1. Introduction to the Smarter Balanced Digital Library
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is committed to ensuring that all students leave high school prepared for postsecondary success in college or careers. A balanced assessment system – which includes summative and interim assessments and formative assessment practices – provides tools to improve teaching and learning. The formative assessment process is an essential component of a balanced assessment system.
Marcia Torgrude –

2. Agenda Gain an understanding of the Digital Library
See where South Dakota fits in this work
Select resources to support your teaching and learning with formative assessment in mind
Marcia Torgrude

3. Why Use the Digital Library?
Made for teachers by teachers
CCSS-Aligned
Includes attributes of the Formative Assessment Process

4. Digital Library Benefits
Reviews by multiple, trained educators using rigorous, consistent criteria
Part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment system
User-friendly (e.g., search engine, favorites)
Exemplar modules
Cross-curricular resources
Rigor, clarity and implementation
The Digital Library is a searchable, interactive online collection of instructional and professional learning resources for all content areas developed by educators for all K-12 educators. More than 1,300 educators (members of the State Network of Educators) from 22 states with diverse areas of expertise have been populating the Smarter Balanced Digital Library. Currently there are over 2,500 resources posted in the Digital Library. These resources are aligned with the intent of the Common Core State Standards and will help educators implement the formative assessment process to adjust teaching to improve student learning. Resources include lesson plans, units, rubrics, instructional strategies, videos of educators in action, and professional learning materials. All resources are vetted by educators using a Quality Criteria before being posted in the Digital Library. The Digital Library will also include resources to interpret data and reports from the Smarter Balanced summative and interim assessments. This interactive site includes collaborative features that allow educators to rate resources, pose questions, and share expertise through online forums with other educators across Consortium states.

5. Four Attributes of the Formative Assessment Process
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Formative Assessment Process Defined
Four Attributes of the Formative Assessment Process
Formative assessment is a deliberate process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides actionable feedback that is used to adjust ongoing teaching and learning strategies to improve students’self-assessment, reflection and attainment of curricular learning targets/goals.
Clarify
Intended
Learning
Elicit
Evidence
Act on
Interpret
Have participants take notes of what each of these mean in a team of 4. Assign specific clover leaf to each person on the team. Give an example of what you are already doing.
The Formative Assessment Process is a key component of the Smarter Balanced assessment system. It is important that Digital Library users understand the Formative Assessment Process as defined by Smarter Balanced. This Formative Assessment definition was developed using a compilation of all formative assessment research. All resources within in the Digital Library are connected to the Formative Assessment Process and describe how students and teachers are engaged in the Formative Assessment Process.
Four Attributes of the Formative Assessment Process are highlighted within the Digital Library. All resources must be connected to at least one of these attributes. These attributes are represented graphically using a clover, often times referred to as the heart of the Digital Library.
The following Digital Library resource contains a video that explains these attributes:

6. Four Attributes Clarify Elicit Intended Evidence Learning Interpret
Practice implemented by teachers in collaboration with students
Learning Targets: “Students understand” expectations & goals
Success Criteria: Observable & measurable evidence of learning
Multiple ways to elicit evidence
Can be planned for or spontaneous
Inform: Teacher, peers, or self
Four Attributes
The formative assessment process attributes are:
Clarify
Intended
Learning
Elicit
Evidence
Act on
Interpret
Timely and Actionable
Provide feedback : Where are students in regards to learning targets
Make adjustments to instruction
To determine where students are in regards to the learning target and success criteria
Can be conducted by the teacher, student, or both
There is a good video for this
Let’s take a moment to go over each of the four attributes:
FIRST CLICK
Clarify Intended Learning
Practice implemented by teachers in collaboration with students
Learning Targets: Students understand expectations & goals
Success Criteria: Observable & measurable evidence of learning
Elicit Evidence
Multiple ways to elicit evidence
Can be planned for or spontaneous
Inform: Teacher, peers, or self
Interpret Evidence
To determine where students are in regards to the learning target and success criteria
Can be conducted by the teacher, student, or both
Act on Evidence
Timely and Actionable
Provide feedback : Where are students at in regards to learning targets
Make adjustments to instruction
Now show video

7. Digital Library Resources
Assessment Literacy Modules
Commissioned Professional Learning Modules
Resources for educators, students and families
Frame Formative Assessment within a Balanced Assessment System
Articulate the Formative Assessment Process
Highlight Formative Assessment Practices and Tools
Exemplar Instructional Modules
Commissioned Professional Learning Modules
Instructional coaching for educators
Instructional materials for students
Demonstrate/support effective implementation of the formative assessment process
Focus on key content and practice from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts
Education Resources
To date, there are more than 2,500 resources in the Digital Library. The Digital Library contains Assessment Literacy Modules, Exemplar Instructional Modules, and Education Resources.
Assessment Literacy Modules: Comprehensive, interactive, multimedia professional learning resources to improve educators’ understanding of summative and interim assessment and classroom formative assessment practices in the context of the Common Core State Standards.
Exemplar Instruction Modules: Comprehensive, interactive, multimedia professional learning and instructional resources. These subject- and grade-specific resources focus on key content and shifts within the CCSS and model the formative assessment process.
Summative and Interim Score Report Modules: Comprehensive, interactive, multimedia professional learning resources to help educators, students, and parents/guardians understand Smarter Balanced summative and interim assessment score reports
Education Resources: More than 1,300 educators (members of the State Network of Educators) from 22 states with diverse areas of expertise have been populating the Smarter Balanced Digital Library with resources focused on the CCSS and the formative assessment process. All resources are vetted by educators using a Quality Criteria before being posted in the Digital Library. View a recorded presentation that provides information about the Quality Criteria ( that was used to review resources for the Digital Library.
High-quality vetted instructional resources and tools for educators
High-quality vetted resources and tools for students and families
Reflect and support the formative assessment process
Reflect and support the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts
Create Professional Learning Communities

8. Resources in the Digital Library
The Digital Library is NOT an item bank. There are no Smarter Balanced test questions in the Digital Library. It is not a site where any resource can automatically be posted. There is a rigorous review and vetting process for the submission of resources.

9. Quality Criteria for Instructional Resources
Aligns with the intent of the Common Core State Standards
Incorporates high-quality formative assessment practice(s)
Contains accurate, complete, high-quality curriculum and instruction
Reflects learner differences and supports personalized learning
Demonstrates utility, engagement, and user- friendliness
Integrates media and/or technology effectively

10. Quality Criteria for Professional Learning Resources
Reflects research and/or the principles of effective professional learning
Incorporates high-quality formative assessment practice(s)
Reflects learner differences and supports personalized learning
Demonstrates utility, engagement, and user- friendliness
Integrates media and/or technology effectively

11. South Dakota’s Involvement
Over 60 SD Educators
Created and Reviewed Resources
Current Active State Network of Educators: 11

12. Smarter Balanced Digital Library
Smarter Balanced Digital Library access is available to all K-12 educators in participating states. Once provided with access, users will receive an from Smarter-DoNotReply with a temporary password and a link to the Digital Library. Usernames are the educators professional/school address.
The Smarter Balanced Digital Library is intended for use by all K-12 educators. Individuals with access to the Digital Library have the ability to download and share the resources with others; however students and parents will not have direct access to the library.

13. Smarter Balanced Digital Library
Walk through all the features of the main page with the participants – menu bars, rotating featured resources, find resources filter, Need help? Etc.
For optimal Digital Library performance, it is recommended that users clear their browser’s cache. Users can use these instructions ( to clear their browser’s cache. Additionally, the recommended browsers to use with the Digital Library are Internet Explorer (Version 9 or higher), Google Chrome (Version 28 or higher), Safari (Version 6 or higher), or Firefox (Version 23 or higher). Users will still be able to access the Digital Library through an unsupported browser, but they may experience missing/malfunctioning components. 

14. Digital Library Functionality
Uses state-of-the-art tagging, filtering, and search features to locate, view, download, favorite, and rate resources to:
Expand educator practice to differentiate instruction for diverse learners
Increase educator understanding about assessment literacy
Promote engagement of students in their own learning
Design professional development opportunities
Compile materials for Professional Learning Communities
The Digital Library uses state-of-the-art tagging, filtering, and search features to locate, view, download, and rate resources. Users just need to click on one of thousands of resources at any grade level and any content area to read, and then download it for immediate use! 
Resources are tagged by subject (i.e., ELA, Math, Science, PE, Art, etc.); grade; formative assessment attribute; common core state standard; etc. Resources are also tagged to support teaching students who are English learners or identified as receiving Special Education services.
Walk through all the filtering features and discuss how to filter and clear filters

15. Cross-State Collaboration
Innovative collaboration features that promote collegial conversations across the country. These features:
Encourage educators to rate resources
Promote how the resources can be used
Provide online forums for educators to share their expertise with and pose questions to colleagues
The Digital Library includes innovative features that allow for cross-state collaboration. Users can collaborate on individual resources or can participate in forums on various topics. Forum Topics can be initiated by individual Digital Library users to share expertise and pose questions.
Discussion Forums can be searched / filtered in the same method as resources. The innovative collaboration features promote professional discussions on topics related to education, instruction, and professional learning with colleagues across the country.
Collaboration and Forum Tabs
Ability to have discussions with other educators
Ability to start a topic
Ability to recommend posts for others to search for
Ability to create new forums not related to a resource
Ability to favorite forums
Professional, not personal collaboration
Users cannot post anonymously
Ability to review resources

16. Resource Cards Posted with Distinction Resource Title
Image of Primary Material
Brief resource summary
Resource Cards: Resources are displayed as cards that include the following information: (1) Resource Title; (2) Image of primary material; (3) The first 140 characters of the resource summary; (4) Select tags; (5) Number of views; (6) Number of downloads; (7) Star rating and Number of Reviews.
Posted with Distinction: A checkmark in the top right corner of a resource card indicates that a resource has been posted with distinction. This means that it received the highest recommendation from all three reviewers of the resource during the vetting process.
Select Tags
Number of Views and Downloads
Star Rating and Number of Reviews

17. About the Resource
Selecting a resource provides users with context about the resource as well as options to collaborate, share, review, flag, or search for related resources.
Each resource in the Digital Library has a Cover Profile found in the About This Resource tab. It provides a variety of information:
The link to the Glossary Of Terms, in the top right of the screen, provides explanations for commonly used terms in the Digital Library.
Down the left side is how the resource was tagged. Each resource has been tagged so that users not only can quickly see the connections but to be able to use the filtering capabilities when searching for resources.
Along the right are brief descriptions about the resource.
Cover Profile
- (Summary, connections to formative assessment, connections to CCSS, learning goals, success criteria, context, supporting evidence, research)
Uploaded Material
- documents, videos, etc.
Collaboration Tab
- discussions (more information later)
Reviews Tab
- Rate the resource, write review
Share Tab
- share a resource to those in the Digital Library
Related Resources
– view resources related to the resource
Flag
- flag issues with the resource

18. Your Turn Locate a resource that can support your content area.
Make it one of your favorites.
Share it with a friend.
Give it a rating.

19. Professional Learning Resources
Individual Use
Groups or Staff Professional Development
Supports for Growth Plans
Fits with SD Framework For Teaching
(1d, 1e, 1f, 2b, 2c, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 4e)

20. Your Turn – Work in Pairs
Locate a professional learning module that you think would be good for your team of teachers.
Be prepared to share with the group.
What did you learn?
How would it benefit you and your colleagues?

21. Tutorial & Help Tab
The Digital Library provides user support through a Welcome Tutorial. Users can also access additional support through the help tab in the top right corner of the window.

22. Also available through
Access from SD Smarter Balanced Test Portal:

23. Thank You
Please complete this survey:
Marcia Torgrude