Rachel A. Aazzerah
Science and Social Sciences Assessment
Specialist
Oregon Department of Education
Email: rachel.aazzerah@state.or.us

1. Introduction to Smarter Balanced
2. Claims
3. Targets
4. Test Specifications
5. Summative Assessment Item Types
6. Performance Tasks
7. Rubrics
8. Public Release of Sample Smarter Balanced Items
9. Resources
10. Questions

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015
OAKS OAKS OAKS Smarter
OAKS
 Reading based on 2002 ELA Content Standards
 Writing based on current scoring guide
 Mathematics based on 2007/2009 Math Content
Standards
Smarter Balanced Assessment
 Based on Common Core State Standards adopted by
Oregon in 2010

TEXT
•Assess a broad range of content.
•Scoring is objective, fast, and inexpensive to score.
•Difficult to understand a student’s reasoning process and to assess higher-order thinking skills.
TEXT
TEXT
•Require the student to generate a response as opposed to selecting a response.
•Include both short and extended responses.
•Allow students to demonstrate their use of complex thinking skills consistent with the expectations for college and career readiness.
EXT
TXT reason, and produce fully developed products.
•Measure complex “assessment targets.”
•Provide evidence of college and career readiness.

Claim
#1
Claim
#2
Claim
#3
Claim
#4
CLAIMS FOR MATHEMATICS SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
Concepts & Procedures: “Students can explain and apply mathematical concepts and interpret and carry out mathematical procedures with precision and fluency.”
Problem Solving: “Students can solve a range of complex wellposed problems in pure and applied mathematics, making productive use of knowledge and problem solving strategies.”
Communicating Reasoning: “Students can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.”
Modeling and Data Analysis: “Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can construct and use mathematical models to interpret and solve problems.”

• Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts.
• Students can produce effective and well-
• Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences.
• Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

For each of the different claims, Smarter Balanced has developed assessment targets (i.e. assessable content that will be on the summative assessments).
Math: Claim 1- By Grade Level
Claim 2, 3, 4- Mathematical Practices
(Same for all grade levels)
ELA: Targets by Grade Level for each Claim

M A T H
*Computer Adaptive
Test (CAT) with SR, CR,
TE items
*Performance Task(s)
E L A
*Computer Adaptive
Test (CAT) with SR, CR,
TE items
*Performance Task(s)
Given last 12-15 weeks of school year
Given last 12-15 weeks of school year

6 . N S . 6
L O C A T E – ( - 5 ) O N T H E
N U M B E R L I N E .
7 . G . 4
A circular field with a diameter of
100 meters is planted with soybeans. How many square meters are planted with soybeans?
Give your answer to two decimal places
____
.
_____ ______ square meters

Grade 4 ELA CR Item-
Read this poem and the prompt that follows it.
The Moon
The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; She shines on thieves on the garden wall, On streets and fields and harbor quays, And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees. The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse, The howling dog by the door of the house, The bat that lies in bed at noon, All love to be out by the light of the moon. But all of the things that belong to the day Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way; And flowers and children close their eyes Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.
Explain how the moon is connected to the animals in the poem. Use details from the poem to support your response.

4 Grade Technology Enabled (TE) Item
Read the passage below, which comes from a short story about a boy’s visit to a zoo, and then answer the question that follows.
Stephen leaned against the wooden fence, resting his chin on the top. He could see the small herd of deer grazing near the group of trees inside their enclosure.
They were so beautiful! Their brown coats reminded him of the inside of a caramel-filled chocolate bar. Then, suddenly, a white shape emerged from behind the trees. It was a goat, just like the others, but this one had a beautiful white coat. His classmate Joanna tapped him on the arm and said knowingly, “It’s an albino goat. I read about them in a book.”
Click on the word in the passage that comes from the Latin word albus , which means white . (Hot Text item)

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SMARTER BALANCED
PERFORMANCE TASKS
 Represent content that is relevant and meaningful to students
 Allow for demonstration of important knowledge and skills, including such 21 st century skills as critically analyzing and synthesizing information presented in a variety of formats, media, etc.
 Incorporate knowledge and skills of prior grades, even though the major focus is on the standards for the current grade level.
 Allow for multiple points of view and interpretations.
 Are scored using multiple rubrics uniquely matched to the primary content claims and targets identified by the task developer in the task forms.
 Be feasible for the school/classroom environment.
(From: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Performance Task Specifications,
April 16, 2012)

Performance Tasks
• Extended projects demonstrate realworld writing and analytical skills
• May include online research, group projects, presentations
• Require 1-2 class periods to complete
• Included in both interim and summative assessments
• Applicable in all grades being assessed
• Evaluated by teachers using consistent scoring rubrics
The use of performance measures has been found to increase the intellectual challenge in classrooms and to support higher-quality teaching.
- Linda Darling-Hammond and
Frank Adamson, Stanford
University

Performance tasks:
 should incorporate real-world, college- and career-related skills that require students to accomplish complex goals during multiple testing sessions.
 involve a significant interaction of students with stimulus materials leading to an exhibition of the students’ application of knowledge and skills, often in writing or spoken language.
 should be multi-stepped and allow for reflection and revision.
 are used because the ability to integrate knowledge and skills across multiple content standards is a critical skill that cannot be assessed with selected response or constructed response items.

Sample Smarter Math Performance Task
Grade 5:
School Festival
You serve on a committee that is in charge of planning a school festival.
The following tasks need to be completed by committee members as part of the planning for the school festival.
• Determine the budget for the festival.
• Choose the food and drinks for the festival.
• Determine amounts of supplies for making a dessert.
• Make a schedule of the different activities.
• Make some decisions on the games and prizes used during the festival.
* Details and rubrics are in the session packet. Up to two class sessions (90 minutes) are suggested for this task, with no pre-teaching necessary.

Sample Smarter English Language Arts Performance Task
Robot Pets
 Session 1 (60 minutes) o Read 1 article and watch 2 brief videos on robots as pets, taking notes o Respond to 3 constructed-response questions: 1 addressing reading comprehension, 2 addressing research skills
 Session 2 (45 minutes) o Read 1 article and watch 1 short video, taking notes o Small discussion group work
 Session 3 (90 minutes) o Compose full-length argumentative essay on robots as pets o May use notes and refer back to articles o Pre-writing, drafting, and revising will be involved

Sample Smarter English Language Arts Performance Task
Robot Pets
 Video 1: Fujitsu’s cute teddy-bear robot shows what it can do, May 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwWeN1ARy74
 Video 2: Pleo: Robot, pet or both? December 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6LCEFr8SxQ
 Video 3: Maya’s Human Interaction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b4jx5RzqAk

Five Attributes (4-point scale)
Statement of Purpose/Focus
Organization
Elaboration of Evidence
Language and Vocabulary
Conventions
Individual scores contribute to the overall score on the summative assessment

 Smarter Balanced Website
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
 Smarter Sample Items and Performance Tasks http:// www.smarterbalanced.org/smarterbalanced-assessments /#item
 Smarter Item Writing and Review Materials http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/itemwriting-and-review/
 Common Core State Standards Toolkit http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3430
 Common Core State Standards Assessment Resources http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3298

* Smarter Balanced will release 60 Math and 60 ELA Sample items
(both Computer Adaptive Test items and Performance Tasks) for all grade levels (3-8 and High School (11) on October 9, 2012 http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performancetasks/ .
*The public will be able to take a sample test, in which they can score some of the questions to see if they answered it correctly or not (rubrics included).
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-andperformance-tasks-questions-and-feedback/ .

Tuesday, November 13, 2012
3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Register at: ODE Events Website
Agenda:
Performance Tasks- Walk Through of both ELA and Math
Additional Sample Performance Tasks
How to create Smarter Balanced Performance Tasks from Oregon Work Samples
Instructional Implementation (Best Practices)
Rubrics
Questions

Thank you for attending this presentation!
Rachel Aazzerah: rachel.aazzerah@state.or.us
Additional ODE Contacts-
Mark Freed (Math): mark.freed@state.or.us
Ken Hermens (English): ken.hermens@state.or.us
Derek Brown (Essential Skills): derek.brown@state.or.us
ODE Webpage: www.ode.state.or.us