The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

Next Generation Resources: Transforming Instruction with the Smarter Balanced Digital Library

Colleen Anderson, Iowa Department of EducationJudy Snow, Montana Office of Public Instruction

Chrystyna Mursky, SBAC Director of Professional Learning

Learning Goal

• I understand that the Digital Library was developed based on the Smarter Balanced Theory of Action

Slide 2

Key Ideas from the Smarter Balanced Theory of Action

State-led effort

K-16 educators are integrally involved

Balanced assessment system provides fair and accurate evidence of student achievement to continuously improve teaching and learning

Adheres to professional standards

Slide 3

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

learningInterim assessments

Flexible, open, used for actionable

feedback

Summative assessments

Benchmarked to college and career

readiness

Educator resources for

formative assessment

practicesto improve instruction

Slide 4

HuddleDiscuss the following with a few people around you:• What supports would you want all

educators to have as they implement the CCSS?

Definition of Formative Assessment Process

• Formative Assessment is a deliberate process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides actionable feedback that is used to adjust ongoing teaching and learning strategies to improve students’ attainment of curricular learning targets/goals.

Slide 6

Four Attributes of the Formative Assessment

ProcessClarify IntendedLearning

Elicit Evidence

Act onEvidence

Interpret Evidence

Slide 7

Building State Capacity inFormative Assessment Initiatives

Slide 8

•Colleen Anderson, IAJudy Snow, MT•Laura Watson, CADeb Sigman, CA•Monica Mann HIKim Young, MI•Melia Franklin, MOSharon Helwig,

MO•Julie Joslin, NCCindy Sharp, NV•Kristen Maxwell, WABeth Simpson,

WA•Jessica Vavrus, WA•Ruth McKenna, WestEdChrys Mursky,

SBAC

Composition

•Develop, monitor and support Contract 23•Identify, and train the State Leadership Teams

(SLT)•Monitor development of Quality Criteria and

usability software•Monitor development of commissioned

modules•Monitor development of educator submitted

resources

Expectations

Smarter Balanced Formative Assessment and Professional

Learning Work Team

Slide 9

•8 – 12 members per state•Comprised of K-12 educators and higher

educational faculty in positions of leadership in the state

Composition

•Recruit, identify, and train the State Network of Educators (SNE)

•Participate in 5 regional trainings•Train SNE members to contribute, review, and

post resources•Monitor and support SNE review of resources

and make final posting decisions•Provide feedback on posting process, Quality

Criteria, and usability of software

Expectations

State Leadership Teams (SLT)

Slide 10

•Over 1200 K-12 educators and higher educational faculty from member states

•Each SNE has diverse expertise in: •CCSS Mathematics, CCSS ELA, Science, and

Social Studies•General Education, Gifted and Talented, English

Language Learners, and Students with Disabilities

Composition

•Participate in 5 trainings•Help populate the Digital Library in advance of the

2014 launch•Submit and review resources using the Quality

Criteria•Use resources and collaboration tools for own

professional learning and instruction•Provide feedback on the resources in the Library,

review and posting process, Quality Criteria, and usability of software

Expectations

State Network of Educators (SNE)

Slide 11

•NEA and AFT Teacher Ambassadors•NEA State Network of Educator Members

Composition

•Participate in face-to-face and web-based trainings•Turnkey information on the Smarter Balanced

Assessment System, including how the summative, interim, and formative components contribute to evidence-based decisions about teaching and learning

•Contribute Professional Learning and Instructional resources that meet the Quality Criteria to the Digital Library

Expectations

Partnership with NEA and AFTFunded by the Helmsley Charitable

Trust

Slide 12

•Higher Education Faculty Volunteers•Advanced Degree Candidate Volunteers

Composition

•Identify seminal literature related the formative assessment process, the Common Core State Standards, diverse learners, online learning, principles of adult learning, etc.

•Provide brief summaries of the literature for State Network of Educator members to use to support resources they submit to the Digital Library

Expectations

Literature Summary Project

Slide 13

Members of the Formative Assessment Advisory Panel

1) Dr. Lynne Anderson-Inman (University of Oregon)2) Dr. Robert Calfee (Stanford University, UC Riverside)3) Dr. Bridget Dalton (University of Colorado)4) Dr. Diane Heacox (St. Catherine University)5) Dr. Joan Herman (UCLA – CRESST)6) Dr. John Hill (Purdue University)7) Dr. Yvette Jackson (National Urban Alliance for Effective

Education)8) Dr. Henry Kepner (University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee)9) Dr. Katherine McKnight (National Louis University)10) Valerie L. Mills (National Council of Supervisors of

Mathematics)11) Dr. James Popham (UCLA)12) Dr. Lucinda Soltero-Gonzalez (University of Colorado-

Boulder)

Twelve experts in the CCSS for ELA, the CCSS for Mathematics, the formative assessment process, adult learning, online professional learning, diverse learners, and urban and rural education comprised the Formative Assessment Advisory Panel.

Slide 14

Huddle• Discuss the following with a few

people around you:– Who has been involved in the Digital Library

development in your state?

The Digital Library Development

Slide 16

Key Ideas from the Smarter Balanced Theory of Action

State-led effort

K-16 educators are integrally involved

Balanced assessment system provides fair and accurate evidence of student achievement to continuously improve teaching and learning

Adheres to professional standards

Slide 17

Digital Library Functionality• Design supports

Smarter Balanced Theory of Action

• Enables State Networks of Educators and State Leadership Teams to submit, review, and publish resources

• Uses state-of-the-art tagging and search to quickly find resources by CCSS and other topics

• Allows educators to view, download, and rate resources

• Enables educators from across the Consortium to collaborate and share their knowledge

Slide 18

What the Digital Library Is Not

Not a bank of assessment items

Not a learning management system where educators can

register for training or receive credit by completing

specific online courses

Not a library for general public (will require registration

and login)

Not a site to freely post resources

Slide 19

Digital Library Resources

Slide 20

• Commissioned Professional Learning Modules• Resources for educators, students, and families

• Frame Formative Assessment within a Balanced Assessment System• Articulate the Formative Assessment Process• Highlight Formative Assessment Practices and Tools

Assessment Literacy Modules

• Commissioned Professional Learning Modules• Instructional coaching for educators • Instructional materials for students

• Demonstrate/support effective implementation of the formative assessment process

• Focus on key content and practice from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts

Exemplar Instructional

Modules

• High-quality vetted instructional resources and tools for educators• High-quality vetted resources and tools for students and families

• Reflect and support the formative assessment process• Reflect and support the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

and English Language Arts• Create Professional Learning Communities

Education Resources

Formative Assessment Advisory Panel

• Convened the Formative Assessment Advisory Panel to develop the Quality Criteria during three two-day meetings

Meeting 1April 17 – 18

Meeting 2May 8 – 9

Meeting 3May 22 – 23

• Brainstormed initial Quality Criteria

• Determined structure of Quality Criteria

• Developed comprehensive list of potential criteria

• Discussed merits of checklist vs. rubric-based approach

• Tested criteria using sample resources

• Refined criteria

Synthesized feedback

Developed first draft of

Quality Criteria

Developed 2nd draft; received feedback

from panelists; developed present

draft

Slide 21

Structure of the Quality Criteria

Cover Profile

Gatekeeping Criteria

Quality Criteria for Professional Learning Resources and Quality Criteria for Instructional Resources

Governance Criteria

Slide 22

Purposes of the Quality Criteria

Ensure that the resources in the Digital

Library reflect the intent of the CCSS

Ensure that all resources reflect the Smarter Balanced vision of effective formative

assessment practices

Provide consistency in the review process for

all resources

Slide 23

Ensure that all resources in the Digital

Library are of the highest quality,

regardless of source


Slide 24

• Commissioned Professional Learning Modules• Resources for educators, students and families







Modules




Education Resources

Resource Posting ProcessStep 1:

Resource Submitted

Step 3:Quality Criteria Applied

Step 4:Decision

Step 2:Gatekeeping

Criteria Applied

SNE1

SNE2

SNE3

SNE1

Posted

Returned to Submitter

Sent to SLT

Cover Profile

Slide 25


Slide 26

• Commissioned Professional Learning Modules• Resources for educators, students and families







Modules




Education Resources

Commissioned Module Design Principles

Transform educational

practice

Coach educators to use the formative

assessment process to

implement the CCSS, while

embodying the process in the

module structure

Reflect UDL principles and

support for diverse groups of learners. Review

using Smarter Balanced Bias and Sensitivity

Guidelines.

Incorporate elements of

effective online design

Design modules so they are long

enough to communicate

essential ideas, but short enough

to engage educators

Slide 27

Bias and Sensitivity Guidelines

28

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/Guidelines/BiasandSensitivity/BiasandSensitivityGuidelines.pdf





General Accessibility Guidelines

29

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/Guidelines/AccessibilityandAccommodations/GeneralAccessibilityGuidelines.pdf






Intended Student Populations

https://www.smarterbalancedlibrary.org/digital-library-resources

Tour of the Digital Library

Slide 31

HuddleTalk with your colleagues about

the following questions:• How does the Digital Library

differ from other formative assessment initiatives?

• How does the Digital Library differ from other CCSS resources being developed for educators?

Using the Digital Library Resources

Educator from California: I had been anxiously waiting to explore the Digital Library, and am very pleased with what I have seen so far. Once I learned how to use the filters, it made my search much easier. The lessons from the Digital Library are helping me "look deeper" at what is needed in creating effective lessons for my students. It is also great to know that I have access to vetted lessons at my fingertips. Slide 33

Using the Digital Library ResourcesEducator from Oregon: It excites me that I will

be able to use this Digital Library to assist in my instructional planning; the idea that I can quickly pull a high-quality lesson targeted for a specific purpose, learning target, and/or student population will make it easier for me to engage students, assess their learning, and teach to the Common Core Standards. Further, for administrators, coaches, and others who deliver professional development, there is a wealth of learning around formative assessment and the Common Core through the Assessment Literacy and Professional Learning Resources.

Slide 34

Using the Digital Library Resources

Educator from Maine: I have enjoyed reviewing

the material created by other teachers around the nation. It is like getting a peek into different classrooms to see what other teachers are doing to improve teaching and learning.

Slide 35

Learning Goal

• I understand that the Digital Library was developed based on the Smarter Balanced Theory of Action

Slide 36

Find Out More

Smarter Balanced can be found online at:

SmarterBalanced.org

Slide 37

Documents

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium