06.07 Evaluating Student Responses

Amelia Setser 

Evaluating Student Responses

Directions: There are two parts to this assignment. Follow the directions for each part.

Part 1: Review  question 1 from the 2013 AP Language and Composition Exam. Answer the following questions in complete sentences:

1.       Practice dissecting the prompt:

 | Steps of Prompt Dissection | What does the prompt say? (Use this column to record the specific wording of each step from the prompt.) | What does this mean to you? (Use this column to state each part in your words.)
| 2.       Determine the context or background information. | 
| 3.       Locate the sources that you will draw from to inform or support your argument. | 
| 4.       Identify the broad task of the prompt. | 
| 5.       Determine the specific task of the prompt. | 
| 6.       Determine the EXPLICIT steps that must be taken to complete the task. | 
| 7.       Consider the implicit directions or expectations. |  

8.       What types of sources are provided?

Sources A, C, D, and E are excerpts. Source B is a photo. Source F is an entry in an online guide.

9.       What position would you take if you were responding to this prompt?

10.   Which sources would you use to support your argument? Explain your rationale for each choice.
 
 Part 2: Review the  sample student responses for question 1.

11.   Use the chart and the questions below to complete an evaluation of the following areas for each essay:

·         Claim: Record the actual claim below and then reflect on the quality of it. Is the claim a clear and arguable response to the prompt? Does the claim reflect simple or complex thinking about the issue?

·         Organization of Ideas: Are the ideas organized by key points or by sources?

·         Use of Sources: Does the student engage in a conversation with the sources? Does the student rely on the sources to speak for themselves? Is the essay a synthesis or a summary?

·         Recommendation for Improvement: What could the student do to improve his or her essay?

 | Essay/Score | Claim | Organization of Ideas | Use of Sources | Recommendation for Improvement
| 1A / 8
 
  | The claim is that a monument can effectively pay homage to deep sacrifice based on its location, size, material, and purpose. The claim is clear and reflects complex thinking.

  |   The ideas are organized very well, the student states their position, backs it up, and even offers contrast in their paragraphs. The student uses the sources to build on their points, not as points. | The student uses their sources effectively and is able to illustrate their understanding of the position in the source as well as connecting it to their own ideas.  |   I would recommend paying closer attention to their sentence structure and choice of words. There's multiple sentences starting with the same word that make it seem a little too repetitive.
 | 1B / 5 | The claim is that the monument should represent something meaningful, should be for remembrance, and work. The claim is somewhat clear but doesn't promote complex thinking.
   |   The essay is not very well organized and loses the focus of the idea being presented at the beginning of the paragraph often.  |   The student uses sources almost too much. Rather than using one or two quotes and developing the paragraph from there, they rely on the quotes as the majority of the paragraph. |  The student should develop their sources more to obtain a better score, as well as keeping their focus when doing so. 
| 1C / 2 | The claim is that the government shouldn’t be spending tons of money on monuments, especially those that don’t have purpose because they don't bring emotion. The claim is unclear and uses simple thinking.
 
  |  There isn’t much of an organization throughout the essay, and the student tends to contradict themselves many times. Sources are more often used as topics than support. |   The student brings in evidence from sources, however, they do not quote the source. When sources are correctly brought into the essay, there is little explanation for why they inserted the quote and how it connects back to their claim. |  I would recommend that the student refrain from using immature arguments that would make the essay itself seem less accurate.  

12.   Reflect: Identify at least three concepts you take away from reading these sample essays. What technique struck you as effective and worthy of being emulated? What will you try to do in your next writing opportunity? What will you strive to stop doing in your next writing opportunity?