Open-ended math questions on the PSSA require students to show each step of their work and explain why they chose each step. Students can earn up to 5 points for open-ended questions by showing their work and providing explanations using words like "to get", "because", or "since". Teachers encourage students to write out each step clearly and use explanation words rather than just describing their work.

1. Open-Ended Questions in Math

2. What Is an Open-Ended Item? An open-ended math item asks students to solve a multi-step problem and explain WHY they chose each step .

3. PSSA Each student has 4 open ended items on the PSSA 3 on the common form 1 on the matrix form

4. PSSA Each open-ended item has a maximum value of 5 points. Therefore, open-ended items account for approximately 18% of the student’s PSSA score. Responses to open-ended items are graded using a rubric.

5. The PSSA Rubric To earn all 5 points, students need to show each step of their work, and explain WHY they chose each of their steps. They can earn at least 1 point by showing a correct step toward solving the problem.

6. Calculator Usage Calculators can be used for all open-ended items on the PSSA Students need to be familiar with using the specific calculator before the test!

7. The Directions For full credit, you must do the following: Show OR describe each step of your work, even if you did it in your head (“mental math”) or used a calculator, Write an explanation stating the mathematical reason(s) why you chose each of your steps.

8. Tips for Solving from Teachers Make 2 columns Put “work” on the left Put “explanation” on the right work explanation

9. Solving Tips from Teachers Show and number each step of the work Even/especially if the work was done in the student’s head or calculator.

10. Explanation Tips Encourage students to EXPLAIN their work - not DESCRIBE it Description: “ I multiplied $1.25 and 13 and got $16.25” Explanation “ I multiplied the price of gas per gallon and the number of gallons to get the price for the gas used.”

11. Explanation Tips from Teachers Make sure ALL steps are explained in words. Encourage students not to use numbers in their explanations – this will stop them from describing their work.

12. Explanation Tips from Teachers Use “magic words”* in the explanation. These are words that gear students to ‘explain’ their work rather than ‘describe’ it. * Article on “Magic Words” can be found in the math assessment handbook

13. What are the Magic Words? To find To get To see To figure out To show To determine Because Since Therefore…….

14. Explanation Tips from Teachers Encourage your students NOT to use the words “ to find THE ANSWER” The words “the answer” do not explain what the answer represents.

15. The Explanation 1) I multiplied the price of gas and the number of gallons TO GET the total cost of gas. 2) I added the cost of gas, food and tolls together TO FIND the total cost of the trip. 3) I divided the total cost of the trip by the number of miles and I FOUND the cost per mile. 4) SINCE I had many decimal places, I rounded to the hundredth BECAUSE I wanted money.

16. The Final Product Work 1) $1.25 X 13 gal = $16.25 2) $16.25 + $12.84 + $6.50 = $35.59 3) $35.59  221mi  $0.161041 4) $0.16 per mile Explanation 1) I multiplied the price of gas and the number of gallons TO GET the total cost of gas. 2) I added the cost of gas, food and tolls together TO FIND the total cost of the trip. 3) I divided the total cost of the trip by the number of miles and I FOUND the cost per mile. 4) SINCE I had many decimal places, I rounded to the hundredth BECAUSE I wanted money .