Smarter Balanced Update

Assessment Claims

• Assessment claims are broad evidence-based statements about what students know and can do as demonstrated by their performance on the assessment. Grades 3–8 and Grade 11 each have one overall claim encompassing the entire content area for ELA/literacy and one for mathematics. For each content area, there are four specific content claims. Students will receive a score on each overall claim and scores for the specific content claims.

Assessment Targets

• Assessment targets connect the CCSS to evidence that will be collected from the assessment. The targets map the standards in the CCSS onto assessment evidence that is required to support the content categories and claims. Assessment targets are used to guide the development of items and tasks that will measure the CCSS.

Preliminary Test Blueprints• The Smarter Balanced preliminary test blueprints describe the content of

the English language arts/literacy and mathematics summative assessments for grades 3–8 and high school—and how that content will be assessed. Developed with broad input from member states, partners, and stakeholders, the preliminary test blueprints reflect the depth and breadth of the performance expectations of the Common Core State Standards. Smarter Balanced Governing States adopted the preliminary summative test blueprints in November 2012.

• The test blueprints include critical information about the number of items, score points, and depth of knowledge for items associated with each assessment target. They will guide the development of items and performance tasks, the Pilot and Field Tests, score reporting, standard setting, and ongoing research. These blueprints are “preliminary” because they establish assessment design features that may be subject to refinement and revision after the analysis of the Pilot and Field Tests.

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/

Grades 6-8

Writing Rubric

Math Grades 3-5

Grade 5

Grade 5

Grade 5

Proposed ALDs

Achievement level descriptors (ALDs) articulate the knowledge, skills, and processes expected of students at different levels of performance on the Smarter Balanced assessments. Smarter Balanced is developing an integrated suite of ALDs aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the Smarter Balanced assessment claims in English language arts/literacy and mathematics.

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/achievement-level-descriptors-and-college-readiness/

Proposed ALDs

• The Level 4 student demonstrates deep command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

• • The Level 3 student demonstrates sufficient command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

• • The Level 2 student demonstrates partial command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

• • The Level 1 student demonstrates minimal command of the knowledge and skills associated with college and career readiness.

Grade 5

Table Discussion

• What did you notice about the preliminary blueprint and the ALDs?

• How does this inform us as we begin thinking about CCSS assessment? What are the considerations as we begin revising district assessment systems?