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Louisiana Guide to the PARCC Assessments for Grades 6-8
English Language Arts/Literacy
This guide includes:
 Purpose of Assessment Guide
 Introduction to PARCC
 Design of the ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments
 Overview of PARCC ELA/Literacy Claims and Reporting Information
 Evidence Statements
 PARCC Policies Affecting Test Administration
 PARCC ELA/Literacy Item Types
 Resources
 Glossary
I.
Purpose of Assessment Guide
This document is designed to assist Louisiana educators in understanding the Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments for grades 6-8, which will be implemented beginning
in spring 2015.
II.
Introduction to PARCC
In grades 3-8 for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, Louisiana has chosen to adopt the assessments
developed by PARCC, a group of states working together to develop high-quality assessments driven by the
following priorities:
 Determine whether students are college- and career-ready or “on track”
 Assess the full range of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), including standards that are
difficult to measure
 Measure the full range of student performance, including the performance of high- and lowperforming students
 Provide data during the academic year to inform instruction, interventions, and professional
development
 Provide data for accountability, including measures of growth
 Incorporate innovative approaches throughout the assessment system
Louisiana has been a member of the PARCC consortium since its inception. As a result, many Louisiana
educators at the school, district, state, and college/university levels have and are continuing to serve on
various committees. These include, but are not limited to, the development of PARCC’s policies and
procedures and the extensive review of PARCC assessment items.
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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III.
Design of the ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments
The PARCC ELA/Literacy assessments focus on an integrated approach to reading and writing and are based on
assessment advances that reflect an effective ELA classroom:






careful, close reading of authentic complex literary and informational texts, not artificially produced or
commissioned passages
a full range of reading and writing across the disciplines, including science and social studies texts, and
a research task that asks for the synthesis of ideas across a range of informational resources
questions worth answering, ordered in a way that builds meaning
a focus on students citing evidence from texts throughout the assessment (including selected-response
items)
a focus on words that matter most in the texts, which include words essential to understanding a
particular text and academic vocabulary that can be found throughout complex texts
writing tasks that require students to write to sources and allow for a range of responses that
demonstrate what students know and can do
These changes are incorporated into the PARCC summative assessments for ELA/Literacy, which include two
components:
The Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) is administered after approximately 75% of the school year
is completed. The ELA/Literacy PBA at each grade level will focus on writing effectively when analyzing
texts and will include three tasks: a literary analysis, a research simulation, and a narrative task. For
each task, students will be asked to read one or more texts, answer several comprehension and
vocabulary questions, and write an essay that requires them to draw evidence from the text(s).
The End-of-Year Assessment (EOY) is administered after approximately 90% of the school year is
completed. The ELA/Literacy EOY at each grade level will include at least five texts, both literary and
informational, and will focus on reading comprehension. To be able to provide results quickly, the EOY
will consist entirely of computer-scored items.
Grades 6-8 Performance Based Assessment Design
Each PBA task is based on one of the grade-level task models, which include the focus of each task and the
standards measured. The following descriptions and examples provide additional information on each of the
PBA tasks:
1. Literary Analysis Task—provides students an opportunity to show their
understanding of literature. It asks students to read 2 literary texts, answer 6
selected-response questions about the texts, and write an extended response
that analyzes key ideas (e.g., development of theme, interaction of literary
elements, structure’s relationship to meaning, effects of point of view, etc.) in
the texts.
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
UPDATE:
Additional
Information
on PBA
Tasks
Page 2
Sample Literary Analysis Task (from Grade 8 PARCC ELA Practice Test):
In Confetti Girl and Tortilla Sun, the narrators have points of view different
from those of their parents. Write an essay analyzing how these differences
in points of view create tension in both stories. Remember to use details
from both texts to support your ideas.
UPDATE:
Prose
Constructed
Response
Samples
2. Research Simulation Task—mirrors the research process by presenting 3 texts on a given topic.
Students answer 9 selected-response questions about the texts and then write an extended response
that analyzes some aspect of the related texts (i.e., the purpose, the use of illustrations, the
relationship of ideas, the argument presented, etc.).
Sample Research Simulation Task (from Grade 7 PARCC ELA Practice Test):
You have learned about electricity by reading three articles, “Energy Story,” “Short Circuit,” and
“Conducting Solutions.”
In an essay, analyze how each source uses explanations, examples, and/or descriptions to help
accomplish its purpose. Support your response with evidence from each source.
3. Narrative Writing Task—asks students to read a literary text, answer 5 selected-response questions
about the text, and then create a narrative related to the text (i.e., finish the story, retell the story in
another narrative form or from a different point of view, etc.). Students should make sure that their
response is a narrative, not an expository response.
Sample Narrative Writing Task (from Grade 6 PARCC ELA Practice Test):
In the passage from Magic Elizabeth, the author creates a vivid setting and two distinct characters,
Mrs. Chipley and Sally. Think about the details the author uses to establish the setting and the
characters.
Write an original story about what happens when Sally arrives at Aunt Sarah’s house. In your story,
be sure to use what you have learned about the setting and the characters as you tell what happens
next.
The design document on the next page provides more detail about the following aspects of the PBA
assessment:

the number and types of passages and items

the claims and sub-claims measured

the maximum number of points possible for each dimension of the prose constructed response items
(PCRs)

descriptions of the dimensions measured on the PCRs, which are reflected in the PARCC rubrics
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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Glossary for Design Document
Claims and Sub-Claims: possible reporting categories
EBSR (evidence-based selected response): a two-part question requiring students to show understanding of a
text and provide textual evidence; “selected response” means students select, rather than write, their answers
PCR (prose constructed response): asks students to create an extended and complete written response
Grades 6-8 PBA Design
Task Type
Literary
Analysis Task
Research
Simulation
Task
Narrative
Writing Task
Totals
# of
Passages
2
(1 short
text and 1
extended
text)
3
(2 short
texts and
1 extended
text)
Claims/Sub-Claims
Number of Selected
Response/EBSR Items
(Total points)
Maximum # of
Points for each
dimension of
PCRs
Reading Literature
4(8)
4
Reading Vocabulary
2(4)
0
Writing/Written Expression
0
12
Written Expression: Development of idea,
organization, and word choice/style (3x the
score on this dimension)
Writing/ Knowledge
Language and Conventions
0
3
Knowledge of Language and Conventions:
holistic score based on control of skills in
standards L.1, 2, and 6
Reading Information
6(12)
4
Reading: Comprehension of Key Ideas and
Details
Reading Vocabulary
3(6)
0
Writing/Written Expression
0
12
Written Expression: Development of idea,
organization, and word choice/style (3x the
score on this dimension)
Writing/Knowledge
Language and Conventions
0
3
Knowledge of Language and Conventions:
holistic score based on control of skills in
standards L.1, 2, and 6
Reading
5(10)
0
Writing/Written Expression
0
12
Written Expression: Development of
narrative elements, organization, and word
choice (3x the score on this dimension)
Writing/Knowledge
Language and Conventions
0
3
Knowledge of Language and Conventions:
holistic score based on control of skills in
standards L.1, 2, and 6
NA
20(40) Reading
8 Reading
45 Writing
1 short text
6
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
Dimensions Measured for the PCRs (based
on PARCC rubrics)
Reading: Comprehension of Key Ideas and
Details
NA
Page 4
For detailed information about the unique standards and focus areas for each of the tasks by grade level, see
the updated design documents released by PARCC. On the PBA, the number of points was reduced on the
prose constructed response (PCR) items—the items requiring students to write. Review the Blueprints and
Test Specs on the PARCC website for additional information about the specific updates to the PBA design.
End of Year Assessment Design
The EOY specifications describe the number and types of texts and items, plus the claims and sub-claims
measured.
Grades 6-8 EOY Design
Claims/Sub-Claims
Item Types
# of EBSR items
(total points)
Reading/Reading Literature
4 (8)
Reading/Reading Vocabulary
1 (2)
Literary and/or
Informational
Reading/Major Claim
Reading/Reading Vocabulary
5 (10)
1 (2)
Informational
Reading/Reading Information
4 (8)
1 that is History/SS
(RH focused) or
Science/Technical
(RST focused)
Reading/Reading Vocabulary
1 (2)
# of Texts
Type of Text
1 short/medium text
400-600 words
Literary
2 paired texts
600-1000 words
1 short/medium text
400-600 words
1 medium/long length text
600-1000 words
1 that is RI, RH, or
RST focused
Reading/Reading Information
Reading/Reading Vocabulary
Totals
5 (10)
1 (2)
22 (44)
For detailed information about the unique standards by grade level for each type of text, see the updated
design documents released by PARCC. On the EOY test, the number of passages was reduced by one passage
and question set, which reduced the number of total points. Review the Blueprints and Test Specs on the
PARCC website for additional information about the specific updates to the EOY design.
For more specific information about the kinds of texts that will appear on the tests, refer to the PARCC
Passage Selection Guidelines.
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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IV.
Overview of PARCC ELA/Literacy Claims and Reporting Information
Many of the PARCC documents refer to claims when describing the way PARCC will measure and report
student performance. Instead of an assessment that focuses on specific and, sometimes, isolated skills, PARCC
tests are designed to determine if students are achieving the claims. Each claim, by using a combination of
standards, calls for students to demonstrate their deep understanding of the text. Within the PARCC
ELA/Literacy Assessment System, there are three types of claims:

Master Claim: measures the overall goal—students must demonstrate that they are “on track” for
college and career readiness

Major Claims: identify the extent to which students are “on track” by measuring
o Reading –close, analytic reading and the comparison and synthesis of ideas that are at the heart
of understanding complex literary works and informational texts, and
o Writing –the ability to write effectively when using and/or analyzing sources.

Sub-Claims: additional skills and understandings included in the major claims (The sub-claims integrate
all of the specific standards.)
The following graphic shows the relationships between the claims:
PARCC ELA/Literacy assessment results will be based on these claims, and student performance will be
reported according to five levels, captured in PARCC’s Draft Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs).
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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V.
Evidence Statements
To further assist educators, PARCC has released evidence tables for the Reading, Vocabulary, and Writing
claims noted above. These tables break down the standards into smaller parts to illustrate how each standard
will be assessed. Below are links to the PARCC evidence tables for grades 6-8:
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PARCC Grade 6 Reading Evidence Tables
PARCC Grade 7 Reading Evidence Tables
PARCC Grade 8 Reading Evidence Tables
PARCC Grades 6-8 Writing Evidence Tables
UPDATE:
New Links to
Evidence
Tables
An example of a grade 6 Reading Evidence Table follows. The number at the end of each evidence statement
identifies the number of ways a standard can be assessed. For example, standard RI.6.2 has multiple parts
(providing a statement of central idea, a statement of how the central idea is conveyed, and an objective
summary); therefore, these three parts may be assessed through separate test questions.
Sample Evidence Table (Grade 6)
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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VI.
PARCC Policies Affecting Test Administration
Testing Format and Administration Dates
The spring 2015 Administration of the PARCC assessment includes two separate test administration windows:
the Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) and the End-of-Year (EOY), both of which will be administered in
the paper-based format only to grades 3-8 Louisiana students. The table that follows provides the testing
dates for both components of the test.
Component
Format and Administration
Performance-Based
Assessment (PBA)
Test Administration Dates
Paper-based Tests (PBT): March 16-20, 2015
End-of-Year
Assessment (EOY)
Test Administration Dates
Paper-based Tests (PBT): May 4-8, 2015
Test Administration Sessions and Testing Times
Each component, the PBA and EOY, is made up of one or more testing sessions (units) depending on the grade
level. For grades 6-8, the PBA includes three sessions (units), one for each of the tasks; the EOY includes two
sessions (units). Only one session (unit) will be scheduled per day.
PARCC tests are strictly timed, and no additional time may be permitted, except for students who have a
documented (e.g., IEP) extended time accommodation. The table below shows the maximum amount of time
provided for each ELA/Literacy unit.
Grades 6-8 ELA/Literacy Session Times in Minutes
Maximum
Allowable Time
PBA Unit 1
PBA Unit 2
PBA Unit 3
EOY
EOY
Literary
Analysis Task
Research Simulation
Task
Narrative
Writing Task
Unit 1
Unit 2
75
90
60
60
60
Test Booklets
Students will record answers to the PARCC assessments in test booklets. There will be no separate answer
sheets.
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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General Information on Marking/Writing in the Test Booklet

Students are encouraged to mark the reading passages and questions in the test
booklets (e.g., highlight or underline evidence, annotate the passage, circle key
words in the questions, etc.), especially as part of their preparation in
responding to the prose constructed response questions on the PBA.
UPDATE:
Marking in
the Test
Booklet

Students may use non-carbon, yellow highlighters to highlight text in the test
booklet.

Highlighting text in options or placing an X to the right of the text in an option are recommended ways
for students to eliminate options. However, crossing out options could create scoring issues if students
mark through bubbles.
Permitted Testing Materials
Students will be permitted to have school-issued scratch paper only, which can be used to help students
prepare their responses to the Prose Constructed Response (PCR) items. Outlining/brainstorming and rough
draft pages will not be included in the test booklets, and Writer’s Checklists will not be provided.
Students will not be allowed to use dictionaries and thesauruses on any part of the test. Because the PARCC
tests integrate reading and writing, the use of a dictionary or thesaurus would compromise the measurement
of many reading standards. For example, a student would be able to look up key vocabulary words or other
words essential to measuring a student’s understanding of a text. Definitions will be provided for words that
are important to understanding the text but do not have sufficient context. The scoring of the written
responses takes into account the absence of such resources and the time constraints of each task.
VII. PARCC ELA/Literacy Item Types
The PARCC paper-based ELA/Literacy summative assessments include two different types of test items.
1) Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR): This item type appears on the PBA and EOY components of
the test. It has two parts for students to A) show their understanding of texts and B) provide evidence
that supports their understanding. This underscores the importance of Reading Anchor Standard 1
(evidence) for implementation of the CCSS.
UPDATE:
Scoring
Information/
MultipleSelect Items
All EBSR items are worth two points, and students can earn partial credit (1 point).
However, they must answer correctly the part that aligns to a specific standard and not
only the part that asks for evidence. This means that if part A asks students to
demonstrate their understanding of theme and part B asks for evidence of that theme,
students must answer part A correctly to receive any credit; they cannot receive partial
credit for answering only part B correctly. This emphasizes the importance of PARCC’s
assessments measuring students’ understanding of complex text.
Students will encounter questions that ask for 1 or more correct answers. When students are asked for
1 correct answer, they will choose from 4 answer options. When asked for 2 correct answers, they will
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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choose from 6 answer options, and for 3 correct answers, they will choose from 7 answer options.
Some of the grades with standards that ask for two main ideas may encounter questions that ask for
two correct answers in both part A and part B. The ELA PARCC test questions always identify the
number of required answers in boldface print in the stem of the question.
The EBSR examples that follow are taken from the PARCC ELA Practice Tests.
UPDATE:
New Sample
Items from
Practice
Tests
Sample EBSR Sample Item, Grade 6 (from PBA, Research Simulation Task)
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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Sample EBSR Multiple-Select Item, Grade 7 (from PBA, Narrative Writing Task)
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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Sample EBSR Multiple-Select Item, Grade 8 (from PBA, Literary Analysis Task)
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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2) Prose Constructed Response (PCR)—This item type appears only on the PBA component. It comes at
the end of each of the PBA tasks and asks students to create an extended and complete written response.
It elicits evidence that students have understood a text or texts they have read and can communicate that
understanding well, both in terms of written expression and knowledge of language and conventions.
PCR Sample Item, Grade 8 (from PBA, Literary Analysis Task):
Question: You have read excerpts from two novels focused on survival in the wilderness.
These excerpts are from:
• Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen
• Call of the Wild by Jack London
Consider how the main character in each excerpt reacts to the incidents that occur, and write
an essay in which you analyze how each character’s thoughts and actions reveal aspects of
his personality.
You do not need to compare and contrast the characters from the two texts. You may
consider each one separately. Be sure to include evidence from each excerpt to support your
analysis and understanding.
Scoring rubrics are included in the PARCC materials to help support a stronger understanding of what the
Prose Constructed Response items are asking students to know and be able to do.
There are two types of rubrics for grades 6-8, one to score student responses to the Literary Analysis Task and
the Research Simulation Task, the other to score student responses to the Narrative Writing Task.
For responses to the Literary Analysis Task and Research Simulation Task, three
dimensions are scored for a total of 19 points.



Reading: worth up to 4 points
Written Expression: worth up to 12 points*
Knowledge of Language and Conventions: worth up to 3 points
UPDATE:
Explanation
of Rubric
Points
Responses to the Narrative Writing Task are scored for only two of the dimensions—Written Expression and
Knowledge of Language and Conventions—for a total of 15 points.
For information about using the PARCC rubrics in the classroom, see PARCC’s Ideas for Use of the Rubrics.
* When determining the score for Written Expression, the reader first determines the holistic score (4, 3, 2, 1, 0) based
on which score point best describes that paper. Then that score (4, 3, 2, 1, 0) is multiplied by 3. This means that only
certain scores will be represented (12, 9, 6, 3, 0). This is true for both rubrics.
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
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VIII. Resources
Assessment Resources
•
LDOE PARCC FAQ Document: summary of questions asked by Louisiana educators about the PARCC
assessments via [email protected] and LDOE’s Weekly PARCC Office Hours
o Weekly PARCC Office Hours
Background: Dedicated time to answer educator questions related to the
PARCC assessments
When: Every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Access: Join the PARCC Office Hours here.
•
UPDATE:
New Resource
Practice Test
Guidance
test
guidance
LDOE Practice Test Guidance for grades 6-8: provides teachers information on how to better integrate
the practice tests into their instruction
•
PARCC’s Online Professional Learning Site: provides information about and links to learning modules
for educators
•
PARCC Practice Tests: provide samples of paper-based and computer-based grade-level practice tests
to help prepare students for Spring assessments
•
PARCC Task Prototypes and Sample Items Page (pdf): provides grade-level samples that include
annotations explaining each item (Also included are PowerPoint presentations that provide overviews
of each item set.)
•
PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual: provides guidance to districts and
decision-making teams to ensure that the PARCC assessments provide valid results for all participating
students
•
10 Things to Know About PARCC: provides updates on PARCC’s activities and links to new and
expanded resources
Instructional Resources
IX.
•
Grades 6-8 English Guidebook: offers comprehensive information to support teachers in creating
yearly, unit, and daily instructional plans for students
•
Grades 6-8 Teacher Library: provides teachers links to grade-specific resources, such as the standards,
shared teacher resources, and instructional plans
•
EAGLE Sample Test Items: houses a bank of passage sets/items that can be used for instructional or
assessment purposes
Glossary
Claim: A statement about student performance based on how students respond to test questions.
PARCC tests are designed to elicit evidence from students that support valid and reliable claims about
the extent to which they are college- and career-ready or “on track” toward that goal and are making
expected academic gains based on the Common Core State Standards. To support such claims, PARCC
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
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assessments are designed to measure and report results in multiple categories called master claims,
major claims, and sub-claims.
End of Year Assessment (EOY): End-of-year assessments are administered after approximately 90
percent of the school year. The ELA/Literacy EOY will focus on reading comprehension.
Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR): An item type that combines a traditional selectedresponse (multiple-choice) question with a second selected-response question that asks students to
provide textual evidence that supports the answer to the first question.
Major Claims: The two measures (Reading and Writing) that show the extent to which students are
“on track” for college and career readiness.
Master Claim: The overall performance goal for the PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessment System—students
must demonstrate that they are “on track” for college and career readiness. The Master Claim ensures
students have the literacy skills and understandings required for success in multiple disciplines.
Performance-Based Assessment (PBA): For PARCC, the performance-based assessment will be
administered approximately 75 percent of the way through the academic study of the grade or course
content. Student results on the PBA will be combined with their results on end-of-year assessment
(EOY) to produce overall PARCC scores in each content area.
Prose Constructed Response (PCR): An item type that appears at the end of each of the PBA tasks and
asks students to create an extended and complete written response. It elicits evidence that students
have understood a text or texts they have read and can communicate that understanding well both in
terms of written expression and knowledge of language and conventions.
Sub-Claims: Additional skills and understandings that are extensions of the major claims: Vocabulary
Interpretation and Use, Reading Literature, Reading Informational Texts, Written Expression,
Conventions and Knowledge of Language; and Research.
Summative Assessment: A summative assessment is designed to measure a student’s knowledge and
skills at the end of an instructional period, such as an entire school year or at the conclusion of a
course. The PARCC summative assessment will include two components — the performance-based
assessment (PBA) component and the end-of-year assessment (EOY) component. The results of the
two components will be combined to produce overall summative assessment results.
Louisiana Guide to PARCC ELA/Literacy Summative Assessments, Grades 6-8
Posted: February 10, 2015
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