SMARTER BALANCED

G R A S S VA L L E Y E L E M E N TA RY

J A N U A RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

GUIDING QUESTIONS

• What is the difference between Common Core and Smarter Balanced?

• What does Smarter Balanced “bring to the table?”

• What does Smarter Balanced mean for my child?

• What will scores look like? How will scores be different than previous years?

• What if my child does not meet proficiency on the Smarter Balanced test?

…and where can I learn more?

“And will you succeed?Yes! You will, indeed!(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,you're off to Great Places!Today is your day!Your mountain is waiting.So...get on your way!” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Every student college and career

ready!

WHAT IS COMMON CORE?

• Clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare students for college, career, and life

• Clear identification of what students are expected to learn at each grade level, so that every parent and teacher can understand and support their learning.

WHAT IS SMARTER BALANCED?

Smarter Balanced is an Assessment System

designed to inform and measure learning toward Common Core standards

W E C _ O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

WHAT DOES SMARTER BALANCED BRING TO THE TABLE?

Smarter Balanced brings tools and assessments that can help us…

•Guide and adapt instruction in the classroom•See how students’ needs are being met over time• Learn if programs are effective• Provide data to inform professional development and selection of materials•Reflect on and shape district performance over time

WHAT DOES SMARTER BALANCED MEAN FOR MY CHILD?

• The summative assessment will be administered in the spring

• Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will be assessed in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics

• Students in grade 5 will also take the Science MSP (Measures of Student Progress)

WHAT DOES SMARTER BALANCED MEAN FOR MY CHILD?

• Three parts:• CAT – Computer Adaptive Test (online)• Classroom Activity (30 minute activity that

prepares students for the Performance Task)

• Performance Task (online)

• Continuous vertical scale, K-12 • 2,000 – 3000 points

WHAT DOES SMARTER BALANCED MEAN FOR MY CHILD?

LET’S TAKE A LOOK!

SwimmersGrade: 5

LET’S TAKE A LOOK!

A Trip to the ZooGrade: 4

Anna and her family go to the zoo. The zoo ticket prices, menu, and gift store prices are shown in the tables.

Six public baccalaureate institutions and the community and technical college system have agreed to use 11th grade Smarter Balanced Assessment scores of 3 or 4 to enroll college freshmen in entry-level college math and English courses without further placement testing. Central Washington University Eastern Washington University The Evergreen State College University of Washington Washington State University Western Washington University Washington Community and Technical College System

ELA and Math College Placement The agreement applies to the high school graduating classes of 2016 through 2018 and will then be renewed or modified, based on the outcomes for students.

WHAT DOES SMARTER BALANCED MEAN FOR MY CHILD?

2015 results will set a new baseline of student performance in Washington

• Some people are predicting that the spring 2015 test results will see Washington students falling off a “performance cliff”, with scores dropping.

• But the new tests are not comparable so we should not compare scores from one to the other.

• We have a new baseline!

HOW WILL SCORES BE DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS YEARS?

• Think of the standards and the assessment as a new target with new results….

• Two people who successfully climb Mt Rainer (at 14,000 ft), will find Mt McKinley (at 20,000 ft) more challenging.

• Some will be able to meet the challenge, some will be close and some who previously were able to summit Rainier will not be able to summit McKinley at first.

Summative Assessment

HOW WILL SCORES BE DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS YEARS?

Summative Assessment

WHAT IF MY CHILD DOES NOT MEET PROFICIENCY ON THE SMARTER BALANCED TEST?• Continued partnership between parents and

teachers will support student’s continued growth

• If students in grade 3* score “below basic” (level 1) on the ELA test, the principal, teacher and parent must meet before the end of the school year to discuss and agree upon:•Appropriate grade level placement for the next school year•Strategies to improve reading(ESSB 5946)

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

• Ready Washington website www.readywa.org

• Washington Assessment Portal wa.portal.airast.org

• Council of Great City Schools Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core Standards http://www.cgcs.org/Domain/36

PARTNERSHIP – STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS

SMARTER BALANCED

G R A S S VA L L E Y E L E M E N TA RY

J A N U A RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5