Smarter Balanced: What’s New for Students, Parents, Teachers, and Policymakers?

The Smarter Balanced Pilot Test is on track and providing information critical to the development of a Smarter Balanced assessment next-generation system for school year 2014-15. With more than one million students signed up to participate, the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test represents one of the largest pilots of an assessment system in the United States.

As of May 11, 2013

Updated ALDs and College Content-Readiness Policy Available

Student Achievement Partners Upgrade Website

Hawaii State Network of Educators Online Application

The Systems Accountability Office, Student Assessment section is seeking a highly selective group of educators to review and contribute resources for the Smarter Balanced Digital Library, get early access to resources, and take advantage of new collaboration functionality. Click here to learn more about how to apply to become a member of the State Network of Educators (PDF).

A flyer (PDF) and slide presentation (PDF) provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the State Network of Educator members.

All qualified educators are invited to apply. The open application period runs from Wednesday, May 1, 2013 through Monday, June 3, 2013. If you would like to be considered, please submit your application no later than June 3, 2013. Please note, however, that we will evaluate applications on a rolling basis. To begin your application, click the following link: Hawaii State Network of Educators Online Application.

The application link will take you to a preliminary screen for input of name, professional email address, and a button to attach your resume. Once you filled in the fields and clicked on the "Attach Resume" button, you will be taken to a screen where you can attach a resume and teaching certificate prior to beginning the application questions. See the Step by Step Guide for directions.

As a member of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, Hawaii is seeking educators who have significant experience in formative assessment and deep knowledge of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to join Hawaii’s State Network of Educators (SNE). We invite K-12 teachers and administrators and higher educational professionals with experience working with the following student populations to apply: general education, gifted and talented, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Members of the SNE will contribute to the Smarter Balanced Digital Library, an online, interactive clearinghouse for educators, students, and families. The Digital Library will provide educators with resources, tools, and professional learning opportunities so that they can tailor instruction to student needs based on information from a coherent, balanced assessment system.

Selected educators will collaborate with our State Leadership Team (SLT) to:

Participate in five (5) trainings between September, 2013 and September, 2014.
Submit and review resources for the Smarter Balanced Digital Library.
Provide valuable feedback on the usability of the Digital Library application.

For their service, selected educators will get early access to the Digital Library resources and innovative collaboration tools and a stipend of up to $1500. Minimum criteria for payment are as follows:

Attend/complete each of (5) trainings.
Submit resources into the Digital Library after each of the five trainings:
- Submit at least one resource after Training 1.
- Submit at least one resource that is approved for the Digital Library after each of Trainings 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Review at least three resources in the Digital Library after each of the five trainings.

Alaska Joins Smarter Balanced Consortium as an Advisory State

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium announced today that Alaska has joined the Consortium as an advisory state. Alaska will support the work of Smarter Balanced and will collaborate as we continue the development of the assessment system. More on "Alaska Joins..."

K-12 Enrollment Numbers for Smarter Balanced and PARCC States

K-12 enrollment numbers for Smarter Balanced and PARCC states as of the 2010-2011 school year were compiled from USDE's Common Core of Data available on the National Center for Education Statistics website. This data reflects the approval of Alaska's membership. More: Smarter Balanced and PARCC total enrollment numbers, a comparison of both consortia, enrollment numbers for states that do not participate in either consortium, and a summary.

Accepting Applications for Participation in the Smarter Balanced Pilot and Field Test Activities

The System Accountability Office is accepting applications from teachers and content specialists from all grade levels to serve on various Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium committees. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is developing assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Educators will participate in the development and scoring of items in English Language Arts/literacy and mathematics for grades 3 through 8 and high school as well as in other assessment development activities. There will be opportunities for participation in Smarter Balanced pilot and field test activities beginning in May, 2013, in both item development and scoring.

To be considered for participation in Smarter Balanced pilot and field test activities, please complete the online application form as soon as possible. More on "Accepting Applications ..."

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Practice Test in Lieu of Volunteer Pilot Test

Due to the overwhelming demand for access to the Volunteer Pilot assessment from principals, teachers, parents, and the public, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has decided to release a more complete and more broadly available "practice test" in lieu of the Volunteer Pilot assessment. The change from a Volunteer Pilot to Practice Test DOES NOT impact current testing in support of the Scientific Pilot; all schools signed up for the Scientific Pilot will continue to test as scheduled. More on "Practice Test..."

U.S. Virgin Islands Joins Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) announced today that the U.S. Virgin Islands will become the first Affiliate member of the Consortium. The territory joins the 21 Governing States and three Advisory States collaborating to develop a next-generation assessment system for English language arts/literacy and mathematics aligned to the Common Core State Standards. More on "U.S. Virgin Islands..."

Information for Schools Participating in the Scientific Pilot

UPDATE FOR SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE VOLUNTEER PILOT

The communication intended to be shared with schools and districts on March 14th on the topic of the volunteer Pilot Test has been delayed. Information regarding the status of the volunteer Pilot will be shared by the end of the month.

Smarter Balanced Awards Contract to Develop Formative Assessment Tools for Educators

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) announced the award of a contract to develop a Digital Library of formative assessment practices and professional learning resources for educators.

How schools were selected to participate in the upcoming Pilot Test.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortiums has been receiving questions about how 6,000 schools selected to participate in our upcoming Pilot Test were chosen to be part of the scientific sample for Pilot Tests.

Pilot Test page launched on the Smarter Balanced website

Smarter Balanced has launched a Pilot Test page on the Smarter Balanced website, a useful resource for anyone interested in information about the Pilot Test. It contains background information about how Pilot Test items were developed, the Pilot Test sample design, school participation information, and links to test administration resources and FAQs. The Pilot Test page is located here: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/pilot-test/.

Technology Strategy Framework & System Requirements Specifications Updated

The technology planning framework has been updated to clarify the minimum hardware and software requirements that will allow schools and districts to evaluate which of their existing devices will support the administration of next-generation assessments. The updated technology planning framework will be posted on Monday, January 14, 2013. The recommended minimum hard drive space for new purchases has been amended from "recommending an 80 GB hard drive" to "recommending an 80 GB hard drive or at least 1 GB of hard drive space available." Additionally, the minimum requirements for users with Windows-based tablet devices running Windows 8 now excludes Windows Runtime (RT). The full Smarter Balanced Technology Strategy Framework and System Requirements Specifications report can be accessed at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/technology/.

Smarter Balanced Pilot Test Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

Technology Strategy Framework and System Requirements Specifications

Smarter Balanced has released a technology planning framework for member states preparing to implement the assessment system in the 2014-15 school year. The framework provides minimum hardware specifications and basic bandwidth calculations that will allow schools and districts to evaluate which of their existing devices will support the administration of next-generation assessments.

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.

Smarter Balanced Releases Draft Initial Achievement Level Descriptors for Public Review. Feedback sought for descriptions of student performance on Common Core assessments

The initial ALDs were developed in October by K-12 teachers and administrators and higher education faculty from two- and four-year colleges and universities representing Smarter Balanced Governing States. The initial ALDs are intended to reflect the depth and rigor of the Common Core State Standards and the way in which Smarter Balanced intends to assess the standards. Smarter Balanced is developing an integrated suite of ALDs that serve different purposes for item writing, standard-setting, and reporting results. Following the comment period, Governing States are expected to adopt the initial ALDs in March 2013.

A full description of the ALDs, the college content-readiness definition and policy framework, and an online survey for providing feedback are available at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/achievement-level-descriptors-and-college-readiness/.

Smarter Balanced will host a webinar on Monday, December 17 from 12:30-2:00 p.m. Pacific (3:30-5:00 p.m. Eastern) to provide an overview of the draft initial ALDs. Below is information to register for and join the meeting.

2013 Smarter Balanced Assessment Pilot Test

Smarter Balanced Small Scale Trials

In preparation for the 2012-13 pilot tests, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium conducted Small Scale Trials of innovative test items from October 15 – November 2, 2012. The Small Scale Trials was computer administered and gathered necessary student responses to inform automated and human scoring. Five Hawaii schools participated in this important endeavor – Kau High and Pahala Elementary, Nanakuli Elementary, Mililani Ike Elementary, Paauilo Elementary, and Baldwin High.

Smarter Balanced Range Finding/Rubric Validation Committees

To further prepare for the pilot tests next spring, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium will be convening Range Finding/Rubric Validation Committees specifically for grades 4, 7, and 11 in the different content areas of reading, writing, and mathematics on November 14-16, 2012 in Minneapolis. The Committees will use student responses to evaluate scoring rubrics to be used for hand and machine scoring, as well as to validate rubrics that were used to machine score some test items. Hawaii will be represented at the Committee meetings by four highly qualified educators: Lanaly Cabalo (Roosevelt High School), Valerie Oka (Kapolei High School), Stacie Kaichi-Imamura (Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support), and Carol Anton (Systems Accountability Office). The results of the Small Scale Trials and the work of the Range Finding Committees will have important implications for the development of the Smarter Balanced assessments.

Smarter News (October 2012)

Smarter Balanced provides monthly updates on the development of the Smarter Balanced assessment system and activities in member states.

Webinars for Educators

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) will host a webinar by Jason Zimba and Beth Cocuzza of Student Achievement Partners on October 22 at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time. The webinar is specifically for state and district curriculum leaders, education policymakers, and teachers to better understand the K-8 Publishers' Criteria for the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Register here.

Release of sample items and performance tasks

Starting October 9, the sample items and performance tasks can be accessed from the Smarter Balanced website at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/. Help desk support will be provided through November 2 during the hours of 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time (and 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.

Smarter Balanced will provide email and telephone support, giving stakeholders an easy way to provide feedback or submit questions.

PILOT TEST UPDATE