Assessment Update Quarterly Meeting March 12, 2013

Smarter Balanced Assessments

Summative Assessments  Computer Adaptive Component  Performance Tasks (1 ELA, 1 Math) Optional Interim Assessments  Computer Adaptive Component  Optional Performance Tasks  Same scale as Summative Assessments Optional Formative Assessment Tools Assessments

 Adjusts to a student’s ability by basing the difficulty of future questions on previous answers  Provides more accurate measurement of student achievement, particularly for high and low-performing students Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)

 Challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to real-world problems  Collections of questions and activities that are connected to a single theme or scenario  Measure capacities such as depth of understanding, research skills, and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with selected- or constructed- response items Performance Tasks

 Delivered by computer  Not computer adaptive  One to two class periods to complete Performance Tasks

 Can only be computer adaptive if administered online  Paper-and-pencil version of the summative assessment will be available for a three-year transition period (spring 2015, 2016, and 2017)  Smarter design is to administer as much as possible online and the rest with paper-and-pencil e.g., Grades 6-8 school: all online administrations except grade 6 math and grade 7 ELA Online vs. Paper-and-Pencil

Current Estimated Testing Times Test TypeGradesCATPerf Task TotalIn-Class Activity Total English Language Arts 3-51:302:003:30:304: :302:003:30:304:00 112:00 4:00:304:30 Mathematics 3-51:301:002:30:303: :001:003:00:303:30 112:001:303:30:304:00 Combined 3-53:00 6:001:007: :303:006:301:007:30 114:003:307:301:008:30

 Test items and performance tasks are being written  Sample items and Performance tasks released  Technology readiness online inventory  Hardware, bandwidth  Districts and schools receive a gap analysis Recent/Current Smarter Activities

Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs)  ALDs describe performance on a standardized test in terms of levels or categories (e.g., Not Met, Met, Proficient)  For the Smarter Balanced assessments, outcomes will be reported in terms of four levels of achievement: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4.  Future Discussion: one level could be split for a total of five levels  Drafts have been written and released for public review Recent/Current Smarter Activities

Pilot Testing has begun  Test of the items, performance tasks, and the testing system  Scores/results will not be available  Scientific Sample  Estimated to last up to three hours  Selection process is complete  Results used to inform test development  Volunteer Pilot  Volunteer through online survey until March 27, 2013  Experience the assessment and some of its basic features Recent/Current Smarter Activities

 Smarter development is on schedule  Pilot tests being administered now  Field tests scheduled for spring 2014  Operational tests scheduled for spring 2015  What if Smarter is not ready?  ONE option - PASS, HSAP, and EOCEP in Concerns about whether the Smarter Assessments will be ready in time

Smarter Balanced Website

Assessment in South Carolina

 Education Accountability Act (EAA) SECTION (E)  The State Board of Education shall create a statewide adoption list of formative assessments  Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly for the assessments, local districts must be allocated resources to select and administer formative assessments from the statewide adoption list Formative and Interim Assessments

Assessments currently on the adoption list  Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP-Math)  STAR Reading and STAR Mathematics  Measures of Academic Progress (MAP-Reading and Mathematics) Formative and Interim Assessments

 POSSIBLE Future Options  If the EAA remains the same  Smarter Interim assessments could be evaluated for possible inclusion on the state’s Formative Adoption list  If the EAA is changed  State pays for Smarter interim assessments?  Districts pay for formative assessments?  Other Possible Options? Formative and Interim Assessments

Process for Approval of Assessment Programs in South Carolina

 EAA SECTION  (A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Board of Education, through the Department of Education, is required to develop or adopt a statewide assessment program … State Board of Education

 EAA SECTION –  (A) After the first statewide field test of the assessment program … the Education Oversight Committee … will review the state assessment program … for alignment with the state standards, level of difficulty and validity, and for the ability to differentiate levels of achievement...  (B) After review and approval by the Education Oversight Committee, the standards based assessment … will be administered to all public school students… Education Oversight Committee

 The State Board of Education has adopted the Smarter Balanced assessments.  The Smarter field tests are scheduled for spring  Data will be sent to Education Oversight Committee (EOC) for review after the field test. Smarter Assessments

Content Measured by Assessments in 2013–14 Memorandum January 26, 2013

 Developing and field testing items is a very expensive endeavor.  The Department is using the limited state resources to assist districts in implementing the CCSS standards rather than investing large amounts of funds to develop ELA and mathematics items aligned to the CCSS that would only be used for one year. Content Measured by Assessments in 2013–14

ELA and Mathematics  No changes in the assessments (alignment or format)  Assessments will be aligned to the HSAP skills which are linked under the title “What does the HSAP assess?” at services/43/. services/43/  No changes in reporting HSAP (2013–14)

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2, English 1, U.S. History and the Constitution, and Biology 1/Applied Biology  No changes in the assessments (alignment or format)  Assessments aligned to standards on the EOCEP web page at  No changes in reporting EOCEP (2013–14)

Writing  No changes in the assessments (alignment or format)  Students will respond to one section that requires an essay in response to the same style prompt as used in the past and a section of multiple-choice items.  The assessments will be aligned to the writing standards in the 2008 ELA standards at: services/59/documents/StateBoardApprovedFinalMay14.pdf. services/59/documents/StateBoardApprovedFinalMay14.pdf  No changes in reporting PASS (2013–14)

ELA and mathematics  Constructed from test items in the current item banks  Items will be selected that address the CCSS to the maximum extent possible  Selection design chosen so that teachers can feel confident that focusing their instruction on the CCSS for the school year will not penalize their students’ performance on these assessments PASS Content Measured (2013–14)

ELA (reading and research)  No changes in format of the assessments  Items will be selected from the current ELA item pool to develop a form that is as closely aligned to the CCCS as possible  No changes in reporting PASS (2013–14)

Mathematics  No changes in format of the assessments  Items selected from the current mathematics item pool to develop a form that is as closely aligned to the CCSS as possible PASS (2013–14)

Mathematics Reporting  Total Score Only  Common Core State Standards (CCSS) significantly different from the 2007 mathematics standards  Content shifting from one grade to another grade e.g., content at grade 8 in the 2007 standards may have shifted to grade 6 in the CCSS.  Grade 8 test items cannot be shifted to grade 6 unless reviewed for appropriateness at the new grade and then re-field tested. PASS (2013–14)

Science  No changes  Science standards undergoing cyclical review  approval in fall 2013  No changes in reporting PASS (2013–14)

Social Studies  No changes  New social studies standards approved in 2011  Test aligned to the 2011 standards Effectiveness/Standards-and-Curriculum/ Effectiveness/Standards-and-Curriculum/  No changes in reporting PASS (2013–14)

Science and Social Studies and Beyond

Science  Assessments  Continue to be administered  Currently aligned to the 2005 standards  New Standards to be adopted in winter 2013  Plans for changes to the assessments will remain in the discussion stage until after standards are written and approved.  Decisions to be made  When to begin assessing the 2013 standards  Whether to administer tests online PASS and EOCEP and beyond

Social Studies  Standards adopted by the State Board of Education August 18, 2011  Assessments  Will continue to be administered  Currently aligned to the 2011 standards  Plans for possible online administrations are only in the discussion stage PASS and EOCEP and beyond