Extended-response items require students to consider a situation that demands more than a numerical response. These items require students to model, as much as possible, real problem solving in a large- scale assessment context. When an extended-response item poses a problem to solve, the student must determine what is required to “solve” the problem, choose a plan, carry out the plan, and interpret the solution in terms of the original situation. Students are expected to clearly communicate their decision- making processes in the context of the task proposed by the item (., through writing, pictures, diagrams, or well-ordered steps). The extended-response items are scored with a.
