1. Office of Strategy, Innovation and Performance
Understanding Smarter Balanced Scores Trainings for the SB Assessments January 2015
Patricia Reiss, Ph.D.
Office of Strategy, Innovation and Performance
Assessment Section

2. Agenda
Interpretation of Smarter Balanced Scores and Achievement Levels for the summative and interim assessments.
What is included on the SB assessments?
Achievement Level Setting
Types of scores
Vertical scale
ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Threshold Scale Scores
ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Reported Scale Scores
ELA/Literacy and Mathematics Estimated Percentage of Students at each Achievement Level
Preparing for New Test Scores

3. Interpretation of Smarter Balanced Scores and Achievement Levels
Summative Assessment
Interim Comprehensive Assessment (ICA)
Interim Assessment Blocks (IBA)

4. What is included on the SB assessments?
ELA/Literacy Smarter Balanced Preliminary Summative Assessment Blueprint – 5/9/14 (PDF)
ELA/Literacy Content Specifications Appendix B: Grade Level Tables for All Claims and Assessment Targets and Item Types
Mathematics Smarter Balanced Preliminary Summative Assessment Blueprint – 5/9/14 (PDF)
Mathematics Content Specifications (6/2013 draft)

5. EXCERPT from ELA/Literacy Blueprint
“Each student will receive at least one long informational passage set ….”

6. Excerpt from Mathematics Content Specifications (p. 30)
Students need not know the formal names for the properties of operations
Tasks are to probe whether students are able to use the properties to multiply and divide
Tasks ….will be limited to products and dividends within 100

7. Scale Scores SAT 200 - 800 HSA 100 -500 Smarter Balanced Approx.

8. Smarter Balanced Scale Scores
Vertical scale
Increase across grade levels
Current level of achievement and growth over time
Aggregate scores for schools and complex areas
Can measure gaps for different groups of students

9. Achievement Levels
Hawaii State Assessments
Smarter Balanced Assessments
Well Below Proficiency Approaches Proficiency Meets Proficiency Exceeds Proficiency
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

10. Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Mathematics and ELA/Literacy Achievement Level Descriptors – High School
Level 4
The student has exceeded the achievement standard and demonstrates the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.
Level 3
The student has met the achievement standard and demonstrates progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after completing high school coursework.
Level 2
The student has nearly met the achievement standard and may require further development to demonstrate the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.
Level 1
The student has not met the achievement standard and needs substantial improvement to demonstrate the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.

11. Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Mathematics and ELA/Literacy Achievement Level Descriptors – Grades 6-8
Level 4
The student has exceeded the achievement standard and demonstrates advanced progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.
Level 3
The student has met the achievement standard and demonstrates progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.
Level 2
The student has nearly met the achievement standard and may require further development to demonstrate the knowledge and skills in mathematics needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.
Level 1
The student has not met the achievement standard and needs substantial improvement to demonstrate the knowledge and skills in mathematics needed for likely success in entry-level credit-bearing college coursework after high school.

12. Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Mathematics and ELA/Literacy Achievement Level Descriptors – Grades 3-5
Level 4
The student has exceeded the achievement standard and demonstrates advanced progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in future coursework.
Level 3
The student has met the achievement standard and demonstrates progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in [content area] needed for likely success in future coursework.
Level 2
The student has nearly met the achievement standard and may require further development to demonstrate the knowledge and skills in mathematics needed for likely success in future coursework.
Level 1
The student has not met the achievement standard and needs substantial improvement to demonstrate the knowledge and skills in mathematics needed for likely success in future coursework.

13. Scores for Summative Assessments in Grades 3 – 8 & 11
CAT + PT
CAT + PT
Composite Scores
Claim Level Scores:
Reading
Writing
Listening
Research
Claim Level Scores:
Concepts and procedures
Problem Solving & Modeling/Data Analysis
Communicating Reasoning

14. Scores for the Interim Comprehensive Assessments (ICA)
CAT + PT
CAT + PT
Composite Scores
Claim Level Scores:
Reading
Writing
Listening
Research
Claim Level Scores:
Concepts and procedures
Problem Solving & Modeling/Data Analysis
Communicating Reasoning

15. Scores for the Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs)

16. Achievement Level Setting
Download video at: content/uploads/trainings/SmarterBalanced_Haw aii.mp4

17. Vertical Scale

18. English Language Arts/Literacy – Level 3
Approved November 14, 2014

19. Mathematics: Level 3
Approved November 14, 2014

20. SB ELA/Literacy Scale Score Thresholds
Grade
Level 1 to 2
Level 2 to 3
Level 3 to 4 3
2367
2432
2490 4
2416
2473
2533 5
2442
2502
2582 6
2457
2531
2618 7
2479
2552
2649 8
2487
2567
2668 11
2493
2583
2682

21. SB Mathematics Scale Score Thresholds
Grade
Level 1 to 2
Level 2 to 3
Level 3 to 4 3
2381
2436
2501 4
2411
2485
2549 5
2455
2528
2579 6
2473
2552
2610 7
2484
2567
2635 8
2504
2586
2653 11
2543
2628
2718

22. Level 3 Threshold Scores by Grade and Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Mathematics 3
2432
2436 4
2473
2485 5
2502
2528 6
2531
2552 7
2567 8
2586 11
2583
2628

23. SB ELA/Literacy Reported Scale Scores
Grade
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 11

24. SB Mathematics Reported Scale Scores
Grade
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 11

25. ELA/Literacy: Estimated Percentage of Students at Each Achievement Level
Estimates based on Spring 2014 Smarter Balanced field test conducted in 21 states and USVI.

26. Mathematics: Estimated Percentage of Students at Each Achievement Level
Estimates based on Spring 2014 Smarter Balanced field test conducted in 21 states and USVI.

27. Score Reports

28. Claim Level Achievement
Above Standard
Your test results clearly show that you understand and are able to apply your knowledge to the standards in this content area of your grade.
At/Near Standard
Your test results may be just above or just below the standard, but due to the error band, the result is too close too call.
Below Standard
Your test results clearly show that you have not yet met the standard in this content area for your grade.

29. Target report
For any group of students who takes the Smarter summative tests, you can get reports for an individual target—the most detailed level of content.
Information presented compares whether performance was similar, better, or worse than overall performance.

30. Target Achievement Level
Icon
Target Level
Description
Better than performance on the test as a whole
This target is a relative strength. The group of students performed better on items from this target than they did on the rest of the test as a whole.
Similar to performance on the test as a whole
This target is neither a relative strength nor a relative weakness. The group of students performed about as well on items from this target as they did on the rest of the test as a whole.
Worse than performance on the test as a whole
This target is a relative weakness. The group of students did not perform as well on items from this target as they did on the rest of the test as a whole.
Insufficient information
Not enough information is available to determine whether this target is a relative strength or weakness.

31. Preparing for New Test Scores
Explain the higher expectations with the Common Core and Smarter Balanced
Avoid comparison to score results of previous state assessments
Reach out to teachers, parents, community leaders, and students in a variety of ways
Communicate early and often
Since the new standards set higher expectations for students—and the new tests are designed to assess college and career readiness using the standards as a benchmark—expectations for student achievement are higher than they used to be. This is the path to raising the bar for students and achieving college and career readiness.
Yet for the first few years, it’s likely that fewer students will score at the higher achievement levels on the assessments. This does not mean that our students are doing worse than they did last year. Rather, the scores represent a new baseline that provides a more accurate indicator for educators, students, and parents.
It is critical to communicate with teachers, parents, community leaders, and students about what the new test scores mean in advance of their release.

32. Key Points
Smarter Balanced assessments measure the full range of the Common Core State Standards. They are designed to let teachers and parents know whether students are on track to be college- and career-ready by the time they graduate.
Because the new standards set higher expectations for students--and the new tests are designed to assess college and career readiness using the standards as a benchmark--expectations for student achievement are higher than they used to be.
As a result, it’s likely that fewer students will score at the higher achievement levels on the assessments, especially for the first few years. Results should improve as students have more years of instruction based on the new standards.
This does not mean that our students are doing worse than they did last year. Rather, the scores represent a new baseline that provides a more accurate indicator for educators, students, and parents.

33. Moving Forward
New baseline: Achievement levels developed by educators that reflect high expectations for students
Student progress: Teachers, students and parents work together to address areas for improvement and make sure student needs are met.
The ultimate goal: All students are on track to succeed after high school.
This slide provides an opportunity to highlight state and/or district initiatives to assist students who are not on track to college and career readiness.