4th Quarter   Mar-May

9th Grade English Language Arts Assessment    (A.K.A. Exit Exam, End-of-Course Exam, or Proficiency Exam)

Notes You are Required to Take   (html version)                Review Game

Genre Studies on the Exam
Know the elements of both of the following:
Narrative text
Informational text

Be prepared to identify the following news genres:
News Story
Editorial
Letter to the Editor

Terms on the Exam
Terms sure aren't the only thing on this test, but knowing them can go a long way to prepare you!  Our glossary is on pgs 967-978

General Lit Terms:
Synonym
Antonym
Narrative Text

Basic Elements of Narrative Text
Characters
Plot -
Here are its three parts:
XXX Exposition OR Introduction
XXX Complication OR Rising Action
XXX Climax and Resolution
Conflict There are three types--see pg 32
Setting has two components--see pg 164
Theme --see pg 264
Foreshadowing --know at least one example

Drama Terms
Soliloquy
Aside
Foil
--see pg 762 #5
Comic Relief

Literary Language
Allusion
Imagery
--see pg 492
Metaphor --see pg 520
Simile --see pg 520
Refrain

About the Assessment:
The law states that a school "shall base its determination of whether a pupil has successfully completed the subject area content expectations… at least in part on the pupil's performance on the assessments" (MDE FAQ, pg 6).  Our school board has passed a resolution that the pupil must score 60% on this assessment in order to pass.  (It is possible that this may change for future years).  It is under the board's authority to determine the minimum passing score (MDE FAW, Q2, pg 10). 

Only part of the end-of-course assessment is an exam.  The law states that we may use:
"(a) A series of shorter tests, used by the teacher over the course of the class which, taken together, cover the content expectations;
(b) an assessment consisting of the end-of-unit examinations used by the teacher which, combined, provides coverage of the content expectations;
(c) a written assessment plus a demonstration, performance, or participation element;
(d) a "portfolio, performance, paper, project, or presentation"
(MDE FAQ, Q7, pg 11). 

The proposed 9th grade English Language Arts Assessment for Mackinac Island Public School consists of a portfolio and an exam. 
This assessment has not yet been approved by the board (2 May 2008). 

The portfolio portion will include the following:
1st semester exam
3rd quarter exam

The research paper completed 3rd quarter
3 short story quizzes
A "close reading" of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech"
3 writing assignments, each of a different genre, such as:

  • a poem
  • a short story
  • an essay
  • a novel critique