Smarter Balanced: Implications for Higher Education

Tony Alpert, Executive DirectorJacqueline King, Senior Higher Education Advisor

January 29, 2016

Highlights of the Smarter Balanced System

• Built by states, for states

• Assessment of key skills for postsecondary success

• Higher education participation in test design and development

• Accessible for all students

• Rigorous, consistent performance standards that measure student progress across grades

• Expanded opportunity to demonstrate college readiness and address academic gaps

• Supports for high-quality instruction

What is Smarter Balanced?

• 17 governing members in 2015-16 (15 states, USVI, BIE)

• 3 affiliate members

• Based at UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies

• 7 million students tested in 2015

A state-led service that has built a new K-12 assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards. 

4

Describe Explain

Interpret

Level One(Recall)

Level Three(Strategic Thinking)

(Extended Thinking)

Level Two(Skill/

Concept)

Design

Synthesize

Connect

Apply Concepts

Critique

Analyze

Create

Prove

Arrange

Calculate

Draw

Repeat Tabulate

Recognize

Memorize

Identify

Who, What, When, Where, Why

List

Name

Use

IllustrateMeasure

Define

RecallMatch

Graph

Classify

Cause/Effect

Estimate

Compare

Relate

Infer

Categorize

Organize

Interpret

Predict

Modify

Summarize

ShowConstruct

Develop a Logical ArgumentAssessRevise

Apprise

Hypothesize

InvestigateCritique

Compare

Formulate Draw ConclusionsExplain

Differentiate

Use Concepts to SolveNon-Routine Problems

Level Four

Source: Webb, Norman L. and others, “Web Alignment Tool” 24 July 2005. Wisconsin Center of Educational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2 Feb 2006 4

Assessing Deeper Learning

Smarter Balanced assessments move beyond basic skills and recall to assess critical thinking, communication, and problem solving skills

Higher Education Involvement

• Advisory committees• Executive Committee• State higher education representatives• Design, development, and research

partnerships– SCALE (Stanford)– Curtis Center (UCLA)– CRESST (UCLA)

• Item writing and review• Standard setting• Digital Library development

Accessibility & AccommodationsUniversal Tools Designated Supports Documented

Accommodations

Embedded

BreaksCalculatorDigital NotepadEnglish DictionaryEnglish GlossaryExpandable Passages

Global NotesHighlighterKeyboard NavigationMark for ReviewMath ToolsSpell CheckStrikethroughWriting ToolsZoom

Color ContrastMaskingText to SpeechTranslated Test DirectionsTranslation (Glossary – 11 languages, 4 dialects)Translations (Stacked – Spanish)Turn Off Any Universal Tools

American Sign LanguageBrailleClosed CaptioningStreamlineText-to-Speech

Not

Embedded

BreaksEnglish DictionaryScratch PaperThesaurus

Bilingual DictionaryColor ContrastColor OverlayMagnificationRead AloudNoise BuffersScribeSeparate SettingTranslated Test DirectionsTranslations (Glossary)

AbacusAlternate Response OptionsCalculatorMultiplication TablePrint on DemandRead AloudScribe Speech to Text

Note: All tools not available for all portions/items of test. For detailed information, see Smarter Balanced Usability, Accessibility and Accommodations Guideline.

Current Language Glossaries• All math items• Audio support included• 11 languages, plus dialects:

– English– Spanish (Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico)– Arabic– Filipino (Ilokano, Tagalog)– Mandarin (standard, simplified)– Russian– Punjabi (Eastern, Western)– Vietnamese– Cantonese (standard, simplified)– Ukrainian– Korean

CAASPP Grade 11 Achievement Standards

Achievement Standards EAP Status

Standard Exceeded Ready for CSU and participating CCC college-level English/Mathematics coursework

Standard Met Ready for CSU and participating CCC college-level English/Mathematics coursework – Conditional

Standard Nearly MetNot yet demonstrating readiness for CSU and participating CCC college-level English/Mathematics coursework

Standard Not Met Not ready for CSU and participating CCC college-level English/Mathematics coursework

Higher EducationEarly Adopter States

Support for Instruction: High School Interim Assessments

Math EnglishInterim Comprehensive Assessment

Interim Comprehensive Assessment

Interim Assessment Blocks• Algebra and Functions –

Linear Functions• Algebra and Functions –

Quadratic Functions• Geometry – Right Triangle

Ratios in Geometry• Performance Task

Interim Assessment Blocks• Read Literary Texts• Read Informational Texts• Edit/Revise• Brief Writes• Listen/Interpret• Research• Explanatory Performance Task• Argument Performance Task

Support for Instruction: The Digital Library• More than 2,600 instructional

and professional learning resources that integrate the formative assessment process

• Aligned with the CCSS

• Selected by educators based on quality criteria

• State-of-the-art tagging, filtering, and search features

• Collaboration features

• Multi-media modules

• Spotlight webinars and forums

The Formative Assessment Process

For More Information:Visit www.SmarterBalanced.org

• Complete practice tests

• Sample items and tasks

• Detailed test design documents (blueprints, item specifications)

• Complete accessibility information

• Research papers and technical report

• List of participating colleges

• Much more

Questions & Discussion