Reading Framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress: 1992-2000

Appendix C -- Sample Items, continued

Scoring Criteria
Bus Schedule -- Grade 8

Explain the most likely reason for scheduling only one bus each way between the Goodall Rubber plant and the railroad station.
Acceptable answers indicate that students recognize the Goodall Rubber plant is a work stop and that the bus provides workers with transportation to their jobs.

On Friday, the ride from the railroad station to the intersection of Hanover and Broad takes 10 minutes. On Saturday it takes 8 minutes. Why do the schedules differ?
Acceptable responses suggest a plausible reason that is based on accurate information from the bus schedule.

Monthly bus passes are not valid on which routes?
Acceptable answers indicate all four of the routes identified in the bus schedule as not valid with monthly passes.

Give two reasons why a person might want to buy a monthly pass.
Acceptable responses provide two reasons as indicated in the bus schedule (such as to avoid needing transfers or exact change, or to permit unlimited travel in the zone range).

Now that you have looked carefully at the bus schedule, use your notes and make suggestions to help NJ TRANSIT improve this schedule.
Unsatisfactory -- These responses demonstrate little or no ability to critically evaluate the bus schedule. They contain suggestions that are circular, inappropriate, or merely expressions of a personal opinion about the quality of the schedule.
Partial -- These responses demonstrate some ability to critically evaluate the bus schedule by making one suggestion that clearly would improve the bus schedule. Some of these responses describe a problem with the schedule in which a suggestion for improving it was implied.
Essential -- These responses provide at least two suggestions for the bus schedule that would clearly be improvements. The suggestions provided in these responses tend to be very specific and relate to certain parts of the schedule.
Extensive -- These responses provide at least three suggestions for the bus schedule that would clearly be improvements. At least one suggestion demonstrates a connection across parts of the schedule and represents a more global consideration of the schedule than essential-level responses display.

Note: These scoring criteria are a summary of the more extensive guides used in the NAEP scoring. The full guides include examples of student responses for each score point.

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