SMARTER Balanced
Assessment
Consortium
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Smarter Balanced
Assessment Consortium
Governing States
Advisory States
CT, HI, ID, KS, ME, MI, AL, CO, DE,GA, IA, KY,
MO, MT, NC, NM, NV, NH, NJ, ND, OH,OK, PA
OR, UT, VT, WA, WI,
SC, SD
WV
17
14
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Theory of Action
Goal
To ensure that all students leave high school
prepared for postsecondary success in college
or a career through increased student learning
and improved teaching
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
SMARTER Balanced Assessment
Consortium
Summative assessments using online computer-adaptive
technologies
• Efficiently provides accurate measurement of all students, better than
a “one size fits all” approach
• Assesses full range of CCSS in English language arts and math
• Describes both current achievement and growth across time,
indicating progress toward college- and career-readiness
• Scores provide reliable state-to-state comparability, with standards set
against national and international benchmarks
• States and districts have option of giving the summative tests twice a
year
SMARTER Balanced Assessment
Consortium
Optional interim and formative assessments
• Aligned to and reported on the same scale as the
summative assessments
• Helps identify specific needs of each student, so teachers
can provide appropriate, targeted instructional assistance
• Teachers involved in item and task design and scoring,
with interim/formative assessments being non-secure and
fully accessible
• Provides students with clear examples of the expected
performance on common standards
SMARTER Balanced Assessment
Consortium
Online, tailored reporting system
• Supporting educator access to information about student
progress toward career and college readiness
• Student performance history can be transported across
districts and states
• Although the backbone of the reporting system is
provided by the Consortium, individual states retain
jurisdiction over access permissions and front-end “look” of
online reports
SMARTER Balanced Assessment
Consortium
Benefits and efficiencies from “economies of scale”
due to a multi-state consortium
• Cost savings: SMARTER English language arts/Math
estimated at ~$21 per student (compared to current ~$43
for WA)
[Interim/formative an additional ~$7 per student]
• Shared interoperable software platforms: Item
generation, item banking, and adaptive testing no longer
exclusive property of vendors
• Agreed-upon protocols for accommodations for students
with disabilities and ELL students
Assessment Design
The Consortium will provide the following by
the 2014-15 school year:
3. Formative tools and resources
4. Responsible flexibility
5. Distributed summative assessment
a. Content clusters throughout a course
b. Most appropriate time for each student
c. Scores rolled up
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Assessment Design
“Through course” option reflects
the greatest flexibility for States
and allows for differentiated
instruction”
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Assessment Design
Grade/ ELA
Type of
Component
Type of Data
produced
Frequency
Number of
items
Administrati
on Mode
Scoring
Method
3-8
Summative
assessing
Common
Core
Scale score
for
achievement
and growth
Once
annually – 12
opportunities
30 Selected
response
3 Extended
constructed
response
7 Technology
enhanced
1
Performance
event
Computer
Adaptive, SR,
ECR, TE
Computer
Adaptive:
automated
computer
scoring
Computer
Delivered:
teacher
administered
performance
event
Performance
Event
Combination
of AI and
teacher
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Assessment Design
Grade/ ELA
Type of
Component
Type of Data
produced
Frequency
Number of
items
Administration
Mode
Scoring
Method
HS
Summative
assessing
Common
Core
Scale score
for
achieveme
nt and
growth
Once
annually –
1-2
opportuniti
es
Must be
administere
d at grade
11, may
administer
in grades 9
& 10
30
Selected
response
3
Extended
construct
ed
response
7
Technolog
y
enhanced
3
Performa
nce event
Computer
Adaptive, SR,
ECR, TE
Computer
Adaptive:
automated
computer
scoring
Computer
Delivered:
teacher
administered
performance
event
Performanc
e Event
Combinatio
n of AI and
teacher
Research and
Evaluation
Distributive Summative Assessment as an
alternative to the summative fixed window:
Content clusters/through course
Roll up scores plus performance events
Comparability
Technical adequacy
Fairness
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Research and
Evaluation
Item development ( use of technology,
performance assessments, internet domain)
Artificial Intelligence Scoring
Effective, Efficient and Valid Scoring
Teacher Effectiveness and Evaluation
Text Complexity
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Research and
Evaluation
Accessibility and Accommodations
Setting Standards
Vertical Scaling
Impact of the Assessment System on
teaching, learning and students’ readiness for
college and careers
Impact of the system on student achievement
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Updates and copies of application
materials available at:
www.k12.wa.us/SMARTER