1. Information for the Presenter
Suggested Schedule:
Before you present, make sure you have…
Internet connection
Speakers
Projector/Smart Board
8:00-8:30 Frame and Overview 8:30-9:00 Smarter Balanced Assessments 9:00-10:00 A Closer Look at Items 10:00 – 10:15 Break 10:15-11:00 Performance Task * This presentation contains several links- you must be in Slide Show view for the links to work. *Prior to the presentation, go to You can use your own log-in, or use: Log on: amy.lehew Password: math123 Then copy when you click the link below, (located on slide 16) the DE science lab will automatically load.
The first 3 slides are for the presenter only. Skip to slide 4 to begin.

2. Information for the Presenter
Materials
Handouts: - these will be provided
1.A Closer Look at Smarter Balanced Item Specifications (1 per participant- choose appropriate version (For 3-5 Teachers, or For K-2/Special Area Teachers)
2.Smarter Balanced Items (20 copies of each page)
3.Smarter Balanced Performance Tasks- (2 copies per table.)
Materials -
1.Post-it notes
2.Chart paper (Tools I use frequently, Tools I want to explore further)
Ask Teachers to Bring:
Common Core for ELA and Mathematics

3. Frame and Overview
30 Minute introduction. This 30-minute intro will contain an overview of our goals and purpose for the Waiver Days this year. It will be similar to the overview shared at the Leadership Conference in July. Look for a link to this intro the first week in August.

4. Next Generation Assessments
Start presentation here.
Common Core/Essential Standards

5. By the end of this session, you will…
Realize the need for change in assessments
Be aware of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia
Interact with Item Specifications for Next Generation Assessments
Identify the impact Next Generation Assessments will have on instruction
Click to advance each point.

6. Assessing What?
This video shows funny student test answers. Click the picture to view the video, then click the “enlarge” symbol to view full screen. Here is the video address again:

7. Imagine the Possibilities
With NO CONSTRAINTS, how would YOU assess student understanding?
Turn and talk with a partner. What would THE IDEAL assessments look like?

8. Next Generation Assessments
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards
Created with expectations linked to international benchmarks.
Measure student achievement and growth in literacy and mathematics in grades 3-12.
Designed to support students in developing essential 21st century skills to get students College and Career Ready.
Click to advance each point.

9. What Skills will students need to be “College and Career Ready?”
Cognitive
Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Intrapersonal Skills
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Creativity
Communication
Social skills
Teamwork
Self-Regulation
Time management
Self-Development (lifelong learning)
Adaptability
Ask teachers to talk at their tables and generate ideas for each column. Click to show each column after teachers have had their discussion.

10. Implementation Timeline
NC COMMON CORE EOG
and
Smarter Balanced Assessments
Explain that for the next two years, students in grades 3-5 will take the North Carolina EOG assessments for Math and Literacy. These assessments will be based on Common Core State Standards.
Field testing for the Smarter Balanced Assessments will begin this year and continue until the official implementation in You can access an interactive timeline by Smarter Balanced by clicking on the words “Implementation Timeline” on the slide.

11. Using Technology to Assess
How can we use technology to assess greater depth in understanding?
Have teachers turn and talk to a partner about the question on the slide. Click the picture to link to a 1.5 minute video that addresses this question. This example is from Pearson, but illustrates how technology can be used with Smarter Balanced Assessments as well. Here is the address again (in case the link on the picture doesn’t work properly).

12. Using Technology to Assess
How did the student demonstrate her ability to make meaning and draw inferences in this example?
Ask for teacher responses.

13. Authentic Tools
Write an example (or draw a picture) of an authentic online tool on a sticky note. Generate as many examples as you can (use a different sticky note for each).
Explain that one of the goals of using online tools in these assessments is to get teachers to use them in their classrooms. Ask teachers to generate examples of authentic tools (spreadsheets, graphing programs, virtual manipulatives, online editing tools, interactive video programs, etc.). Give about 2 minutes for this. Don’t put chart on next slide up until teachers have finished with this.

14. Tools I’d like to know more about
Authentic Tools
Tools I use frequently
Tools I’d like to know more about
Ask teachers to put their sticky notes on one of the 2 spaces in the table above (you may want to have this pre-made on chart paper). This will inform you and your staff as to what technology needs to be explored further.

15. Technology Enhanced (TE)
Designed to encourage classroom use of authentic tools.
Explain to teachers that some of the items on Next Generation Assessment Items have a Technology Enhanced Feature where students use online tools as they solve the question. Click the picture to view a 1.5 minute video showing a technology-enhanced science example. Here is the address again (in case the link on the picture doesn’t work properly).

16. Look Familiar?
The first picture will show for 2 seconds, then a DE image will appear. Ask your teachers who has used Discovery Education. Click the Dessert Solutions image to link to a DE lab activity that is very much like the Assessment example on the previous slide. *You can use your own log-in, or use: Log on: amy.lehew Password: math123
Here’s the link again:

17. A Closer Look With a partner … Choose an item (but don’t‘ write on it)
Solve and complete the appropriate spaces on your chart
Talk with your partner about the item
Continue until you have experienced all 10 items
Place items in stacks around the room. Hand out “A Closer Look at Smarter Balanced Item Specifications” chart to each teacher. Explain that teachers should work with a partner. The items are grouped so that each type will take about the same amount of time to complete. This activity is the bulk of this session. Allow about an hour for teachers to experience the work.

18. A Closer Look at Smarter Balanced Items
For use by 3-5 Teachers
Item Notes/Solutions
What 21st Century Skills are necessary to solve this type of item?
What CCSSM Cluster(s) or ELA standard(s) does this item type address?
What Standards for Mathematical Practice can be assessed through this item?
How does instruction need to change in order for our students to be successful with Next Generation Assessments?
You will find a copy of this table in the handouts section of these materials. This chart is for 3-5 teachers. The chart on the next slide is for K-2 and Special Area teachers.

19. A Closer Look at Smarter Balanced Items
For use by K-2 and Special Area Teachers
Item Notes/Solutions
What 21st Century Skills are necessary to solve this type of item?
How might you use this type of item in your content area or at your grade level?
What Standards for Mathematical Practice can be assessed through this item?
How does instruction need to change in order for our students to be successful with Next Generation Assessments?
You will find a copy of this table in the handouts section of these materials. You can use this slide as a reference. Go to the next slide and leave it up as teachers work on items.

20. What Skills will students need to be “College and Career Ready?”
Cognitive
Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Intrapersonal Skills
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Creativity
Communication
Social skills
Teamwork
Self-Regulation
Time management
Self-Development (lifelong learning)
Adaptability
Have this slide up while teachers are working.

21. Turn and Talk
What changes in instruction are needed in order for our students to be successful with Next Generation Assessments?
Ask participants to talk at their table about this. Illicit responses from table groups and record on chart paper.

22. Brain Break

23. How do you think this student did on this exam?

24. Teacher Comment…
“There were two possible answer choices:
A (True) and B (False).
You chose C for all 100 questions in an obvious attempt to get lucky with at least a quarter of the answers.
It’s as if you didn’t look at a single question. Unfortunately, this brings your final grade in this class to failing.
See you next year and may God have mercy on your soul.
P.S. If all else fails, go with B from now on. B is the new C.”
You might want to read the above response aloud to your teachers for a better effect!

25. Next Generation Assessments
How will Next Generation Assessment items be scored?
Click the picture to go to a 2-minute video about computer scoring. Again, this is an example from Pearson, but Smarter Balanced is looking at the same types of technology. The link has also been copied and pasted here in case the link on the picture doesn’t work:

26. What About Technology? Test Administration,
NC is an active participant in the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)
Test Administration,
Validation and Psychometrics,
Technology Approach, and
Transition to Common Core SBAC workgroups.
The message here is that states and districts have already been working on the infrastructure necessary to implement the technology for assessments. Our focus should be on supporting students in gaining a deeper understanding of the content so that they may be successful on Next Generation Assessments. The Race to the Top site can be accessed by going to

27. A Closer Look at Smarter Balanced
Item Specifications
Item Notes/Solutions
What 21st Century Skills are necessary to solve this type of item?
What CCSSM Cluster(s) or ELA standard(s) does this item type address?
What Standards for Mathematical Practice can be assessed through this item?
How does instruction need to change in order for our students to be successful with Next Generation Assessments?
PERFORMANCE
TASKS (PT)
Explain that there is one more type of item we have not yet looked at.

28. Performance Tasks
With your group, read through and begin to work on the Performance Task at your table.
Allow teachers about 30 minutes to work on the Performance Task. They will not have enough time to solve all parts, but should get a sense of what will be expected.

29. Performance Tasks What do you notice?
What 21st Century Skills are needed to solve these tasks?
Explain that tasks like these would be given over the course of several days. Tasks are currently being written to align with the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

30. Next Generation Assessments
How can we ensure our students will be successful on performance tasks? With your team, discuss your role in ensuring student success.
Ask teachers to reflect on the session.

31. Want to Know More?
Additional resources