PALS - Examples of Student Work

6th-8th Grade Performance Task
Contributed by: The RAND Institute (RAND)
1993-94

Example 1 from 1993 (6th Grade) Format:

Example 1A: 1 pair of legitimate groups, 1 pair of non-legitimate groups

Example 1A: SCORING

There is evidence of an internal cross-classification based on the materials in the boxes. Seaweed, sea star, and shell fit the ocean-alive box, pine cone, fur, and bone fit the land-alive box, sand fits the ocean-smooth box, and rock fits the land-smooth box. Therefore this represents one of our special cases.

1) Column groups FIRST, are both groups levels of the same variable? ocean and land are levels of a variable. SECOND, is there corroborating evidence? Step 1: Check property label. ocean and land are levels of home	2 points
2) Column property Do both column groups fit the property? ocean and land are levels of home	1 point
3) Row groups Are both groups levels of the same variable? alive and smooth are not levels of a variable	0 points
4) Row property No points for property because row groups are not levels of a variable	0 points
5) Box labels Missing, so no points	0 points
6) Materials Does the material fit the box? we may award points for all 8 materials, as discussed above	8 points

Variation of Example 1A:

This student receives a score of 6 for materials. Student does not have at least 1 properly classified material in each box in the "smooth" row and therefore can receive no points for materials in that row. Student gets all 6 points for materials in the top row. (Remember, we can award points for "land" column, even though there is not 1 material in each box, because it is part of a legitimate pair of groups.)

Example 1B: 2 non-legitimate pairs of groups

This student receive 0 points for properties, groups, and boxes. Using the 50% rule, we see that there is a cross-classification even though neither pair of groups is legitimate. Based on this student's system, and using our chart, we can award 6 points for materials (sea star, pine cone, shell, seaweed, bone, & sand).

Variation of example 1B:

If sand is missing from box 4, student can get only 2 points for materials. The "rough" column does not contain at least 1 properly classified material in each of its boxes, and the "smooth" column does not contain at least 1 properly classified material in each of its boxes. Therefore we can award no points for any of the materials in the "rough" column or in the "smooth" row. This student receives points for star and pine cone.

Example 1 from 1993 (6th Grade) Format:

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