Response Crafter Student Probes
Probe #1
Short Constructed Response Probe
Baseline Assessment
Target Goal: 4-Point Analytic
Student Name:
Date:
Score: _____ / 16 pts
Passage: The Secret Language of Elephants
Grade 4 • Informational Text
[1]African elephants live in huge grasslands where family herds wander miles apart. To keep in touch, elephants make very deep rumbling sounds called infrasound. These sounds are so low that human ears cannot hear them, but they can travel up to six miles across the plains.
[2]Elephants also send messages directly through the earth. When an elephant stomps or rumbles, powerful seismic vibrations roll through the soil. Other elephants receive these signals through special sensitive nerve receptors in their front feet and the tips of their trunks.
[3]By feeling these ground tremors, mother elephants can warn other herds about dangerous lions or signal that they have found a fresh watering hole. Working together through these secret signals helps the entire elephant community survive.
Short Constructed Response Task:
Explain how elephants communicate with one another across long distances.
Directions: In your response, write a clear claim/answer, cite at least two pieces of text evidence from the passage, and explain how your evidence supports your answer.
Student Written Response Write in complete sentences
Student Quality Self-Check: Check each box after reviewing your response
Clear Answer Evidence #1 Evidence #2 Explanation Organization
Probe #2
Short Constructed Response Probe
Progress Probe A
Target Goal: 4-Point Analytic
Student Name:
Date:
Score: _____ / 16 pts
Passage: The Mystery of the Desert Superbloom
Grade 4 • Informational Text
[1]Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest deserts on planet Earth. For months or even years at a time, no rain falls, and the baked ground looks completely lifeless. Yet hidden beneath the rocky dust are billions of tiny wildflower seeds waiting patiently in the dark.
[2]These wildflower seeds have hard, waxy protective coats that lock in moisture and block out burning heat. Because of this tough shell, the seeds can sleep safely through scorching summers. They will not sprout until a rare, soaking winter rainstorm completely washes away their protective coating.
[3]When enough rain finally arrives, the desert transforms overnight into a colorful sea of yellow, purple, and white blossoms known as a "superbloom." The flowers race to produce new seeds before the scorching summer returns, keeping the species alive.
Short Constructed Response Task:
Explain how desert wildflowers are able to survive in harsh, dry environments.
Directions: In your response, write a clear claim/answer, cite at least two pieces of text evidence from the passage, and explain how your evidence supports your answer.
Student Written Response Write in complete sentences
Student Quality Self-Check: Check each box after reviewing your response
Clear Answer Evidence #1 Evidence #2 Explanation Organization
Probe #3
Short Constructed Response Probe
Progress Probe B
Target Goal: 4-Point Analytic
Student Name:
Date:
Score: _____ / 16 pts
Passage: The Beaver: Nature's Master Builder
Grade 4 • Informational Text
[1]Beavers are famous for shaping their environments more than almost any other creature except humans. Using razor-sharp orange teeth, a beaver can chop down a sturdy tree in under an hour. Next, the busy animal drags branches, stones, and heavy mud into flowing streams to build a sturdy dam.
[2]The dam slows down rushing river currents, creating a calm, deep pond. In the middle of this safe pond, beavers build a dome-shaped home called a lodge. The lodge has secret underwater entrances that keep dangerous predators, such as wolves and bears, from getting inside.
[3]The deep pond water also prevents freezing down to the mud floor during harsh winters. Beavers store fresh green branches at the bottom of the pond, giving them a reliable food pantry all winter without having to step out onto dangerous ice.
Short Constructed Response Task:
Explain why beavers build dams and lodges in rivers and streams.
Directions: In your response, write a clear claim/answer, cite at least two pieces of text evidence from the passage, and explain how your evidence supports your answer.
Student Written Response Write in complete sentences
Student Quality Self-Check: Check each box after reviewing your response
Clear Answer Evidence #1 Evidence #2 Explanation Organization
Probe #4
Short Constructed Response Probe
Progress Probe C
Target Goal: 4-Point Analytic
Student Name:
Date:
Score: _____ / 16 pts
Passage: Deep-Sea Glow: Nature's Living Flashlights
Grade 4 • Informational Text
[1]Thousands of feet below the ocean surface, sunlight disappears completely, leaving the water icy cold and pitch black. To survive in this dark abyss, over ninety percent of deep-sea creatures make their own light. This biological superpower is called bioluminescence.
[2]Deep-sea animals put their light to work in clever ways. The anglerfish dangles a glowing bulb from a fleshy spine over its mouth. Curious fish swim directly toward the sparkling lure, right into the anglerfish’s waiting jaws. For the anglerfish, glowing light is the ultimate hunting trap.
[3]Other animals use light for self-defense. When startled by a hungry predator, the deep-sea vampire squid shoots a cloud of glowing blue slime instead of dark ink. The bright flash blinds and confuses the attacker, giving the squid plenty of time to escape safely into the dark.
Short Constructed Response Task:
Explain how deep-sea animals use bioluminescence to survive in the ocean.
Directions: In your response, write a clear claim/answer, cite at least two pieces of text evidence from the passage, and explain how your evidence supports your answer.
Student Written Response Write in complete sentences
Student Quality Self-Check: Check each box after reviewing your response
Clear Answer Evidence #1 Evidence #2 Explanation Organization
Response Crafter Scoring Guide
Teacher Tool
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
4-Point Analytic Rubric
IEP Goal Target Statement (Grade 4):
“Given a grade-level passage and Short Constructed Response prompt, student will write an organized response that includes a clear answer to the question, at least 2 pieces of relevant text evidence, and an explanation of how the evidence supports their answer with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive probes.”
| Criteria | Level 4
Advanced / 4 pts | Level 3
Proficient / 3 pts | Level 2
Developing / 2 pts | Level 1
Emerging / 1 pt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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1. Claim / Answer
Addresses prompt directly with a focused assertion. | States an exceptionally clear, precise answer that restates the prompt and fully addresses all components. | States a clear, accurate answer that directly addresses the prompt in the student’s own words. [Goal Target] | States an incomplete or overly general answer; partially addresses prompt or is somewhat vague. | Answer is inaccurate, off-topic, or merely repeats the prompt without providing an assertion (0 pts if omitted). |
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2. Text Evidence
Includes at least 2 distinct, relevant citations. | Smoothly integrates 2 or more distinct, highly relevant pieces of text evidence with precise attribution/quotes. | Includes at least 2 relevant pieces of text evidence (direct quotes or specific details) from passage. [Goal Target] | Includes only 1 piece of text evidence, OR provides 2 pieces but one is irrelevant/inaccurate. | Provides vague reference to text without specific details, quotes unrelated text, or relies solely on prior knowledge. |
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3. Explanation
Explains how evidence proves the claim. | Provides insightful, thorough reasoning explaining exactly how both pieces of evidence prove and substantiate the claim. | Clearly explains how the evidence supports the answer using logical reasoning ("This shows that...", "Because..."). [Goal Target] | Explanation is minimal, simply restates the quote, or only explains 1 piece of evidence without connecting to claim. | No explanation provided; evidence is left unconnected, or explanation is illogical/confusing. |
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4. Organization
Cohesive structure, transitions, conventions. | Exceptionally organized with purposeful transitions (e.g., "First," "In addition," "Therefore"); complete sentences; minimal errors. | Logically structured response with basic transitions; ideas follow a clear beginning-middle-end; readable sentences. [Goal Target] | Some organization present but disjointed; few or awkward transitions; minor convention errors that occasionally impede flow. | Disorganized, fragmented thoughts, run-ons; lacks transition words; frequent errors significantly impede meaning. |
Raw Score Scale 0 - 16 pts
