SMARTER BALANCED

SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION

SMARTER BALANCED KEY POINTS

• Teachers can access resources to support student learning.
• Teachers can also use optional and flexible interim tests to check student progress throughout the year.
• Summative tests measure student achievement and growth in English and math in grades 3-8 and high school.

KEY POINTS CONTINUED

• Additional supports make the assessments accessible to students with disabilities and English language learners.
• Students can take a customized test using a computer adaptive format: questions get harder when students answer correctly and easier when they answer incorrectly, allowing students to better demonstrate what they know.

ACCOMMODATIONS

ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS

• The Smarter Balanced assessment system provides accurate measures of achievement and growth while challenging students to think critically and solve real world problems.
• Assurance of equitable access for students with diverse accessibility needs and preferences.
• It’s a valid demonstration of what students know and can do.
• It accommodates for visual, auditory, and physical access barriers without compromising the validity.

“Smarter Balanced is seen as being the most forward-thinking in their list of accommodations and features for accessibility.” Sheila Schultz

SPECIFIC ACCESSIBILITY

• Universal tools like digital notepad and scratch paper.
• Designated supports like translated pop ups.
• Students with IEP or 504 have available accommodations like Braille and closed captioning.
• The Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) tool and training module support educators in selecting accessibility resources that match student access needs.

STRENGTHS

• Measure critical thinking
• Questions adjust to students strengths and weaknesses
• Better idea of what students know or don’t know
• Alleviates frustration during test
• Allows teachers to monitor progress
• Good litmus test for college readiness

STRENGTHS CONTINUED

• Correlates with Common Core Standards
• It’s created and can be adapted by teachers throughout the year
• Focuses class time on learning and not learning how to take tests

LIMITATIONS

• Standard test time is 10 hours total
• Focused on just math and English standards
• Teachers and IT services monopolized to proctor test
• Some students just don’t test well
• Long term adjustments based on data...it’s not a quick fix test
• Perhaps 59 different modifications do not cover all students challenges.

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER APPLICATIONS

• Allows a baseline for academic goals on IEP’s.
• Teacher is allowed to modify and accommodate tests.
• The test adapts to the student so less student frustration when they continually answer questions they don’t know or get wrong (that is huge)

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER APPLICATIONS

• 3rd-8th, then high school tested so the format stays consistent.
• Able to test throughout the year to recognize weaknesses and improvements

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

THE SMARTER BALANCED TEST CATEGORIZES STUDENTS INTO FOUR ACHIEVEMENT SCORES/CATEGORIES BASED ON OVER 3,000 EDUCATORS RECOMMENDATIONS.

Each student has a scaled score and achievement level. The scores illustrates the student’s current level of achievement and their growth over time. It can also reveal gaps in achievement among different groups of students.

In Conclusion, no test is perfect. Scoring poorly or well should never solely determine anyones academic fate. However, the Smarter Balanced has taken account numerous exceptional challenges. It was devised by teachers. It allows the student flexibility to show what they know. It is based on Common Core Standards and teachers can adjust their curriculum based on data.