PA+Performance+Level+Descriptors

 **Pennsylvania Department of Education ** **Grade 6 Reading ** **Performance Level Descriptors ** A student scoring at the below basic level demonstrates competency with below grade-level text only and requires extensive support to comprehend and interpret fiction and nonfiction. A student scoring at the basic level generally utilizes some reading strategies to comprehend grade-level appropriate fiction and nonfiction: • Differentiates among word meanings, including synonyms and antonyms, using context clues and/or word parts • Identifies details in support of a conclusion • Identifies stated or implied main idea and relevant details • Attempts to summarize text and/or to make within or among text-to-text connections • Identifies purpose of text (e.g., narrative) and features of text (e.g., headings), including content appropriate to subsections • Describes specific text elements and simple organizational patterns (e.g., sequencing, comparison/contrast, cause/effect) • Identifies simple figurative language (e.g., personification, simile), literary elements (e.g., character) and recognizes point of view <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Locates factual statements and explicitly stated opinions in nonfiction <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Understands the use of exaggeration (bias) in nonfiction <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies the proper sequence of steps in a list of directions <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies and describes the purpose of graphics and charts <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">A student scoring at the proficient level routinely utilizes a variety of reading strategies to comprehend and interpret grade-level appropriate fiction and nonfiction: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Applies a variety of strategies to determine meanings of words, including synonyms and antonyms, using context clues and word parts <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Makes inferences, draws conclusions, and generalizes, using textual support <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies stated and implied main ideas and relevant details <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Summarizes text and makes within and among text-to-text connections <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies and interprets purpose of text (narrative, informational, poetic, persuasive, biographical) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies and interprets literary elements (characterization, setting, plot, theme) and point of view <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies and explains figurative language (personification, simile, alliteration, metaphor) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies and interprets fact and opinion in nonfiction <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Describes how the author uses exaggeration (bias) in nonfiction <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies and interprets organizational patterns of texts (e.g., sequencing, comparison/contrast) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Compares and explains the sequence of steps in a list of directions <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Interprets and explains graphics, charts, and headings <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">A student scoring at the advanced level consistently utilizes sophisticated strategies to comprehend and interpret complex fiction and nonfiction: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies shades of meaning in words, using context as support <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Makes inferences, draws conclusions, generalizes, and analyzes textual support <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Effectively summarizes all ideas within text <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Analyzes themes <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Analyzes purpose of text (e.g., narrative, informational) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Describes and explains connections within and among texts <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Analyzes the relationships among text elements, organizational patterns (e.g., sequencing, comparison/contrast), and purpose of text (e.g., narrative) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Explains the effectiveness of author’s use of figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor), literary elements (e.g., character), and point of view <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Identifies, explains, and analyzes textual evidence in support of arguments in nonfiction <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Describes the sequence of steps in a list of directions <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">• Analyzes the use of graphics, charts, and headings
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Below Basic **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Basic **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Proficient **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Advanced **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">