Understanding the Smarter Balanced Assessment the Proposed Washington

Understanding the Smarter Balanced Assessment & the Proposed Washington Agreement for Its Use in Higher Education May 2014 William S. Moore, Ph. D. , Policy Associate, SBCTC Director, Core to College Alignment & Transition Mathematics Project bmoore@sbctc. edu

Topic Overview Context § Common Core State Standards § Smarter Balanced Assessment Process for Setting Readiness Expectations Core to College Update § Proposed Smarter Balanced Agreement § Transition course design/development § Next steps Questions

Common Core State Standards • Clear, consistent, rigorous standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics • Knowledge and skills needed for college and career success • Developed voluntarily and cooperatively by states with input from teachers and college faculty Source: www. corestandards. org

Major Shifts in the Common Core State Standards: “Fewer, Higher, Clearer, Deeper” MATH ELA • Focus strongly where the standards focus • Building content knowledge through content-rich nonfiction • Coherence: Think across grades and link to major topics within grades • Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational • Rigor: Require conceptual understanding, fluency, and application • Regular practice with complex text and its academic language www. corestandards. org

Common Core Standards and Assessments: Key Factors in Student Success Research has consistently shown that the single most powerful predictor of student success in college is the rigor of academic preparation. Common Core standards and assessments: • Anchor K-12 experience in real-world expectations for success in college and careers • Remove the guesswork for teachers and schools • Allow schools, parents and students to track progress • Identify students who need assistance while still in high school • Reduce remediation and increase college success

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium • 26 states & territories (22 governing, 3 advisory, 1 affiliate) • K-12 & Higher Education Leads in each state

A Balanced Assessment System Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness Summative: College and career readiness assessments for accountability Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching and learning Formative resources: Educator resources formative assessment practices to improve instruction Interim: Flexible and open assessments, used for actionable feedback All students leave high school college and career ready

Digital Library Resources Assessment Literacy Modules Exemplar Instructional Modules Education Resources • Commissioned Professional Learning Modules • Resources for educators, students and families • Frame Formative Assessment within a Balanced Assessment System • Articulate the Formative Assessment Process • Highlight Formative Assessment Practices and Tools • Commissioned Professional Learning Modules • Instructional coaching for educators • Instructional materials for students • Demonstrate/support effective implementation of the formative assessment process • Focus on key content and practice from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts • High-quality vetted instructional resources and tools for educators • High-quality vetted resources and tools for students and families • Reflect and support the formative assessment process • Reflect and support the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts • Create Professional Learning Communities Slide 8

Assessing the Common Core Draw Identify Define Calculate Arrange Design Repeat Recall Level Four Apply Concepts (Extended Thinking) Critique Create Match Recognize Prove Categorize Use Infer Level One (Recall) Synthesize Analyze Memorize Illustrate Who, What, When, Where, Why Measure Tabulate Name Connect Smarter Balanced assessments move beyond basic skills and recall to assess critical thinking and problem solving List Graph Classify Describe Explain Interpret Level Two (Skill/ Concept) Revise Relate Develop a Logical Argument Use Concepts to Solve Non-Routine Problems Apprise Investigate Hypothesize Interpret Estimate Assess Draw Conclusions Predict Compare Critique Modify Cause/Effect Level Three (Strategic Thinking) Formulate Organize Summarize Construct Show Compare Explain Differentiate Source: Webb, Norman L. and others, “Web Alignment Tool” 24 July 2005. Wisconsin Center of Educational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2 Feb 2006 9

Summative Assessment: Two-pronged Approach Computer Adaptive Test • Assesses the full range of Common Core in English language arts/literacy and mathematics for students in grades 3 -8 and 11 (interim assessments can be used in grades 9 and 10) • Measures current student achievement and growth across time, showing progress toward college and career readiness • Includes a variety of question types: selected response, short constructed response, extended construction response, technology enhanced Performance Tasks • Extended projects demonstrate realworld writing and analytical skills • May include online research, group projects, presentations • Require 1 to 2 class periods to complete • Included in both English language arts/literacy and mathematics assessments • Applicable in all grades being assessed • Evaluated by teachers using consistent scoring rubrics

Smarter Balanced Updates 1. Field test in Spring 2014 will target 2 million students — roughly 20% of eligible students in each state 2. Online “Readiness Tool” allows schools and districts to evaluate technology readiness 3. Cost estimates (March 2013) 1. ~$22. 50 per student for Summative only; 2. ~$27. 30 per student for Summative, Interim, & Formative 4. UCLA will serve as host and partner for a sustainable Smarter Balanced beginning in 2015

College Content-Readiness Policy Framework for Grade 11 Assessment Results Level 1 • Not Yet Content-Ready - Substantial Support Needed • K-12 & higher education may offer interventions Level 2 • Not Yet Content-Ready – Support Needed • Transition courses or other supports for Grade 12, retesting option for states Level 3 • Conditionally Content-Ready/Exempt from Developmental • In each state, K-12 and higher ed must jointly develop Grade 12 requirements for students to earn exemption Level 4 • Content-Ready/Exempt from Developmental • K-12 and higher education may jointly set Grade 12 requirements to retain exemption (optional for states) Note: Applies only to students who matriculate directly from high school to college.

Setting Student Readiness Expectations Consortium Process and Recruitment

Setting Student Readiness Expectations • Process of setting common expectations for performance proficiency for the Consortium • Relies on judgment and classroom experience of educators • Educators are key to success • Process to be inclusive, representative, transparent, and scientifically rigorous • In Person Standard Setting • Distributed Standard Setting • Vertical Articulation Committee

In-Person Process • Recruited/Nominated by States – grades 3 to 8: content specialists and teachers from varying grade levels – high school: high school content specialists and teachers and college faculty [October 13 -15] • Review difficulty of questions and define what students at four Achievement Levels can reasonably expected to answer correctly • Interested? Contact Bill Moore, 360 -704 -4346, bmoore@sbctc. edu

Distributed Process • Open to the public – parents, teachers, college faculty, administrators, business/community leaders • Two-stage recruitment process: – Through states during academic year – Through professional organizations, media over the summer • Activity will occur online and take approximately 3 hours to complete (for Level 3 decision only) [October 6 -17] • Online registration

Vertical Articulation Committee • 60 panelists selected from In-Person Standard Setting participants will review results from both in-person and distributed panels • Ensure vertically articulated achievement and proficiency levels in Grades 3 through high school • Committee will make final recommendations to state leadership

Core to College Project Update May 2014 Higher education agreement Policy recommendations re use of SBAC Strengthen Grade “Launch Year” q 6 local partnership grants q. Transition courses Communications campaign q. Faculty network q“Real Learning for Real Life” 12 th

Case for Supporting Standards Case for Incorporating Smarter Balanced Assessment into Placement Process • Anchored in college and career readiness expectations • Improvement over existing tools (cost, item variety and range, …) • Framework for meaningful K-16 “alignment” • Transparency and ownership • Opportunity to address equity issues in college preparation and readiness • Opportunity to create incentive for more students to get “college-ready” in high school

Review and decide on proposal Showcase local school/ college partnerships Develop specific proposal for SB use in higher education System policy work group (Fall 2013 -Winter 2014) System group and institutional review (Spring 2014) Confirm SB participation commitment Cross-sector (Fall 2014 summit gathering January 2015) (Fall 2014) Core to College Smarter Balanced Process

Proposed Agreement: Math SB Score Level on the 11 th Grade Assessment Placement Options Available Based on Score For students scoring at level 4… Any entry college-level math course through pre-calculus I For students scoring at level 3… An entry college-level terminal math course not on the calculus pathway An entry-level calculus pathway math course, contingent on a B or better in a calculus pathway class in the senior year of high school For students scoring at level 2… An entry college-level terminal math course not on the calculus pathway, contingent on a B or better in the statewide math college readiness/transition course For students scoring at level 1… Additional placement information, determined by local institutional processes (transcript, high school GPA, additional testing, etc. ), needed for all entry-level courses

Proposed Agreement: English SB Score Level on the 11 th Grade Assessment Placement Options Available Based on Score For students scoring at level 4… An entry college-level English course (including but not limited to English Composition or its equivalent) For students scoring at level 3… An entry college-level English course (including but not limited to English Composition or its equivalent) For students scoring at level 2… An entry college-level English course (including but not limited to English Composition or its equivalent), contingent on a B or better in a statewide English senior year college readiness/transition course or through local institutional processes (transcript, high school GPA, additional testing, etc. ) For students scoring at level 1… Additional placement information, determined by local institutional processes (transcript, high school GPA, additional testing, etc. ), needed for all entry-level courses

3 -Year Agreement Timeframe Class of 2016 Class of 2017 Class of 2018 Take SB spring 2015 Take SB spring 2016 Take SB spring 2017 Enter higher education fall 2016 Enter higher education fall 2017 Enter higher education fall 2018 Review agreement in winter 2018 and consider revision/renewal for class of 2019

Key Points about the Agreement What It Doesn’t Do • Supports implementation of Common Core • Replace or address directly issues with current placement tests • Provides motivation for some students to improve readiness for college • Apply to admissions decisions • Complements system efforts toward multiple, alternative placement measures • Extend beyond Class of 2018 without review process based on performance data

Timetable for WA Transition Courses 2013 -14 academic year Support teacher-led course design work Produce working model course maps Summer 2014 Refine and adapt instructional resources Provide professional development for teacher teams 2014 -15 academic year Offer pilot courses in selected districts Evaluate and refine course materials 2015 -16 academic year Courses available at scale across the state

Current Faculty Recruitment Efforts Smarter Balanced In-Person Panel • 5 -6 people each, math & English • Contact Bill Moore by May 16 Smarter Balanced Distributed Panel Process • Anyone who’s interested • Register here by September 19 Transition Course Review/Partnerships • Anyone who’s interested (especially if local school district is involved) • Contact Bill Moore for details

Questions? 28