ODE News English Language Arts

Smarter Balanced Field Test: Districts Encouraged to Participate

Fri, 4 Oct 2013 17:19:00 GMT

In the spring (mid-March to early June) of 2014, Smarter Balanced will conduct the Field Test of its innovative next-generation assessments. Schools in Oregon have the opportunity to participate in and experience an assessment that is closely aligned with the content, configuration, and length of the planned 2015 operational assessments.

Districts are strongly encouraged to volunteer for the Smarter Balanced Field Test (SBFT). Under current circumstances, Oregon districts that volunteer and are selected to participate in the SBFT must use the traditional model and double test those students taking the SBFT on OAKS. If a pending recommendation is approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) and USED approves Oregon's waiver request, districts might receive flexibility to either choose to administer the OAKS assessment to students participating in the SBFT or they could choose to exclude those students tested on the SBFT from taking OAKS. However, if the SBE disagrees with ...MORE

Smarter Balanced Adopts Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:57:00 GMT

The Governing States of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) voted to approve the Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines in advance of a large-scale Field Test of the assessment system in early 2014. The unanimous decision by the Consortium's Governing States represents an important milestone toward implementing assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards in the 2014-15 school year.

Developed in collaboration with member states and nationally recognized experts, the Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines will shape the delivery of online testing for all students, including those with visual, auditory, linguistic, or physical needs. The research-based policy outlines three categories of resources to ensure that the assessments meet the needs of all students. The categories further distinguish between embedded tools included in the testing platform and non-embedded tools.

A set of ...MORE

Smarter Balanced Launches Webpage to Reach Broader Audience

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:53:00 GMT

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) recently launched a Spanish webpage with downloadable factsheets for teachers, parents, and students. The webpage provides information on the assessment system and the Consortium's work to meet the needs of all students, including English language learners (ELLs). The webpage for Spanish speakers can be accessed from the Smarter Balanced website at: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/parents-students/como-ayudar-a-todos-los-estudiantes-a-que-tengan-exito/.

Smarter Balanced Field Test: Participation Opportunities for Schools and Districts

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:39:00 GMT

In the spring (mid-March to early June) of 2014, Smarter Balanced will conduct the Field Test of its innovative next-generation assessments. Schools in Oregon have the opportunity to participate in and experience an assessment that is closely aligned with the content, configuration, and length of the planned 2015 operational assessments. Additional information about the Smarter Balanced Field Test can be accessed at http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/commoncore/smarter-balanced_fieldtest.pdf .

To submit your interest in participating in the 2014 Smarter Balanced Field Test, click on this link: http://www.formstack.com/forms/fieldtest-recruitment.

Please submit your interest by October 15, 2013.

September/October 2013 ELA Teacher Update is now posted!

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 18:04:00 GMT

The September/October 2013 English Language Arts Teacher Update is now posted! The ELA Teacher Update is a bi-monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and lectures, concerts, and exhibitions. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the English Language Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Releases New Performance Tasks

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 23:30:00 GMT

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) has released a set of sample assessment items and performance tasks in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The sample items and tasks provide an advance look at the types of questions students will encounter when the assessments are implemented in the 2014-15 school year. Developed in collaboration with educators and content experts, the sample items and tasks are meant to help teachers, administrators, and policymakers better understand the Common Core State Standards and prepare for the implementation of the Smarter Balanced assessments. Please note that the sample items and tasks are displayed using a simulated test platform that does not include accessibility and accommodations tools that will be available when the assessments are administered to students.

SBAC Tasks and Rubrics
http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/resources/

SBAC ...MORE

Information for the Smarter Balanced Field Test

Thu, 8 Aug 2013 19:02:00 GMT

Testing Window:

The Smarter Balanced Field Test is scheduled to be administered

March 18 - June 6, 2014.

Smarter Balanced Practice Test and Scoring Guides

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:45:00 GMT

Teachers, parents, and students across the country can now access online practice tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Smarter Balanced released sets of example test questions for grades 3-8 and 11 in both English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The Practice Tests will help schools prepare for the implementation of the Smarter Balanced assessment system in the 2014-15 school year.

The Practice Tests provide a preview of the types of questions that will be featured in the summative assessment beginning in 2014-15, including selected-response items, constructed-response items, technology-enhanced items, and performance tasks - extended activities that challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to real-world problems. Scoring Guides for each of the fixed-form assessments have also been released and posted to assist stakeholders with understanding how items are evaluated: http://s ...MORE

July 2013 ELA Teacher Update is now posted!

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:32:00 GMT

The July 2013 English Language Arts Teacher Update is now posted! The ELA Teacher Update is a bi-monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and lectures, concerts, and exhibitions. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the English Language Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

June 2013 ELA Teacher Update is now posted!

Wed, 5 Jun 2013 19:39:00 GMT

The June 2013 English Language Arts Teacher Update is now posted! The ELA Teacher Update is a bi-monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and lectures, concerts, and exhibitions. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the English Language Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

May/June 2013 ELA Teacher Update is now posted!

Thu, 2 May 2013 18:15:00 GMT

The May/June 2013 English Language Arts Teacher Update is now posted! The ELA Teacher Update is a bi-monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and lectures, concerts, and exhibitions. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the English Language Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.