Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

As part of:

Please Visit the above webpage for information on the complete CAASPP testing system.

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SBAC System	Spring Summative Assessments	Accessibility & Accommodations	SBAC Goals
BUSD Preparation	Resources	Take the SBAC Practice/Training Tests	Related Pages

2015-16 SBAC Assessment System

Please see the CAASPP Testing System homepage for Testing Windows

What are Smarter Balanced Assessments?

Students are taking Smarter Balanced Assessments in grades 3-8 and high school for the first time in spring 2015. Smarter Balanced replaces previous state exams and measures real-world skills and how students are progressing on the path to being ready for college and career. Learn more at www.ReadyWA.org.

Smarter Balanced: A Complete Assessment System

Smarter Balanced is a complete assessment system developed to measure real-world skills that students will need when they graduate. The Smarter Balanced system includes classroom-based, periodic and year-end assessments that will improve teaching and learning. Learn more at www.ReadyWA.org.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment System utilizes computer adaptive tests and performance tasks that allow students to show what they know and are able to do. This system is based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English–language arts (ELA) and mathematics.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment System has three components: the Summative Assessments, designed for accountability purposes; Interim Assessments (optional), designed to support teaching and learning throughout the year; the Digital Library, designed to support classroom-based formative assessment processes; Formative Assessment Practices (housed in the Digital Library- optional).

The Smarter Balanced Assessment System Graphic below displays the relationship between these components, the Common Core State Standards, and college and career readiness.

The California Department of Education (CDE) has updated three Parent Guides to the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments. The guides provide sample test items in English language arts/literacy and mathematics and explain how student achievement is reported to parents. In addition, they are grade-span specific, focusing on the concepts and skills to be mastered by students in:

Grades 3–5,
Grades 6–8
Grade 11

CAASPP Parent Guide to the Smarter Balanced Assessments Overview and Sample Questions

Grades 3-5- English

Grades 3-5- Spanish

CAASPP Parent Guide to the Smarter Balanced Assessments Overview and Sample Questions

Grades 6-8- English

Grades 6-8 Spanish

CAASPP Parent Guide to the Smarter Balanced Assessments Overview and Sample Questions

Grade 11- English

Grades 11 Spanish

SBAC Individual Student Score Reports

Individual student score reports will be mailed to students each Fall.

Please see the CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) page for information on past State Testing data.

Following the spring test administration, students will receive individual score reports. Student score reports will be sent home to parents and will include an overall score, a description of the student’s achievement level for English–language arts and mathematics, and other information. It is important to note that these scores cannot be compared to scores that your child previously received on the STAR Program tests because this test is based on the new Common Core State Standards, involves different types of test questions, and will not be reported using the STAR Program reporting categories.

Smarter Balanced Assessment System (Back to Top)

System Components

Summative Assessments (Required for students in grades 3-8 & 11)

Computer-adaptive section of multiple-choice items
Short constructed response
Extended response items
Computer-based section requiring performance tasks
Administered at the end of each school year
Online reporting system to provide: (1) assessment results; and (2) reports that show student achievement and progress toward mastery of the CCSS (Common Core State Standards)

Interim Assessments (optional)

To provide educators and LEAs with actionable information about student progress throughout the year
Will be computer-adaptive and include performance tasks
To be made available for local and school use during the school year

Formative Assessment Practices (housed in Digital Library -optional)

Designated to promote the use of formative assessment practices in the classroom
Portal for professional development materials, resources, and tools available to all California Kindergarten thorough grade 12 (K-12) educators
Available throughout the school year to help K-12 teacher in California

Spring SBAC Summative Assessments (Back to Top)

Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for grades three through eight and eleven are required to be administered. Students will take 1 of each of the following assessments in both English Language Arts and Math:

Exceptions (students not required to take SBAC Summative Assessments):

Eligible students participating in alternate assessments (Students participating in the California Alternate Assessment (CAA))
ELA only – English learners who are in their first 12 months of attending a school in the United States. Students must still take the Math portion of the SBAC using any Universal Tools, Designated Supports and Accommodations (if applicable).

Smarter Balanced Assessment System- Summative Assessment Overview

Assessment Type	Assessment Details
Non-Performance Task (NPT) (ELA & Math)	Computer-based Scored Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) items What is a CAT ? (Video) SBAC- Creating a Computer Adaptive Test English (PDF)- Spanish (PDF) Student is not scored on the basis of the number for correct answers Student is scored on both the number of correct answers and difficulty of the questions completed. Multiple Choice Selected Response Constructed Response
Classroom Activity (ELA & Math)	Administered in the Classroom and precedes the scored component of the Performance Task (PT)- Performance Task Overview (Video) Not-scored The main purpose of the Classroom Activity is to ensure that all students have a common understanding, at a minimal level, of contextual elements of a Performance Task (PT), so they are not disadvantaged in demonstrating the skills the task intends to assess.
Performance Task (PT) (ELA & Math)	Computer-based - Performance Task Overview (Video) Scored Computer generated performance task and Computer Adaptive (CAT) items A PT is a portion of the Smarter Balanced assessment that requires students to answer a set of questions that are centered on a common theme or problem. Prior to the PT, teachers or instructional staff conduct a Classroom Activity for all students in the class to ensure that the context of the task does not interfere with a student's ability to address the content of the task.

SBAC Accessibility and Accommodations

Factsheet (Back to Top)

In developing the Smarter Balanced assessment components, considerable efforts were made by the Smarter Balanced to ensure that the assessments are fair, valid, and accessible through the development of Accessibility and Accommodations Framework (January 26, 2014) and the Usability, Accessibility , and Accommodations Guidelines (August 1, 2014). These documents are available on the Smarter Balanced Support for Under-Represented Students Web page at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/parents-students/support-for-under-represented-students/.

Accessibility and Accommodations English (PDF)- Spanish (PDF)

SBAC Goals (Back to Top)

Every student gets the opportunity to succeed in the 21st century
Every student gets the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills
Every teacher gets the tools and resources they need to help their students.
Every teacher gets the opportunity to help other teachers succeed
Every student gets tools they need to have a fair test

BUSD Preparation (Back to Top)

BUSD Technology Scope and Sequence

This Scope and Sequence is adapted from the Fresno County Office of Education Recommended Digital Literacy and Technology Skills to Support the California Common Core State Standards.

The skills identified for each grade level align to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics and English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects as well as skills required to take the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium’s (SBAC) Computer Adaptive Assessments.

Technology Skills Web Resources

Opportunity will be given to students to practice and demonstrate technology skills need to become successful in the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

SBAC Embedded Universal Tools and Online Features (Video)

SBAC- Practice and Training Tests

Students will continuously take the SBAC Practice and Training Tests at school to allow them and administrators to become familiar with:

The experience of a grade-level assessment
A variety of grade-specific items and difficulty levels
Performance tasks (PT)
The format and structure of the operational assessments

SBAC Interim Assessments

Interim Assessments are available to local educational agencies for use in K–12. The Interim Assessments are specifically designed to provide the following:

Meaningful information for gauging student progress throughout the year toward mastery of the skills measured by the Summative Assessments
Assessments of the CCSS, which can be used at strategic points during the school year

SBAC Digital Library

The Digital Library has collaboration features that allow users to rate materials and share their expertise with educators across the country

Resources (Back to Top)

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Webpage

California Department of Education- SBAC Webpage

What Will Smarter Balanced Assessments Mean for Me ?

Factsheet for Parents

Smarter Balanced Factsheet

Visit the BUSD Practice and Training Test Webpage for more information.

Community members are invited to take the available California SBAC Practice and Training tests to learn about the types of questions that will be on the computer-based test that students in grades 3-8 & 11 will be taking Spring 2015.