PSAE Reading Performance Definitions
Introduction
The Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE), which was administered
to Illinois grade 11 public school students for the first time
in spring 2001, assesses the high school benchmarks defined by the
Illinois Learning Standards. Student performance on the PSAE is
evaluated relative to four levels: Exceeds Standards, Meets Standards,
Below Standards, and Academic Warning.
The work of students at each performance level is summarized in
the following profiles:
- Exceeds Standards – Student work demonstrates advanced
knowledge and skills in the subject. Students creatively apply
knowledge and skills to solve problems and evaluate the results.
- Meets Standards – Student work demonstrates proficient
knowledge and skills in the subject. Students effectively apply
knowledge and skills to solve problems.
- Below Standards – Student work demonstrates basic
knowledge and skills in the subject. However, because of gaps
in learning, students apply knowledge and skills in limited ways.
- Academic Warning – Student work demonstrates limited
knowledge and skills in the subject. Because of major gaps in
learning, students apply knowledge and skills ineffectively.
Examples are provided only as guidance and are not meant
to be exhaustive.
The PSAE reading test consists of two components: ACT Reading
and WorkKeys Reading for Information. The components assess the
Illinois
Learning Standards for reading contained in State Goal 1:
ability to read literary and informational texts with understanding
and fluency.
Exceeds Standards
Readers at the Exceeds Standards level demonstrate advanced knowledge
and skills in reading. They creatively apply knowledge and skills
in comprehending a variety of complex literary and informational
texts.
Readers who exceed the Standards identify and understand abstract
themes and ideas in the text and support their ideas with relevant
information from the text and their coursework in other subjects.
They make connections among ideas. These readers analyze both the
meaning and structure of the text to understand and apply important
information. They infer implicit main ideas and draw logical conclusions
based both on evidence in the text and their own knowledge.
These readers understand the broad meanings that underlie a text
and recognize multiple perspectives and interpretations. They use
clues in the text to understand complex character traits and motives.
They use context clues to determine the appropriate meaning of words
that have multiple meanings and of words in figurative contexts.
Readers who exceed the Standards interpret and evaluate the use
of a range of literary devices, including word choice, language
structure, figurative language, and point of view.
Meets Standards
Readers at the Meets Standards level demonstrate proficient knowledge
and skills in reading. They effectively apply knowledge and skills
in comprehending a variety of challenging literary and informational
texts.
Readers who meet the Standards demonstrate a general understanding
of the important ideas in the text and support their ideas with
relevant information from the text and sometimes from their own
knowledge and experience. These readers use knowledge of text structure
to recall and understand important information. They make connections
between explicit main ideas and some implicit main ideas. They draw
conclusions using evidence in the text and their own knowledge.
These readers understand theme and author’s purpose. They
use clues in the text to understand character traits and motives.
They apply word analysis skills to recognize words and use strategies
to determine the meaning of words in the text.
Readers who meet the Standards understand the use of a range of
literary devices, including word choice, language structure, figurative
language, and point of view.
Below Standards
Readers at the Below Standards level demonstrate basic knowledge
and skills in reading. Although they have gaps in their learning,
readers at this level apply their knowledge and skills in comprehending
literary and informational texts having a clear purpose, simple
language, and familiar style and structure.
Readers who are below the Standards demonstrate a basic understanding
of the important ideas in the text and support their ideas with
general information from the text and from their own experience.
These readers identify and relate aspects of text structure to its
overall meaning, recognize interpretations, and relate ideas in
the text to their own experiences. They sometimes rely more on their
own knowledge and ideas than on the text. They identify some explicit
main ideas and important details and make simple generalizations
about the main points.
These readers understand basic character traits and motives in
uncomplicated literary passages. They order simple sequences of
events and explain the relationships among the events. They apply
word analysis skills and use context clues to determine the meaning
of words in the text.
Readers who are below the Standards recognize basic literary elements
and devices, including setting, point of view, conflict, foreshadowing,
and flashback.
Academic Warning
Readers at the Academic Warning level demonstrate limited knowledge
and skills in reading. Although readers at this level have major
gaps in learning and apply knowledge and skills ineffectively, they
demonstrate a general understanding of short, uncomplicated literary
and informational texts that use basic vocabulary.
Readers at the Academic Warning level identify uncomplicated key
concepts and simple details. They locate basic details at the sentence
and paragraph level. They recognize basic text structures, such
as memos, letters, poems, narratives, and instructions. They identify
some explicit main ideas and locate some important details in the
text.
These readers identify explicit character traits. They recognize
the proper placement of items in a sequence of events and recognize
simple cause-and-effect relationships. They detect the meaning of
words defined within the text and infer the meaning of simple words
not defined within the text.
Readers at the Academic Warning level recognize a few basic literary
elements, such as setting, conflict, and plot.
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