The SBAC is front and center in teachers minds. There are many concerns about it within our district.

What are you scared/nervous/concerned about the SBAC?

View Poll Everywhere results:
https://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/Kyt26liAqLbDu8r

Because the SBAC is on the computer, the types of questions and the complexity of the questions is different.

Prompts students to choose one or more responses from a set of options.

Will provide evidence for mathematical practices that could not be obtained from traditional SRs and CRs.

These types of test items may stand alone or may be a tool used as part of the Performance Task and/or Constructed Response items.

Students develop answers without suggested answer choices.

Greater complexity

-Integrate knowledge and skills from multiple standards
-Will measure capacities such as depth of understanding, research skills, and/or complex analysis with relevant evidence.
-Real-world tasks/scenario based problems.
-Multiple approaches

Why would Smarter Balanced create this type of test with these types of question formats?

Because a typical multiple choice test doesn't accurately measure student learning.

These kinds of question formats:
Measure higher-level understanding.
Students produce information rather than select information.
Reduces the effect of random guessing.
Reduction of cognitive load from non-relevant constructs (reading)
More Enaging

Go through the tech skills required for the SBAC. Use the list found at http://bit.ly/1DNbPwR and cross everything that you believe your students can already do or you don't have a concern about.

What are the remaining tech skills that might be a challenge for students?

View Poll Everywhere results at:
https://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/kOo0pJF4aNmpPD4

I'm often asked about what tools can students use to practice for the SBAC. In fact, in the district there is a document circulating that lists websites that students can go to to practice keyboarding, mouse skills, and drag and drop.

Don't waste instructional time having students take the practice SBAC! Use that time to teach skills and content.

It's not about the tools, its about a change in pedagogy. Teachers should be integrating these tools and skills into daily lessons, activities, and assignments.

If you want students to have a particular skills then you should have them use and practice that particular skill in everything they are doing.

Graph data- use Excel or graphic software
Measurement - use Google Earth, other virtual tools
Write main idea - blog, Edmodo

praise for departments using skills (questions w/multiple answers, videos with notes, PE department)

Use this site to create content for your students in the SBAC format. Accounts are free. Use as a formative assessment tool with SBAC style questions.

Regardless of test format and what is done with the results, remember that you are teaching real students. Here are my kids. 3 have gone through the school system, 3 are still going through it. They have real needs, a real education that they need to succeed. When you think about your teaching, think about their needs and what they can be taught to become life-long learners.