Readiness for CCSS & Assessments

Common Core Assessment Consortia

Comprehensive

Alternate

English Language Proficiency

ELPA21

State Adoption of Common Core Assessment Consortia

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

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

All students leave

high school college

and career ready

All students leave

high school college

and career ready

Teachers and schools have

information and tools they need

to improve teaching and

learning

Interim assessments

Flexible, open, used for actionable

feedback

Summative assessments

Benchmarked to college and career

readiness

Teacher resources for formative

assessment practices

to improve instruction

Smarter Balanced:Computer Adaptive Technology for

Summative and Interim Assessments

What is PARCC?

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers:Made up of 20 states Developing common, high-quality math and English language arts (ELA) tests for grades 3–11

Computer-based and linked to what students need to know for college and careers

Fixed form test For use starting in the 2014–15 school year

Assessment ShiftsPARCC Assessment Technology Shifts From To

Scale Individual state tests

Multistate consortia sharing common tests, common infrastructure, and economies of scale.

Content Low complexity items and task response modes.

Cognitively complex tasks that leverage use of multimedia, interactivity, authentic tasks, multi-part, simulations – and address traditionally difficult to assess skills within the Common Core.

Delivery - Once a year- Paper and pencil

Computer-based assessment system including summative, mid-year, diagnostic components + curricular and professional development resources.

Scoring & Reporting

- End of year- Decontextualized- High Level

- Data to inform instruction- Contextualized to CCSS - More granular feedback

Data Student responses - Responses, interactions, patterns to improve assessments-Data for state longitudinal systems-Results will be interpretable across states (for example when a student moves from one state to another)

Infrastructure - Procured services- State-specific

- Common consortium infrastructure- Scalable, flexible, extensible

Interoperability Virtually none Common standardized formats for results data, items, and student registration allow interoperability across states and across technical components.

This Center for K12 Assessment resource also provides extensive information on PARCC and Smarter Balanced, along with additional resources: http://www.k12center.org/rsc/pdf/Coming_Together_June_2013.pdf.

Technology Readiness for CC State Assessments

PARCC Technology

Specifications

Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Thin Client/VDIMinimum Recommended

Operating System

Windows XP–SP3 (with caveats)

Mac OS 10.5Linux: Ubuntu 9-10, Fedora 6

iOS6Android 4.0Chrome OS

Windows 7 or newerMac OS 10.7 or newerLinux: Ubuntu 11.10, Fedora 16

iOS6 or newerAndroid 4.0 or newerChrome OS

Memory By operating system 1 GB RAMProcessor By operating system 1 GHzScreen Size 9.5 “ 9.5 “ or largerScreen Resolution

1024 x 768 1024 x 768 or better

Bandwidth 5 kbps/student w/cachingor

50 kbps/student w/o caching

100 kbps/ studentto support instruction and assessment

Smarter Balanced: Technology Specifications

• “10 Inch Class” display means at least 9.5”

• Must have a physical keyboard – items are designed to use the whole screen

• Windows XP support will sunset after spring 2015 assessments

• 10-20 Kbps internet bandwidth per student actively taking an exam

• Joint Technology Readiness Tool at: https://www.techreadiness.net

• Technology Readiness Calculator at: http://www3.cde.ca.gov/sbactechcalc/

More details at: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/technology/.

• Readiness is more than just technology• What limitations/requirements will online assessment create?

– Authentication– Security– Administration– Confirm with your state

• Paper option is limited– Tests are built to be delivered online

o Item types that have no printed analog– Does not measure the full range of CCSS– More expensive, less secure, less information

Other Readiness Considerations for Blended and Online Schools

Things that go wrongin online assessment…

• Interference between wireless input devices (keyboards and mice)• Interference between wireless input devices and wireless internet• Pairing between wireless input devices and their associated

computing devices• Inadequate device capacity on wireless access points or router• Inadequate bandwidth on wireless access points or router• Interference between wireless access points• Inadequate internet bandwidth

(mismeasurement due to burst capacity)• Insufficient power in the classroom, lab or testing room• Insufficient cooling

More details at: http://www.ofthat.com/2013/06/education-technology-readiness.html.

Student Readiness for CC State Assessments

Practice Items Available for Smarter Balanced and PARCC

For more information on Smarter Balanced, practice items, and rubrics, visit:

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/

For PARCC, visit:

http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes

CCSS and Assessments Focus On…

READINGComprehension and Synthesis

- Shift from literary to informational textsBy 12th grade: 70% informational, 30% literary

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY– Academic Language/Academic Literacy, by Eli R.

Johnson, provides helpful grade-level academic vocabulary lists.

Fun Vocabulary Games/Tools:• Free Rice

http://freerice.com/category• Merriam Webster Quizzes & Games

http://www.merriam-webster.com/game/index.htm• Visuwords

http://visuwords.com/

CCSS and Assessments Focus On…

WRITING – Purposes: To persuade, to explain, to convey experience– Includes EVIDENCE to inform, argue, and analyze– Vary for purpose and audience

CCSS and Assessments Focus On…

CCSS and Assessments Focus On…

HIGHLY COMPLEX TEXTSCommon Core Reading expectations are approximately two grade levels higher than former state standards and assessments!

So what does this mean for So what does this mean for our struggling readers?our struggling readers?

Did you know?

•Students in the lowest 25% of their class in reading are 20 times more likely to drop out than the other 75%. (U.S. DOE, 2003)

•More than 7,000 students drop out of high school every day – 75% end up incarcerated. (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007)

Did you know?

In CA, AZ, and IN if the child isn’t reading on 4th grade level when tested, they will plan to budget building another jail cell.

- Paul Schwatz, Principal in Residence, U. S. Dept. of Education

Did you know?

•85% of all juvenile offenders rate as functionally or marginally illiterate.•70% of prisoners in state and federal systems can be classified as illiterate.

Seriously…

Reading is a Gateway Skill

75% of the variance in academic achievement is attributed to reading.

- Wayne Callender: “Advanced Applications of RTI” Training

Intervention

Time!

Rethinking the RTI Pyramid

Effective RtI Checklist

How do

we

rate?

ResourcesResources

• iNACOL Online and Blended Learning Symposium Presentation MaterialsPresentation: “Readiness for 2014 Common Core Assessments: Considerations for Blended and Online Schools”

Presenters: Wesley Bruce (PARCC Technology Advisor) and Brandt Redd (Smarter Balanced Chief Technology Officer)https://inacol2013.pathable.com/#meetings/151294

•RTI Training Presentation Materials Presentation: “Advanced Applications of RTI”Presenter: Wayne Callender (President of Partners for Learning and National RTI

Consultant)http://partnersforlearning.keydesigndevelopment.com/handouts/

•CCSS Website

•Smarter Balanced Website

•PARCC Website