California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
What are Smarter Balanced Assessments?Go To Top of Page
- The Smarter Balanced assessments are the new online assessments of CAASPP.
- Districts and schools in California switched to a new statewide assessment system beginning in the 2014-15 school year.
- The new assessments will focus on the Common Core State Standards and are administered through a computerized testing system developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
What is the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium?Go To Top of Page
- The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is one of two multi-state consortia awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education to develop an assessment system that aligns with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
- SBAC is developing a set of assessment tools that will provide student data to inform instruction, guide interventions, and accurately measure each student's progress against the CCSS and toward career and college readiness.
What are the Main Components of Smarter Balanced Assessment?Go To Top of Page
Summative Assessments:
- Include computer adaptive assessments, performance tasks, and a variety of computer-based test items that require application of knowledge and skills.
- Will be offered during a window of time near the end of each school year.
- Will be initially administered to Grades 3-8 and 11 for English-Language Arts and Math.
- Will provide results used for school and District accountability.
Interim and Formative Assessment and Tools:
- Are resources for teachers to use throughout the school year to assess student learning and identify those who need extra help.
Smarter Balanced:
- Assessments will take the place of STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) assessments.
What is Computer Adaptive Testing?Go To Top of Page
- Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) is a computer-based, online, intuitive testing delivered to an appropriate desktop, laptop, or tablet device.
- Based upon student responses, the computer program adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment.
- An individually tailored set of questions is selected for each student.
- CAT quickly identifies skills and knowledge students have mastered with immediate scoring.
How is Orchard School District Involved in the Transition to Smarter Balanced Assessment?Go To Top of Page
- Fifth and Sixth Graders participated in the Scientific Pilot Test during March-May of 2013.
- Field testing of Smarter Balanced assessments by Third through Eight Graders will happen during the spring of 2014.
- Operational assessments will begin school-wide during the 2014-15 school year.
How Can I Experience a Smarter Balanced Assessment?Go To Top of Page
- Students, parents, and teachers are encouraged to explore the Smarter Balanced Practice Tests using the "Guest Access" at this link:
- By taking one or more of the practice tests you will experience some of the key features of online testing and gain insight into how Smarter Balanced will assess student learning.
- Parents and teachers might have students experience few questions and then discuss the new format.