1. Performance Task Overview

2. Introduction
Introduction

3. PERFORMANCE TASK This training module answers the following questions:
What is a performance task?
What is a Classroom Activity?
What does a performance task in mathematics or English language arts/literacy look like?
This training module provides an introduction to performance tasks by answering the following questions:
What is a performance task?
What is a Classroom Activity?
What does a performance task in mathematics or English language arts/literacy look like?

4. This presentation is a general overview of the performance task
This presentation is a general overview of the performance task. Test Administrators and classroom teachers who administer the performance task and its related Classroom Activity should be sure to review the additional information provided in the Online Test Administration Manual. This information provides greater detail about where to obtain the Classroom Activity, how to administer it, and how to plan for the performance task event within the Smarter Balanced test administration process.

5. What Is a Performance Task?

6. ELA and Mathematics Online Assessment CAT Classroom Activity
As you know, the online assessment for English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics consists of three components: a CAT portion of the test, a Classroom Activity, and a performance task.
Performance Task

7. PERFORMANCE TASK (PT)
Portion of the test that requires students to answer a set of complex questions centered on a common topic or problem
A performance task, also referred to as a PT, is a portion of the test that requires students to answer a set of complex questions that are centered on a common topic or problem. There is one performance task per content area on the summative assessment.

8. PERFORMANCE TASK Administered online
Helps ensure test items are more accessible
Allows students to respond in ways that are different from how they might respond to or access paper-and-pencil tests
The online assessments are administered primarily as an online assessment on the computer, which helps ensure test items are more accessible.
Online assessments allow students to respond in ways that are different from how they might respond to or access the paper-and-pencil tests.

9. PERFORMANCE TASK
Measures how well a student can integrate knowledge and skills across multiple claims and targets
Claim: Broad evidence-based statements about what students know and can do as demonstrated by their performance on the assessment
Target: Connects the Common Core State Standards to evidence that will be collected from the assessment
The performance task is intended to measure how well a student can integrate knowledge and skills across multiple claims and targets.

10. PERFORMANCE TASK KNOWLEDGE + SKILLS
The ability to integrate knowledge and skills across multiple claims and targets is a very important part of being college- and career-ready.

11. PERFORMANCE TASK Classroom Activity Performance Task
A performance task is made up of two components: a Classroom Activity and an individually administered, computer-generated performance task.

12. Introduction to Performance Tasks
What is a performance task?
Introduction to Performance Tasks
Measure capacities such as depth of understanding, research and writing skills, and/or complex analysis with relevant evidence
Designed to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge and higher- order thinking skills to explore and analyze a complex, real-world scenario
Mathematics
ELA
Expectations
As its name suggests, a performance task measures capacities such as depth of understanding, research and writing skills, and/or complex analysis with relevant evidence. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge and higher-order thinking skills to explore and analyze a complex, real-world scenario.

13. Simplifying rational expressions Conversion of decimal to percent
Order of operations
When students enter college or begin a career, they are often confronted with tasks that require them to seek information, analyze that information, determine which information is needed and which is not, and then evaluate and/or synthesize that information.
Problems in the world do not come to us neatly packaged and ready to solve. Performance tasks are intended to measure a student’s ability to grapple with these scenarios.

14. Mathematics What is a performance task?
Mathematics performance tasks require students to integrate skills across multiple domains, clusters, and standards of the Common Core State Standards to demonstrate their ability to use their math knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Mathematics
ELA
Expectations
In mathematics, the performance tasks require students to integrate skills across multiple domains, clusters, and standards of the Common Core State Standards to demonstrate their ability to use their math knowledge to solve real-world problems.

15. ELA What is a performance task?
In ELA, performance tasks require students to integrate research and writing to inform/explain, to narrate, or to support an opinion/argument for a designated audience.
Mathematics
ELA
Expectations
In ELA, performance tasks require students to integrate research and writing to inform/explain, to narrate, or to support an opinion/argument for a designated audience.

16. informational sources research articles tables of data
What is a performance task?
Student is expected to work more extensively with the test materials, such as
informational sources
research articles
tables of data
Mathematics
ELA
Expectations
In a performance task, a student is expected to work more extensively with the test materials, such as informational sources, research articles, or tables of data, in ways that closely mirror the kinds of tasks students would be expected to do in the real world.

17. Classroom Activity
Classroom Activity

18. Technology of the Future
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
What do you guys think?
Technology of the Future
I have an idea!
Let’s work together!
The Classroom Activity is a short, teacher-led activity designed to provide students with the opportunity to discuss contextual information and key terms and/or ideas on the topic they will encounter in the individually administered performance task. These activities are not intended to cover the content of the performance task.
The Classroom Activity ensures that all students have a common understanding of the contextual elements of a performance task topic or theme.  

19. CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
The Classroom Activity provides context-setting information so that all students, regardless of their backgrounds and experiences, are able to access and demonstrate understanding of the content of the performance task.

20. CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Classroom Activity Guidance for Needs-Specific Accessibility Options
The Online Test Administration Manual includes a section about accessibility features and defines accessibility options that may be implemented during the Classroom Activity for students with disabilities and English learners.
The Online Test Administration Manual includes a section about accessibility features and defines accessibility options that may be implemented during the Classroom Activity for students with disabilities and English learners.

21. Takes place before students engage in the performance task
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Takes place before students engage in the performance task
Is administered separately for both ELA and mathematics
Is the same activity for the entire class
Is not scored
The non-secure Classroom Activity takes place before the student engages in the performance task on the test. There is one Classroom Activity per performance task topic. Each student should have a Classroom Activity administered for ELA and a Classroom Activity administered for mathematics. Each class will be assigned the same Classroom Activity. The Classroom Activity is not scored, but it is an important prerequisite for the performance task to ensure that students are not at a disadvantage in demonstrating the skills the task intends to assess.

22. CLASSROOM ACTIVITY—Administration
Designed to be completed in approximately thirty minutes
In a group setting by a certified teacher or other instructional staff
No more than three days before the student takes the online performance task
ELA — Classroom Activity should be on a different day than the performance task.
No information should be added or provided outside the directions and information provided.
The Classroom Activity is designed to be completed in approximately thirty minutes. It should be administered by a certified teacher or other instructional staff, in a group setting, where possible, to allow students an opportunity to interact with their teachers during the activity. The Classroom Activity should be administered no more than three days before the student takes the performance task test and should be administered only once to a student. It is recommended that the ELA Classroom Activity not be administered on the same day as the performance task. No information should be added or delivered outside the directions and information provided.

23. CLASSROOM ACTIVITY —Absent Students
Schedule a make-up session.
Provide students the opportunity to interact with the teacher and other students.
Provide students with an experience similar to that of their peers.
In the event that a student is absent on the day of the Classroom Activity, a make-up session must be scheduled. Although the Classroom Activity may be recorded, the make-up session should provide students with an experience similar to that of their peers.
For example, where possible, the make-up session should provide students the opportunity to interact with the teacher and other students.

24. Technology of the Future Now it’s time to try it myself!
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Technology of the Future
Now it’s time to try it myself!
Though students participate in the Classroom Activity together and it’s not scored, the individually administered performance task that follows is part of the student’s overall score.
While taking the performance task, like any other part of the test, students cannot talk to each other, and all students must provide their own responses.

25. ELA Performance Task Examples

26. PERFORMANCE TASK
To review these and other examples in more detail, please visit the online Practice Tests.
Let’s look at a performance task example for English language arts/literacy and mathematics. Examples such as these can be found on the Practice Tests.

27. Technology of the Future
Before the ELA Performance Task: Classroom Activity
ELA
Classroom Activity
Technology of the Future
Performance Task
Robots
We will start with an ELA example.

28. Students are given information:
Before the ELA Performance Task: Classroom Activity
Students are given information:
In this Classroom Activity, students look at images of some examples of outdated technology and read a brief description about each of them.
In this Classroom Activity, students review information about outdated technology.

29. Before the ELA Performance Task: Classroom Activity
Discussion:
Then, they talk about what they have read with classmates in a structured discussion.
Then, in a structured discussion, they talk about what they have read with classmates.

30. Individually Administered Performance Task
Classroom Activity
Individually Administered Performance Task
Within 3 days
Within three days of participating in the Classroom Activity, students take the individually administered performance task.

31. There are two parts to the individually administered ELA task:
ELA Performance Task — After the Classroom Activity
What happens next:
Students work independently, without discussion, on different secure tasks.
There are two parts to the individually administered ELA task:
Part 1: Research
Part 2: Writing
Administer the two parts in two sessions.
At this point, the students work independently, without discussion, on different secure tasks related to the Classroom Activity. There are two parts to the individually administered ELA PT: Part 1 is Research and Part 2 is Writing (sometimes referred to as the “full-write”). It is recommended that these two parts be administered in two sessions.

32. ELA Performance Task — After the Classroom Activity
What happens next:
In Part 1, students are given a set of two or more sources to be used on both parts of the test.
Information may be in the form of informational or argumentative articles, research articles, charts, or other sources.
In Part 1, students are given a set of two or more sources to be used on both parts of the test. This information may be in the form of informational or argumentative articles, research articles, charts, or other sources.

33. ELA Performance Task — After the Classroom Activity
Example:
In this example, students access research articles from several sources about the same topic — in this case, what real robots can do.
Notes can be taken on paper or on the computer.
In this example, students access research articles from several sources about the same topic — in this case, what real robots can do. They may take notes on paper or on the computer.

34. ELA Performance Task Question Examples
ELA Performance Task Questions
ELA Performance Task Question Examples
The ELA task then requires the student to answer research questions about the sources.
The ELA task then requires the student to answer research questions about the sources.

35. ELA Performance Task Questions
Example Question 1
1) The student is asked to explain appropriate evidence from a variety of sources.
First, the student is asked to explain appropriate evidence from a variety of sources.

36. ELA Performance Task Questions
Example Question 2
2) The student is asked to explain evidence that supports the given statement.
Then, the student is asked to explain evidence that supports the given statement.

37. In the final part of the ELA online performance task, students are asked to respond to a writing assignment using the full-write process: drafting, revising, and editing.

38. When writing your story, find ways to use information and details from the sources to improve it.
The writing assignment, or full-write assignment as it is sometimes called, is designed so students use information from the sources presented previously in the performance task. They use these sources when writing their multi-paragraph essays, articles, reports, or narratives. In the ELA performance task, sources and global notes from Part 1 are available in Part 2 so students may refer to the sources and their global notes even though they are not able to return to the research questions in Part 1.

39. The online system provides many common word-processing tools such as an embedded dictionary and thesaurus, bold, italics, underlining, copy, paste, and spell check to assist the student with the writing assignment.

40. Mathematics Performance Task Examples

41. Mathematics Classroom Activity Food Baskets Performance Task Example
Before the Math Performance Task: Classroom Activity
Mathematics
Classroom Activity
Food Baskets
Performance Task
Example
The mathematics performance task looks very similar to the ELA performance task.

42. Mathematics Performance Task
Facilitator Directs Students:
In the Classroom Activity for this performance task, the teacher or facilitator leads the students through an activity that familiarizes them with the context in which a food basket would be used and how individual foods are selected for inclusion based on certain nutritional requirements or needs.
In the Classroom Activity for this performance task, the teacher or facilitator leads the students through an activity that familiarizes them with the context in which a food basket would be used and how individual foods are selected for inclusion based on certain nutritional requirements or needs.

43. Mathematics Performance Task — After the Classroom Activity
What happens next:
After completing the Classroom Activity, students are then ready to begin the individual component of the performance task.
After completing the Classroom Activity, students are then ready to begin the individual component of the performance task.

44. Mathematics Performance Task — After the Classroom Activity
More information is given:
The individually administered component of the mathematics performance task has a stimulus that provides information for the student to use in the task.
The individually administered component of the mathematics performance task has a stimulus that provides information for the student to use in the task.

45. Math Performance Task Questions
The student has the opportunity to use the tools to help complete the task.
In this sample task, the student has the opportunity to use the tools to help complete the task.

46. Mathematics Performance Task Questions
The set of questions in the mathematics performance task is designed to give students a coherent picture of how mathematics is used to plan and make decisions in the real world.
The set of questions in the mathematics performance task is designed to give students a coherent picture of how mathematics is used to plan and make decisions in the real world.

47. Administration, Timing, and Sequencing

48. ADMINISTRATION SEQUENCE
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
CAT
Classroom Activity PT
Smarter Balanced recommends the following sequence:
1) Students take the computer adaptive test (CAT), then the Classroom Activity, and then the performance task.
2) Once a student starts either portion of the assessment, he or she completes that portion of the test before moving on to the next portion.
3) It is recommended that the CAT portion of the test be administered first, followed by the performance task.
In all instances, the Classroom Activity MUST be administered prior to the performance task and the performance task must be completed within 10 days of starting the task.

49. ADMINISTRATION SEQUENCE ELA Classroom Activity Math Classroom Activity
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
ELA
ELA Classroom Activity
Part 1
Part 2
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Math
Math Classroom Activity
Administer the performance task within three days of the Classroom Activity.
CAT CA PT PT
ELA PT—2 sessions
Math PT—1 session
Here’s a sample order of administration for both the ELA and mathematics performance tasks.
The ELA performance task should start with the Classroom Activity, and then, within three days, the performance task should be administered. The ELA performance task should be administered over two sessions (Part 1 and Part 2). The performance task should not be administered on the same day as the Classroom Activity.
The mathematics performance task requires a Classroom Activity first, and then, within three days, the performance task should be administered. The mathematics PT requires one test session at minimum but may, in some instances, be administered over multiple sessions.
CAT CA PT

50. Continue and complete, but report as an irregularity.
PERFORMANCE TASKS
Performance Task
Classroom Activity
Continue and complete, but
report as an irregularity.
There may be an instance when the performance task is inadvertently administered prior to the student(s) being exposed to the Classroom Activity. 
If this happens, the student(s) should continue with and complete the performance task. The Test Administrator must report this occurrence as a testing irregularity.
Further directions about testing irregularities can be found in the Online Test Administration Manual.

51. ADMINISTRATION SEQUENCE AND TIMING
Outlines the number and duration of:
Sessions
Breaks
Total assessment
The Online Test Administration Manual includes tables of recommended sequences for ELA and mathematics.
The tables provide estimated average times for students to complete the online assessments and outlines the number and duration of sessions, breaks, total duration of the assessment, and additional resources for the mathematics and ELA CAT items, Classroom Activities, and performance tasks.

52. Don’t forget these details

53. PERFORMANCE TASK
You might want to take a few notes on the information in the next few slides.
There are some other important details to know about performance tasks, so please take note of the following information.

54. PERFORMANCE TASK Ten-day expiration
Performance tasks expire after ten calendar days once initiated by the student.

55. PERFORMANCE TASK —Pausing
There are no pause rules for the performance task.
Students can take breaks during the administration of the performance task but will be automatically logged out after twenty minutes in a paused state or thirty minutes of inactivity.
For mathematics, students can access the same items after a break.
For ELA, students have access to the items within either Part 1 or Part 2.
There are no pause rules for the performance task. Students can take breaks during the administration of the performance task but will be automatically logged out after twenty minutes in a paused state or thirty minutes of inactivity. The mathematics PT is presented on a single screen. Following a break, students have access to the same items in the mathematics task.
For ELA, after taking a break, students will have access to only those items within the part of the task they were working on (Part 1 or Part 2) prior to the break.

56. PERFORMANCE TASK Tools Global Notes — ELA
Used only for the ELA PT (not math).
Global Notes is an online embedded universal tool.
Notes are retained from Part 1 to Part 2.
A student taking Part 2 of the ELA PT may refer back to the notes even though the student is not able to go back to the research questions in Part 1.
Preferred mode for note taking
During the ELA PT, the notes on the embedded universal tool, Global Notes, are retained from Part 1 to Part 2 so that the student may go back to the notes even though he or she is not able to go back to the research questions in Part 1. Online Embedded Global Notes is the preferred mode for note taking. Global Notes is not available for the mathematics PT.

57. PERFORMANCE TASK Tools Scratch Paper — ELA
Students may choose to use scratch paper to make notes in ELA.
Collect scratch paper at completion of Part 1 of the ELA performance task and store securely until Part 2.
After administration, all scratch paper must be securely destroyed in adherence to test security procedures.
To ensure that students using scratch paper for notes have the same allowance as students using the online notes, TAs should collect students’ scratch paper at the completion of Part 1 of the ELA PT and securely store the paper for students’ use during Part 2 of the ELA PT. After administration, all scratch paper must be securely destroyed in adherence to test security procedures.

58. Tools — Scratch Paper and Graph Paper — MATH
PERFORMANCE TASK
Tools — Scratch Paper and Graph Paper — MATH
Scratch paper must be available to all students taking the math assessment. Graph paper is required in 6th grade and above.
If the mathematics performance task is administered over more than one test session, Test Administrators must retain scratch paper and graph paper between test sessions.
Scratch paper and graph paper may not be retained between test sessions for the CAT portion.
Following the conclusion of the mathematics PT, scratch paper and graph paper must be collected and securely destroyed to maintain test security.
Scratch paper must be made available to all students taking the math assessment. Graph paper is required for students in 6th grade and above.
If the mathematics performance task is administered over more than one test session, Test Administrators should retain scratch paper and graph paper between test sessions. Scratch paper and graph paper may not be retained between test sessions for the CAT portion. Following the conclusion of the mathematics PT, all scratch paper and graph paper must be collected and securely destroyed to maintain test security.  

59. PERFORMANCE TASK Mathematics — Calculator
A calculator is required for students in 6th grade and above.
Calculator is an embedded universal tool within the test delivery system.
A calculator is required for students in Grade 6 and above taking the mathematics performance task. This is an embedded universal tool available through the online test delivery system.

60. For more information, please visit:
For more information, please visit: