1. Assessment Directors WebEx March 29, 2017 2:00-3:00 pm ET

2. Agenda Welcome Assessment Peer Review Update
Locally Selected High School Assessment Workgroup
EAG Grants for Science Assessments
Assessment Directors Meeting on June 27
ESSA Update
Wrap up 2

3. Nebraska’s Project: SCILLSS
Strengthening Claims-based Interpretations and Uses of Local and Large-scale Science Assessment Scores (SCILLSS; pronounced ‘skills’)
Purposes
To enhance the interpretability of scores from large-scale science assessments for the general student population
To connect large-scale science assessments with classroom science instruction and assessment via the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
To establish a protocol for states and districts to evaluate their own assessment systems and use this information to make such systems more informative and efficient

4. SCILLSS Conceptual Overview
SCILLSS is meant to provide an enhanced, principled-design approach to the development of science assessments that can be generalized to a wide range of assessments.
The key to score interpretability and use for any standards-based assessment is evidence that the assessment scores reflect the knowledge, skills, and performance defined in content and performance standards.
The knowledge, skills, and performance defined in content and performance standards should drive both large-scale assessment development and the development of curricula and classroom instruction. The interpretations of the standards for both purposes should be the same and be openly shared.

5. SCILLSS Framework

6. SCILLSS Phases/Components
Phase 1: project management
Phase 2: needs assessments to gather information about the characteristics of state and local assessment systems
Phase 3: refine the validity evaluation framework
Phase 4: examination of performance level descriptors, task models, items, blueprints, and the creation of large-scale assessment design and development tools that target standards-based concepts and skills
Phase 5: creation of classroom-based evidence and tools to support effective interpretations and uses of large-scale assessment results
Phase 6: project evaluation and reporting to evaluate states’ progress, guide next steps, and provide useful reports

7. SCILLSS Key Outcomes
Tools and resources to support collaboration among educators and test developers in the interpretation of science (or other) standards for aligned assessment and instruction purposes
A database populated with examples of student work that reflect the skills defined in content standards for each performance level
Protocols to support state and local self-evaluation of assessment systems and collaboration among state and local educators on assessment evaluation and design endeavors