The Smarter Balanced Assessment System

The Smarter BalancedAssessment System

Joe Willhoft, Ph.D.Executive Director

NCES Summer Forum on Education StatisticsWashington, DC July 10,2012

A Next Generation of Assessments

• Rigorous assessment of progress toward “college and career readiness”

• Common cut scores across all Consortium states• Provide both achievement and growth

information • Valid, reliable, and fair for all students, except

those with “significant cognitive disabilities”• Administered online• Use multiple measures• Operational in 2014-15 school year

US Dept. of Ed has funded two consortia of states with development grants for new assessments aligned to Common Core State Standards

(Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 68 / Friday, April 9, 2010 pp. 18171-85) 2

A State-led Consortium

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A National Consortium of States• 27 states

representing 43% of K-12 students

• 22 governing, 5 advisory states

• Washington state is fiscal agent

• WestEd provides project management services

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Assessment System Design

A Balanced Assessment System

Common Core State

Standards specify

K-12 expectations for college

and career

readiness

All students

leave high

school college

and career ready

Teachers and schools have

information and tools they need

to improve teaching and

learning Interim assessments Flexible, open,

used for actionable feedback

Summative assessments

Benchmarked to college and

career readiness

Teacher resources for

formative assessment

practicesto improve instruction

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Summative Assessments for Accountability• Built on solid technology

• Coverage of full breadth/depth of Common Core

• Precise assessment of all students

Computer Adaptive Testing

(CAT) Portion• Deeper learning with thematic and scenario-

based tasks• Real-world problems aligned to Common

Core• PT scores combined with CAT for overall

score

Performance Task (PT) Portion

• K-12, higher ed, business, and policymakers part of decision-making

• Broad review of “Achievement Level Descriptors”

• Field testing includes PISA, TIMSS, NAEP items

• Longitudinal data systems used for triangulation

Setting Performance Standards

(Cut Scores)

✔

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Interim Assessments to Signal Improvement

• Non-Secure• Timing and frequency are locally determined• Interim test-builder creates aligned

assessments Flexible

• Teachers can match assessments with scope and sequence

• Teachers can review student responses• Teachers can score student responses

Supports Proficiency

Based Instruction

• Includes full range of item types• Uses the same scale as the Summative

Assessment• Includes performance assessments

Authentic Measures

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✔

Summative and Interim Use of

Computer Adaptive Technology• Turnaround time is significantly reducedFaster results

• Fewer questions compared to fixed form tests

Shorter test length

• Improved measures of student growth over time

Increased precision

• Item difficulty based on student responses

Tailored to student ability

• Large item pool means not all students receive the same questionsGreater security

• GMAT, GRE, COMPASS (ACT), Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

Mature technology

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✔

✔

Formative Tools for Classroom- Based Assessment Practices

• Tools/materials for Classroom-based Assessments

• Fully aligned to Common Core State Standards

• Available for in-service and pre-service development

Improving Instruction

• Access to the best resources available• Collaborate with other states on special

projects• Professional social networking across the

Consortium• Tools to evaluate publishers’ tests

Pooling Resources

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✔

A Balanced Assessment System

School Year Last 12 weeks of the year*

DIGITAL CLEARINGHOUSE of formative tools, processes and exemplars; released items and tasks; model curriculum units; educator training; professional development tools and resources; scorer training modules; and teacher collaboration tools.

English Language Arts and Mathematics, Grades 3-8 and High School

Computer Adaptive

Assessment andPerformance

Tasks

Computer Adaptive

Assessment andPerformance

TasksScope, sequence, number and timing of interim assessments locally determined

*Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions.

ELA/Literacy• Computer

adaptive items and tasks

• Performance events

Re-take option

Mathematics• Computer

adaptive items and tasks

• Performance events

Optional Interim

Assessment

Optional Interim

Assessment

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Timeline and Progress

IT Readiness

• Smarter Balanced and PARCC partnered to develop an IT Readiness Tool for states and districts

• First data collection completed June 30• Analysis of first collection available in

August• Second data collection in Fall 2012

• Coordinated through each state’s State Readiness Coordinator (SRC)

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Logical Component Diagram

System Architecture – Phase 1 Reportwww.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-

assessments/technology/

Smarter Balanced Architecture Reports

www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/technology/• Assessment System Architecture and

Technology Phase I Report• Enterprise Architecture Governance Plan• Draft Smarter Balanced Quality Assurance

Approach• Instructions for iPad Installation of the

Smarter Balanced Architecture Application• Jan. 23 Webinar

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Architecture Review BoardOversees ongoing development of IT systems architecture and recommends technology standards to the Consortium

Karl BuchananWasatch School District, UT

Bonnie EdwardsChancellors Office, California Community Colleges

Phil EmerNorth Carolina State University

John FleischmanSacramento County Office of Education

Glenn GortonMichigan Department of Education

Richard HalversonUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison

Martin HorejsiUniversity of Montana

Xiaobing HouCentral Connecticut University

Josh KleinOregon Department of Education

Rodney OkamotoCalifornia Department of Education

Brenda WilliamsWest Virginia Department of Education

David WuHawaii Department of Education

Jason YoungMissouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Field Test 37,000

Items/Tasks

Major MilestonesAll-Call for

Pilot Testing

Cognitive Labs & Field Trials

IT Readines

s(Round 1)

Interim & Formative

Available for Use

Operational Summative Assessment

Set Performance

Standards (Cut Scores)

Verify Performanc

e Standards

Pilot of 10,000

Items/Tasks

Item/Task Writing Begins

IT Readines

s(Round 2)

All-Call for Field Testing

State Educator

Teams Begin

IT Readines

s(Round 3)

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Find Out MoreFind us at: SmarterBalanced.org

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