HSPE Basic Information

High School Proficiency Exam

Formerly known as WASL

Prepared by: Jeni McAnally, Literacy Specialist VPS

Reading HSPE – Testing Session One 120 minute session Extended time available for ALL students

requiring extra time Extra time ends at the end of the school

day

Reading HSPE – Passages There are FIVE reading passages in the

exam. Informational, literary, and poetic reading

passages are represented

Reading HSPE - Items There are 40 questions (“items”) on the

exam 35 multiple choice items Five short answer items Of the 40 questions, six are “pilot” items (mixed

multiple choice and short answer) and are NOT calculated in the student’s score

Reading HSPE - Scoring Multiple choice items (35) are worth one

point each (80% of total score) Short answer items (5) are worth two points

each (20% of total score) Total possible score 45 After pilot items are removed, the score is

calculated for a total possible score of 525

Reading HSPE – Ranges Level 4: 427-525 Level 3: 400-426 Level 2: 375-399 Level 1: 225-374

Pass

Fail

Writing HSPE – Testing Session Two Testing Sessions

One 120 minute testing session for expository essay on one day

One 120 minute testing session for persuasive essay on the next day

Extended time available for ALL students requiring extra time

Extra time ends at the end of the school day

Writing HSPE – Modes One expository essay

Students write an essay intended to explain a concept to a reader

One persuasive essay Students write an essay intended to persuade a

reader to do or believe something

Writing HSPE – Scoring Content, Organization, and Style – 4 points

On the six trait rubric, COS encompasses Ideas and content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, and Sentence Fluency.

Conventions – 2 points This accounts for indentation, spelling,

punctuation, and grammar

Writing HSPE – Scoring (cont.)Expository4 (COS)+ 2 (Con)

6 possible points

Double Scored = 12 possible points for expository

Persuasive4 (COS)+ 2 (Con)

6 possible points

Double Scored = 12 possible points for expository

24 points possible

Writing HSPE – Ranges Level 4: 21-24 Level 3: 17-20 Level 2: 13-16 Level 1: 0-12

Pass

Fail

Writing HSPE – Do The Math Writers who are weak in

conventions must be STRONG in COS. Let’s look at an example. Let’s say… Both essays score a 3 on

COS and a 1 on Conventions

4 points by two readers for two tests = 16

16 is NOT PASSING

Writers who are weak in COS must be STRONG in Conventions. Let’s look at another example. Let’s say… Both essays score a 2 on

COS and a 2 on Conventions

4 points by two readers for two tests = 16

16 is NOT PASSING

Writing HSPE – Do The Math Writers who are weak

in COS must be STRONG in conventions. Let’s look at another example. Let’s say… Both essays score a 2 on

COS and a 2 on CON 4 points by two readers

for two tests = 16 16 is NOT PASSING