The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium

1. The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium August 29, 2011

2. What we know: Connecticut has joined this consortium as a governing partner in 2010 This gives CSDE staff input on the development of the final product This assessment will replace the CMT and CAPT in 2015

3. Technology It is expected to utilize Computer Adaptive Technology No two tests will be the same since the question difficulty and items change depending on whether the student submits a correct or incorrect answer Assessment must be delivered with technology-Districts will be surveyed to determine level of technology capacity

4. The assessment process The assessment will have formative, benchmark, and summative capabilities Districts will operate in a 12 week window at the end of the year to administer the summative assessment component Districts will be encouraged to implement the formative assessment component of the program to establish an assessment-instruction feedback loop

5. Assessment content The assessment will be aligned to the CCS Diversified assessment items including constructed, selected, extended response items, and performance assessments Items will be piloted as early as next year

6. Use of data generated Data is expected to produce precise measurements of student mastery to inform practice in the classroom Scores will yield information about both student achievement and growth May be used by higher education for placement in college courses

7. What we don’t know/issues Logistical details for test administration How tests will be modified for special populations Whether there will be any financial support or waivers for districts that lack the capacity and infrastructure to administer the assessments as planned Whether there will be CALI-like support for helping teachers to utilize the assessment data Since proficiency levels are set by the consortium and not by individual states, how will accountability such as AYP be determined