About 329,000 high school students took the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition test this May, and their nearly 1 million essays will be scored by me and 1,000 of my closest friends.
It all begins with sample selection. Before 1,000 high school and college teachers arrive to the Literature reading in Kentucky, a group of 10 teachers decide how the tests will be scored.
The scoring guidelines remain the same from year to year, so it’s our job to provide examples for the descriptions of what earns each score on a scale of 1-9. (To understand what we do, think of an adjective like “beautiful” or “intelligent.” How would you apply those words? Each interpretation would be subjective.)
We sort the essays based on adjectives like “persuasive,” “sophisticated” and “good control over the elements of composition.” Each teacher sees those adjectives differently and would apply them to the essays according to models from their classroom experiences.
The job at sample selection is to provide models of each score so readers see those adjectives in the same way. As we decide on the five to 10 samples for each score point on the three essay questions, those models serve to put our readers on the same page and lessen the subjectivity.
As the person in charge of Question 3 this year, I have been impressed with the methodical process of choosing samples as guides.
The first morning, three teachers and a former teacher working for the Educational Testing Service read random essays and annotated our opinions and scores with Post-its. The Post-its are important because everyone, even the chief reader in charge of the entire exam, needs time to figure out which sample essays will serve as the best examples of 1-9 scores.
We used an initial group of 100 exam booklets, and passed them among the others for second and third opinions. When we found consensus, we made nine piles, one for each score. Although this might not be rocket science, judging each essay is a delicate and time-consuming business. We weigh writing ability with the students’ skills at making a case for their interpretations. “Apt and specific references” are important to their grades, so we need to choose samples that clarify these criteria.
During the second day we returned to the piles of essays, reading them once more and annotating our grades more thoroughly. In a few days we will need to “sell” these samples to the 120 teachers who will each mentor eight readers for the weeklong reading of all three questions. Those mentors, or table leaders, will be responsible for seeing that each student receives a fair score — whether on Day 1 or Day 7, at 8:15 in the morning or 4:45 p.m., when most of us will be glancing at our watches.
This process is heartening for me and other AP teachers because we see, year after year, that our students have an excellent chance of receiving a fair grade for their work. “Fair” is an easy word to say, but achieving it for more than 300,000 students takes time, cooperation and a little love. And that’s the bond that makes 1,000 of us friends, eager to return every year.
What kids are reading
This weekly column will look at lists of books kids are reading in various categories, including grade level, book genre and data from booksellers. The following list of novels and plays is taken from the 2009 English Literature and Composition Advanced Placement Test. They are among the works suggested for students answering the “open” essay question. They are recommended for older high school and college students.
Lesser-known works listed on the 2009 English Lit AP Test
1. “Cat’s Eye” by Margaret Atwood
2. “Fences” by August Wilson
3. “The Hairy Ape” by Eugene O’Neill
4. “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” by Kim Edwards
5. “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahir
6. “Reservation Blues” by Sherman Alexie
7. “Snow” by Orhan Pam
8. “Wise Blood” by Flannery O’Connor
9. “The Women of Brewster Place” by Gloria Naylor
10. “The Crossing” by Cormac McCarthy
