Mathematics:
Smarter Balanced Item
Types and Interim
Assessments
Terri Sappington
Coordinator, Office of Assessment and Accountability
West Virginia Department of Education
Questions from Last Week
1. Are 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students taking the same test? No
2. Will achievement levels be set for each grade? Yes
3. How will performance task be structured? Two parts (Classroom
Activity and computer-based Performance Task)
4. Scheduling assessments? Math will be three different sessions. CTCs
will get information on scheduling at the next CTC meeting.
5. What baseline data will be used to measure growth? Rob Surface
and Jason Perdue
6. Please provide specific terminology and resources to use to
familiarize students? What skills do students need to be familiar with
on the computer to perform well? Item specifications specify the
terminology required. Students should take the “Training Test” on
the SBAC website to become familiar with the tools.
7. How will Smarter Balance work in kindergarten? Please provide more
information on how to prepare students. Contact: Teresa Hammond,
Office of Early Education, or John Ford, Office of Secondary Learning
8. How can this test pass as fair to all students when it is computer
adapted? It should more accurately reflect their abilities. What about
grades 3-5 students who have an IEP that says the can use calculators?
In elementary school, students are working to become mathematically
fluent; use of calculators would defeat that purpose.
9. Will the testing schedules be the same across the nation? Testing
windows are set for the last 80% of the instructional year.
10. Item types? Today’s webinar
11. How to access practice tests? SBAC quick links document
12. Calculator use? 3-5 no calculators, 6-11 embedded calculators for items
allowing calculator use.
13. Please provide more sample questions to practice with students. Today’s
webinar will show you different item types. Last week’s webinar
discussed Item Specifications, the item specs contain examples of
specific items used for various clusters.
Smarter Balanced and Evidence-Centered
Design
Items and
Performance Tasks
Smarter Balanced Item
and Task Specifications
Smarter Balanced
Content Specifications
Common Core State
Standards
Six Item Types
•
•
•
•
•
•
Selected Response
Constructed Response
Extended Response
Performance Tasks
Technology-Enabled
Technology-Enhanced
Selected Response
Benefits and Limitations
of Selected Response Items
• Benefits
– Answered quickly
• Limitations
– Assess a broad range of
content in one test
– Limited ability to reveal
a student’s reasoning
process
– Inexpensive and
objectively scored
– Difficult to assess higherorder thinking skills
– Results collected quickly
Selected Response
Single Response – Multiple Choice
Selected Response
Multiple Correct Options
Which of the following statements is a property of a rectangle? Select all that apply.
☐ Contains three sides
☐ Contains four sides
☐ Contains eight sides
☐ Contains two sets of parallel lines
☐ Contains at least one interior angle that is acute
☐ Contains at least one interior angle that is obtuse
☐ All interior angles are right angles
☐ All sides have the same length
☐ All sides are of different length
Constructed Response
Purpose of Constructed Response
Items
• Constructed Response items
– Address assessment targets and claims that
are of greater complexity
– Require more analytical thinking and reasoning
Administration of
Constructed Response Items
• Administered during the computer-adaptive
component
• Scored using artificial intelligence
• Most constructed response items take
between 1 and 5 minutes to complete
• Some more complex items may take up to
10 minutes to complete
Components of a
Constructed Response Item
A teacher asked her students to use estimation to decide if the
sum of the problem below is closer to 4,000 or 5,000.
496 + 1,404 + 2,605 + 489 =
One student replied that she thinks the sum is closer to 4,000. She used
the estimation shown below to support her reasoning.
Is the student’s reasoning correct? In the space below, use numbers
and words to explain why or why not. If the student’s reasoning is
not correct, explain how she should have estimated.
Components of a
Constructed Response Item
Sample Top-Score Response:
The student’s reasoning is incorrect. She was rounding to the
thousands place. She had 2 numbers that were less than 500, and she
decided to round these numbers to 0. This is like saying these numbers
were not in the problem at all. She needs to account for these two
numbers. Together, they have a sum that is very close to 1,000. I think
adding 1,000 + 1,000 + 3,000 is a better strategy. This means the sum is
closer to 5,000 than to 4,000.
Scoring Rubric:
Responses to this item will receive 0–2 points, based on the following:
2 points: Student has thorough understanding of how to estimate and how improper estimation can
lead to flawed reasoning. Student states that the student in the scenario used reasoning that is
incorrect and provides reasoning that shows a better estimation strategy.
1 point: Student has partial understanding of how to estimate and how improper estimation can lead
to flawed reasoning. Student states that the student in the scenario used reasoning that is incorrect,
but alternate estimation strategy is also flawed.
0 points: Student has little or no understanding of how to estimate and how improper estimation can
lead to flawed reasoning. Student states that the student in the scenario used reasoning that is
correct.
TOP-SCORE
SCORING RUBRIC
Qualities of a Rubric
• Focus on the essence of the primary claim
and sometimes secondary claim
• Address the requirements of the specific
assessment targets
• Distinguish between different levels of
understanding and/or performance
• Contain relevant information, details, and
numbers that support different levels of
competency related to the item or task
Essential Requirements of Selected
Response and Constructed Response
Items
• Aligned to claims and assessment targets
• Mathematical accuracy
• Clarity, readability, and accessibility
• Free from bias issues
• More complex constructed response items
may include scaffolding
• Selected response items must have
appropriate distractors
General Guidelines for Developing
Selected Response and Constructed
Response Items
• Each item should be written to assess a
primary claim
• Secondary content claims are also possible
General Guidelines for Developing
Selected Response and Constructed
Response Items
• May include mathematical concepts detailed in the
Common Core State Standards for lower grades
• Central focus
• Clearly stated to ensure that students understand the task
• Clearly elicit the desired evidence
• Appropriate grade-level difficulty, cognitive complexity, and
reading level
• Depth of Knowledge considered
• Grades 3–5: items do not require a calculator
Constructed Response
The table below shows the number of students in each third-grade class
at Lincoln School.
Students in Third-Grade
Class
Number of Students
Mrs. Roy
24
Mr. Grant
21
Mr. Harrison
22
Ms. Mack
25
There are 105 fourth-grade students at Lincoln School. How many more
fourth-grade students than third-grade students are at Lincoln School?
Show or explain how you found your answer.
Examples of Poorly Written Items
The table below shows the weights of
three vehicles.
Vehicle
Car
Motorcycle
Truck
Weight (in pounds)
The table below shows the number of
apples three students picked.
Student
Number of Apples
4,050
Bobby
107
497
Carlos
95
Jenna
121
12,159
Which list shows the vehicles in order
from lightest to heaviest?
Which list shows the number of apples
picked in order from greatest to the least?
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
car, motorcycle, truck
motorcycle, car, truck
truck, car, motorcycle
truck, motorcycle, car
95, 107, 121
95, 121, 107
121, 107, 95
121, 95, 107
Examples of Poorly Written Items
Mercedes received 32 pieces of candy on Halloween. She ate ¼ of the candy.
How many pieces of candy did Mercedes have left? Show or explain how you
found your answer.
Examples of Poorly Written Items
Look at the rectangle below.
3 feet
6 feet
What is the area, in square feet, of the rectangle?
☐ 3
☐ 15
☐ 18
☐ 63
Constructed Response
Extended Response
Ms. McCrary wants to make a rabbit pen in a section of her lawn.
Her plan for the rabbit pen includes the following:
• It will be in the shape of a rectangle.
• It will take 24 feet of fence material to make.
• Each side will be longer than 1 foot.
• The length and width will measure whole feet.
Part A
Draw 3 different rectangles that can each represent Ms. McCrary’s
rabbit pen. Be sure to use all 24 feet of fence material for each pen.
Use the grid below. Click the places where you want the corners of
your rectangle to be. Draw one rectangle at a time. If you make a
mistake, click on your rectangle to delete it. Continue as many times
as necessary.
Pen 1:
Length:
Width:
Area:
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
Pen 3:
Length:
Width:
Area:
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
Pen 2:
Length:
Width:
Area:
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
Part B
Ms. McCrary wants her rabbit to have more than 60 square feet of ground area
inside the pen. She finds that if she uses the side of her house as one of the sides
of the rabbit pen, she can make the rabbit pen larger.
• Draw another rectangular rabbit pen.
• Use all 24 feet of fencing for 3 sides of the pen.
• Use one side of the house for the other side of the pen.
• Make sure the ground area inside the pen is greater than 60 square feet.
Use the grid below. Click the places where you want the corners of your rectangle
to be. If you make a mistake, click on your rectangle to delete it.
Use your keyboard to type the length and width of each rabbit pen
you draw. Then type the area of each rabbit pen. Be sure to select
the correct unit for each answer.
[Students will input length, width, and area for each rabbit pen.
Students will choose unit from drop down menu.]
Use your keyboard to type the length
and width of each rabbit pen you
draw. Then type the area of each
rabbit pen. Be sure to select the
correct unit for each answer.
Length:
Width:
Area:
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
(feet, square feet)
Capitalize on Technology
• Technology-Enabled items
• Technology-Enhanced items
Technology-Enabled Items
• Digital Media
–
–
–
–
Video
Animation
Sound
Interactive tools
• Response Types
– Selected
– Constructed
Technology-Enabled
Selected or Constructed Responses that include Multimedia
Brianna is running for class president. She needs to give a speech to the 4th grade class.
Listen to the draft of her speech and then answer the questions that follow.
(Test-takers listen to an audio version of the following speech.)
“Hi, My name is Brianna. I am running for class president, and I hope you will vote for me. You know
many of my friends said they would. I am involved in many activities, including track and theater. If I
am elected, I will hold several fundraisers so that all students in the 4th grade can go on a trip at the
end of the year. Also, we can donate a portion of the money to a charity of our choice. If you want a
class president who will work hard for you and listen to your needs, please vote for me next week!”
This speech needs to be revised before the student presents it.
Which sentence should be omitted to improve the speech.
A. I am running for class president, and I hope you will vote for me.
B. You know many of my friends said they would.
C. If I am elected, I will hold several fundraisers so that all students in the 4th grade can go on
a trip at the end of the year.
D. If you want a class president who will work hard for you and listen to your needs, please
vote for me next week!”
Example of Technology-Enabled Item
Gregory is installing tile on a rectangular floor.
• He is using congruent square tiles that each have a side length of ½ foot
• The area of the floor is 22 square feet.
• The width of the floor is 4 feet.
Use the grid and the tile below to model the floor.
What is the length, in feet, of the floor?
Technology-Enhanced Items
• Specialized interaction
• May have digital media for stimulus
• Same requirements as selected and
constructed response items
• Students manipulate information
• Defined responses
Technology-Enhanced Items
Draw a line of symmetry through
the figure below.
The graph on the right
shows a triangle. Draw the
triangle after it is reflected
over the y-axis.
Classify each shape below based whether it contains at least
one pair of parallel sides.
Reorder the fractions below so that
they are ordered from smallest to
largest.
3/5
3/4
2/6
1/2
2/3
Comparing Technology-Enabled
and Technology-Enhanced Items
Gregory is installing tile on a rectangular floor.
• He is using congruent square tiles that each have a side length of ½ foot.
• The area of the floor is 22 square feet.
• The width of the floor is 4 feet.
Use the grid and the tile below to model the floor.
What is the length, in feet, of the floor?
5.5 feet
Draw a line of symmetry through
the figure below.
Technology-Enhanced
Collects Evidence through a Non-Traditional Response
Technology-Enhanced
Collects Evidence through a Non-Traditional Response
The value of y is proportional the the value of x. The constant of proportionality for
this relationship is 1. On the grid below, graph this proportional relationship.
Performance Tasks
From the Smarter Balanced website (at the bottom of the Practice and
Training Tests page):
Classroom Activity
Performance Task
Performance Task
Performance Task
Performance Task
Interim Assessments
The Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments are
to be available in January.
SBAC Interims
Interim Comprehensive
Assessments (ICAs)
Interim Assessment
Blocks (IABs)
Test Format
• Same blueprints as
summative
• Computer adaptive or
fixed form
• Smaller than ICAs
• Focus on sets of targets
• Fixed form and can
also be computer
adaptive
WV Printable Interim Resources
Balanced Assessment System
Interim assessments and
practice performance tasks
The WV Printable Interim Resources Are:
Practice questions aligned to
the currently used WV
standards in all 4 content
areas (ELA, Math, Science ,
and Social Studies)
Writing performance tasks
modeled from SBAC writing
performance tasks
(grades 3-11)
Slide 71
Assessments that could be
used by teachers as bell
ringers, cluster assessments,
interim practice, or group
activities
Optional interim choices for
schools during the transition
to SBAC interims
The WV Printable Interim Resources
Are NOT
Slide 72
Not diagnostic assessments
or benchmarks
Not aligned to a particular or
determined curriculum map;
however, they do align to WV
NxG clusters and standards
and Smarter Balanced Claims
for ELA and Math
Not mandated or required
Not secure test questions;
however, the answer keys
should be kept secure
Printable Interim ResourcesWest Virginia Developed
• ELA, includes practice writing performance tasks
• Math, practice performance tasks under
development
• Science
• Social Studies
• Available to any @k12.wv.us educator at
http://tinyurl.com/wvnxg-interims
Type in your XXXXX@k12.wv.us account and
password.
Select a folder
View and Print
Questions?
Please complete the survey on this training
session.
Go here:
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