ISAT Reading Performance Definitions
Students who exceed standards demonstrate a strong comprehension of text beyond their grade level. They use contextual and structural clues to determine vocabulary meaning. They accurately interpret idioms, analogies, figurative expressions, and etymologies to clarify word meanings.
Students accurately identify explicit and implicit main ideas as well as key supporting details. They use evidence implicit in the passage and prior knowledge to draw inferences and conclusions and to extract concepts. They can identify and explain the correct sequence of events in a story and can draw conclusions about character traits and motivations as revealed through a combination of devices. They can trace the development of complex or subtle themes. They analyze text to determine author’s purpose and understand elements of plot and setting.
Students make accurate predictions about outcomes. They understand facts and opinions and analyze text to determine its organizational pattern. They examine the content and structure of text to analyze and evaluate the effect of literary elements and devices, and they can analyze general themes that appear across texts. They can explain situational irony.
Students locate and synthesize information in diagrams, charts, and graphs to draw conclusions. They are proficient at following complex multi-step instructions.
Students who meet standards demonstrate an overall comprehension of grade-level text. They use structural and contextual clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary as well as a variety of strategies to clarify word meanings.
Students identify explicit and implicit main ideas as well as supporting details. They draw inferences and conclusions using textual support and prior knowledge. They can identify the correct sequence of events in a story and recall important supporting details. They can make inferences about character traits and motivations and identify implicit themes. They recognize an author’s unstated purpose and elements of plot and setting.
Students make predictions based on clues in the passage. They distinguish between facts and opinions and can recognize organizational patterns. They examine the content and structure of text to recognize the author’s use of literary elements and devices and their impact on a passage’s effectiveness. They can identify general themes across texts. They understand situational irony.
Students synthesize information in diagrams, charts, and graphs to reach conclusions. They can follow multi-step directions.
Students at the below standards level demonstrate an incomplete understanding of grade-level text. They use immediate context to determine the meaning of vocabulary. They tend to make literal interpretations of figurative language and have difficulty deciphering etymologies.
Students may have trouble distinguishing main ideas from developmental details. They struggle to make inferences and conclusions. They may identify facts about characters but are not proficient at understanding motivations. They may be able to identify plot events but have difficulty understanding themes. They can sometimes determine author’s purpose when it is explicitly stated.
They may be able to make obvious predictions and identify obvious opinions but struggle to identify organizational patterns. They sometimes recognize the use of literary devices and figurative language but lack the skills to analyze their impact on a passage’s effectiveness. They struggle to identify themes common across passages or to identify irony.
Students can find but cannot synthesize information in diagrams, charts, and graphs. They struggle with directions.
Students at the academic warning level have a limited comprehension of grade-level text. They cannot determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary due to a weak understanding of grade-level vocabulary.
Students cannot identify main ideas, or they confuse main ideas with supporting details. An inability to comprehend literal statements prevents comprehension of inferences and conclusions. They have few insights into characterization, plot events, or themes. They may be able to identify author’s purpose but have little or no recognition of the use of opinions or organizational features.
They rarely make accurate predictions. A lack of familiarity with literary devices and figurative language prevents any analysis of their use. They are generally unable to recognize common themes. They are rarely able to identify irony.
Students ignore or misuse features of text, such as bold print and headings. They are seldom able to follow directions.