Click to edit Master title style Smarter Assessment PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR THE REAL WORLD April...

Click to edit Master title styleSmarter AssessmentPREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR THE REAL WORLD

April 1, 2015DelExcels.org

WHAT IS SMARTER ASSESSMENT?

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3Smarter Assessment Learn more at DelExcels.org

Delaware was involved in creating the Common Core State Standards.

Common Core State Standards are benchmarked to the best international and state standards to ensure that children can compete with peers across the country and around the world.

Smarter Assessment will give a sense of student progress toward that important goal.

Delaware teachers have been working hard for years to implement the new standards.

Together, we can help students meet new standards and, with significantly improved assessments, help our students get Ready for the Real World.

Ready for the real world

Helping students graduate more prepared for college and careers

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The Library includes more than 2,600 instructional and professional learning resources developed by teachers for teachers. Spanning K–12 and aligned to the new standards, the resources help teachers implement best practices as recommended by their peers.

A complete assessment system

Measuring student progress and supporting improvements in learning

Summative Assessment

Digital Library

Interim Assessments

Smarter Assessment

Summative assessments in English and math for grades 3–8 and 11 help teachers and parents see how well students are mastering the new standards and moving toward college and career readiness.

Optional assessments let teachers check student progress and plan and improve instruction. Full Interim Comprehensive Assessments mirror the year-end assessment and Interim Assessment Blocks focus on smaller sets of related standards.

WHAT MAKES SMARTER ASSESSMENT BETTER?

Smarter Assessment Learn more at DelExcels.org6

Key improvements over DCAS testing

Replaces the traditional multiple choice format with more rigorous and complex questions.

Requires students to write short answers, explain their thinking, compose essays and solve problems in very different ways.

Includes real-life performance tasks, requiring students to apply knowledge and skills across multiple content standards.

Requiring students to increase critical thinking and problem-solving skills


FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Asks students to read more complex literary and informational texts across all subjects, not

just English.

Requires using evidence from texts to answer questions, make inferences and present argumentative essays.

FOR MATHEMATICS Requires students to perform more multi-step problems with application to real-world situations.

Asks students to explain how they achieved their answers.

Key improvements over DCAS testing

Requiring students to increase critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Key TakeawayThese tests are designed to measure the effects of a strong, rich, engaging, varied curriculum that is taught effectively.


Sample ELA question — 5th grade

A student is writing a narrative for his teacher about a family. Read the draft of the story and complete the task that follows.

One day a farmer decided to buy peaches for his three sons.He wondered what they had done with their peaches, so the next day he asked, “Children, what did you do with the peaches I gave you?”

“I planted my peach outside,” said the oldest. “That way a peach tree will grow in our yard, and then we will have peaches without having to buy them.”

The second said, “I sold my peach so I could get some money to buy something we need.”

The last said, “I ate my peach and half of mom’s.”

The children waited for the farmer to say something. They started to get a little nervous about what their father was thinking. In one or two paragraphs, write an ending for the narrative that follows naturally from the events in the narrative.


Sample math problem — 4th grade

Scott is reading a book that has 172 pages. Melanie is reading a book that has three times as many pages as Scott’s book.

How many pages does Melanie’s book have? Select all the equations that represent this problem.


Realism and readiness

Because Smarter Assessment measures our new higher standards, we know fewer students will likely meet grade-level standards in the beginning.

This is expected and is no reflection on our students’ learning or their instruction.

Scores from the first year will set a realistic baseline for future performance as students work to meet the rigorous demands of preparing for college and careers.

The assessments call for essays and other responses that will be scored by subject matter experts trained to be objective. The new results will be delivered to families in July, with statewide scores released in August.

Teachers are encouraged to take a practice test, available at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test.

How will the scores have an impact on students, teachers and schools?

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test


Accommodations for special needs

Supporting English language learners and students with disabilities

Provides resources to address visual, auditory, linguistic and physical access barriers.

Includes Braille and closed captioning.

Contains pop-up glossaries in 10 languages and 4 dialects.

Most complete suite of accessibility tools and accommodation resources ever included in K–12 assessments.

Key TakeawayAllows all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners, to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


FAQs

Computer-adaptive testing customizes the test for each child by adjusting the level of difficulty based on how well the child is answering the questions.

Q

A

What are computer-adaptive assessments?

Q

A • Performance tasks are activities that include questions connected to a single theme or scenario, requiring students to use a deeper depth of knowledge.

• They are meant to measure level of understanding, writing and research skills, and complex analysis abilities.

What are performance tasks?


FAQs

How can teachers help parents understand the anticipated lower scores?

• Students are now being assessed by more challenging academic standards. • This is no reflection on their ability or their teacher’s performance. • Scores will rise with more instruction aligned with the standards.

Q

A

Taken online over the course of several days in 1- to 2-hour sessions, and untimed, allowing students to take breaks.

How is the test administered and how long does it take?Q

A

Elementary school students High school students

English Language Arts Assessment 3.5 hours 4 hours

Mathematics Assessment 2.5 hours 3.5 hours


FAQs

• Governor Jack Markell has authorized an “audit” to eliminate unnecessary testing.• The time devoted to Smarter Assessment is less than 1% of school time.

Isn’t there too much time spent on testing in Delaware?Q

A

• The testing delivers meaningful data on their child’s progress toward college and career readiness.• It provides important information for improving instruction.• Students may earn an early exemption in college from non-credit courses.

How can teachers encourage participation from parents who want to opt-out?Q

A

• Families will receive results – both machine-scored and hand-scored – in July. • Statewide scores will be released in August.

When will the assessments results be delivered?Q

A

Nancy Frick

I would keep these questions

Nancy Frick

I'd keep both of these questions.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL SCHOOL PLAN LOOK LIKE?


Sample District/School Communications Plan APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST

Promote DelExcels.org on all district/school communications to provide further information and resources to all audiences

Present Chief's Presentation to teachers and supporting school personnel

Distribute FAQs to teachers

Distribute newsletter to parents to give specific test information and suggest ways they can help prepare their children

Host a Parent's Night to answer questions about the new assessments

Testing for 3rd – 8th graders

Testing for 11th graders

Tweet about Smarter Assessment, including testing dates, resources, tips to prepare, release of scores and meaning of results

Post Facebook updates about Smarter Assessment that provide information on testing dates, resources, tips to prepare, release of scores and meaning of results

Distribute Parent Mailer regarding score availability and impact

Scores released to families

Distribute Newsletter to teachers regarding statewide release of scores

Statewide release of scores


Learn more at DelExcels.org

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