1. SMARTER BALANCED Student Overview

2. Key Elements for ELA Reading: 15-16 CAT qstns
3-5 Informational Texts ( qstns)
1 Literary Text (4 questions)
Listening (informational): 8-9 qstns
Writing: 10 CAT qstns, 1 PT essay
Research: 6 CAT qstns, 2-3 short constructed response
About half of the questions

3. Smarter Balanced Summative Components
Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)
Item Types:
Selected Response (Multiple Choice)
Technology-Enhanced/Enabled Items
Short Constructed Response
Performance Task (PT)
Two-day event in ELA; recommended single-day in Mathematics
ELA will access multiple resources
Short answer questions build understanding of the longer essay task

4. Reading: Types of Informational Text Questions
What is the central idea of the entire text or paragraph?
Which statement best describes a claim?
What conclusion (inference) can be drawn?
Which evidence or details supports a conclusion?
How does one paragraph affect the structure of the text as a whole? (What is the purpose of that paragraph?)
What is a word’s meaning?

5. Reading Informational Texts
Scan to get an overview
Read the title to find the topic.
Read the first paragraph, then find and highlight the thesis.
Read and highlight the first topic sentence of each paragraph.
Read and highlight the main ideas in the conclusion.
Read the entire article
Highlight key details
Annotate the main idea or purpose of each paragraph.

6. Hints: Informational Text Questions
Key Details – Evidence
Read the conclusion given:
The fashion industry has started to become more sustainable.
Click on the sentence that best supports this conclusion. Choose 1 sentence from several paragraphs.
HINT: Be careful to select a specific supporting detail. Avoid looking for key words (e.g., sustainable).

7. Hints: Informational Text Questions
Part A: Reasoning Example
Click on the statement that best describes what the use of the cotton t-shirt example shows about the fashion industry’s attempt at becoming a sustainable industry.
Choose from 4 MC options.
Part B: Details
Click on the sentences that best support your answer in part A.
HINT: Note that it’s asking for more than one sentence. In this case, always choose TWO.
Watch out for prompts that ask for more than one answer!

8. Hints: Informational Text Questions
Text STRUCTURE Example
How does the third paragraph affect the structure of the text as a whole? (Choose from 4 MC options.)
HINT: Look for the statement that sums up the main idea and purpose of the paragraph.

9. Audio-Visual Question Types
Tone & Purpose
What is the presenter's overall agenda? (purpose)
What is the presenter's overall tone?
Claims
What point does the author emphasize with the details that are included? (What claim or conclusion do the details support?)

10. Audio-Visual Question Types
Evidence & Reasoning
How does the information best influence the audience's understanding of the presentation?
What does a specific fact demonstrate? (What conclusion or inference can be drawn?)
Which detail supports a conclusion or inference?

11. Audio-Visual Question Types
Rhetorical Techniques
Why does the author use the rhetorical technique of (comparison, repetition, etc.)? (What is the purpose or effect of this rhetorical technique?)
Language
Based on information in the presentation, what does a specific term or concept mean?

12. Audio-Visual Question HINTS
Listen/Interpret audio visual presentations.
Central Idea - Example
Based on the information in the presentation, what does the term “mass produced” mean in pop culture? (MC)
HINT: Review the presentation to understand the main idea or key point made about mass production in pop culture.
Hint: Think about the purpose of the rhetorical technique provided.

13. Audio-Visual Question HINTS
Listen/Interpret audio visual presentations.
Key Point
Which point does the author emphasize by including details about performances? (MC)
HINT: A point is an argument or claim. In other words, what does the detail (example) prove?

14. Audio-Visual Question HINTS
Listen/Interpret audio visual presentations.
Analysis:
Which of the following terms best describes the Carter Center’s overall agenda? (MC)
HINT: Agenda = Purpose, Goal, or Motivation
The presentation describes the conditions of the countries where the Carter Center helps with elections. How does this information best influence the listener’s understanding of the presentation? (MC)

15. Audio-Visual Question HINTS
Listen/Interpret audio visual presentations and analyze the central idea, key points, purpose, point of view, or rhetorical techniques.
Rhetorical Devices:
Why does the author use the rhetorical technique of comparison to show how popular culture is mass produced? (MC)
HINT: What is the purpose and/or effect of a specific rhetorical technique? For example, comparison is used to emphasize similarities.
Hint: Think about the purpose of the rhetorical technique provided.

16. Reading: Types of Literary Text Questions
What central idea is expressed in the entire excerpt
Which sentence reveals the central idea in a paragraph?

17. Reading: Types of Literary Text Questions
Inferences:
What inference can be drawn?
How does one paragraph add to the characterization of the narrator or character?
What statement best describes what the metaphor in the sentences adds to the meaning to the text?
What does the text reveal about the narrator, character, or author? (What is the purpose of the details in the text?)

18. Reading: Types of Literary Text Questions
Which detail (or sentence) best supports an inference or central idea?
How does one paragraph affect the structure of the text as a whole? (What is the main idea and purpose of that paragraph?)
What is the meaning of the underlined word?

19. Literary Text Question HINTS
Reasoning & Evaluation
What do the stories of survival in the last paragraph suggest to the reader about the narrator?
Your short constructed response should include:
CLAIM: Infer meaning about the narrator’s traits, motivation, conflicts, development, attitude / tone.
EVIDENCE: Support your inferences with specific examples.
REASONING: Explain your reasoning – What do the examples prove?
Hint: The word “suggest” means you need to make an inference “about” the topic (here it’s the narrator).

20. Literary Text Question HINTS
Text Structure
Why did the author structure elements within the text in a certain manner?
How does the order (of paragraphs or sentences) affect meaning?
HINT 1: Identify this type of question
Look for mention of a paragraph number.
Look for wording such as “adds to” or “develops.”
Look for “how” questions.

21. Literary Text Question HINTS
Text Structure
HINT 2 - How to approach this question:
Re-read the suggested passage or paragraph.
Analyze the purpose of placing the information in that specific order.
Example: How does this order affect plot or character development?
Look for the statement that sums up the main idea of the passage. Or, in a short constructed response, explain the main idea and purpose of the passage or paragraph.

22. Literary Text Question HINTS
Text Structure – Example
How does the second paragraph about the solar stills add to the characterization of the narrator?
Select all that apply. (Often this means TWO).
The solar stills demonstrate the narrator’s ingenuity.
The solar stills prove that the narrator’s concern for his material belongings.
The solar show how important fresh water is to the character’s survival.
The solar stills show how hard the narrator works to be free from responsibility.

23. Writing & Revision Question Types
Order & Coherence: Move the underlined sentence to another place in the text that would best maintain coherence.
Punctuation: commas, semicolons, colons
Grammar: parallelism, subject verb agreement
Other Mechanics: capitalization, spelling

24. Writing: Argument Structure
Intro: Thesis
Body:
Claims, Evidence, Reasoning
Counterclaim
Rebuttal, Evidence, Reasoning
Conclusion
And don’t forget to consider:
Diction & Tone – Precise Language
Transitions

25. Writing: Expository Structure
Intro: Thesis
Body:
Claims – topic sentences
Evidence
Reasoning – What conclusion best explains the significance of the information?
Conclusion
And don’t forget to consider:
Diction & Tone – Precise Language
Transitions

26. Pause Rules
Tests can be paused at any time; students get a warning message to verify they want to pause.
If a CAT test is paused less than 20 minutes, students may review questions already answered.
If a CAT test is paused more than 20 minutes, students may not review or change questions already answered.

27. Pause Rules
When resuming after a pause, the student sees the first page that has unanswered questions.
If a test is idle for over 20 minutes, the system will automatically pause the test and log the student out.
There are no pause limits for the performance task portion of Smarter Balanced tests.

28. Smarter Balanced Assessments
Neither portions of the test are timed; students will be allowed to continue working as long as they are making progress.
Whichever is administered first, students shouldn’t have both the CAT portion and the PT portion of the test both open at the same time.