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Release of Spring 2009 MCAS Test Items

June 2009 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

T OF

This document was prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, an affirmative action employer, is committed to ensuring that all of its programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the public. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. Inquiries regarding the Departments compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the Human Resources Director, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148 781-338-6105.

2009 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Permission is hereby granted to copy for non-commercial educational purposes any or all parts of this document, with the exception of English Language Arts passages that are not designated as in the public domain. Permission to copy all other passages must be obtained from the copyright holder. Please credit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906 Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370 www.doe.mass.edu

Table of Contents
Commissioners Foreword I. Document Purpose and Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. English Language Arts, Reading Comprehension, Grade 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 III. English Language Arts, Grade 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 A. Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 B. Reading Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

IV. English Language Arts, Reading Comprehension, Grade 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 V. English Language Arts, Reading Comprehension, Grade 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 VI. English Language Arts, Grade 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 A. Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 B. Reading Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

VII. English Language Arts, Reading Comprehension, Grade 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 VIII. English Language Arts, Grade 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 A. Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 B. Reading Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

IX. Mathematics, Grade 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 X. Mathematics, Grade 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 XI. Mathematics, Grade 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 XII. Mathematics, Grade 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 XIII. Mathematics, Grade 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 XIV. Mathematics, Grade 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 XV. Mathematics, Grade 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 XVI. Science and Technology/Engineering, Grade 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 XVII. Science and Technology/Engineering, Grade 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 XVIII. Biology, High School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 XIX. Introductory Physics, High School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Commissioners Foreword
Dear Colleagues: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is committed to work in partnership with schools to support a system that will prepare all students to succeed as productive and contributing members of our democratic society and the global economy. To assist in achieving this goal, the Department regularly releases MCAS test items to provide information about the kinds of knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate. As it has in the past, this publication contains all MCAS test items on which student scores are based for grade 10 English Language Arts and Mathematics tests and for high school Biology and Introductory Physics tests. In response to feedback requesting that the amount of time that students spend taking MCAS tests be reduced, the Department is decreasing by 50% the number of released test items from spring 2009 MCAS tests in grades 38. By recycling some items each year and thus reducing the number of field-test items on each form, we will be able to shorten the length of each test and the amount of time devoted to MCAS testing. Despite this decrease, the items released in this document still represent all topics and reporting categories. After 10 years of releasing all common test items, the Department has banked over 3,800 MCAS items that are currently posted on the Department website. These items, which are available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/testitems.html, will continue to be a rich resource for schools. This publication is available only on the Department website. The released test items for individual subjects at each grade level can be printed from this site. I encourage educators to use the relevant sections of this document together with their Test Item Analysis Report Summaries and Test Item Analysis Rosters as guides for planning changes in curriculum and instruction that may be needed to support schools and districts in their efforts to improve student performance. Thank you for your support as we work together to strengthen education for our students in Massachusetts. Sincerely,

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

I. Document Purpose and Structure

Document Purpose and Structure

Purpose
The purpose of this document is to share with educators and the public all of the spring 2009 test items on which grade 10 and high school student results are based, as well as selected test items for grades 38. Local educators will be able to use this information to identify strengths and weaknesses in their curriculum and instruction, and to guide the changes necessary to more effectively meet their students needs. This document is also intended to be used by school and district personnel as a companion document to the test item analysis reports. Each school can access electronically a 2009 School Test Item Analysis Report Summary and a Test Item Analysis Roster for each content area at each grade level tested (e.g., grade 10 Mathematics). These reports provide data generated from student responses. Each report lists, for the school accessing the report, the names of all enrolled students in the grade covered by the report as well as information about how each student answered each common item contained in this Released Item Document. Each report also labels each item as multiple-choice, open-response, short-answer, or writing prompt and identifies the items MCAS reporting category. Item numbers in this document correlate directly to the Item Numbers in the test item analysis report and roster. This year, as a result of the decrease in the number of released 2009 MCAS test items for grades 38, reports will indicate whether students responded correctly or incorrectly to common items that are not included in this document; reports will not indicate the correct responses to unreleased items.

Structure
Each subsequent chapter of this document contains information and materials for one MCAS test (one grade level and one content area). For example, chapter II contains information for the grade 3 ELA Reading Comprehension test; chapter XV contains information for the grade 10 Mathematics test. Note that chapters III, VI, and VIII contain information for both the ELA Composition (Part A) and the ELA Reading Comprehension (Part B) tests for the relevant grade. Beginning with chapter II, each chapter has three main sections. The first section introduces the chapter by listing the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework content strands assessed by MCAS in that chapters content area, as well as the MCAS reporting categories under which test results are reported to schools and districts. The first section also provides the Web address for the relevant Framework and the page numbers on which the learning standards assessed by the test items in the chapter can be found. In addition, there is a brief overview of the test (number of test sessions, types of items, reference materials allowed, and crossreferencing information). For grades 38, the second section of each chapter contains approximately half of each content areas common test items used to generate spring 2009 MCAS student results. The second section of each chapter for grade 10 and high school MCAS tests contains all of the common items on which spring 2009 MCAS student results are based. With the exception of the ELA Composition writing prompt, the test questions in this document are shown in the same order and basic format in which they were presented in the test booklets. The Mathematics Tool Kit pieces used by students to answer released items in grades 3 and 4, as well as the Mathematics Reference Sheets used by students in grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 MCAS

Mathematics test sessions, are inserted immediately following the last question in the second section of each Mathematics chapter. Students in all the tested grades were also provided with plastic rulers. Images of these rulers are not presented in this document. The formula sheet used by students during the high school Introductory Physics test is inserted immediately following the last question in the second section of the Introductory Physics chapter. Due to copyright restrictions, certain English Language Arts reading passages are not available on the Departments website. Copyright information for all released common reading passages is provided in the document. Note that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has obtained permission to post all English Language Arts reading passages that appear on its website. While the Department grants permission to use the posted test items for educational purposes, it cannot grant or transfer permission to use the passages that accompany the items. Such permission must be obtained directly from the holder of the copyright. For further information, contact Student Assessment Services at 781-338-3625. The final section of each chapter is a table that cross-references each released common item with its MCAS reporting category and with the Framework standard it assesses. Correct answers to released multiplechoice questions and, for the Mathematics tests, released short-answer questions are also listed in the table. Responses to open-response items and compositions written in response to writing prompts are scored individually. An overview of procedures for scoring these responses and compositions is presented in the MCAS Frequently Asked Questions, which are available on the Departments website at www.doe.mass.edu/ mcas/overview.html. Scoring procedures will also be explained further in the MCAS document, Guide to Interpreting the Spring 2009 MCAS Reports for Schools and Districts, due for release in September 2009. Similar guides are currently available on the Departments website for previous years MCAS School Reports and District Reports. Sample student responses and compositions from previous MCAS administrations may also be viewed on the Departments website. Materials presented in this document are not formatted exactly as they appeared in student test booklets. For example, in order to present items most efficiently in this document, the following modifications have been made:  Some fonts and/or font sizes may have been changed and/or reduced.  Some graphics may have been reduced in size from their appearance in student test booklets; however, they maintain the same proportions in each case.  For grades 7 and 10, the English Language Arts Composition writing prompt is presented on the same page as the make-up writing prompt, and the four lined pages provided for students initial drafts are omitted.  All references to page numbers in answer booklets have been deleted from the directions that accompany test items. In order to support the future development of MCAS tests in high school Chemistry and Technology/ Engineering, items from the spring 2009 tests in these subjects are not included in this publication. The omission of these items will have no impact on the reporting of results.

In February 2009, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved a two-year suspension of MCAS History and Social Science testing and waived the Competency Determination requirement for the graduating classes of 2012 and 2013. As a result of this decision, no MCAS History and Social Science tests were administered in spring 2009.

II. English Language Arts, Reading Comprehension, Grade 3

Grade 3 English Language Arts Reading Comprehension Test

The spring 2009 grade 3 MCAS English Language Arts Reading Comprehension test was based on learning standards in the two content strands of the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework (2001) listed below. Specific learning standards for grade 3 are found in the Supplement to the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework (2004). Page numbers for the learning standards appear in parentheses. Language (Framework, pages 1926; Supplement, pages 67) Reading and Literature (Framework, pages 3564; Supplement, pages 79) The English Language Arts Curriculum Framework and Supplement are available on the Department website at www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html. In test item analysis reports and on the Subject Area Subscore pages of the MCAS School Reports and District Reports, ELA Reading Comprehension test results are reported under two MCAS reporting categories: Language and Reading and Literature, which are identical to the two Framework content strands listed above.

Test Sessions and Content Overview

The MCAS grade 3 ELA Reading Comprehension test included three separate test sessions. Each session included reading passages, followed by multiple-choice and open-response questions. Selected common reading passages and approximately half of the common test items are shown on the following pages as they appeared in grade 3 test & answer booklets.

Reference Materials and Tools

The use of bilingual word-to-word dictionaries was allowed for current and former limited English proficient students only, during all three ELA Reading Comprehension test sessions. No other reference materials were allowed during any ELA Reading Comprehension test session.

Cross-Reference Information
The table at the conclusion of this chapter indicates each released items reporting category and the Framework general standard it assesses. The correct answers for released multiple-choice questions are also displayed in the table.

English Language Arts

Reading Comprehension
DIRECTIONS This session contains two reading selections with twelve multiple-choice questions and one openresponse question. For multiple-choice questions, mark your answers by filling in the circle next to the best answer. For the open-response question, write your answer in the space below the question. When 12-year-old Milton Daub sees snow falling outside the window of his New York home, he has no idea that he is living through a historic storm. The Snow Walker is based on real events from the blizzard of 1888, one of the worst snowstorms in United States history. Read the story to find out what Milton does during the storm and answer the questions that follow.

from

The Snow Walker

Monday, March 12, 1888

by Margaret K. and Charles M. Wetterer

5 6

7 8

Crack! The sound jolted Milton awake. A howling wind rattled the window. Milton jumped out of bed and pushed aside the curtains. A smile lit his face. Snow! Snow was everywhere. He saw that a giant branch had broken from the maple tree. Now wind was tossing it crazily across the yard. Quickly Milton pulled on his school clothes and ran downstairs. Snow covered all the windows. The hall and parlor were dark. Back in the kitchen, Mama had lit the kerosene lamp. Everyone was eating breakfast, even baby Jerome in his high chair. Mama! Why didnt you call me? Milton asked. Its after 7:30. Ill be late for school. No school today, his mother replied. Theres a wall of snow blocking the front door. Well all stay home, said his father. Its dangerous out in that storm. We have plenty of food, Mama said, checking the icebox. But I do wish we had more milk. Ill go and buy some, Milton offered. Dont be foolish, Milton! his father exclaimed. The drifts1 are already climbing to the second story. You would be buried out there.

drifts piles of snow or sand created by the wind

Reading Comprehension
9 10 11

12

13

14

15

I could go on snowshoes, Milton insisted. And where are you going to get snowshoes? his father asked. We could make some, Milton replied. At school, weve been studying the Alaska Territory. There are pictures of snowshoes in my geography book. I bet we could make a pair. Could we try, Papa? Please? His father laughed. All right, son. Eat your oatmeal, he said. Then well try to make you some snowshoes. After breakfast, Milton and his father set to work. They used wooden barrel hoops, thin slats, wire, heavy cord, and the bottom of an old pair of roller skates with the wheels off. Finally, after almost two hours, the snowshoes were ready to try out. Everyone crowded into the little upstairs bedroom. Milton piled on sweaters, an overcoat, a wool hat, a scarf, and mittens. His father helped him strap on the snowshoes. Then he tied a rope around his sons waist. Okay, Milton. Ill hold onto the line until were sure your snowshoes work, he said. If you start to sink, Ill pull you back. He opened the window. An icy wind swept snow into the room. The girls shrieked. Mama covered Jerome with her shawl. Milton pulled his hat down over his ears and his scarf up over his mouth. He wished he had an Alaskan parka. He took one step, then a second, and a third. He had to keep his feet apart. Otherwise, he stepped one snowshoe on the other, and couldnt walk. Milton climbed up and down the snowdrift to the window several times. At last, his father nodded. The snowshoes worked.

Reading Comprehension
Milton untied the clothesline. His father handed him a sled with a wooden box nailed to it. Watch for landmarks so you dont get lost, Papa warned. Please be careful, his mother called. Milton leaned into the biting wind. He snowshoed across the front yard and over the garden fence. Wind had swept the road clear to an icy base in some places. In others, Milton had to climb over drifts of snow. Some drifts were as hard as icebergs. Some moved beneath his feet. At times, gusts of wind scooped up fallen snow and tossed it back into the air. When that happened, Milton saw nothing, only whiteness swirling around him. He hardly recognized the houses he passed. Everything looked so different piled with snow and hung with icicles. Milton reached the spot where he knew Mike Ashs grocery store should be. At first, he couldnt find it. The sign had blown away, and snow covered the door and window. Then he climbed up the snowdrift and tapped on the window of the Ashes apartment above the store. He held onto the window ledge to keep from being blown away. Mr. Ash opened the window a crack. Milton! What are you doing out in this storm? he yelled above the wind. How did you get up here? his son Mickey wanted to know. My mother needs milk, Mr. Ash, Milton shouted back with a grin. Like my snowshoes, Mickey?

16 17

18

19

20

21

Reading Comprehension
22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

No fresh milk was delivered today, Milton, said the grocer. But I can sell you condensed milk.2 Milton gave him fifty cents. Mr. Ash went downstairs to the store. He returned with five cans of milk. Mickey leaned out the window for a better look at Miltons snowshoes. Quickly, Mr. Ash pulled him back in and shut the window. Milton tugged his scarf up over his face and started for home. A neighbor who was watching from her upstairs window shouted, Young man, can I buy some of that milk? Milton sold her a can of milk. He asked for ten cents, but the woman insisted he take a quarter. Another neighbor called to him. Then another. Soon Milton had sold all the cans of milk. He snowshoed back to Mr. Ashs store and bought more condensed milk. But again, at almost every house he passed, someone shouted for milk. As he dragged his sled back to Ashs store, Milton pictured the dogsleds of Alaska. Maybe he and his father could make a dogsled, he thought. When he got back to the store, he bought a whole case of milk with the extra money people had given him. He sold this milk, and then another case, to neighbors. By now, half the kids in the neighborhood had seen and admired his snowshoes. Milton grinned when he thought of how surprised they would be if he came by on a dogsled. He imagined himself and all the dogs of the neighborhood out in the storm, and all the rest of the world snowed in. Just then, the noon whistle blew at the factory. Milton was surprised. He didnt feel as if he had been out for almost two hours. He set out for home at once. Snow clung to his clothes like lint. Snowflakes driven by the wind stung and reddened his eyes and nose. His toes ached from the cold. But Milton felt like cheering as he snowshoed home, pulling the sled after him.

condensed milk a thick, sweetened milk in a can

The Snow Walker by Margaret K. and Charles M. Wetterer. Text copyright 1996 by Carolrhoda Books. Illustrations copyright 1996 by Mary OKeefe Young. Reprinted by permission of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

10

Reading Comprehension
Mark your choices for multiple-choice questions 1 through 8 by filling in the circle next to the best answer.
ID:268835 A Common

ID:268842 C Common

In the story, what causes Milton to wake up? \ A He hears a loud noise outside. \ B He smells his breakfast cooking. \ C He remembers he has to go to school. \ D He feels cold because of the storm outside.

According to the story, how does Milton come up with the idea to make snowshoes? \ A He hears about them from his family. \ B He copies an example from friends. \ C He remembers a lesson from class. \ D He sees a pair in the store window.

ID:268840 C Common

Read the sentence from paragraph 4 in the box below.

ID:268845 B Common

Theres a wall of snow blocking the front door. The description wall of snow shows \ A how wet the snow is. \ B how cold the snow is. \ C how deep the snow is. \ D how white the snow is.

In paragraph 15, why does Milton walk up and down the snowdrift outside his house? \ A to keep himself warm in the snow \ B to make sure the snowshoes are safe \ C to make a path to follow in the snow \ D to show how much he likes the snowshoes

11

Reading Comprehension
ID:268847 A Common

ID:268851 C Common

In paragraph 24, what is the most likely reason the woman insists on paying Milton a quarter for the milk? \ A She is thankful for Miltons help. \ B She is unhappy with regular milk. \ C She is excited about the snowstorm. \ D She is unsure how much Mr. Ashs milk costs.

Which of the following events from the story does Milton imagine? \ A He sells a case of milk to his neighbors. \ B He notices a sign blown down in the wind. \ C He rides a dogsled through the neighborhood. \ D He stays home from school because of the snow.

ID:268849 C Common

At the end of the story, why is Milton surprised to learn that he has been outside for nearly two hours? \ A He is too tired to think about time. \ B He is too young to know how to tell time. \ C He is so busy he does not notice time passing. \ D He is so worried he does not notice time passing.

ID:268857 D Common

Read the words from the story in the box below.

snowdrift clothesline landmarks

The words in the box are \ A verbs. \ B adjectives. \ C proper nouns. \ D compound words.

12

Reading Comprehension
Question 9 is an open-response question.  ead the question carefully. R Explain your answer.  Add supporting details.  Double-check your work. 

Write your answer to question 9 in the lined space below.

ID:268858 Common

Based on the story, explain how the storm makes it difficult for Milton to get milk for his family. Support your answer with important details from the story.

13

Reading Comprehension
The Nautilus was the first submarine that used nuclear power. Read about its most famous trip and then answer the questions that follow.

The Nautilus
by Patrick OBrien
1

he Nautilus was the first nuclear-powered submarine. Before the Nautilus was launched in 1954, submarines ran on electric power when cruising underwater and used diesel fuel when on the surface. They were slow, and they could only stay underwater for a few hours at a time. Because the Nautilus used nuclear power it was twice as fast as any other submarine and The Nautiluss Route could stay underwater for weeks. beneath the North Pole In June of 1958 the Nautilus set out Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on a topsecret mission to reach the North Pole. Pacific Ocean There is no land at the North Pole. It is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, and the water is covered with a huge sheet of ice Bering Sea hundreds of miles across. The captain of the Nautilus, William Anderson, steered Bering his sub north toward the Pole, and in the Strait Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, dove under the Arctic ice sheet. But the bottom of the ice sheet went down so deep that the Nautilus was forced to a North depth of only a few feet off the seafloor. Pole It was too dangerous, and Captain Anderson had to turn the Nautilus back. The ice sheet melted a little as summer arrived, and the Nautilus tried again in July. Captain Anderson was able to find an area where the ice sheet was not too thick. He had plenty of room between the bottom of the ice and the seafloor, but he still had to steer carefully around the
Atlantic Ocean

14

Reading Comprehension
huge bottom parts of icebergs that hung down into the sea. At last, on August 3, 1958, at 11:15 p.m., the crew gave a wild cheer as they became the first people ever to travel under the North Pole.
The Nautilus by Patrick OBrien, from The Great Ships. Copyright 2001 by Patrick OBrien. Reprinted by permission of Walker Books.

Mark your choices for multiple-choice questions 10 through 13 by filling in the circle next to the best answer.
ID:258852 D Common

10

ID:258853 A Common

According to the selection, the Nautilus was different from other submarines because it could \ A float above the ice. \ B rest on the seafloor. \ C use electricity for power. \ D remain underwater for a long time.

11

According to the selection, what was the captain of the Nautilus trying to do? \ A go to the North Pole \ B find a new route to Alaska \ C go all the way to Pearl Harbor \ D study the area around Russia

15

Reading Comprehension
ID:258854 A Common

12

ID:258860 C Common

Based on the selection, why did Captain Anderson turn back on the first trip? \ A The ice sheet was too thick. \ B The submarine was too slow. \ C The seafloor could not be seen. \ D The submarine did not have enough fuel.

13

Read the sentence from paragraph 1 in the box below. Before the Nautilus was launched in 1954, submarines ran on electric power when cruising underwater and used diesel fuel when on the surface.

In the sentence, what does the word cruising mean? \ A rising \ B steering \ C traveling \ D returning

16

Grade 3 English Language Arts Reading Comprehension Spring 2009 Released Items: Reporting Categories, Standards, and Correct Answers*
Item No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Page No. 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 15 15 16 16 Reporting Category Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Language Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Reading and Literature Language Standard 12 15 12 12 12 12 12 5 12 13 8 13 4 D A A C Correct Answer (MC)* A C C B A C C D

* Answers are provided here for multiple-choice items only. Sample responses and scoring guidelines for the open-response item, which is indicated by the shaded cell, will be posted to the Departments website later this year.

17

IX. Mathematics, Grade 3

Grade 3 Mathematics Test

The spring 2009 grade 3 MCAS Mathematics test was based on learning standards in the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework (2000). The Framework identifies five major content strands, listed below. Specific learning standards for grade 3 are found in the Supplement to the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework (2004). Page numbers for the grades 34 Framework learning standards and for the grade 3 Supplement standards appear in parentheses. Number Sense and Operations (Framework, pages 2223; Supplement, pages 34)  Patterns, Relations, and Algebra (Framework, page 32; Supplement, page 4)  Geometry (Framework, page 40; Supplement, pages 45)  Measurement (Framework, page 48; Supplement, page 5)  Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability (Framework, page 56; Supplement, pages 56) The Mathematics Curriculum Framework and Supplement are available on the Department website at www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html. In test item analysis reports and on the Subject Area Subscore pages of the MCAS School Reports and District Reports, Mathematics test results are reported under five MCAS reporting categories, which are identical to the five Framework content strands listed above.

Test Sessions
The MCAS grade 3 Mathematics test included two separate test sessions. Each session included multiple-choice, short-answer, and open-response questions. Approximately half of the common test items are shown on the following pages as they appeared in grade 3 test & answer booklets.

Reference Materials and Tools

Each student taking the grade 3 Mathematics test was provided with a plastic ruler and a grade 3 Mathematics Tool Kit. A copy of the tool kit pieces used by students to answer question 12 immediately follows the last question in this chapter. An image of the ruler is not reproduced in this publication. The use of bilingual word-to-word dictionaries was allowed for current and former limited English proficient students only, during both Mathematics test sessions. No calculators, other reference tools, or materials were allowed.

Cross-Reference Information
The table at the conclusion of this chapter indicates each released items reporting category and the Framework learning standard it assesses. The correct answers for released multiple-choice and short-answer questions are also displayed in the table.

127

Mathematics
Session 1
You may use your tool kit and MCAS ruler during this session. You may not use a calculator during this session. DIRECTIONS This session contains seven multiple-choice questions. Mark your answers to these questions by filling in the circle next to the best answer.
ID:252322 C Common

Which symbol belongs in the below to make a true number sentence?

85 0
\ A \ B \ C \ D

75 10

128

Mathematics
ID:253571 MCS056_book_plot.eps [ste D Common

Session 1

The line plot below shows the number of books in each students desk in Ms. Chases classroom. X X X X X X X 5

X 0 1

X X X X 2

X X X 3

X X X X X 4

Number of Books in Desks Which bar graph shows the same data as the line plot?

Number of Books in Desks

Number of Books Number of Books 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Number of Students 8 \ C 5 4 3 2 1 0

Number of Books in Desks

\ A

2 3 4 5 6 7 Number of Students

Number of Books in Desks

Number of Books Number of Books 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Number of Students 8 \ D 5 4 3 2 1 0

Number of Books in Desks

\ B

2 3 4 5 6 7 Number of Students

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Mathematics
ID:282303 A Common

Session 1
ID:206989 KF506_Store_coupons.eps B Common

Ms. Taylor made the chart below to show the numbers of four kinds of books in the school library.

Mr. Jones used the three coupons shown below.

Books in the School Library

Kind of Book mystery poetry animal sports Number of Books 237 223 232 241

Mint Mint Toothpaste

Fruity Cereal

SAVE 50
TOO T HPA
FIG CAV HT STE ITIES

The library has more than 235 but less than 240 of which kind of book? \ A mystery \ B poetry \ C animal \ D sports

SAVE

70

SAVE

Graham Crackers

30

What is the total amount of money that Mr. Jones saved by using the three coupons? \ A $0.15 \ B $1.50 \ C $15.00 \ D $150.00

130

Mathematics
ID:207802 B Common

Session 1
ID:198154 B Common

Mr. Flaggs class has 24 students. Ms. Dicksons class has 23 students. Which of these correctly compares the number of students in each class? \ A 24 23 \ B 24 23 \ C 23 24 \ D 23 24

An art teacher has 18 pictures to hang on the wall. Which of these is one way she can hang all of the pictures with none left over? \ A 5 rows of 3 pictures \ B 6 rows of 3 pictures \ C 8 rows of 2 pictures \ D 10 rows of 8 pictures

131

Mathematics
ID:227135 EBH186_squares.eps C Common

Session 1

Hazel shaded the circles shown below.

Key stands for 1 shaded circle

Which of these shows how many circles Hazel shaded? 3 \ A 1 4 \ B \ C 2 2 1 3 3 4

1 \ D 3 3

132

Mathematics
Session 2
You may use your tool kit and MCAS ruler during this session. You may not use a calculator during this session. DIRECTIONS This session contains five multiple-choice questions, two short-answer questions, and two openresponse questions. For multiple-choice questions, mark your answers by filling in the circle next to the best answer. For the short-answer and open-response questions, write your answer in the space provided below the question.
ID:218473 B Common

ID:227282 MJ282_button.ai C Common

What is 154 rounded to the nearest ten? \ A 100

The graph below shows how many buttons of each color are in a box.

Buttons in a Box
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
lo w Re ac ue Bl Ye l Bl G re en d k

\ C 160 \ D 200

Number of Buttons

\ B 150

Color How many fewer green buttons than red buttons are in the box? \ A 2 \ B 3 \ C 4 \ D 6

133

Mathematics
ID:261819 EBH1190_calendar.eps C Common

Session 2

10

The on the calendar below shows the date Julie planted her garden.

May
Sun. 7 14 21 28 Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 15 22 29 9 16 23 30 10 17 24 31 11 18 25 12 19 26 13 20 27

The first seedling started to grow exactly 3 weeks after Julie planted her garden. On what date did the first seedling start to grow? \ A May 26 \ B May 31 \ C June 2 \ D June 3

134

Mathematics

Session 2

Question 11 is a short-answer question. Write your answer to this question in the Answer Box provided.
ID:241008 KHM129_dog_weights.eps Common

11

The bar graph below shows the weights of five dogs.

Weights of Dogs
80 70 Weight (in pounds) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Maggie Spot Tiger Rusty Wags Name of Dog

Buster weighs 60 pounds. In the Answer Box below, write the names of the dogs from the graph that weigh more than Buster.

Answer Box
11

135

Mathematics

Session 2

Write your answers to parts (a) and (b) of open-response question 12 in the spaces provided.
ID:260997 EBH1183_sample_response.e Common

Use the one shape labeled Y and the two shapes labeled Z from your tool kit to answer question 12. 12 For all parts of this question, the shapes should be lying flat on your desk. The sides of the shapes should touch but not overlap.

a. In the space below, put all the shapes together to make a rectangle. Trace each shape to show how the shapes go together to make a rectangle.

b. In the space below, put all the shapes together to make a quadrilateral that is not a rectangle. Trace each shape to show how the shapes go together to make a quadrilateral.

136

Mathematics

Session 2

Mark your choice for multiple-choice question 13 by filling in the circle next to the best answer.
ID:218327 A Common

13

Lucy put 27 stickers in her notebook. She put 3 stickers on each page. Which number sentence can be used to find how many pages Lucy put stickers on? \ A \ B 27 3 27 3

\ C 27 3 \ D 27 3

137

Mathematics

Session 2

Write your answers to parts (a) and (b) of open-response question 14 in the spaces provided.
ID:265024 SEB102_3_circles.eps, SEB Common

14

Tom, Nuno, and Paul each made a pizza. All the pizzas were the same size and shape. Tom cut his pizza into 2 equal pieces. Nuno cut his pizza into 3 equal pieces. Paul cut his pizza into 4 equal pieces. a. Which boy has the smallest size pieces of pizza? Show or explain how you got your answer.

b. Each boy ate some of the pizza he made. Tom ate 1 piece of his pizza. Nuno ate 1 piece of his pizza. Paul ate 2 pieces of his pizza. Which boys ate the same amount of pizza? Show or explain how you got your answer.

138

Mathematics

Session 2

Mark your choice for multiple-choice question 15 by filling in the circle next to the best answer.
ID:218311 D Common

15

Ben wrote the number pattern shown below.

114, 219, 324, 429, 534

Which of these is a rule for Bens pattern? \ A add 5 \ B add 15 \ C add 100 \ D add 105

139

Mathematics

Session 2

Question 16 is a short-answer question. Write your answer to this question in the Answer Box provided.
ID:227281 Common

16

Compute:

4692 2187
Write your answer in the Answer Box below.

Answer Box
16

140

AC

TS DE S E T ON PA R T H URY & SEC DARY ED

A

M
T OF E N ATION

ELEME NT

UC

MASS

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Grade 3 Mathematics Tool Kit

0 5

1 2 6 7
Y Z

3 8
Z
R

4 9
H

During testing, students were provided an additional tool kit piece to answer a test item that is not released.

141

Grade 3 Mathematics Spring 2009 Released Items: Reporting Categories, Standards, and Correct Answers*
Item No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Page No. 128 129 130 130 131 131 132 133 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 Reporting Category Patterns, Relations, and Algebra Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability Measurement Patterns, Relations, and Algebra Number Sense and Operations Number Sense and Operations Number Sense and Operations Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability Measurement Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability Geometry Patterns, Relations, and Algebra Number Sense and Operations Patterns, Relations, and Algebra Number Sense and Operations Standard 3.P.2 3.D.2 3.D.3 3.M.2 3.P.4 3.N.9 3.N.3 3.N.11 3.D.3 3.M.3 3.D.3 3.G.7 3.P.4 3.N.4 3.P.1 3.N.10 D 6879 A Correct Answer (MC/SA)* C D A B B B C B C C Spot and Wags

* Answers are provided here for multiple-choice items and short-answer items only. Sample responses and scoring guidelines for open-response items, which are indicated by shaded cells, will be posted to the Departments website later this year.

142