Table of Contents

Objective Statement

Standards

Performance Indicators

Learning Progression

Possible Baseline Sources

Collecting a Body of Evidence

Instructional Resources

Objective Name

High School Science: Informational Writing

Objective Statement

All students will demonstrate competency in obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in
writing informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of scientific content within
the context of grade level science standards.

Standard(s) for the Grade Standard(s) for Standard(s) for the Grade
Level(s) Before Current Grade Level Level(s) After

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-

2 .2 12.2
Write informative/explanatory texts Write informative/explanatory texts Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey to examine and convey complex to examine and convey complex
ideas, concepts, and information ideas, concepts, and information ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, clearly and accurately through the clearly and accurately through the
organization, and analysis of effective selection, organization, effective selection, organization,
relevant content. and analysis of content. and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, a. Introduce a topic; organize a. Introduce a topic; organize
previewing what is to complex ideas, concepts, complex ideas, concepts, and
follow; organize ideas, and information to make information so that each new
concepts, and information important connections and element builds on that which
into broader categories; distinctions; include precedes it to create a unified
include formatting (e.g., formatting (e.g., headings), whole; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., graphics (e.g., figures, headings), graphics (e.g., figures,
charts, tables), and tables), and multimedia tables), and multimedia when
multimedia when useful to when useful to aid useful to aiding comprehension.
aiding comprehension. comprehension. b. Develop the topic thoroughly
b. Develop the topic with b. Develop the topic with by selecting the most significant
relevant, well-chosen facts, well-chosen, relevant, and and relevant facts, extended
definitions, concrete sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details,
 details, quotations, or other definitions, concrete quotations, or other information
information and examples. details, quotations, or other and examples appropriate to the
c. Use appropriate and varied information and examples audience's knowledge of the topic.
transitions to create appropriate to the c. Use appropriate and varied
cohesion and clarify the audience's knowledge of transitions and syntax to link the
relationships among ideas the topic. major sections of the text, create
and concepts. c. Use appropriate and varied cohesion, and clarify the
d. Use precise language and transitions to link the major relationships among complex
domain-specific vocabulary sections of the text, create ideas and concepts.
to inform about or explain cohesion, and clarify the d. Use precise language,
the topic. relationships among domain-specific vocabulary, and
e. Establish and maintain a complex ideas and techniques such as metaphor,
formal style. concepts. simile, and analogy to manage the
f. Provide a concluding d. Use precise language and complexity of the topic.
statement or section that domain-specific vocabulary e. Establish and maintain a
follows from and supports to manage the complexity formal style and objective tone
the information or of the topic. while attending to the norms and
explanation presented. e. Establish and maintain a conventions of the discipline in
formal style and objective which they are writing.
tone while attending to the Provide a concluding statement or
norms and conventions of section that follows from and
the discipline in which they supports the information or
are writing. explanation presented (e.g.,
f. Provide a concluding articulating implications or the
statement or section that significance of the topic).
follows from and supports
the information or
explanation presented
(e.g., articulating
implications or the
significance of the topic).

Next Generation Science Standards Science and Engineering Practices

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to
evaluating the validity and reliability of the claims, methods, and designs.
● Critically read scientific literature adapted for classroom use to determine the central ideas or
conclusions and/or to obtain scientific and/or technical information to summarize complex evidence,
concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still
accurate terms.
● Compare, integrate and evaluate sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a scientific question or solve a
problem.
● Gather, read, and evaluate scientific and/or technical information from multiple authoritative sources,
assessing the evidence and usefulness of each source.
● Evaluate the validity and reliability of and/or synthesize multiple claims, methods, and/or designs that
appear in scientific and technical texts or media reports, verifying the data when possible.
Communicate scientific and/or technical information or ideas (e.g. about phenomena and/or the
process of development and the design and performance of a proposed process or system) in
multiple formats (i.e., orally, graphically, textually, mathematically).
Performance Indicators for Met Expectations

1. Students clearly introduce a researchable topic in a manner that is compelling and follows logically
from the task and purpose, and determine central ideas to demonstrate a precise and nuanced
analysis of the content.
2. Students can present accurate, sufficient evidence from an experiment, scientific media, the natural
world, or a design solution that supports their claim or argument. Students consistently use relevant
evidence from multiple sources, and provide an interpretation that completely connects evidence with
a model or theory.
3. Students exhibit clear organization with use of appropriate and varied transitions to create a unified
whole and enhance meaning. Students establish and maintain formal style using precise, stylistically
sophisticated, grade-appropriate language and domain-specific vocabulary with a strong sense of
voice.
4. Students demonstrate grade-appropriate command of conventions.

Learning Progression Rubric

Performance Indicator #1: Students clearly introduce a researchable topic in a manner that is
compelling and follows logically from the task and purpose, and determine central ideas to
demonstrate a precise and nuanced analysis of the content.

Met Expectations/
Exceeded Approached Partially Met
Performance
Expectations Expectations Expectations
Indicator
Students clearly Students clearly Students clearly Students introduce a
introduce a introduce a introduce a researchable topic and
researchable topic in a researchable topic in a researchable topic that central ideas that
manner that is manner that is completely addresses demonstrate valid
compelling and compelling and follows the task and purpose. understanding of the
comprehensive. logically from the task content.
and purpose. Students determine
Students determine central ideas that
Did
central ideas to Students determine demonstrate precise
Not
demonstrate a precise central ideas to grade-appropriate
Yet
and nuanced analysis demonstrate a precise analysis of content.
Meet
of the content. and nuanced analysis
of the content.
Performance Indicator #2: Students can present accurate, sufficient evidence from an
experiment, scientific media, the natural world, or a design solution that supports their claim or
argument. Students consistently use relevant evidence from multiple sources, and provide an
interpretation that completely connects evidence with a model or theory.

Met Expectations/
Exceeded Approached Partially Met
Performance
Expectations Expectations Expectations
Indicator

Students present Students present Students present Students present

precise and accurate, sufficient accurate, sufficient primarily accurate,
compelling evidence evidence from an evidence from an mostly sufficient
from an experiment, experiment, scientific experiment, scientific evidence from an
scientific media, the media, the natural media, the natural experiment, scientific
natural world, or a world, or a design world, or a design media, the natural
design solution that solution, that supports solution, that supports world, or a design
supports the claim or the claim or the claim or argument. solution.
argument argument.
Students consistently Students use relevant
Students consistently Students consistently use relevant evidence evidence with some
use relevant evidence use relevant evidence from one source, and consistency, and
from multiple from multiple sources, provide an provide an
sources, ande and provide an interpretation that interpretation that
provide an interpretation that mostly connects mostly connects
interpretation that completely connects evidence with a model evidence with a model
compellingly evidence with a or theory. or theory.
connects model or theory.
evidence with a
model or theory.

Performance Indicator #3: Students exhibit clear organization with use of appropriate and varied
transitions to create a unified whole and enhance meaning. Students establish and maintain formal
style using precise, stylistically sophisticated, grade-appropriate language and domain-specific
vocabulary with a strong sense of voice.

Met Expectations/
Exceeded Approached Partially Met
Performance
Expectations Expectations Expectations
Indicator

Students Students exhibit clear Students exhibit clear Students exhibit some
demonstrate effective organization with use organization, with the attempt at
and intentional of appropriate and use of appropriate organization, with
deviation from varied transitions to transitions to create a inconsistent use of
traditional structure create unified whole unified whole. transitions.
that results in and enhance
strengthening the meaning. Students establish and Students establish but
argument and the maintain a formal style not fully maintain a
sequence of Students establish using stylistically formal style, with
paragraphs and maintain formal sophisticated, inconsistent use of
intentionally style using precise, grade-appropriate grade-appropriate
advances the stylistically language and language and
argument. sophisticated, domain-specific domain-specific
grade-appropriate vocabulary. vocabulary.
Students establish language and
and maintain a formal domain-specific Students provide a Students provide a
style, using vocabulary with a concluding statement concluding statement
grade-appropriate, strong sense of voice. or section that follows or section that follows
stylistically from the claim and generally from the
sophisticated Students create an assertions presented. claim and assertions
language (including introduction that presented.
rhetorical and provides sufficient
structural devices) background about the
and domain-specific claim or argument.
vocabulary with a
notable sense of Students create a
voice. conclusion that
follows from the claim
Students create an and assertions
introduction that presented and
draws the reader in presents next steps.
and an insightful
conclusion provides a
satisfying sense of
resolution or closure.

Performance Indicator #4: Students demonstrate grade-appropriate command of conventions.

Met Expectations/
Exceeded Approached Partially Met
Performance
Expectations Expectations Expectations
Indicator

Students Students demonstrate Students demonstrate Students demonstrate

demonstrate grade-appropriate a command of limited command of
grade-appropriate command of conventions, though conventions, and may
command of conventions, though they may make some make frequent errors
conventions with few they may make errors that may hinder that hinder
errors, and use of occasional errors that comprehension. comprehension.
grammar enhances do not hinder
comprehension. comprehension.

Possible Baseline Data Sources

Historical Assessment Data -

- CMAS Science - CMAS Performance Summary
- CMAS Science - CMAS Student Summary
- PSAT - PSAT Overall Report

Performance on previous year’s course finals in ELA and Science (data can be found in Illuminate if the
student took a district course final)

Plan for a Body of Evidence

Body of evidence items can be collected from numerous pre-built and teacher-developed
assessment items aligned with content standards and District Competencies.

Body of Evidence

❏ Pre-built District Assessments in Illuminate:

❏ Unit Assessment Item(s)
❏ Course and Semester Finals (during assessment windows)
❏ Performance-based task
❏ Embedded formative and summative assessment tasks (embedded in lessons)
❏ Teacher-generated assessment items
❏ Unit Assessment Item(s) from Curriculum
❏ Supplemental assessments
Instructional Resources

Linked below are instructional resources that might support educators in collecting, scoring, and/or analyzing
tasks/assessments for this SLO (scoring rubrics, exemplars, sample tasks, data sources, etc.).

● English Language Arts Competency rubrics

● Science and Engineering Practice 8 Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
● MLL Performance Rubric based on WIDA Levels used to score speaking, can be applied to writing

Need support with the SLO process? Contact [email protected] or review the SLO Handbook.