractions and all the people having fun. (17) A feeling of exhilaration comes over

me. (18) At that moment I no longer regret taking a chance on this adventure.

(19) As the car turns upright and glides to a halt in the station, I know exactly what

I’m going to do next. (20) Do it again.

Writing

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1 What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 4?

A Unfortunately, my hands aren’t interested, they don’t care what my brain is telling them to do.

B Unfortunately, my hands aren’t interested in what my brain is telling my hands to do.

C Unfortunately, my hands and my brain aren’t interested in what it is telling them to do.

D No revision is needed in this sentence.

2 What is the BEST way to revise sentence 8?

F A shrill scream snaps me out of my daydream, and from the car behind me, it returns my focus to the world around me.

G A shrill scream snaps me out of my daydream and returns my focus to the world around me, it came from the car behind me.

H A shrill scream from the car behind me snaps me out of my daydream and returns my focus to the world around me.

J A shrill scream snaps me out of my daydream from the car behind me, returning my focus to the world around me.

3 What is the BEST revision to make in sentence 9?

A All I can hear is the whoosh of the wind, the thunder of the car’s metallic wheels, and the piercing shrieks of my fellow passengers.

B All I can hear is the whoosh of the wind and the thunder of the car’s metallic wheels, I can also hear my fellow passengers who have piercing shrieks.

C All I can hear is the whoosh of the wind and the thunder of the car’s metallic wheels and my fellow passengers and their piercing shrieks.

D All I can hear is the whoosh of the wind next to the thunder of the car’s metallic wheels beside my fellow passengers who have piercing shrieks.

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4 Isaiah would like to add some detail to support the idea he has presented in sentence 14. Which sentence could BEST follow and provide support for sentence 14?

F I’m thinking that the ride will be over soon.

G It comes out of the tunnel really fast and heads straight up into the air.

H The light of a beautiful day is welcome but nearly blinding after the darkness of the tunnel.

J While I find adventure movies intriguing, this doesn’t feel intriguing at all.

5 What is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 19?

A For example

B To repeat

C On the other hand

D In fact

6 Isaiah’s closing sentence is weak. Which of these sentences could replace sentence 20 and provide a more effective closing for this paper?

F I’m going to get right back in line and ride the Viper again!

G There’s no doubt in my mind as to what I will do now!

H Finally, I’m going to do it again.

J In closing, riding the Viper was an amazing experience.

Writing

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Ari would like to see a new program instituted at his school. He has written this paper to convince others that the program would be valuable in many ways. Read Ari’s paper and look for the revisions he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Our School Needs a Citizenship Program

(1) The bell rings, the lockers slam, and the crowded hallways empty as kids

and teachers fill the classrooms, ready to begin a new school day. (2) Students

study math, science, history, literature, music, and art. (3) They write essays, take

tests, do homework, and sports practices. (4) But should they do more? (5) Could

school be a place where students are part of something bigger than just academics

and activities? (6) The answer is yes. (7) Our school should join other schools and

have great projects for kids.

(8) My former school took part in a citizenship program. (9) At the beginning

of each semester, every homeroom class had to come up with a project that would

benefit the entire school. (10) Throughout the semester students in the class

worked together to complete the project.

(11) The projects students chose were as diverse

as the classes that selected them. (12) One class chose

to implement a recycling program in the cafeteria.

(13) A second class had the highest scores on the

midyear science exam. (14) Another class painted a

beautiful mural on one of the walls in the school’s

entryway. (15) Our class took over the garden that had

been planted near the front doors the previous year.

(16) This would be really good at our school.

(17) Research shows that students who volunteer their

time and talents feel better about themselves and make

better grades in school. (18) Furthermore, the work

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performed by students saves the school district money because students provide the

labor and local businesses often donate the materials. (19) Finally, students feel

more connected to a campus that they have helped clean, beautify, and organize.

(20) A citizenship program is a great way to get them involved in making a

school a more enjoyable place to learn. (21) At the end of the year, when they look

back on all they have accomplished, they feel proud of both themselves and their

school.

Writing

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7 What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 3?

A They write essays, take tests, and do homework while there are sports practices.

B They write essays, take tests, do homework, and attend sports practices.

C They write essays, take tests, and do homework, they also go to sports practices.

D Sentence 3 is written correctly in the paper.

8 Ari would like to revise sentence 7 so that it more clearly states the position he is taking in this paper. Which of the following could replace sentence 7 and BEST accomplish this goal?

F Our school should join other schools in implementing a citizenship program that will require service projects within the school.

G School can be a place where students are part of something bigger than just academics, classrooms, and lunchrooms.

H We as a school can offer programs that help kids do amazing things with their lives today and add to their futures.

J In this paper I’ll tell you how we can set some new goals and encourage kids in our school to be more responsible.

Writing

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9 Ari has left an important detail out of the second paragraph (sentences 8–10).

At the end of the grading period, each student received a citizenship grade in addition to his or her academic grades.

Where is the BEST place to insert this sentence?

A Before sentence 8

B After sentence 8

C After sentence 9

D After sentence 10

10 Ari has included an extraneous sentence in the third paragraph (sentences 11–15). Which sentence should be deleted from this paragraph?

F Sentence 12

G Sentence 13

H Sentence 14

J Sentence 15

11 Which of the following can replace sentence 16 and serve as a more effective topic sentence for the fourth paragraph (sentences 16–19)?

A A citizenship program at our school would offer many benefits.

B This would be really cool at our school, too.

C Everyone knows that kids who volunteer feel better about themselves.

D Students can be involved in a variety of projects with their classmates.

Writing

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12 The meaning of sentence 20 can be clarified by changing them to —

F businesses

G programs

H students

J schools

13 Ari wants to close his paper with a call to action. Which of these sentences could be added after sentence 21 to accomplish this goal?

A In closing, students will be proud of what they’ve done to improve their school and community.

B A citizenship program is a valuable idea for helping people get things done that might not otherwise be done.

C Let’s give students at our school an opportunity to experience that pride by beginning a citizenship program here.

D Clearly, the extra work is worth the effort for everyone who is involved in creating a citizenship program today.

Writing

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In the following paper Gabe hopes to persuade readers to have a more upbeat outlook on Mondays. Read Gabe’s paper and look for any corrections he should make. When you finish, answer the questions that follow.

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Happy Monday! (1) When it comes to days of the week, Monday has a bad reputation. (2) I

surveyed friends, and the results were overwhelming. (3) When asked which day of

the week they like the least, 90 percent of my respondents chose Monday. (4) Not

one person selected Monday as his or her favorite day. (5) Songwriters has even

written lyrics about dreading Mondays. (6) In the 1960s a musical group had a hit

titled “Monday, Monday.” (7) They sang, “Every other day of the week is fine, yeah.

(8) But whenever Monday comes, you can find me crying all of the time.” (9) I don’t

agree with all these sentaments. (10) In fact, I think that Monday is actually the

best day of the week.

(11) First of all, consider all the good things that happen on Mondays. (12) If

you are a sports fan, you may get to watch Monday Night Football in the Fall.

(13) Furthermore, quite a few legal holidays, including Presidents’ Day, Memorial

Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day, they are celebrated on Mondays. (14) That

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means that several times a year, a Monday provides a three-day weekend. (15) And

according to consumer websites Monday is the best day to get a good deal on a car

because there aren’t as many people shopping on the first day of the workweek.

(16) Experts say that you can also get the best online deals on Mondays. (17) This

is especially true for electronics, such as computers, TVs, and video games.

(18) To me, however, there’s something even more important about

Mondays. (19) Each Monday symbolizes a new beginning. (20) For example, last

week I got behind on my homework, and had to spend the weekend catching up.

(21) But as soon as Monday arrived, I had a clean slate. (22) Another week I forgot

to do some of my chores, so I had to forfeit going to a movie with my friends.

(23) Once Monday came, my parents gave me a fresh start. (24) I also love

Mondays because we frequently start new lessons at school at the beginning of the

week. (25) While last weeks topics may have been boring, Monday can bring a new

book to read, experiment to conduct, or math concept to tackle.

(26) I realize that I was probably not going to convince everyone that Monday

is the best day of the week, but hopefully I can encourage a few people to change

their attitude. (27) The next time a Monday rolls around, think about all the good

things that could happen and look forward to the day instead of dreading it.

(28) There’s no way to avoid Mondays, so join me in making the best of it. (29) Who

knows? (30) You might even start liking the first day of the workweek.

Third party trademark Monday Night Football® was used in these testing materials.

Writing

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14 What change needs to be made in sentence 5?

F Change has even written to has even wrote

G Change has even written to have even written

H Change has even written to even writing

J No change needs to be made.

15 What change should be made in sentence 9?

A Change I to And

B Insert a comma after agree

C Change sentaments to sentiments

D Make no change

16 How does sentence 12 need to be changed?

F Change are to were

G Delete the comma

H Insert a comma after Football

J Change Fall to fall

Writing

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17 What is the correct way to write sentence 13?

A Furthermore, quite a few legal holidays are celebrated on Mondays. Including Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.

B Furthermore, quite a few legal holidays, including Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day, are celebrated on Mondays.

C Furthermore, quite a few legal holidays, including Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day. They are celebrated on Mondays.

D Sentence 13 is written correctly in the paper.


F Change consumer to consummer

G Insert a comma after websites

H Change as many to hardly as many

J Change shopping to shoping


A Change example to exampel

B Change got to gotten

C Delete the comma after homework

D Change had to have

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F Change weeks to week’s

G Change boring to borring

H Change the first comma to a period

J Change experiment to experament


A Change was to am

B Delete the comma after week

C Change their to there

D Change attitude to atitude


F Change There’s to There isn’t

G Change me to myself

H Insert a comma after me

J Change it to them

Writing

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

Crystal is interested in scuba diving and hopes to someday translate this interest into a career. She wrote this paper to tell about some of the job opportunities available for professional divers. Read Crystal’s paper and look for any corrections she should make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Diving In (1) Many people associate scuba diving with glamorous tropical resorts.

(2) They think of instructors who teach curious tourists to dive and underwater

photographers who take pictures of elaberate coral reefs. (3) Some even assume

that these kinds of jobs are all that professional scuba divers do, but that’s not true.

(4) Today there are a wide variety of careers that involved diving in not only oceans

but also aquariums, rivers, lakes, ponds, and even water tanks.

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(5) Many zoos and aquariums have large underwater exhibits filled with

beautiful aquatic plants and exotic marine life. (6) But among the plants and fish,

there may also be a diver busyly cleaning the inside of the giant tank. (7) Aquarium

divers have other responsibilities, too. (8) They monitor the health of the aquarium

inhabitants and take care of the plants. (9) They may also participate in some

attraction activities, such as feeding sharks and swimming with dolphins.

(10) Working at an aquarium is a dream job for some divers. (11) An employee at

an aquarium in the Tampa Bay area commented, “I am able to indulge my passion

for aquatic science while making a decent living and working with excellent people.”

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(12) Being a golf-ball diver is another interesting way to earn a living while

scuba diving. (13) About 100 million golf balls are scooped out of golf course ponds

every year. (14) Brett Parker, a professional golf-ball diver, regularly suits up, drives

across a golf course, and sinks to the bottom of a murky pond. (15) When he

surfaces, he usually has a heavy bag. (16) Filled with hundreds of golf balls that

have mistakenly landed in the pond. (17) Parker then sells the balls to a company

that cleans them and resells them to consumers. (18) On a average day Parker can

collect as many as 3,000 golf balls.

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(19) There are also diving jobs that can involve some danger. (20) One of

these is water-tower diving. (21) The water towers that supply our communities

with drinking water requires regular maintenance. (22) The outsides of these tanks

are manageable enough, but professional divers must be hired to inspect, clean, and

maintain the insides of the tanks. (23) The divers have to climb more than 100 feet

up a tower and then descend into very dark and often cold water. (24) And because

the tanks are usually operating at the same time, the divers must be very careful

when they are inside.

(25) If you’re planning to pursue a career in diving someday you may want to

stick to the more glamorous diving jobs. (26) However, it’s good to know that there

are other opportunities available. (27) As a professional diver, the choice will be

yours!

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23 How should sentence 2 be changed?

A Change They to You

B Change pictures to picture’s

C Change elaberate to elaborate

D Sentence 2 should not be changed.


F Change variety to vareity

G Change that to they

H Change involved to involve

J No change needs to be made in sentence 4.


A Delete the comma

B Change there to their

C Change busyly to busily

D No change should be made.

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26 What is the correct way to write sentences 15 and 16?

F When he surfaces, he usually has a heavy bag, it is filled with hundreds of golf balls that have mistakenly landed in the pond.

G When he surfaces, he usually has a heavy bag filled with hundreds of golf balls. That have mistakenly landed in the pond.

H When he surfaces, he usually has a heavy bag filled with hundreds of golf balls they have mistakenly landed in the pond.

J When he surfaces, he usually has a heavy bag filled with hundreds of golf balls that have mistakenly landed in the pond.


A Change a to an

B Change average to averege

C Change can collect to collecting

D No change should be made in sentence 18.

28 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 21?

F Change communities to community’s

G Change requires to require

H Change maintenance to maintanence

J Make no change

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29 How should sentence 24 be changed?

A Change are usually operating to is usually operating

B Delete the comma

C Change they to you

D Sentence 24 should not be changed.


F Change you’re to your

G Insert a comma after diving

H Insert a comma after someday

J Change you may want to to and may want to

BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS Writing

Page 28 ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT. STOP

STAAR GRADE 7

Writing March 2017

801268

STAAR® Grade 7 Writing 2017 Release

Answer Key Paper

Item Number

Reporting Category

Readiness or Supporting

Content Student Expectation

Correct Answer

Prompt 1 Readiness 7.17(A) * 1 2 Readiness 7.14(C) D 2 2 Readiness 7.14(C) H 3 2 Readiness 7.14(C) A 4 2 Readiness 7.14(C) H 5 2 Readiness 7.14(C) D 6 2 Readiness 7.14(C) F 7 2 Readiness 7.14(C) B 8 2 Supporting 7.18(A) F 9 2 Supporting 7.18(C) D

10 2 Supporting 7.18(C) G 11 2 Supporting 7.18(C) A 12 2 Readiness 7.14(C) H 13 2 Readiness 7.14(C) C 14 3 Supporting 7.19(A) G 15 3 Readiness 7.21(A) C 16 3 Readiness 7.20(A) J 17 3 Readiness 7.19(C) B 18 3 Supporting 7.20(B) G 19 3 Readiness 7.20(B) C 20 3 Readiness 7.20(B) F 21 3 Supporting 7.19(A) A 22 3 Readiness 7.14(D) J 23 3 Readiness 7.21(A) C 24 3 Supporting 7.19(A) H 25 3 Readiness 7.21(A) C 26 3 Readiness 7.19(C) J 27 3 Readiness 7.14(D) A 28 3 Supporting 7.19(A) G 29 3 Readiness 7.14(D) D 30 3 Supporting 7.20(B) H

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

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

STAAR Grade 7 Expository

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 explanatory 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 topic specified in the prompt, but the controlling idea is missing, unclear, or illogical. The writer may fail to maintain focus on the topic, 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 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 essay is ineffective because the writer uses details and examples that 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 expository 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 expository purpose and does not establish a tone appropriate to the task. The 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 age-appropriate 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 Grade 7March 2017 Expository — 1

Score Point 1The controlling idea of this response is that goal setting is needed to make accomplishments happen. The brief mention of “a goal to pass to the next level” and “getting to the moon” provides vague development, and repetition of the importance of preparing a goal causes a weak progression of ideas. Additionally, the student’s limited word choice, awkward sentence construction, and errors in conventions impede the clarity and quality of this very limited writing performance.


Score Point 1Instead of explaining the importance of setting a goal, the writer of this very limited writing performance shares a personal narrative about how goal setting “paid off.” Although the writer addresses the topic of setting goals, the organizing structure of the response is inappropriate to the expository purpose. The controlling idea is missing, and the development is weak because the details tell only what happened as the writer moves through time with the first practice, the try-out, and the result of making the team. Overall, the writer’s response to the prompt is confused and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the expository writing task.


Score Point 1This essay begins with the writer describing a hypothetical scenario to establish his controlling idea, which focuses on the importance of setting a goal. Although the writer attempts to tie the importance of goals to a personal example about preparing for a test, no connection is made between study habits and achievement. Instead, random examples of goal setting (International Space Station; building monuments) are only briefly presented and are not linked to the controlling idea stated in the last paragraph (“If nobody ever had a goal nothing would be accomplished”). In addition to insufficient development, perfunctory transitions and sentence-to-sentence connections do not support the flow of ideas or show the relationship among ideas. The result is a weak progression of ideas in this very limited writing performance.


Score Point 1The writer of this very limited writing performance introduces the controlling idea that goals are important because they help people work hard through them. The writer attempts to organize ideas by presenting rhetorical questions as topic sentences to each paragraph; however, the vague and repetitious answers to those questions (go get them) inside the paragraphs contribute little substance and impede the flow of ideas in the essay. Overall, the writer develops the essay in a manner that demonstrates a lack of understanding of the expository writing task.



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 expository task.

qq Most ideas are generally related to the topic specified in the prompt, but the writer’s controlling idea is weak or somewhat unclear. The lack of an effective controlling idea 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 essay is superficial because the writer uses details and examples that 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 expository writing task.


qq The writer’s word choice may be general or imprecise. It reflects a basic awareness of the expository purpose but does little to establish a tone appropriate to the task. The 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 age-appropriate 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 response, the writer offers the somewhat unclear controlling idea that goals make people want to accomplish everything and goals are ways “to think about your future.” However, the writer then shifts from idea to idea about goals (the importance of determination; examples of goals; the effects of goals on people; many people set goals; goals are important to set). These ideas are not specifically linked to the controlling idea and are superficially developed. Repetition causes an uncontrolled progression of ideas, weak development, and a lack of focus. All these factors contribute to an essay that represents a basic writing performance.


Score Point 2In this basic writing performance, the writer introduces the controlling idea that one must set a goal to accomplish something. The writer attempts to support the idea with two examples: how Abraham Lincoln set a goal to end slavery and how college football players set goals to become professional football players. However, the essay is superficial because the details the writer chooses are too partially presented to contribute to the development in a substantial way. Extraneous information about many people having goals and about the possibility of people having more than one goal in life stalls the progression of ideas and impedes the coherence of the essay. Overall, this essay represents a basic writing performance.


Score Point 2In this basic writing performance, the writer introduces the controlling idea that “you should always set a goal if you want something to be done.” To support this idea, the writer states that “setting goals makes you work harder” and prevents you from quitting, as long as the goal is “reasonable.” The writer concludes with the idea that goals help you “reach your best work.” Although the progression of ideas is clear, the writer’s word choice is general, and the details and examples are too briefly presented to be effective. Overall, the writer demonstrates a limited understanding of the expository writing task.


Score Point 2The controlling idea of this formulaic response is that goal setting “makes things easier to accomplish and it helps you push for the goal.” To support this idea, the writer provides minimal explanation about how goal setting makes it easier to clean a room and run the mile; however, the details are too briefly presented to add substantive development and are not clearly tied to the controlling idea. In addition, wordiness and repetition of “easier to accomplish” and “pushing” to reach goals cause minor disruptions in the flow of the essay. Perfunctory transitions and sentence-to-sentence connections are too weak to show the relationships among ideas. As a result, the essay demonstrates that the writer has a limited understanding of the expository writing task, resulting in 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 expository task.

qq The writer establishes a clear controlling idea. Most ideas are related to the controlling idea and are focused on the topic 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 because the writer uses details and examples that are specific and appropriate, adding some substance to the essay.

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 expository writing task.


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

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

qq The writer demonstrates an adequate command of sentence boundaries and age-appropriate 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 3Beginning this essay with the observation, “Growing up can be hard; especially when you don’t know what to do,” the writer reveals the controlling idea that goals allow you to “become a new person and reach heights you thought were unattainable.” To support this idea, the writer provides a specific example about how Taylor Swift set and achieved goals in various stages of her singing career. Although the third paragraph is weakened by the inclusion of only general statements about how goals help people in life (Without setting goals people would just give up; People have created more things by using goals), overall the writer develops the essay in a manner that demonstrates a good understanding of the expository writing task. The writer ties the ideas together with some thoughtfulness in the concluding paragraph. Additionally, specific word choice, varied sentence structures, and a control of sentence boundaries contribute to this satisfactory writing performance.


Score Point 3The writer begins this essay with the controlling idea that goals have allowed many people over time to achieve “something they always dreamed of doing.” The writer offers two examples (Thomas Edison’s persistent attempts to develop a light bulb; Michael Jordan’s repeated attempts to make his high school basketball team) to support this idea with sufficient development that adds some thoughtfulness to the essay. The progression of ideas is generally logical and controlled, although meaningful transitions between the two body paragraphs would better support the flow of ideas. The conclusion adds to the response by challenging the reader to work hard to achieve a great future. In addition, the writer’s word choice is clear and specific, enhancing this satisfactory writing performance.


Score Point 3The controlling idea of this response is that goal setting “strategically helps you plan” how to achieve a goal and keeps you determined. The writer provides two examples (John F. Kennedy planning the task of putting a man on the moon; a basketball player’s determination to play professionally). Although the example about how daily practice improves a man’s basketball skills is somewhat general, the John F. Kennedy example is specific and thoughtful, with clear and appropriate word choice that contributes to the effectiveness of the essay. In the conclusion, the student ends the composition by stating the controlling idea. In addition, the writer adds some thoughtfulness by comparing accomplishing a goal to reaching the finish line, “even though there are hurdles on the way.” Overall, this response represents a satisfactory writing performance.


Score Point 3The student states the controlling idea of this response in the first two sentences of the paper. The writer develops the controlling idea by briefly mentioning two relevant historical examples (Christopher Columbus; the Wright Brothers) and then focusing on a philosophical view of setting goals. The second paragraph explains how even small goals can have “a snowball effect on your life.” The development of this idea reflects some thoughtfulness by the writer’s observation that not having many goals “makes life arduous down the road.” In the third paragraph, the writer adds an example about playing soccer to support the idea that goals will “keep you on the path to success.” The progression of ideas is sufficient to support the flow of the essay and show the relationship among ideas. This response demonstrates a 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 expository task.

qq The writer establishes a clear controlling idea. All ideas are strongly related to the controlling idea and are focused on the topic 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 effective because the writer uses details and examples that are specific and well chosen, adding substance to the essay.

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


qq The writer’s word choice is purposeful and precise. It reflects a keen awareness of the expository purpose and maintains a tone appropriate to the task. The 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 age-appropriate 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 clear controlling idea of this accomplished writing performance is that setting goals is “essential” because it “raises one’s success rate and gives [people] something to work towards.” Although the first example about John F. Kennedy’s quest to put a man on the moon repeats information provided in the prompt, the writer adds specific details that add substance to the response. The second example about VIA’s (the San Antonio transit agency) goal to put more streetcar routes in downtown San Antonio is also strongly related to the controlling idea. By sustaining focus on how goal setting is related to accomplishments, the writer is able to craft an essay that is unified and coherent. Meaningful transitions and the inclusion of strong sentence-to-sentence connections allow the reader to easily follow the writer’s train of thought. The quality of the essay is strengthened by a consistent command of conventions as well as purposeful and precise word choice. Overall, this essay reflects a keen awareness of the expository task.


Score Point 4In this skillfully crafted essay, the writer establishes the controlling idea that a goal gives you a path to take so you can become better at whatever you wish. The writer develops an extended metaphor by explaining that goals prevent you from swerving off course (with daily schoolwork) and by sharing the observation that a goal works like a rental car after an accident (You may run into issues but should always keep on your way). To reinforce the idea of continuing on despite roadblocks, the writer provides a quotation from the movie Toy Story (“To Infinity and Beyond!”), explaining that the message encourages people to reach a goal and then “crave to go beyond it.” The strong transitions within paragraphs and precise word choice enhance the effectiveness of the piece. Additionally, the introduction and conclusion contribute to the unity and coherence of this accomplished writing performance.


Score Point 4The writer of this composition begins the response with the observation that “No one wants to go through life in a conglomeration of regret, unfulfilled dreams, and muddled half-ideas” to establish the clear controlling idea that setting goals “keeps you focused on a single task at a time.” Using a compare-contrast organizational structure, the writer compares long-term with short-term goals and provides personal examples of each (building a model of a fish and learning how to skateboard). With specific, well-chosen details, the writer is able to craft an essay that is unified and coherent. The sentence-to-sentence connections enhance the flow of ideas, and purposeful, precise word choice further contributes to the quality and clarity of this accomplished writing performance.


Score Point 4The writer of this engaging response offers the controlling idea that “Setting a goal helps make a task easier and increases the chances of reaping success.” The student uses an organizational strategy that begins with a general description of the process of how to set a goal. In the next paragraph, the student provides a specific example of someone who used this process and reaped success by winning the National Geographic Bee. This strategy unifies the piece. Inside each paragraph, the student is able to maintain a nice expository tone by using precise and relevant word choice. The writer shares a unique view of the world and connects ideas in interesting ways, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the expository task. Throughout the essay, strong sentence-to-sentence connections enhance the flow of the essay and contribute to the coherence and unity of this accomplished writing performance.

Grade 7 Writing Assessment

Eligible Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

October 2015

STAAR Grade 7 Writing Assessment Reporting Category 1: Composition The student will demonstrate an ability to compose a variety of written texts with a clear, controlling idea; coherent organization; sufficient development; and effective use of language and conventions.

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

(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing; Readiness Standard

(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view; use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the use of effective transitions 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

(17) 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 a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic Readiness Standard

that (i) presents effective introductions and concluding

paragraphs;

(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;

STAAR Grade 7 Writing Page 2 of 6


October 2015

(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous information or inconsistencies;

(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and

(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs.



October 2015

Reporting Category 2: Revision The student will demonstrate an ability to revise a variety of written texts.


(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view; use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the use of effective transitions after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed. Readiness Standard

(17) 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 a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that

(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs; Supporting Standard

(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea; Supporting Standard

(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous information or inconsistencies; Supporting Standard

(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; Supporting Standard

(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs. Supporting Standard

(18) 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 a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience that

(A) establishes a clear thesis or position; Supporting Standard

(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that differentiates between fact and opinion. Supporting Standard



October 2015

Reporting Category 3: Editing The student will demonstrate an ability to edit a variety of texts.


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

(19) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to

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

(i) verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles; Supporting Standard

(ii) appositive phrases; Supporting Standard

(iii) adverbial and adjectival phrases and clauses; Supporting Standard

(iv) conjunctive adverbs (e.g., consequently, furthermore, indeed); Supporting Standard

(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement; Supporting Standard

(vi) relative pronouns (e.g., whose, that, which); Supporting Standard

(vii) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, since); Supporting Standard

(viii) transitions for sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph coherence; Supporting Standard

(B) write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate clauses; Supporting Standard

(C) use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that include properly placed modifiers, correctly identified antecedents, parallel structures, and consistent tenses. Readiness Standard



October 2015

(20) [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) recognize and use punctuation marks Readiness Standard

including (i) commas after introductory words, phrases, and clauses;

Supporting Standard

(ii) semicolons, colons, and hyphens. Supporting Standard

(21) [Oral and] Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings. Students are expected to

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



October 2015

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