A COMPLETE CHANGE IN THE PARADIGM OF STUDENT ASSESSMENT

Smarter Balanced Assessments

Smarter Balanced stats

29 states15 million students40,000 test items 12 week testing window for the mandatory

summative testNot a timed test, likely shorter than current

practiceFast turn around time on results

Why is technology needed?

Computer adaptive questions (more on this later) Some CAT are interactive in nature (ex: draw something)

Performance tasks require Stimulus

Video clips Photos 2-D and 3-D modeling databases

Information Processing tools and tasks Data analysis software Simulations Spreadsheets Equation editor tools Chat rooms

Products or performances

Important terms to understand

Computer adaptive testingPerformance assessmentFormative/interim assessmentSummative assessment

Computer adaptive testing (CAT)

Based on student responses, the computer program adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment.

For example, a student who answers a question correctly will receive a more challenging item, while an incorrect answer generates an easier question.

By adapting to the student as the assessment is taking place, these assessments present an individually tailored set of questions to each student and can quickly identify which skills students have mastered.

Weight-lifting analogy

A “fixed” test is like lifting a 50 lb dumbbell Either you can or you can’t—doesn’t tell if

you could lift one 5 lbs more or lessIf everyone can lift a 5 lb dumbbell, doesn’t

tell you how much more you are able to liftCAT brings up the difficulty in small

increments so that it is clear precisely “how much weight” you can handle

Validity

Program is being designed using Artificial Intelligence tools currently used for assessments such as GRE, GMAT, SAT

About 10% of the constructed and extended response (includes written response of any length from short answer to sentences to essays) will be checked by a human scorer

Testing versus assessment

T: Results in a quantifiable score that demonstrates what students know or can do at a point in time

A: Multiple measures over time that reflect mastery, growth, depth of knowledge, gaps in learning

T: Right or wrong answersA: Multiple correct answers are acceptable;

Answers illustrate student thinking and understandings/misunderstandings of content

Testing versus assessment

T: Occurs at the end of the learning process, designed to measure/rank students

A: Ongoing and actionable during the learning process, designed to improve teaching/learning

T: Evaluative—marks an endA: Diagnostic-opportunities to improve

Performance assessment

Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to complex real-world problems.

They can best be described as collections of questions and activities that are coherently connected to a single theme or scenario.

These activities are meant to measure capacities such as depth of understanding, writing and research skills and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with traditional assessment questions.

No single correct answer

Interim/formative assessments

Optional comprehensive and content-cluster assessment to help identify specific needs of each student

Can be administered throughout the year Provides clear examples of expected performance on

Common Core standards Includes a variety of question types: selected response,

short constructed response, extended constructed response, technology enhanced, and performance tasks

Aligned to and reported on the same scale as the summative assessments

Fully accessible for instruction and professional development

Summative assessments

Assesses the full range of Common Core in English language arts and mathematics for students in grades 3–8 and 11 (interim assessments can be used in grades 9 and 10)

Measures current student achievement and growth across time, showing progress toward college and career readiness

Can be given once or twice a year (mandatory testing window within the last 12 weeks of the instructional year)

Includes a variety of question types: selected response, short constructed response, extended constructed response, technology enhanced, and performance tasks

Item design

All of the Common Core Standards will be clustered into testable “claims”

Students will start with an entry level item aligned to grade level standards

Items will get easier or harder depending on answer

Every student will walk away saying “this was a hard test”

Every student will persist with testing until they get half the items wrong

Clear, precise picture of student ability

Timeline

School year 2011-12: test specifications, item development, technology readiness tools

March 2013: CMT/CAPT tests given for the last time

Spring 2014: CSDE applying for waiver from accountability testing in order to pilot versions of the Smarter Balanced Assessments

School year 2014-15: districts will be able to use Smarter Balanced tools for formative and summative assessments

Technology issues

Testing will require access to InternetDecisions still pending on the variety of

devices that can be used (security, protocol issues, authentications)

There will be minimum hardware and software requirements needed: attempt to make accessible to older OS and less powerful machines

Technology readiness tool will collect this information

Technology Readiness Tool

Degree to which hardware and software (devices) at the school level meet the minimum requirements set by each of the consortia.

Adequate ratio of test taking devices to test takers within a prescribed time table.

Sufficient bandwidth to handle the expected volume of traffic and content.

Adequate number of trained personnel to support the process.

System Architecture

Resources and sample items will be open source

Most of testing activity will occur in a cloud environment

Security will mimic protocols used by banking industry

Intent to deliver testing on tablets (either iPad or Android), minimum 9.5” screen since many districts are purchasing these-may need keyboards

Tablets will be necessary for 25% of the math assessment planned for 2016-17

New purchase specifications

Hardware 1 GHz or faster processor 1 GB RAM or greater memory 9.5 inch (10 inch class) or larger screen size 1024 x 768 or better screen resolution

Operating System Windows 7 Mac 10.7 Linux (Ubuntu 11.10, Fedora 16) Chrome OS Apple iOS Android 4.0

Networking Wired or wireless Internet connection

Device Type Desktops, laptops, netbooks, thin client, and tablets that meet the hardware,

operating system, and networking specifications

Security issues

Every student’s test is likely to be somewhat differentTest administration will likely take less time than a

prescribed window Grade 3 Math 45-90 minute range for performance tasks and 45-60

minute range for extended response Grade 4-11 Math 60-120 minute range for performance tasks and 45-60

minute range for extended response Tasks may cross days

Whole group testing is unlikely; students are more likely to be assessed in smaller groups over the 12 week window for summative accountability testing

Allowable teacher and peer interactions, group workRequired tools and resources will be embedded within

online system; not free access to Internet for searches

Increasing rigor

This is NOT CMT/CAPT given through a computer

Because CAT changes the difficulty of questions, no one will “get them all right”

Assessments will yield a precise measurement of what content students have mastered

Scoring will be done with Artificial Intelligence programs currently used for GRE, GMAT, and other standardized assessments (only 10% human check)

Typical CMT test item

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/cedar/assessment/cmt/math_handbook.htm

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/cedar/assessment/cmt/l_a_handbook.htm

Typical Smarter Balanced test item

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DRAFT%20Math%20Item%20Specifications.pdf

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DRAFT%20ELA%20Item%20Specifications.pdf

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DRAFT%20Performance%20Task%20Specifications.pdf

Sample question

Old question: Randa ate 3/8 of a pizza, and Marvin ate 1/8 of the same pizza. What fraction of the pizza did Randa and Marvin eat?

a. 5/8 b. 3/8 c. 1/4 d. 1/2 (Answer: d) New question: Tito and Luis are stuffed with pizza! Tito ate one-

fourth of a cheese pizza. Tito ate three-eighths of a pepperoni pizza. Tito ate one-half of a mushroom pizza. Luis ate five-eights of a cheese pizza. Luis ate the other half of the mushroom pizza. All the pizzas were the same size. Tito says he ate more pizza than Luis because Luis did not eat any pepperoni pizza. Luis says they each ate the same amount of pizza. Who is correct? Show all your mathematical thinking.

(Answer: Luis is right both ate 1 1/8 of a pizza).�