Changes in the 07-08 Reading Assessment
KSDE has received numerous questions regarding the assessment of text structure in narrative reading passages on the state reading assessment. A subcommittee was assembled to review the pertinent issues. The subcommittee agreed to the following:
For forms of the assessment already developed:
- Remove text structure items (1.4.6) from narrative passages on developed forms of the state assessment at grades 3-6
- Text structure items (1.4.6) will remain for narrative passages on developed forms of the state assessment at grades 7-HS
For new forms of the assessment:
- Text structure items (1.4.6) will no longer be developed for narrative passages for the state assessment at any grade level, grades 3-HS
- Text structure (1.4.6) will be assessed in expository at grade 3; expository and technical at grade 4; and expository, technical, and persuasive at grades 5-HS
- Only assess text structure (1.4.6) in a paragraph at grade 3
- Use only “sequence” as an answer choice – do not use “sequence of events” or “series of steps”
- Do not use “problem-solution” and “cause-effect” as answer choices in the same item
Changes in the Elementary Science Indicators
Fourth grade indicator 2.4.2 “The student designs a simple experiment to determine whether various objects will be attracted to magnets” will no longer be assessed. The content for this particular indicator will be assessed sufficiently through indicators 1.1.2 (plans and conducts a simple investigation) and 2.4.1 (demonstrates that magnets attract and repel).
Please note that the item specifications for 2.4.1 (found on the 4th grade science flipchart at have been altered slightly. Additions were made as follows:
For the Instructional Examples section
- “Which object will be attracted to a magnet?” has been added.
For the Item Specification section, bullet points e. and f. have been added
- e. predict which objects will be attracted to a magnet based on the material from which the objects are made (e.g., iron nails, certain rocks, steel washers, thumbtacks, pins, steel paperclips).
- f. students know that magnets can attract things through solids, liquids, or gases.
All documents available on the KSDE website will be updated to reflect these alterations. A date will be stamped to indicate the update. If you would prefer to continue using your current copy (posted 9/10/07), please remove the page with indicator 2.4.2 and make the preceding additions for 2.4.1.
Please share the above information with all of your elementary teachers.
Bullying Recognition and Prevention: Trainer of Trainers Workshop
Attain compliance with K.S.A. 72-8256 (SB 68) which requires each school district to adopt a policy and a plan for prohibiting bullying behavior. Your staff has to be trained to prevent bullying behavior! Schools need a policy, implementation plan, and a training plan by January 1, 2008.
Joe Coles, education consultant for SWPRSC, will be the facilitator for this 2-day training. Joe has spoken to/with over 200,000 students and educators across the central plains states on the permeation of bullying in our schools. The initial training will take place on February 20, 2008 with a follow-up training date scheduled for April 28, 2008. Each day of training is $125/$140 per person (member/non-member). Seating is limited to the first 50 respondents – call today to reserve your seat. This training will be good whether you want to be a trainer of trainers or just want to be more informed on how to prevent bullying in your district!
Reading Recovery
Districts who have a Reading Recovery teachers, can now ask their Reading Recovery teachers about the data that is available to them concerning how the Reading Recovery students did in their district. If your Reading Recovery teacher does not have this data available, please contact Mischel Miller and she can gather that for you. Also, it might be a good time to present this data to the school board as well.
Reading Flip Charts
The Reading Flip Charts are back on the KSDE website. A new revision history for the flip charts will be added to this website in the near future. There were minor editing changes made from the October 2007 to the November 2007 flip charts.
KSDE Reading Assessment – Text Structure
Many educators have asked for a more in-depth explanation of the changes to text structure. For the answer to this question, please access the document “Why Can’t All the Changes for Text Structure Happen This Year?” from the KSDE website:
If you have Kokopelli-worthy news to share, please email it to
Kelly at