New common-core aligned assessments are coming to California this year New common-core aligned assessments are coming to California this year. They were administered as a pilot in some schools last year, but this year will be the first time that all schools across the state will be administering the annual test at the end of the year, and all students will be receiving their individual results. We are here to learn about why they are being implemented, what they mean, and how you can support your child through the testing process

SBAC in 2017: A Few Facts The SBAC assessments will only be taken by students in Grades 3-8 and Grade 11 The SBAC assessments cover Math and English Language Arts for grades 3-5 and Science for grade 5 All SBAC tests are administered on a computer SBAC results do not determine whether a child will graduate to the next grade level The SBAC assessment does not replace the traditional high school exit exam The SBAC results will not impact teacher evaluations Moving from the general to the VERY specific, let’s start with a few basics about the 2015 tests

What to Expect The SBAC assessments are mapped to the new state standards, so will look different from before. The emphasis is on Rigor: the ability to explain why Complexity: going into depth of knowledge Evidence: explain where you got the information

Format English Language Arts Mathematics Computer Adaptive (2 hours) Performance Task English Language Arts Each SBAC test subject will have 2 parts Part 1 adjusts difficulty levels according to student responses. It includes a mix of multiple choice and open-ended answers Part 2 is a performance task, which is an activity that involves research, reading and writing Accommodations and tools (calculators, etc. ) are programmed into the test itself

Saturn’s Testing Schedule April 24th April 25th April 26th April 27th April 28th ELA (CAT) Day 1 8:45-10:00 ELA (PT) Day 2 ELA Make-Ups 8:45-10:0 May 1st May 2nd May 3rd May 4th May 5th Math (CAT) Day 1 8:45-10:00 Math (PT) Day Math Make-Ups   May 8th May 9th May 10th May 11th May 12th CAST Science Day 1 8:45-10:00 Make-Up Sessions

Tips for Parents Get your child to school on time each day of the test. Make attendance a priority. Making sure your child is there when the test is taken helps to ensure your child won’t lose more learning time because he/she has to make-up a test during school. Make a note of test days on your calendar. If you have a concern about the test or the testing situation, talk to your child’s teacher.

Tips for Parents Cont. Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep. Tired children have difficulty focusing and are easily flustered by challenges. Make sure your child has enough time to wake up fully before going to school. Just as rest is important, so is having enough time to get your child’s brain engaged and in gear. Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast.

Tips for Parents Cont. Give your child a chance to practice. If you have a computer with internet access at home, set aside time to access the practice test with your child. If you don’t have a computer with internet access, consider going to your local library. Ensure your child wears comfortable clothing for longer than normal test-taking periods.

Practice Tests http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/ To gain familiarity with the test software platform and sample test questions, take the practice tests available from Smarter Balanced and the California Department of Education http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/