Preparation Manual
Section 5: Sample Constructed-Response Question TX PACT: Speech: Grades 7–12 (729)
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Sample Directions for the Constructed-Response Question
This section of the exam consists of one constructed-response question. You are to prepare a written response of approximately 300–600 words on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the question.
Read the question carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You may use the eraseable notebooklet provided to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response to this question must be typed in the response box provided on-screen with the question.
As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response to the question, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the content area through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.
Your response to the question will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- start bold PURPOSE: end bold the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
- start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
- start bold SUPPORT: end bold quality and relevance of supporting details
- start bold RATIONALE: end bold soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter
The constructed-response question is intended to assess subject matter knowledge and skills, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the scoring criteria. Your response should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your written response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.
Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the exam. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.
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Sample Constructed-Response Question
Domain II—Interpersonal and Public Communication
Use the information below to respond to the assignment that follows.
Imagine you are preparing a persuasive speech on a topic of interest to present to a group of peers. You are expecting that some members of your audience will strongly disagree with your views on the topic.
Using your knowledge of public communication, prepare a response in which you:
- identify a topic of interest to you and the main points you would want to make in a persuasive speech about that topic;
- describe two strategies you could use to adapt your speech to increase its effectiveness for audience members who disagree with you; and
- explain how the two strategies you describe would help you communicate your message more effectively to audience members who disagree with your views.
Sample Strong Response
Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work.
In a persuasive speech to peers, I would propose that the United States institute a national health care system. I believe affordable health care should be made available to all Americans, and my main argument would be that a national health care system provides the best means of achieving that goal.
To support the argument, I would gather information showing various defects of the present health care system: how it fails to provide medical coverage for large numbers of Americans; how it is fragmented, inefficient, and costly; and how for some time now health care costs have risen at a pace that is considerably in excess of the rate of inflation. In addition, I would gather information showing how the establishment of a national health care system would address these problems. Here it would be particularly important to obtain data comparing the U S health care system with that of other industrialized countries that have national health care systems—data that show how these national systems provide broader coverage at less cost than the U S system does. While doing this research, I would be looking for examples that put these statistics into a meaningful context for listeners. I would also be thinking about ways to prepare visual aids that could be used to illustrate the points that I am trying to make.
Not everyone favors the creation of a national health care system, and there is a strong likelihood that I would encounter at least some audience disagreement when delivering the speech. I would need to keep this possible opposition in mind while I prepare the speech. While gathering information to support my argument, I would need to develop an understanding of opposing points of view. The more I could learn about alternative perspectives on the issue during my research, the better prepared I would be to respond to comments from audience members who oppose the establishment of a national health care system.
If I sense that the audience is opposed to my argument, one important strategy is to communicate to the audience that I do not dismiss opposing points of view. The audience will then be more willing to give my proposal a respectful hearing. Although I would probably have researched the question more thoroughly than most audience members, I would be careful not to portray myself as an all-knowing expert. I might even incorporate a few mildly self-deprecating jokes into the speech to keep tension at a minimum. I would make sure to speak in a collegial, respectful tone, acknowledging the complexity of the issue and the merits of different points of view.
Another strategy would involve identifying the reasons for the audience's opposition. It is here that my earlier efforts to develop an understanding of alternative points of view on the health care issue would be especially helpful. Having some knowledge of the basis for listeners' opposition, I would be better able to meet audience disagreement with a logical response that is supported by relevant examples and data. This knowledge would also help to avoid areas of conflict and emphasize points on which there appears to be some measure of agreement. In this way, I would hope to craft a persuasive appeal that addressed audience concerns without abandoning major points of my own position.
Performance Characteristics
Responses are scored holistically based on the following performance characteristics:
| Purpose | The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment. |
|---|---|
| Subject Matter Knowledge | Accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge. |
| Support | Quality and relevance of supporting details. |
| Rationale | Soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter. |
Score Scale
The four points of the scoring scale correspond to varying degrees of performance.
| Score Point | Score Point Description |
|---|---|
| 4 | The "4" response reflects a thorough understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
|
| 3 | The "3" response reflects a general understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
|
| 2 |
The "2" response reflects a limited understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
|
| 1 |
The "1" response reflects little understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
|
| U | The response is unscorable because it is illegible, not written to the assigned topic, written in a language other than English, or lacking a sufficient amount of original work to score. |
| B | There is no response to the assignment. |
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