FSA Reading Item Stems

The information in this document was excerpted from the Draft of Grades 9-10 English Language Arts Item Specifications that is posted on the Florida Department of Education website. A few of the Item Stems were created by me. You may find it useful to have students use the sample Item Stems to create questions for what they are reading in class.

FSA Reading Question Types

(Information from Florida DOE website)

Hot Text items require the student to either click on a response option or drag a response option to another location. In the drag-a-response option, the student may be given five possible responses, for example. The student then must click on and drag one or more responses to a space in a chart, list, or graphic organizer. Hot Text items may also require students to select/highlight details from a text (words, phrases, or sentences). Some Hot Text items are two part. For example, Part A asks the student, "Which is a theme of the passage?" and Part B asks the student, "Which detail supports the development of the theme in Part A?"

FSA ELA Argumentative Essay Prompt--Strategies for Responding

Writing Prompt:
(from the Florida Department of Education website)

It’s no secret that sometimes great discoveries come as a result of really big mistakes. But are they always worth the problems they cause? Sometimes the mistakes lead to greatness, and sometimes they lead to disaster. Are mistakes key to making discoveries?

Additional Recommendations for Responding to the Argumentative Prompt for the FSA ELA with Helpful Links

Guidelines for Responding to an Argumentative Prompt

The format of the argumentative prompt on the English Assessment resembles the one below (see italics). Familiarize yourself with the wording and requirements:

FSA ELA--Important Information

(Some changes need to be made for the 2016-2017 year.)

The information below was excerpted from the Florida Department of Education website. First, check out the following links for a calendar of important testing dates:

Grades 9-11 FSA Writing Assessment

Grades 9–10 English Language Arts Item Specifications
Florida Standards Assessments
Text-based Writing Stimulus and Prompt Guidelines 

FSA ELA--Thinking Process for Responding to the FSA Informative/Explanatory Writing Prompt

Thinking, Nicholas Roerich (1918)

The DOE sample prompt reads as follows:

FSA ELA Brainstorming and Planning for Answering the Writing Prompt (Prewriting)

Brainstorming/Planning Strategies for Answering the FSA ELA Writing Prompt—

Note Taking While You Read and Highlight

Know that this prompt requires you to plan and revise. You will be given a sheet of paper to take notes. All good writing requires planning. Below are some suggestions for the reading, note-taking, and planning process: