General Information
Test Item Specifications
- excerpted text should contain clear and sufficient context for determining the meaning of the phrase being assessed; and
- if an item stem directs a student back to the text to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar phrase, the text should contain clear and sufficient context for determining the meaning of the assessed phrase.
- the terms synonym and antonym should not be used in stem construction. Wording should be most similar in meaning or most opposite in meaning;
- only grade-level appropriate words found within the text should be assessed; and
- the text should contain clear and sufficient context for determining the meaning of the assessed words.
- incorrect meanings of assessed phrases found within the excerpted text;
- meanings of the assessed phrases that are correct but are not appropriate for the context;
- word relationships constructed similarly to the correct response;
- details drawn from the text but unrelated to the assessed phrases or test item; and
- plausible but incorrect distractors based on the text.
The student will analyze the meanings of words, phrases, and word relationships by using strategies including, but not limited to, context clues and word structure.
Grade-level appropriate texts should be used to assess the analysis of words and phrases and the identification of word relationships (e.g., synonyms, antonyms).
Analogies should not be assessed.
When assessing Analyze Words/Phrases
When assessing Word Relationships
Analyze Words/Text
Word Relationships
Texts should be literary or informational.
Other stimuli may include, but are not limited to, illustrations with captions, graphics, and charts.
Texts must contain appropriate words, phrases, and word relationships to assess knowledge of vocabulary at grade level.
Distractors may include, but are not limited to
Note: When constructing answer choices using word pairs, the words within the pair should be the same part of speech.
Sample Test Items (4)
Test Item # | Question | Difficulty | Type |
Sample Item 1 | Sample Question for Grade 9 The sample item below is based on “Swing Is the Thing!” on page H–6 and references the illustration on the same page. Which pair of words from the article best describes the swing music scenes conveyed in the pictures on page ___ ? |
N/A | MC: Multiple Choice |
Sample Item 2 | Sample Question for Grade 10 The sample item below is based on “Swing Is the Thing!” on page H–6. Read this sentence from the article.
What does the sentence above tell readers about swing music during the late 1980s? |
N/A | MC: Multiple Choice |
Sample Item 3 | Sample Question for Grade 10 The sample item below is based on “Woman with Flower/Offspring” on page H–12. Read these lines from “Woman with Flower.”
Based on the rest of the poem, which sentence best restates the meaning of the lines above? |
N/A | MC: Multiple Choice |
Sample Item 4 | Sample Question for Grade 10 The sample item below is based on “Woman with Flower/Offspring” on page H–12. Which phrase best describes both the gardener in “Woman with Flower” and the speaker of “Offspring”? |
N/A | MC: Multiple Choice |