GLA Scoring Criteria 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the GLA, 'text-based evidence' in a written response refers to:
- Personal anecdotes unrelated to the reading passage
- Information drawn directly from the provided source text (Correct answer)
- Outside research the student recalls from memory
- Creative details the student invents to strengthen the essay
Correct answer: Information drawn directly from the provided source text
Text-based evidence means the student quotes, paraphrases, or references the specific passage provided in the assessment.
Question 2: A GLA rubric trait labeled 'organization' would most likely evaluate which of the following?
- Whether the student used cursive handwriting
- The logical sequencing and structure of ideas throughout the response (Correct answer)
- The total number of paragraphs in the essay
- Whether the response includes an introduction sentence
Correct answer: The logical sequencing and structure of ideas throughout the response
Organization scores measure how logically and coherently the writer structures and sequences ideas from beginning to end.
Question 3: Which scoring approach requires two independent readers to each score a response, then reconciles differences?
- Single-read scoring
- Holistic scoring
- Double-blind scoring (Correct answer)
- Analytic scoring
Correct answer: Double-blind scoring
Double-blind scoring uses two independent scorers without knowledge of each other's scores, then resolves discrepancies through adjudication.
Question 4: A student writes a well-organized essay with clear evidence but makes consistent subject-verb agreement errors throughout. Which rubric dimension is most affected?
- Development
- Organization
- Conventions (Correct answer)
- Ideas
Correct answer: Conventions
Subject-verb agreement errors are grammar conventions issues that lower the conventions or language use dimension score.
Question 5: On a GLA constructed-response item, 'holistic scoring' means the scorer:
- Scores each dimension separately and adds the scores
- Awards one overall score based on the total impression of the response (Correct answer)
- Counts the number of correct facts cited
- Only evaluates the conclusion paragraph
Correct answer: Awards one overall score based on the total impression of the response
Holistic scoring produces a single score reflecting the overall quality of a response rather than separate scores for each trait.
Question 6: When a GLA response earns a '0,' this typically means the response:
- Is too short but still on topic
- Contains minor errors in grammar
- Is blank, illegible, or entirely off-topic (Correct answer)
- Uses informal language throughout
Correct answer: Is blank, illegible, or entirely off-topic
A score of 0 is reserved for responses that are blank, completely illegible, in the wrong language, or entirely unrelated to the task.
Question 7: Trait-based (analytic) scoring on the GLA differs from holistic scoring in that it:
- Produces one score for the entire response
- Assigns separate scores for multiple distinct dimensions like ideas, organization, and conventions (Correct answer)
- Is faster and requires less scorer training
- Ignores grammar in favor of content only
Correct answer: Assigns separate scores for multiple distinct dimensions like ideas, organization, and conventions
Analytic scoring breaks the response into specific traits and scores each independently, providing more diagnostic detail than a single holistic score.
GLA Scoring Criteria 3
On the GLA, 'text-based evidence' in a written response refers to: