Transcript PIO Webinar

All Things
Smarter
Balanced
December, 2014
Today’s Topics
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Key messages about Smarter Balanced
Additional information on:
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Digital Library
InterimAssessments
SummativeAssessments
Sample items
Preparing for new test scores
Higher ed perspective of new tests
Key Messages About Smarter Balanced
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Smarter Balanced is part of Washington’s plan to prepare all students for
success in college and careers.
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The Smarter Balanced Assessment System focuses on English/Language Arts
and Mathematics
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Smarter Balanced is more than just a year-end test.Teachers will have
access to resources that help them check in on student progress
throughout the year.
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These tests will be more accessible to more students (translations,
accommodations, supports).
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Because the new assessments measure higher standards,the definition of
grade-level performance will be higher than it was with old tests.
Smarter Balanced Assessment System
Common
Core State
Standards
specify
K-12
expectations
for college
and career
readiness
Summative:
College and career
readiness
assessments for
accountability
Teachers and
schools have
information and
tools they need to
improve teaching
rand learning
Formative Educator
Resources:
Digital Library with
instructional and
professional learning
resources that include
embedded formative
assessment processes
Interim:
Flexible and open
assessments, used
for actionable
feedback
All students
leave
high school
college and
career
ready
The "What":
Claims for the ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment
Overall Claim for Grades 3-8
“Students can demonstrate progress toward college and
career readiness in English Language arts and literacy.”
Overall Claim for Grade 11
“Students can demonstrate college and career readiness in
English language arts and literacy.”
Claim #1 - Reading
“Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend
a range of increasingly complex literary and informational
texts.”
Claim #2 - Writing
“Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing
for a range of purposes and audiences.”
Claim #3 - Speaking and
Listening
Claim #4 - Research/Inquiry
“Students can employ effective speaking and listening
skills for a range of purposes and audiences.”
“Students can engage in research and inquiry to
investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present
information.”
The "What":
Claims for the Mathematics Summative Assessment
Overall Claim for Grades 3-8
Overall Claim for Grade 11
“Students can demonstrate progress toward college and career
readiness in mathematics.”
“Students can demonstrate college and career readiness in
mathematics.”
Claim #1 - Concepts &
Procedures
“Students can explain and apply mathematical concepts and
interpret and carry out mathematical procedures with precision and
fluency.”
Claim #2 - Problem Solving
“Students can solve a range of complex well-posed problems in pure
and applied mathematics, making productive use of knowledge and
problem solving strategies.”
Claim #3 - Communicating
Reasoning
Claim #4 - Modeling and Data
Analysis
“Students can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to
support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.”
“Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can
construct and use mathematical models to interpret and solve
problems.”
Smarter Balanced scores to be used for ELA
and Mathematics College Placement

Six public baccalaureate institutions (below) and the community and
technical college system have agreed to use 11th grade Smarter Balanced
Assessment scores of 3 or 4 to enroll college freshmen in entry-level
college math and English courses without further placement testing.The
agreement applies to the high school graduating classes of 2016 through
2018 and will then be renewed or modified,based on the outcomes for
students.
CentralWashington University
 EasternWashington University
 The Evergreen State College
 University ofWashington
 Washington State University
 WesternWashington University
 Washington Community andTechnical College System

College Content-Readiness Policy
for Grade 11 Assessment Results
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
• Not Yet Content-Ready - Substantial Support Needed
• K-12 & higher education may offer interventions
• Not Yet Content-Ready – Support Needed
• Transition courses or other supports for grade 12
• Conditionally Content-Ready/Exempt from Developmental
• In each state, K-12 and higher education must jointly develop grade 12
requirements for students to earn exemption
• Content-Ready/Exempt from Developmental
• K-12 and higher education may jointly set grade 12 requirements to retain
exemption (optional for states)
Note: Applies only to students who matriculate directly from high school to college.
Our New Assessment System
Smarter Balanced assessments were jointly
developed by 22 states and territories
Pooling resources across states lowers the
cost and improves the design of the tests and
other system components.
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Nearly 500 teachers fromWashington have
been involved in the development of the system.
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New assessments will include computer adaptive
testing and performance tasks,yielding better
measurement of what students have learned.
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Grade to grade assessments are connected
so students’ progress can be monitored and
instructional supports provided as needed.
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A Balanced Assessment System
Digital Library
Available Now
•
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An online collection of resources
aligned to the Common Core that
will support K-12 teachers’ use of
the formative assessment
process
• Assessment literacy modules
• Exemplar instructional
modules
• Education resources
submitted and vetted by
teachers
Teachers can rate materials and
share their expertise with
educators across the country
Interim Assessments
Available Beginning Winter 2014-15
•
Optional assessments administered in grades 3-8 and high
school
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At the high school level, the assessments are consistent with the
grade 11 summative design and may be administered in grades
9, 10, 11, and/or 12.
Allow schools to check in on student progress and provide
information to inform instruction
Flexible administration options
•
•
Interim Comprehensive Assessments use the same design
as the summative assessments, assess the same range of
standards, and provide scores on the same scale.
Interim Assessment Blocks focus on smaller sets of related
standards and provide more detailed information for
instructional purposes.
Summative Assessments
Spring 2015
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English and math assessments administered in grades 3-8
and 11 toward the end of the school year
Students will complete a computer adaptive test and
performance task in each subject area
Students will receive composite scores for each subject area
and the following claim-level scores:
•
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English Language Arts-reading, writing, listening, and research;
Math-concepts and procedures, problem solving and
modeling/data analysis, and communicating reasoning
These tests will be more accessible to all
students
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Smarter Balanced tests will have translations or glossaries
in 10 languages and dialects,andAmerican Sign Language.
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The tests have embedded accommodations and supports
for students with and without disabilities (such as text-tospeech,enlarged print, color contrast).
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The interim assessments also will have these supports so
the summative test administration will not be foreign.
Accessibility and Accommodations
•
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Designed for all students,
including students with
disabilities and English
language learners
Three kinds of supports:
• Universal tools
available to all
• Designated supports
for those with
identified need
• Accommodations for
students with an IEP
or 504 plan
Smarter Balanced Online Tools
Many online tools are built into the SBA,such as:
 Highlighter
 Calculator
 Zoom
 Digital notepad
 English dictionary and glossary
In addition, all students will be allowed to have scratch
paper, protractor, ruler, and other tools.
Current Timelines
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All components of Smarter Balanced will be operational
in 2014-15
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Digital Library now available!
Interim assessments available Jan 6 (Comprehensive) and
Jan 27 (Blocks)
Summative assessments administered online in spring 2015
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11th grade – last 7 weeks of year
10th grade – last 12 weeks of the year
3-8th grade – last 12 weeks of year (3rd gr ELA more limited)
 3rd grade ELA results must be returned in time for principals
to meet with parents before the end of the year so window is
short and early
Student score reports available June 2015 (or three weeks after
school’s testing is completed if online)
Digital Library
Digital Library
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Functionality
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The Digital Library offers professional learning resources and
instructional materials—like lesson plans,units,and learning
modules—for educators to use daily with students and staff.
Resources span K-12 and are aligned toWashington State
Learning Standards for English language arts and mathematics.
Resources are also aligned to formative assessment practices.
If you are having difficulty accessing the Digital Library,
contact Sara Castro.
Resources in the Digital Library
Assessment
Literacy Modules
Exemplar
Instructional Modules
Educational
Resources
• Commissioned professional development modules
• Resources for students and families
• Frame formative assessment within a balanced assessment system
• Articulate the formative assessment process
• Highlight formative assessment practices and tools
• Commissioned professional development modules
• Instructional materials for educators
• Instructional materials for students
• Demonstrate/support effective implementation of the formative process
• Focus on key content and practice from the Common Core State
Standards for Mathematics and English LanguageArts
• High-quality vetted instructional resources and tools for educators
• High-quality vetted resources and tools for students and families
• Reflect and support the formative process
• Reflect and support the Common Core State Standards for
Mathematics and English LanguageArts
• Create Professional Learning Communities
* Resources include the following file types: Video, HTML5, Audio, PPT, Excel, Word, and PDF.
Digital Library Basics
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The Digital Library is accessed through a single sign-on with user permission levels
so educators have access to all of the instructional and professional learning
resources for each grade (Grades K-12).
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There are resources that educators can share or use with students and families,but
students and families will not be able to access materials directly.
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All resources will have the formative assessment process embedded within them.
But the Digital LibraryWILL NOT be a“bank”of formative assessment items
alone.
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All submitted materials will be vetted through a Quality Criteria Review
Process by reviewers across the nation.
•
Each resource reviewed and rated by at least 3 trained educators
•
If resources do not meet the quality criteria,they are not included in the library
Digital Library Functionality
• Enables State Networks of
Educators and State
LeadershipTeams to submit,
review,and publish resources
• Allows educators to view,
download,and rate resources
• Uses state-of-the-art tagging
and search to quickly find
resources by CCSS and other
topics
• Enables educators from across
the Consortium to
collaborate and share their
knowledge
• Facilitates access to resources
that are stored in participating
libraries
Interim Assessments
Interim Assessment Design Principles
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Administered through the same system as Summative
Items drawn from same pool as Summative;full array of
item types
Can be administered at various points in the year
Optional for districts
Online administration
Adhere to Usability, Accessibility,andAccommodations
Guidelines
Adaptive as appropriate (2015-16)
Not intended for accountability decisions
Interim Assessments Timeline
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InterimAssessments will be available Jan 6
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Jan 6 – Comprehensive Interim
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Jan 27 – InterimAssessment Blocks
Initial release will include fixed forms; adaptive forms
will be available as the item pool allows
Summative Assessments
Summative Assessments Administration Windows
Smarter Balanced
2015Testing Windows
Grade 3 ELA
March 10 to April 23 – online
Grade 3 Math
Last 12 weeks of school, but no earlier than
March 10 and no later than June 15 – online
Grades 4–8 ELA and Math
Last 12 weeks of school, but no earlier than
March 10 and no later than June 15 – online
Grade 11 ELA and Math
Last 7 weeks of school, but no earlier than April
6 and no later than June 15 – online
Summative Assessments Administration Windows
Measurements of Student Progress (MSP)
2015 Testing Windows
Grades 5 and 8 Science
April 20 to June 5 – online
High School Exit Exams (HSPE) (Off Grade) (EOC) (ELA)
2015Testing Windows
Grades 11 and 12 HSPE Retake
o Reading
o Writing
March 17
March 18–19
Grade 10 ELA exit exam – Smarter
Balanced
Last 12 weeks of school, but no earlier than
March 10 and no later than June 15 – online
Math EOC exit exams
Biology EOC exit exam
Off Grade Level testing (formerly
known as DAPE)
May 11 to June 12
May 11 to June 12
Last 12 weeks of school, but no earlier than
March10 and no later than June 15 – online
October 27,2014 Slide 29
Summative Assessments – Estimated
Testing Time
Test Type
Grades
CAT
Perf. Task
Only
Total
Class
Activity
Total
English Language
Arts
3-5
1:30
2:00
3:30
:30
4:00
6-8
1:30
2:00
3:30
:30
4:00
11
2:00
2:00
4:00
:30
4:30
3-5
1:30
1:00
2:30
:30
3:00
6-8
2:00
1:00
3:00
:30
3:30
11
2:00
1:30
3:30
:30
4:00
3-5
3:00
3:00
6:00
1:00
7:00
6-8
3:30
3:00
6:30
1:00
7:30
11
4:00
3:30
7:30
1:00
8:30
Mathematics
COMBINED
Times are estimates of test length for most students. Smarter Balanced assessments are
designed as untimed tests; some students may need and should be afforded more time than
shown in this table.
Higher Ed Use of Smarter
Balanced Scores
Smarter Balanced + Higher Ed
Washington has had unprecedented movement to
use mandatory high school tests in college
placement
 Recently announced -Agreement to provide access
to credit bearing courses to 11th graders who score a
3 or 4 on the Smarter Balanced ELA and math tests
 Washington’s Community Colleges
 Washington’s Baccalaureates

What about Graduation?

Legislature has given the State Board the option to set a
different cut score for graduation purposes

The ELA exit exam cut score will be determined from 10th
graders’ performance on the Smarter Balanced HS ELA test
(for classes of 2015-2018, at least).

Math EOC exit exam cut scores will be determined from this
year’s performance on new EOC tests (for classes of 20152018). Exit exam cut score on Smarter Balanced math may
also be set next summer – SBE discussion next month.
High School Graduation Assessments Vary
by Class of Cohort
Smarter Balanced –
Take the Test
Online Practice and Training Tests
•
ELA/literacy and mathematics, grades 3-8 and 11
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•
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Students can practice
using the software
Scoring guides
Accommodations
– www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test
– Text-to-speech
– Braille
– Pop-up Spanish glossary
(mathematics only)
Sample Questions
•
•
More than multiplechoice
– Constructed response
(writing)
– Performance tasks
– Interactive questions
Allow students to
demonstrate critical
thinking and realworld problem solving.
4th grade math question
Technology-Enhanced Item (High School)
Short–Text Item (Grade 11)
Smarter Balanced –
Preparing for New Test Scores
2015 results will set a new baseline of
student performance in Washington
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Some people are predicting that the spring 2015 test
results will seeWashington students falling off a
“performance cliff ”,with scores dropping.
But the new tests are
not comparable so we
should not compare
scores from one to the
other.
We have a new baseline!
2015 Results (continued)

Think of the standards and the assessment as a new
target with new results….I envision two mountains:

People who successfully climb Mt Rainer (at 14,000 ft),
will find Mt McKinley (at 20,000 ft) more challenging.
Some will be able to meet the challenge,some will be
close and some who previously were able to summit
Rainier will not be able to summit McKinley at first.

Preparing for New Test Scores

Smarter Balanced assessments measure the full range of the Common Core State
Standards.They are designed to let teachers and parents know whether students
are on track to be college- and career-ready by the time they graduate.
 Because the new standards set higher expectations for students--and the new
tests are designed to assess student performance against these higher
expectations--our definition of grade level performance is higher than it used to
be.
 As a result,it’s likely that fewer students will meet grade level standards,
especially for the first few years.Results should improve as students have additional
years of instruction aligned to the new standards and become better equipped to
meet the challenges they present.
 This does not mean that our students are“doing worse” than they did last year.
Rather,the scores represent a “new baseline” that provides a more
accurate indicator for educators,students,and parents as they work to meet
the rigorous demands of college and career readiness.
Questions?