State
of
Texas Assessments
of
Academic Readiness
Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response
Scoring Guide
Spring 2023
Copyright © 2023, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
all or portions of this work is prohibited without express written permission from
Texas Education Agency.
Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
General Information
Beginning with the 2022–2023 school year, science assessments include short constructed
responses at every assessed grade level. Students are asked to provide a short response to
a question. Responses are scored using a prompt-specific, two-point rubric.
This State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR
®
) constructed-response
scoring guide provides student exemplars at all score points for two short constructed-response
questions from the STAAR grade 8 science operational test. The questions are presented as
they appeared on the test, and responses were scored based on the two-point rubrics that
were developed with the input of Texas educators. A response earns a specific score point
based on the completeness of the response provided as measured against the rubric.
The responses in this guide are actual student responses submitted online during the testing
window. To protect the privacy of individual students, all names and other references of a
personal nature have been altered or removed. Otherwise, the responses appear as the
students wrote them and have not been modified
.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
2
Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Grade 8 Science Short Constructed Response
Prompt
Sodium sulfate (Na
2
SO
4
) is used to produce many products.
Which elements are represented in the formula AND how many atoms of each element are
represented in the formula?
Read the question carefully. Then enter your answer in the box provided.
Item-Specific Rubric
Score: 2
The student response includes:
• There are a total of 7 atoms representing three elements in the formula
AND
• The elements are sodium (2 atoms), sulfur (1 atom), and oxygen (4 atoms)
Score: 1
The student answers half of the question correctly.
Score: 0
The response is incorrect or irrelevant.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
3
odmm and 6
nu atnne and odium
?
_time·-'
.
Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Sample Student Responses
Score Point 0
Response 1
The student correctly identified only one element, with no correct number of atoms
identified for any elements (“Sodium and 6”). Neither of the parts for this prompt are
complete, and therefore this response receives no credit.
Response 2
The student correctly identified one element (“sodium”), but the other named element,
“nutatrine,” is not an actual, real element. No attempt was made to identify the number of
atoms represented in the formula for any of the elements. Neither part of the prompt is
complete or correct.
Response 3
The student did not attempt to identify any elements or clearly try to provide the correct
number of atoms represented in the formula for any of the elements. Only a vague and
irrelevant attempt to provide a math expression is provided (“8? 2 times 4 ,”). Neither part
of the prompt is complete or correct.
Response 4
The student did not attempt to identify any elements and only an irrelevant number is
provided (“13”). Neither part of the prompt is complete or correct.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
4
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Score Point 1
Response 1
The student correctly identifies all three elements but only provides the correct number of
atoms in the formula for two of the three elements (“Sodium-2,” “Oxygen-4”). The number
of atoms for sulfur is incorrect (“Sulfur-4”). Sulfur should be one atom, not four. The first
part is correct and complete with all three elements named, but only two of the elements
have a correct number of atoms, so the second part of the prompt is not completely correct.
This response shows partial understanding.
Response 2
The student correctly identifies all three elements (“sodium,” “sulfuf,” “oxygen”), but
the number of atoms provided for each of the three elements is incorrect (“sodium-11,
sulfuf-16& oxygen-8”). These are the elements’ atomic numbers, not the number of atoms
represented in the formula for each element. The first part is correct and complete with all
three elements named, but all the elements have an incorrect number of atoms, so the
second part of the prompt is incorrect. The response is only partially correct.
Response 3
The student correctly identifies all three elements (“[Na] sodium,” “[S] sulfur,” “[O] oxygen”),
but the number of atoms provided for each of the three elements is incorrect (“sodium [46],”
“sulfur [32],” “oxygen [64]”). The first part is correct and complete with all three elements
named, but all three of the elements have an incorrect number of atoms, so the second part
of the prompt is incorrect, and the response is only partially correct.
Response 4
The student correctly identified all three elements using the correct periodic table symbol
(“Na, S, O”). No attempt was made to provide the correct number of atoms represented in
the formula for each of the three elements. The response demonstrates partial
understanding with only one part of the prompt complete and correct.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
5
The element ium. ygen. and ulfur are u ed in the formula.
In
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Score Point 2
Response 1
The student correctly identifies the three elements represented in the formula (“sodium,
oxygen, and sulfur”) and the correct number of atoms represented in the formula for each
of the three elements (“sodium has two atoms, oxygen has four atoms, and sulfur has one
atom”). Both parts of the prompt are complete and correct, and this response shows
complete understanding.
Response 2
The student correctly identifies the three elements represented in the formula, along with
the correct number of atoms represented in the formula for each of the three elements
(“sodium [Na]- 2 atoms”; “sulfur [S]- 1 atom”; “oxygen [O]- 4 atoms”). Correct periodic
table symbols can be used to identify the elements instead of full element names. Both parts
of the prompt are complete and correct, and this response shows complete understanding.
Response 3
The student correctly identifies the three elements represented in the formula, along with
the correct number of atoms represented in the formula for each of the three elements
(“2 sodium, 1 S, 4 O”). Correct periodic table symbols can be used to identify the elements
instead of full element names. Both parts of the prompt are complete and correct, and this
response shows complete understanding.
Response 4
The student correctly identifies the three elements represented in the formula, along with
the correct number of atoms represented in the formula for each of the three elements
(“sodium-2, sulfur-1, oxygen-4”). Both parts of the prompt are complete and correct, and
this response shows complete understanding.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
6
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Grade 8 Science Short Constructed Response
Prompt
A 1.5-kilogram block is pushed rapidly and released. The block continues to slide some
distance until it comes to a stop. The figure shows the block after it has been released and
before it comes to a stop.
Name the forces that directly affect the block’s motion both before and after the block has
been released. Describe the effects of each force named.
Enter your answer in the box.
Item-Specific Rubric
Score: 2
The student describes both the student’s push and the surface’s friction as the forces
affecting the block’s motion before release and describes the surface’s friction as the
force affecting motion.
The student also identifies acceleration (or change in velocity) as the effect both before
and after release.
Score: 1
The student answers half of the question correctly.
Score: 0
The response is incorrect or irrelevant.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
7
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Sample Student Responses
Score Point 0
Response 1
The response names two forces (“1. gravity, 2. push”), but no descriptions of how these
forces impact the motion of the block are provided. With no description, it is not clear how
the force is applied to the block; therefore, the response shows no understanding. Although
a correct force is named (“push”), no credit is given for only naming a force.
Response 2
The response is completely irrelevant. The student attempts to provide energy of the block
before and after the block has been released (“kinetic and pontetinal”). Potential energy and
kinetic energy are not forces that affect the block’s motion. The block is experiencing
potential energy before it is in motion and kinetic energy after it starts moving, but this
information is not relevant in any way to this prompt.
Response 3
The response is completely incorrect and irrelevant. The student attempts to provide
Newton’s second law as an effect (“effect is . . . Newton’s second law”), but this is not a
correct application of Newton’s second law and shows no understanding of what the prompt
is asking. Students may attempt to apply Newton’s laws, but this is incorrect since the
prompt is asking for the effect on the block’s motion from an applied force.
Response 4
The response is vague and irrelevant. The student provides two words with no context given
(“force acceleration”). While acceleration can be an effect of an applied force, that is not
provided in this response. No understanding is shown.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
8
the
hand
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the
block
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bloc
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before
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ed
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wa
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be
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other
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Score Point 1
Response 1
The response names one force (“pushing”) and describes the effect of that force on the
motion of the block (“hand pushing the block . . . appyling enough force to the block,
allowing the block to slide forwards”). This response describes how the push started before
the block moved and then after it was released, which allowed the block to slide forward.
One correct force that acts on the block is provided, along with a description of how that
force affects the block’s motion. The response answers one-half of the question and shows
partial understanding.
Response 2
The response names one force (“friction”) and describes the effect of that force on the
motion of the block (“force that is slowing the blocck down is friction”). This concise
response describes how friction is slowing down the motion of the block. No attempt is
made to name a second force and describe how it affects the motion of the block.
One correct force that acts on the block is provided, along with a description of how that
force affects the block’s motion. The response answers one-half of the question and shows
partial understanding.
Response 3
The response names one force (“pushed”) and describes the effect of that force on the
motion of the block (“then the block went into motion”). This response describes how the
push from the hand moved the block.
One correct force that acts on the block is provided, along with a description of how that
force affects the block’s motion. The response answers one-half of the question and shows
partial understanding.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
9
\\ h n
th
boxed w
pu
hed the fore
in
the hand cau
farther
\\
ay
m
the
hand.
The block I no movmg until the pu h. The push r a orce that make the block
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Response 4
The response names one force (“pushed”) and describes the effect of that force on the
motion of the block (“boxed was pushed . . . caused it to move farther way from the hand”).
The response describes how the push from the hand moved the block away from the hand,
which means it moved down the table. This response describes how the push from the hand
caused the box to move further away from the hand, which indicates the box is sliding down
the table away from the hand.
One correct force that acts on the block is provided, along with a description of how that
force affects the block’s motion. The response answers one-half of the question and shows
partial understanding.
Score Point 2
Response 1
The response names two forces that directly affect the block’s motion (“the push,” “friction”)
and describes the effect of each force on the motion of the block (“push is a force that
makes the block move . . . block will . . . slow down because of the friction”).
Two correct forces that act on the block are given, along with a description of how both
forces affect the block’s motion, which shows complete understanding.
Response 2
The response names two forces that directly affect the block’s motion (“pushing,” “friction”)
and describes the effect of each force on the motion of the block (“pushing the block is
going off of the motion of the push . . . greater the push the long distance it will go . . .
surface that the block is sliding on has a play on how far it can go, becuase of friction”).
The student explains that the push puts the block in motion and the harder you push, the
further the block will slide. The student also describes how the surface the block is sliding
on affects how far it can go because of friction.
Two correct forces that act on the block are given, along with a description of how both
forces affect the block’s motion, which shows complete understanding.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
10
Th
x
ls
pu
h d
it
m ,. ·
ti
ward until! fri
in!?
an · farth~r.
ere I a pu h
of
the bloc · that cau
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acceleration
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the block The block peeds
up
, bu then fncbon low rt
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Grade 8 Science
Short Constructed Response Scoring Guide
Response 3
The response names two forces that directly affect the block’s motion (“gets pushed,”
“friction”) and describes the effect of each force on the motion of the block (“box gets
pushed so it moves forward untill friction stops it from going any farther”). This concise
response clearly describes how the force of the push moves the block forward until the force
of friction stops it from going any farther on the table. Moving forward and stopping are
examples of motion.
Two correct forces that act on the block are given, along with a description of how both
forces affect the block’s motion, which shows complete understanding.
Response 4
The response names two forces that directly affect the block’s motion (“a push,” “friction”)
and describes the effect of each force on the motion of the block (“push of the block that
causes acceleration of the block . . . friction slows it down”). This concise response clearly
describes how the push accelerates the motion of the block and how friction then slows
it down.
Two correct forces that act on the block are given, along with a description of how both
forces affect the block’s motion, which shows complete understanding.
Texas Education Agency
Student Assessment Division
2023
11
