Smarter Balanced Updates

1. Smarter Balanced Updates Getting Ready for 2014-15 Administration Jan Martin Jan.martin@state.sd.us 605-773-3246

2. Field Test Overview

3. Smarter Balanced Field Test in South Dakota by the numbers 150/151 Public school systems 20/20 BIE/Tribal systems 36/53 Non-public systems 70,560 student took tests 279,137 tests started 278,164 tests submitted 1,200+ district personnel involved 4 SD DOE Staff with tech support from BIT

4. Were the schools ready? • Yes and no. • A key learning was while the schools have the technology, how it is used with students vary across the state. • Schools with one-to-one Chromebooks, iPads, or other devices – less student issues. • Schools with limited access especially in the elementary, more significant issues.

5. Themes that emerged from the survey feedback: If students and staff did practice tests, the field test went smoother Tech staff must be involved Shift to on-line testing created confusion and concerns with accommodations Text-to-speech and sound the biggest problem across all respondents. Help desk was used with varying success

6. A comment from the field Overall, for the field test, it went well. We all knew the test would be challenging. As a parent, my own son came home and shared that he was very glad that the writing part could be done with a keyboard. He stated, “I don’t like to write, but if I could do it on a computer,…that makes it a lot easier! I wrote a lot for the Smarter Balanced test!”

7. Getting Started for 2015

8. Coming Attractions Smarter Balanced is more than a single test! Test Window – March 2 – May 15, 2015 (Grade 11 starts testing March 30) By late fall, public schools will have access to resources for formative (Digital Library) and interim assessments (comprehensive and content blocks) .

9. Next Steps • AIR (American Institutes for Research) will be the vendor to deliver Smarter Balanced for South Dakota • October 6- 17, 2014 Online Panel for Achievement Setting • To register, go to SmarterBalanced.org/OnlinePanel

10. Next Steps: Setting Achievement Levels A Two Part Process • Part 1 October 6- 17, 2014 Online Panel for Achievement Setting • To register, go to SmarterBalanced.org/OnlinePanel • This process is open to educators, administrators, parents, community members • 6 hours of time to complete

11. Next Steps: Setting Achievement Levels A Two Part Process • Part 2 In- person Panels • October 13 – 20 • Educators from across the participating states • South Dakota has an equal voice in the panels In early November, all participating states will vote on the achievement levels for each grade and each content.

12. Smarter Balanced and Accountability • PHASE-IN OF SCHOOL PERFORMANCE INDEX • School Performance Index same indicators as in 2012-13: • High School: Student Achievement, High School Completion, College & Career Ready • Elementary and Middle School: Student Achievement, Attendance • Reset AMO targets and goals due to new assessment, then reset every six years • Set Baseline for student growth using assessment results • 2015-16 • Add Academic Growth Indicator at the Elementary and Middle School level • Incorporate two years of achievement results into the Student Achievement • Indicator • Incorporate Accuplacer, and NCRC scores into College and Career Ready Indicator • 2016-17 • Incorporate SBAC scores into College and Career Ready Indicator • Incorporate three years of achievement results into the Student Achievement • Indicator

13. School Performance Index – High School

14. Smarter Balanced is more than a summative test Digital Library & Interim Assessments

15. Interim Assessments Comprehensive fixed form interim assessment Blocks for specific elements such as literary reading Adaptive interim assessment Scoring of constructed-response items done at local level and added to the student score for a complete score. First of the interim assessments will be live early January Optional for use at the local level One more resource to better understand the assessment system

16. Planning for test administration

17. Test Window • Grades 3 – 8 students can start testing after March 10 and the window closes on May 15. • Grade 11 students can start testing after March 30 and the window closes on May 15. • Why the difference? • Consortium determined that in order to have comparability between states, especially for grade 11 there needed to be some specificity for when testing could happen.

18. Planning for Administration – Set up Install browsers after updates are released Control automatic updates for Google and Apple products Install Julie voicepack for Windows machines Set designated supports and accommodations in ART (was TIDE) Determine who will be administering tests All test administrators must go through online training Non-certified staff can’t administer tests Keep IC up to date

19. Training Modules • Available for use at local level in mid-November What is a CAT? Administration and Registration Tools (ART) Smarter Balanced Test Administration Overview Test Administrator Interface Student Interface Performance Task Overview Universal Tools Accessibility and Accommodations

20. Training Expectations Anyone involved with administration will be required to watch all modules and pass an on-line training test. Modules and test will be available with plenty of time to complete needed training.

21. Planning for Administration – Timing Plan a minimum of 4 days or time for at least 7 sessions (4 sessions for ELA and 3 for Math) plus time for classroom activities. The CAT tests must be divided into several sessions so students can have breaks. The test is untimed. Classroom activities must be done before the performance task is administered. Once a CAT is started, student has 45 days to complete before test expires. Once a PT is started, student has 10 days to complete before test expires.

22. Estimated testing times CAT must be divided into multiple sessions!

23. Resources for Practice • http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/calculators/ • http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/ • http://sbac.portal.airast.org/

24. Test Blueprints and Scoring Information

25. Sample of test blueprints http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ELA_Preliminary_-Blueprint-2014_04-30Final.pdf

26. Scores

27. Claims and Achievement Level Descriptors Information on Achievement Level Descriptors and Content Claims http://www.smarterbalanced.org/achievement-levels/ Overall claims are focused on progress toward college and career readiness in the subject

28. Sample Grade 3 ELA Descriptor Reading Literary Texts • Target 1.Key Details: Use explicit details and information from the text to support answers or basic inferences • 4 levels of claims/achievement levels with 3 or higher the goal for students to be on-track for career and college readiness. • Level 3 Claim: Students should be able to use explicit details and information from the text to support answers or basic inferences in texts of moderate-to-high complexity.

29. Critical Odds and Ends Security issues are of the utmost importance and districts must revisit their cell phone policies and practices. Students can not have a cell phone on their body during testing sessions. Department policy is that there are no cell phones allowed in a testing session.

30. More Odds and Ends JDC/Colony/other juvenile facilities without internet access – paper/pencil will be available and managed in a different manner. Paper/pencil is limited and not available for except for the special cases. As more details are available, district coordinators will be sent information.

31. Questions Main Smarter Balanced Contact: Jan Martin jan.martin@state.sd.us Accommodations Beth Schiltz beth.schiltz@state.sd.us