SRA Guide
Scoring Student Responses

RUBRICS
       Scoring rubrics are used as the basis for scoring decisions. The New Jersey Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric is used to score the for writing PATs. Reading is scored via the Open-Ended Scoring Rubric. For mathematics open-ended items, the Holistic Scoring Guide for Mathematics Open-Ended (OE) Items is used. These rubrics provide the criteria for evaluating and scoring student performance.

SCORERS
       For reading and for mathematics, two content-certified panel members must independently score each SRA PAT. The two independent ratings must be equal (agreeing) or within one point of each other (contiguous/adjacent).
       Scores may only be a whole number - fractional scores are not used.

THE SCORE
       READING AND MATHEMATICS
       The final score for the reading PAT or the mathematics PAT is the mean (average) score of the reader rating from the two SRA panel members.
       For example, the proficient score for mathematics is a mean score of 2 for each PAT which means that the two SRA panel members each scored the student's response a 2 or better. Similarly, the proficient score for reading is a mean score of 3 for each PAT which means that the two SRA panel members each scored the student's response a 3 or better.
       However, if the two SRA panel members' scores disagree by more than one point, a third content-certified panel member must score the response. For mathematics, if there are three readers, the proficient score is still 2 but it is the mean of the two contiguous scores. For reading, if there are three readers, the proficient score is still 3 but it is the mean of the two contiguous scores.
       Further, if no two of the three scores are contiguous, the student must complete another mathematics PAT.

       WRITING
       Two content-certified panel members must independently score each PAT. The two independently derived scores must be equal (agreeing) or within one point of each other (contiguous/adjacent). These two scores are summed (not averaged). The proficient score for writing is a summed score of 7 or better for each PAT.
       If the two scores are not adjacent, a third SRA panel member must independently score the writing PAT. The proficient score is still 7 or better, but it is the sum of the two highest contiguous scores. If no two of the three scores are contiguous, the student must complete another writing PAT.

RECORDING THE SCORES
       Each student's scoring history should be recorded on the HSPA SRA Student Response Tracking Sheet (Appendix G) which becomes part of the student's permanent record. The Student Response Tracking Sheet is a record of an individual student's successful completion of the SRA process.
       A separate sheet should be completed for each content area.
       The completed Student Response Tracking Sheet(s) is attached to the district's copy of the forms sent to the county office of education and to the student's responses to the PATs. This packet for each student in the SRA process must be maintained in the district for a period of one year. After the one year retention period, the district should destroy the student's responses to the PATs but retain the HSPA SRA Student Profile Form (Appendix H) and the Student Response Tracking Sheet in the student's permanent record.