Study Guide

Field 016: Speech/Drama/Debate 
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

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Test Directions for the Constructed-Response Assignment

This section of the test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You are to prepare a written response of approximately  300 to 600  words on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.

Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response.

As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response to the assignment, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the content area through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.

Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

 start bold PURPOSE: end bold  the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
 start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold  accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
 start bold SUPPORT: end bold  quality and relevance of supporting details
 start bold RATIONALE: end bold  soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

The constructed-response assignment is intended to assess subject matter knowledge and skills, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the scoring criteria. Your response should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your written response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.

Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.

Sample Constructed-Response Assignment

subarea roman numeral 2 
Interpersonal and Public Communication

 start bold Use the information below to respond to the assignment that follows. end bold 

Imagine you are preparing a persuasive speech on a topic of interest to present to a group of peers. You are expecting that some members of your audience will strongly disagree with your views on the topic.

Using your knowledge of public communication, prepare a response in which you:

Sample Strong Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment

 start bold Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work. end bold 

In a persuasive speech to peers, I would propose that the United States institute a national health care system. I believe affordable health care should be made available to all Americans, and my main argument would be that a national health care system provides the best means of achieving that goal.

To support the argument, I would gather information showing various defects of the present health care system: how it fails to provide medical coverage for large numbers of Americans; how it is fragmented, inefficient, and costly; and how for some time now health care costs have risen at a pace that is considerably in excess of the rate of inflation. In addition, I would gather information showing how the establishment of a national health care system would address these problems. Here it would be particularly important to obtain data comparing the U S health care system with that of other industrialized countries that have national health care systems—data that show how these national systems provide broader coverage at less cost than the U S system does. While doing this research, I would be looking for examples that put these statistics into a meaningful context for listeners. I would also be thinking about ways to prepare visual aids that could be used to illustrate the points that I am trying to make.

Not everyone favors the creation of a national health care system, and there is a strong likelihood that I would encounter at least some audience disagreement when delivering the speech. I would need to keep this possible opposition in mind while I prepare the speech. While gathering information to support my argument, I would need to develop an understanding of opposing points of view. The more I could learn about alternative perspectives on the issue during my research, the better prepared I would be to respond to comments from audience members who oppose the establishment of a national health care system.

If I sense that the audience is opposed to my argument, one important strategy is to communicate to the audience that I do not dismiss opposing points of view. The audience will then be more willing to give my proposal a respectful hearing. Although I would probably have researched the question more thoroughly than most audience members, I would be careful not to portray myself as an all-knowing expert. I might even incorporate a few mildly self-deprecating jokes into the speech to keep tension at a minimum. I would make sure to speak in a collegial, respectful tone, acknowledging the complexity of the issue and the merits of different points of view.

Another strategy would involve identifying the reasons for the audience's opposition. It is here that my earlier efforts to develop an understanding of alternative points of view on the health care issue would be especially helpful. Having some knowledge of the basis for listeners' opposition, I would be better able to meet audience disagreement with a logical response that is supported by relevant examples and data. This knowledge would also help to avoid areas of conflict and emphasize points on which there appears to be some measure of agreement. In this way, I would hope to craft a persuasive appeal that addressed audience concerns without abandoning major points of my own position.

Performance Characteristics

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the constructed-response assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses
Purpose The extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
Subject Matter Knowledge The accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
Support The quality and relevance of supporting details
Rationale The soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matter

Scoring Scale

Scores will be assigned to each response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4  start bold The "4" response reflects a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is fully achieved.
  • There is a substantial, accurate, and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is sound; there are high-quality, relevant examples.
  • The response reflects an ably reasoned, comprehensive understanding of the topic.
3  start bold The "3" response reflects a general knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is largely achieved.
  • There is a generally accurate and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence generally supports the discussion; there are some relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a general understanding of the topic.
2  start bold The "2" response reflects a partial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is partially achieved.
  • There is a limited, possibly inaccurate or inappropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence is limited; there are few relevant examples.
  • The response reflects a limited, poorly reasoned understanding of the topic.
1  start bold The "1" response reflects little or no knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. end bold 
  • The purpose of the assignment is not achieved.
  • There is little or no appropriate or accurate application of subject matter knowledge.
  • The supporting evidence, if present, is weak; there are few or no relevant examples.
  • The response reflects little or no reasoning about or understanding of the topic.
U The response is unscorable because it is illegible, not written to the assigned topic, written in a language other than English, or lacking a sufficient amount of original work to score.
B There is no response to the assignment.