1. Welcome to the ELA Smarter Balanced Research and Speaking and Listening Claims
November 20, 2014
West Virginia Department of Education
Office of Assessment and Research
While you wait for the webinar to begin, please be sure to turn on your speakers.
You can try this link if your speakers aren’t working.

2. ELA Smarter Balanced Research and Speaking and Listening Claims Welcome
Stacey Murrell, Ed. D.
Interim Assessments Coordinator
Office of Assessment and Research

3. Smarter Balanced ELA Claims
ELA: Targets by Grade Level for each Claim

4. Agenda Claim 4 Research Claim 4 Targets/Content Standards
Claim 4 Sample Items
Claim 3 Speaking and Listening
Claim 3 Targets/Content Standards
Claim 3 Sample Items
Question and Answer Session

5. Claim 4
Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

6. Shift in Assessment Relative to Claim 4
Increased emphasis on writing informative/explanatory texts and arguments
Emphasis on using multiple texts when researching
Emphasis on source-based writing
Using sources to research and write about topics
Evaluation and analysis of sources
Inclusion of multiple types of sources

7. Claim 4 Stimuli
Most Claim 4 stimuli should appear to be excerpts from research sources of various academic disciplines
Examples such as:
Journal articles
Informational books/websites
Scientific sources
Paired excerpts on the same topic
Primary and secondary sources

8. Claim 4 Assessment Targets
Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.
Target 1: Plan/Research [Not assessed on summative]
Target 2: Interpret/Integrate/Analyze Information
Target 3: Analyze/Evaluate Information/Sources
Target 4: Use Evidence

9. Target 2: Interpret/Integrate/Analyze Information
Focus on analyzing information within and among research sources
At the elementary level, the student chooses information that can be categorized into central ideas, key details, or subtopics of a report. OR, the student chooses information for a given purpose
At the middle and high school levels, students are analyzing information for research purposes, paraphrasing, and identifying instances of plagiarism.

10. Claim 4 Target 2 Elementary
Grade 3 Standards
Grade 5 Standards

11. Claim 4 Target 2 Analyze/Integrate Middle Grades
Grade 6 Standards

12. Claim 4 Target 2 Analyze/Integrate Middle Grades
Grade 7 Standards

13. Claim 4 Target 2 Analyze/Integrate Middle Grades
Grade 8 Standards

14. Claim 4 Target 2 Analyze/ Integrate High Grades
Grade 9-11 Standards
Claim 4 Target 2 Analyze/ Integrate High Grades

18. Target 3: Analyze (Grades 3-5) Information/Sources Evaluate (Grades 6-11) Information/Sources
Focus on finding relevant sources of information
For 3-5, focus is on analyzing sources in order to locate additional information
For 6-11, focus is evaluation of sources for accuracy and credibility

19. Claim 4 Target 3 Elementary Analyze (Grades 3-5) Information/Sources
Grade 3 Standards
Grade 5 Standards

20. Claim 4 Target 3 Middle Grades Evaluate (Grades 6-8) Information/Sources
Grade 6 Standards
Grade 7 Standards
Grade 8 Standards

21. Claim 4 Target 3 High Grades Evaluate (Grades 9-11) Information/Sources
Grade 9-11 Standards

25. Target 4: Use Evidence
Focus on using information to support opinions/conjectures/arguments/critiques/ analyses, depending on the grade
Requires the use of evidence- all items focus on selecting evidence to support research

26. Claim 4 Target 4 Use Evidence
Grade 3 Standards
Grade 5 Standards

27. Claim 4 Target 3 Middle Grades Use Evidence
Grade 6 Standards

28. Claim 4 Target 3 Middle Grades Use Evidence
Grade 7 Standards

29. Claim 4 Target 3 Middle Grades Use Evidence
Grade 8 Standards

30. Claim 4 Target 3 High Grades Use Evidence
Grade 9-11 Standards

34. Claim 3
Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences.

35. Shift in Assessment Relative to Claim 3
Increased emphasis on speaking and listening skills
Emphasis on determining main ideas and details from an audio stimuli
Emphasis on use of ability to use evidence from an audio stimuli
Using audio to interpret and use information
Evaluation and analysis of audio sources
Inclusion of informational audio sources

36. Claim 3 Stimuli
Claim 3 stimuli are 1 minute audio presentations used to measure listening
Types
GR3-5: biographies, autobiographies, history, social studies, science, the arts, technical texts
GR6-11: exposition, argument, personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, the arts, literature, memoirs, journalism, historical texts, scientific, technical, economic
Students can pause, rewind, and replay

37. Claim 3 Assessment Targets
Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences
Target 1: Language and Vocabulary Use [Not assessed on summative]
Target 2: Clarify Message [Not assessed on summative]
Target 3: Plan/Speak/ Present [Not assessed on summative]
Target 4: Listen/ Interpret

38. Target 4: Listen/Interpret
Focus on analyzing and interpreting information within an audio presentation
At the elementary level, the student identifies purpose, central idea, or key points. OR, the student identifies use of supporting evidence.
At the middle and high school levels,
students are identifying, interpreting, or analyzing the point of view, purpose, central idea, or key points.
OR, the students are analyzing how information is presented and/or the effects of the delivery.
OR, the students are analyzing the sufficiency of evidence within the audio
OR, the students are drawing and supporting a conclusion based on the content

39. Claim 3 Target 4 Listen/Interpret Elementary
Grade 3 Standards
Grade 4 Standards
Grade 5 Standards

40. Claim 3 Target 4 Listen/Interpret Middle Grades
Grade 6 Standards
Grade 7 Standards
Grade 8 Standards

41. Claim 3 Target 4 Listen/Interpret High Grades
Grade 9-11 Standards

45. Practicing Claim 3 and 4 Items

46. WVDE Interim Resources on http://tinyurl.com/wvnxg-interims
Grade 3: 20 Claim 4 questions
Grade 4: 20 Claim 4 questions
Grade 5-11: 10 Claim 4 questions (should be available end of November. I am reviewing them before posting.)
Grade 3-11: 10 Claim 3 questions (should be available mid-December. I am working on audio stimuli for questions.)

47. Smarter Balanced Practice Test (Includes Claim 3 and 4) and Answer Keys
Grade 3 ELA/Braille [pdf]
Grade 4 ELA/Braille [pdf]
Grade 5 ELA/Braille [pdf]
Grade 6 ELA/Braille [pdf]
Grade 7 ELA/Braille [pdf]
Grade 8 ELA/Braille [pdf]
Grade 11 ELA/Braille [pdf]

48. Write your own using Smarter Balanced Item Specifications
English Language Arts/Literacy Item Specification
ELA CAT Item Specs Grades 3-5 (ZIP) (Update 2/4/14)
ELA CAT Item Specs Grades 6-8 (ZIP) (Update 2/4/14)
ELA CAT Item Specs Grades 9-11 (ZIP) (Updated 2/4/14)

49. Questions and Answers

50. When should we begin practicing with students?
Your teachers and principals would want to decide the plan for practicing.
Two considerations: Practice as a classroom activity (using SmartBoard, etc.) and Practice in a computer lab
Smarter Balanced Practice and Training Tests
WVDE Interim Resources on

51. Will performance tasks be computer adaptive?
Performance tasks have to be hand scored, so they are not computer adaptive. Computer adaptive items are ones that can be automatically scored.

52. Where can we locate question stems?
English Language Arts/Literacy Item Specification
ELA CAT Item Specs Grades 3-5 (ZIP) (Update 2/4/14)
ELA CAT Item Specs Grades 6-8 (ZIP) (Update 2/4/14)
ELA CAT Item Specs Grades 9-11 (ZIP) (Updated 2/4/14)
Performance Tasks
ELA PT Item Specs Opinion Grades 3-5 (ZIP) (5/20/14)
ELA PT Item Specs Narrative Grades 3-5 (ZIP) (5/20/14)
ELA PT Item Specs Informative Grades 3-5 (ZIP) (5/20/14)
ELA PT Item Specs Narrative Grades 6-8 (ZIP) (10/27/14)
ELA PT Item Specs Explanatory Grades 6-8,11 (ZIP) (5/20/14)
ELA PT Item Specs Argumentative Grades 6-8,11 (ZIP) (5/20/14)

53. Will we be involved with grading writing?
Teachers will grade their students performance tasks in the Interim Assessments website; however, the testing vendor will hire hand scorers for the summative test.

54. What are two or three websites to use for basic information or classroom resources?
Digital Library: Dr. Vaughn Rhudy,

55. Agenda Claim 4 Research Claim 4 Targets/Content Standards
Claim 4 Sample Items
Claim 3 Speaking and Listening
Claim 3 Targets/Content Standards
Claim 3 Sample Items
Question and Answer Session

56. Questions? Survey on this training session Go here: