SHEEO Working Conference OnCollege Readiness and the Common Core

Assessments

Joe Willhoft, Executive DirectorSusan Gendron, Policy Coordinator

March 3-4, 2011SHEEO Policy Center, Boulder Colorado

Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards

For more information about the CCSS, go to...www.corestandards.org

Background

Historical Development of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment

Consortium• Computer Adaptive

• Formative Capacity

• Integrated System

The Purpose of the Consortium• To develop a set of comprehensive and innovative

assessments for grades 3-8 and high school in English language arts and mathematics aligned to the Common Core State Standards

• Students leave high school prepared for postsecondary success in college or a career through increased student learning and improved teaching

• The assessments shall be operational across Consortium states in the 2014-15 school year

31 Member States

Consortium GovernanceCo-Chairs Tony Alpert (OR)

Judy Park (UT)

Executive Director Joe Willhoft

Executive Committee Dan Hupp (ME); Joseph Martineau (MI); Carissa Miller (ID); Lynette Russell (WI); Mike Middleton (WA);Charlie Lenth, SHEEOTBD: 2 year colleges

Project Management Partner WestEd

Policy Coordinator Sue Gendron

Senior Research Advisor Linda Darling-Hammond

Last Modified November 8,2010

Executive Committee

Content Experts

Sr. Research Advisor(Part-time)

Linda Darling-Hammond

Policy Coordinator(Part-time)

Sue Gendron

Deputy Executive Director

Executive Assistant

Washington OSPIWestEd

Executive DirectorJoe Willhoft

Executive DirectorJoe Willhoft

Co-Chairs: Judy Park, Tony Alpert

Executive Assistant

SMARTER Balanced Assessment ConsortiumOffice of the Executive Director

Communications

Psychometrician

Math Specialist

ELA Specialist

Communication Director

Communications Service Provider

National Partnerships Advisor(Part-time)

Approved by Governing States Feb. 22, 2011

IHE Advisor

Other grants

US Dept of Ed grant

PMPProcurement & Fiscal Agent

Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Partners

• IHE partners• include more than 170 public and 13 private institutions

and systems of Higher Education• represent nearly 75% of the total number of direct

matriculation students across all SMARTER Balanced States

• IHE representatives and/or postsecondary faculty may serve on:• Executive Committee• Assessment scoring and item review committees• Standard-setting committees

Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Partners

NIA Specificationsa) Commits the IHE or IHE system to participate with the consortium in the

design and development of the consortium’s final high school summative assessments in mathematics and English language arts in order to ensure that the assessments measure college readiness;

b)Commits the IHE or IHE system to implement policies, once the final high school summative assessments are implemented, that exempt from remedial courses and place into credit-bearing college courses any student who meets the consortium-adopted achievement standard (as defined in the NIA) for each assessment and any other placement requirement established by the IHE or IHE system; and

c) Is signed by the State’s higher education executive officer (if the State has one) and the president or head of each participating IHE or IHE system.

The ChallengeHow do we get from here... ...to here?

All studentsleave high school college and career

ready

All studentsleave high school college and career

ready

Common Core State

Standards specify K-12 expectations

for college and career

readiness

Common Core State

Standards specify K-12 expectations

for college and career

readiness...and what can an

assessment system do to help?

Assessment System Overview

Federal Assessment Requirements• Assess acquisition of and progress toward “college and career

readiness”• Have common, comparable scores across member states• Provide achievement and growth information for teacher and

principal evaluation and professional development• Assess all students, except those with “significant cognitive

disabilities”• Administer online, with timely results• Use multiple measures

Source: Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 68 / Friday, April 9, 2010 pp. 18171-85

Theory of Action• A model of verifiable

accomplishments/milestones, leading to the desired outcome

• Accomplishments/milestones are interdependent

• The theory of action is closely linked to the validation argument for the assessment system

Seven Principles Underlying the Theory of Action

• An integrated system• Evidence of student performance• Teacher involvement• State-led with transparent governance• Continuously improve teaching and learning• Useful information on multiple measures• Adheres to established professional standards

All students leave high school college and

career ready

Adaptive summative assessments benchmarked

to college & career readiness

Common Core State Standards

specify K-12 expectations

for college and career

readiness

Assessment System Components

Summative Assessments

Summative assessments using online computer adaptive technologies• Used as accountability measures, and for college- and career readiness

indicator in high school• Provides accurate measurement of all students• Uses adaptive precision into selection of performance tasks• Variety of item types assess the full range of the CCSS• Measures both current achievement and growth across time• Performance standards use research-based benchmarks • Includes option of taking the summative tests twice a year• Includes two performance tasks per year per content area

All students leave high school college and

career ready

Adaptive summative assessments benchmarked

to college & career readiness

Common Core State Standards

specify K-12 expectations

for college and career

readiness

Adaptive interim assessments that are

flexible and open providing actionable

feedback

Assessment System Components

Interim Assessments

Optional interim assessments using online adaptive technology• Uses the same scale as the summative assessments• Helps identify specific needs • Involvement of teachers in item and task design and scoring• Tests are non-secure and fully accessible• Timing and content of tests is customizable • Provides clear examples of the expected performance• Includes performance tasks

All students leave high school college and

career ready

Adaptive summative assessments benchmarked

to college & career readiness

Common Core State Standards

specify K-12 expectations

for college and career

readiness

Teachers can access

formative tools and

practices to improve

instruction

Adaptive interim assessments that are

flexible and open providing actionable

feedback

Assessment System Components

Optional Web-based formative resources• Online resources for assessment literacy, aligning

assessments to CCSS, and formative assessment guides• Training in item and task development, creating scoring

guides/rubrics • Best practice support through online learning modules • Comprehensive information portal:

access to information about student progressstudent performance history

Formative Processes and Tools

All students leave high school college and

career ready

Adaptive summative assessments benchmarked

to college & career readiness

Common Core State Standards

specify K-12 expectations

for college and career

readiness

Teachers can access

formative tools and

practices to improve

instruction

Adaptive interim assessments that are

flexible and open providing actionable

feedback

Assessment System Components