PSSA Reading Workshop

1
PSSA Reading Workshop

• Going Deeper into Grades 3,4, and 5

2
Todays Agenda

• What is a good question?
• Revisit eligible content
• Create additional questions in grade-level groups
• Share and discuss

3
Good Questions

• Short stems
• Consistent distractors
• Text based
• Grade level appropriate
• Standards aligned

4
General Item Writing Guidelines

• Write clearly in a sharply focused manner.
• Ask a question.
• Aim for the lowest possible reading level.
• Eliminate clues to the correct answer either
  within the question or across questions within a
  test.
• Have someone else review your work.

5
Multiple Choice Items

• Dont repeat the same word(s) at the beginning of
  the distractor.
• Ask a complete question.
• One and only one correct or best answer.
• Make distractors as brief as possible.
• Use parallel grammar in the distractors.
• Keep distractors comparable lengths.

6
Multiple Choice Items

• Avoid always and never.
• Avoid all of the above or none of the above.
• NEVER use a double negative.

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Lets Dig Deeper!