PROGRAMS & SERVICES:
SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT CONSORTIUM
(Updated 6/18/13)

• Pilot Testing
• Weekly Question & Answer
• Resources
• Educator Opportunities
• SMARTER Balanced Readiness
• Contact

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has released the list of Vermont elementary, middle and high schools selected to participate in this spring’s pilot-testing of the new, computer-based statewide assessment program. All other interested schools may volunteer to participate in practice testing later in the spring. The pilot testing will focus on either English/Language Arts or Mathematics at one or two grade levels in each school, and will involve about 4000 students in Vermont and two million students from across the 28 Smarter Balanced states. The purpose of the pilot is to try out the new computer test delivery system, and to begin gathering key statistical information on nearly ten thousand test questions. The consortium is currently in the process of developing more than forty thousand additional test questions that will be field tested next year. Because pilot and field testing are part of the test development process, no student or school results will be available.

• List of Schools Selected for the Pilot Test PDF
• FAQ Covering Pilot Testing Logistics PDF

A: Smarter Balanced is committed to engaging teachers in the design of an assessment system that provides resources and information to improve teaching and learning. Teachers helped write and review assessment items and performance tasks for the Pilot Test of the assessment system in early 2013. Teachers will also contribute to the development of items for the Field Test in early 2014. In addition, Smarter Balanced is recruiting teams of teachers from each state to evaluate formative assessment tools and resources and contribute to professional learning resources available through the assessment system. Finally, teachers will score parts of the assessments, including extended response and performance tasks.

FAQs

• General Information FAQs PDF
  
  
• Practice Test FAQs PDF
  
  
• Talking Points: Fact vs. Fiction About Smarter Balanced Assessments PDF

Links

• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
  
  
• Update on Smarter Balanced Progress and Finances
  Will the Smarter Balanced Assessments be completed within budget and on time for the first scheduled administration in the spring of 2015? Executive Director, Joseph Willhoft, recently responded to questions from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation on the assessment consortium’s progress and finances. Read the article, "By the Company It Keeps: Smarter Balanced" by Andy Smarick.

Materials

• Executive Summary PDF
  SMARTER Balanced submitted one of two applications for the Race to the Top assessment grant from the U.S. Department of Education, proposals that will determine a new generation assessment system designed to measure student performance on the Common Core State Standards in 2014. Use the link above to view details about the SMARTER Balanced proposal; view the department's press release.
  
  
• Sample Assessment Items and Performance Tasks
  Mathematics and English language arts/literacy questions illustrate rigor and complexity of next-generation assessments. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) released a set of sample assessment items and performance tasks online. Developed in collaboration with educators and content experts, the sample items and tasks are meant to help teachers, administrators, and policymakers better understand the Common Core State Standards and prepare for the implementation of the Smarter Balanced assessments. The sample items and performance tasks released October 9, 2012 represent just a small fraction of the more than 10,000 items and tasks being written to support the Pilot Test in early 2013. In addition, the Smarter Balanced sample items are displayed in a simulated test platform that AOEs not include accessibility tools and accommodations options that will be available through the operational assessment system—such as Braille, translation options, and the ability to change font size, highlight text, or magnify portions of items.
  

Smarter Balanced Field Test Stimulus, Item and Task Review Opportunity - 2013 WORD
This spring, Smarter Balanced administered a Pilot Test of the assessment system to a sample of schools across the country. Through this Pilot Test, Smarter Balanced will gather information about the performance of assessment items and the test delivery system under real world conditions. Measured Progress is recruiting educators to participate in Stimulus Review, and Item and Task Review Committees to review stimuli, items, and tasks, and make recommendations for edits to be made for use in the Field Test. The committees will be holding their reviews online for each Stimulus Review, and Item and Task Review opportunity.

Smarter Balanced Data Review Opportunity - 2013 WORD
The participants selected to serve on the Data Review Committee will review items and performance tasks from the Spring 2013 Pilot Test administration. Participants will receive assignments containing batches of items to review. The assignments are based on participants’ expertise both in the classroom and previous participation in Data Review and scoring processes within their states as applicable. Once fully trained on the threshold value for each item statistic or rubric, reviewers will evaluate items and make recommendations to “accept as is,” “revise and re-field test,” or “reject” with rationale.

Smarter Balanced Item Authoring Opportunities - 2013 PDF

Educators in Mathematics and English Language Arts PDF
Seeking educators who meet the qualifications to serve as panelists for Range Finding activities beginning in June 2013.

Training Materials

• Minimum Technology Standards Released Officially (December 4, 2012)
  This web page contains the minimum technology standards that SMARTER Balanced is requiring for assessment in 2014-15.
  
  
• Speed Test to Ascertain Broadband Speeds
  This tool contains a Speed Test aligned to states and schools. To use this tool:
  
  
  1. Using the machine you are entering data on with the Auto-populate tool within SMARTER Balanced readiness tool, navigate to the website above, assess4ed.org and take the Speed test located on the right side of the home page. (you do NOT need to login to the site)
     
     
  2. Using their menus, filter by state, and then choose your school in Vermont. (make sure you are choosing the Vermont version of your school, there are duplicates in other states)
     
     
  3. Run the Speed Test and enter the data into the SMARTER Balanced readiness tool. (It AOEs not auto-populate to your SMARTER Balanced inputs)
     

• Schools with MISSING SMARTER Balanced Readiness Data (February 5, 2013) EXCEL
  The spreadsheet linked here contains a list of the schools with readiness data outstanding in our latest collection for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium readiness. This data needs to be updated and/or completed by the schools listed as soon as possible. A message that corresponds to this link was sent directly via email to all of the local contacts for SMARTER Balanced Readiness. Besides updating data, schools should note that the minimum standards have now been uploaded into the system and you can view the status of your school in relation to those minimum standards.
  

For more direct help and instruction, as a SMARTER Balanced readiness account holder, you have access to many resources on the home page of the tool. Take advantage of these resources as they can help answer your questions.

Assessment
Michael Hock, Director of Assessment
(802) 828-3115 (P)
(802) 828-6563 (F)
michael.hock@state.vt.us

SMARTER Balanced State Lead
Challis Breithaupt, Education Program Coordinator
(802) 828-5892 (P)
( 802) 828-6563 (F)
challis.breithaupt@state.vt.us

SMARTER Balanced Teacher Involvement Coordinator
Mary Ann Minardo, Education Program Coordinator
(802) 828-5410 (P)
(802) 828-6563 (F)
maryann.minardo@state.vt.us

SMARTER Balanced Readiness
Peter Drescher, State Coordinator
(802) 828-5149 (P)
(802) 828-6563 (F)
peter.drescher@state.vt.us

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