1. The Assessment Consortia An Overview of the Designs of PARCC and SMARTER Balanced Updated July 27, 2011 Pascal (Pat) D. Forgione, Jr., Ph.D. and Nancy A. Doorey Center for K – 12 Assessment & Performance Management at ETS

2. Thomas Friedman in “The World is Flat” points out the importance of “inflection points” in history. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) can become an “inflection point” for American public education - establishing a common foundation for building excellence and equity for all students. The Uniqueness of This Moment: Inflection Point RI IL FL CA CT PA State silos of cost, effort, expertise Interactive Digital Library Shared platform for collaboration, cost and effort efficiencies, sharing of best practices 23-Jun-15

3. Race to the Top Assessment Program Competitive Grant, Spring 2010 23-Jun-15 Groups of 15 or more states could apply for a grant to design, develop and pilot a next generation assessment system that: Builds upon shared standards in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) for college- and career-readiness; Measures individual growth as well as proficiency; Measures the extent to which each student is on track, at each grade level tested, toward college or career readiness by the time of high school completion and; Provides information that is useful in informing:  Teaching, learning, and program improvement;  Determinations of school effectiveness;  Determinations of principal and teacher effectiveness for use in evaluations and the provision of support to teachers and principals; and  Determinations of individual student college and career readiness, such as determinations made for high school exit decisions, college course placement to credit-bearing classes, or college entrance. (US Department of Education, 2009)

4. The Comprehensive Assessment System Proposals Two Comprehensive Assessment System Proposals Funded: Eight states in both Consortia, six states in neither. 23-Jun-15 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)  24 states and the District of Columbia, more than 25 million students in K-12 SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)  29 states, over 23 million students in K-12 Current as of August 1, 2011

5. Confidential and Proprietary. Copyright © 2009 Educational Testing Service. Washington, DC Hawaii SBAC State PARCC State Both consortia July 26, 2011 Assessment Consortia Memberships

6. Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers: PARCC Revised design as of June 2011, pending USED approval. 23-Jun-15

7. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT END OF YEAR ASSESSMENT Given primarily on computer or other digital devices Composed primarily performance tasks with emphasis on hard-to-measure standards Results returned within 2 weeks Given on computer (most students), with multiple item types and technological tools Scored entirely by computer for fast results PARCC: Two Components of the Summative Assessment Scores from the performance assessment and the end-of-year test will be combined for annual accountability scores. 23-Jun-15 In mathematics and in English language arts (ELA): +

8. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ELA Math PARCC: Performance Assessment Over several sessions/class periods, students will complete a project-like task that draws on a range of skills. ELA/literacy tasks will focus on writing effectively when analyzing texts, using evidence drawn from the texts to support claims Math tasks will require students to apply key mathematical skills, concepts and processes to solve complex problems of the types encountered in everyday life, work and decision-making. 23-Jun-15 Final weeks of school year

9. END OF YEAR ASSESSMENT PARCC: End-of-Year Assessment Consisting of a range of item types including innovative technology-enhanced items to sample the full set of grade level standards Will make major investment in enhanced item types Will include items across a range of cognitive demand 23-Jun-15 Currently planned as a fixed-form test, PARCC will review the precision of scores for students at the tails of the performance distribution and, if needed, consider customizing for high- and low-performing students by either lengthening the test or using “staged” or “block” adaptive delivery.

10. Final weeks of school year PARCC: Speaking/Listening Assessment Required assessment, but not used for accountability Administered in the ELA classroom, with flexible window for administration Scored by classroom teacher using standardized rubric Scores may be used within students’ grades 23-Jun-15 Flexible timing ELA/Literacy Speaking Listening

11. PARCC Supports: Formative Assessments Timing of formative components is flexible Early indicator of knowledge and skills to inform instruction, supports, PD EARLY ASSESSMENT Mid-Year Performance- Based Assessment (Potentially summative*) MID-YEAR ASSESSMENT Formative early assessment designed to provide an indicator of student knowledge and skills so that instruction, supports and professional development can be tailored to student needs Formative mid-year performance tasks designed to prepare students for Summative Performance Assessment and to yield instructionally useful feedback. Teachers will be given an online scoring tool to score tasks and improve understanding of the CCSS expectations. For voluntary use, the timing of the administration is to be locally determined * Over time, states may consider using scores from these tasks in the summative/accountability scores.

12. PARTNERSHIP RESOURCE CENTER: Digital library of released items, formative assessments, model content frameworks, instructional and formative tools and resources; student and educator tutorials and practice tests, scoring training modules; professional development materials; and an interactive report generation system PARCC Supports: The Partnership Resource Center Partnership Resource Center: Interactive Data Tool for accessing data and creating customized reports Model lesson plans Formative assessment items and tasks Professional development materials regarding test administration, scoring, and use of data Online practice tests Item development portal Tools and resources developed by Partner states Optional “ready-to-use” performance tasks for K-2 23-Jun-15

13. PARCC Supports: Supplemental Application Grant Transition and Implementation Planning – State leadership teams – Educator Leadership Cadres – Technical Working Groups Collaboration on Instructional Tools – Framework of priority assets – Prototypes of through-course components – Set of 38 voluntary instructional units – Voluntary college-readiness tools such as model grade 12 bridge courses for struggling students Support for Technology Transitions Coordination with SBAC 23-Jun-15

14. END-OF-YEAR ASSESSMENT The PARCC Assessment System (July 2011 revision, pending USED approval) English Language Arts and Mathematics, Grades 3–8 and High School Developed by The Center for K–12 Assessment & Performance Management at ETS, version 4, July 2011. For detailed information on PARCC, go to http://PARCConline.org.http://PARCConline.org Comp 3 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ELA Math Timing of formative components is flexible ELA/Literacy Speaking Listening Comp 5 Flexible timing Comp 4 Early indicator of knowledge and skills to inform instruction, supports, PD Component 1 EARLY ASSESSMENT Mid-Year Performance- Based Assessment (Potentially summative) Component 2 MID-YEAR ASSESSMENT PARTNERSHIP RESOURCE CENTER: Digital library of released items; formative assessments; model content frameworks; instructional and formative tools and resources; student and educator tutorials and practice tests; scoring training modules; professional development materials; and an interactive report generation system. Formative Assessment Summative assessment for accountability Summative, but not used for accountability

15. PARCC Implementation Milestones 2011-2012Item and task development, piloting of components Release of Model Content Frameworks and prototype items and tasks Development of professional development resources and online platform 2012-2014Field testing 2014-2015New summative assessments in use Summer 2015Setting of common achievement standards 23-Jun-15

16. Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium SBAC 23-Jun-15

17. SBAC: Two Components of the Summative Assessment 23-Jun-15 * Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions. A computer adaptive assessment given during final 12 weeks of the school year* Multiple item types, scored by Computer, including tasks Students will have the opportunity to take the summative assessment twice Measure the ability to integrate knowledge and skills, as required in CCSS Each task administered in two hour- long sittings. Computer-delivered, during final 12 weeks of the school year* Results within 2 weeks + Scores from the performance assessment and the computer adaptive assessment will be combined for annual accountability scores. PERFORMANCE TASKS COMPUTER ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT

18. Last 12 weeks of year* SBAC: Performance Tasks One reading task, one writing task and 2 math tasks per year. Examples: ELA: Select texts on a given theme, synthesize the perspectives presented, conduct research, and write a reflective essay. Math: Review a financial document and read explanatory text, conduct a series of analyses, develop a conclusion, and provide evidence for it. Roughly half of the performance tasks for grades 9 through 11 will assess ELA or math within the context of science or social studies. * Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions. 23-Jun-15 PERFORMANCE TASKS Reading Writing Math

19. Last 12 weeks of year* SBAC: End-of-Year Assessment Composed of approximately 40 to 65 questions per content area Uses adaptive delivery for more efficient testing and more accurate measurement of all students, across the performance spectrum (important in measuring growth) Scores from items that can be scored immediately will be reported, and then updated as scores from those requiring human scoring or artificial intelligence are completed Students who are approved to do so may take the assessment a second time, but will see a new set of items * Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions. 23-Jun-15 COMPUTER ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT Re-take option

20. Student scores from the performance tasks and end-of-year adaptive assessment will be combined for each student’s annual score for accountability. Performance tasks may begin prior to the final 12 weeks of the year, based on research studies and final implementation decisions. Last 12 weeks of year* PERFORMANCE TASKS Reading Writing Math COMPUTER ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT Re-take option SBAC: Summative Components * Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions. 23-Jun-15

21. SBAC Supports: Interim Assessment System Optional system of computer adaptive interim assessments Includes multiple item types, similar to the end-of-year summative assessment, including performance tasks (delayed scoring) The number, timing, and standards assessed (full grade level or smaller clusters) can be customized based on the local curriculum Non-secure and fully accessible -- teachers will be able to see how their students responded to each item Reports of student results will link teachers to related student resources and teacher professional development resources 23-Jun-15 INTERIM

22. Last 12 weeks of year* DIGITAL CLEARINGHOUSE of formative tools, processes and exemplars, released items and tasks, model curriculum units, educator training; professional development tools and resources, interactive reporting system; scoring training modules, and teacher collaboration tools. SBAC Supports: The Digital Clearinghouse The system portal for information about the CCSS, SBAC, and assessment results: Reporting suite with differentiated tools available to students, educators, parents, and policymakers with visualization tools Vetted curriculum units and formative tools, processes and exemplars Research-based instructional strategies and interventions Issue-focused chat rooms Released performance tasks and rubrics Professional development modules and videos Item development/scoring training modules and tools * Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions. 23-Jun-15

23. SBAC Supports: Supplemental Application Grant Support to States and Districts for Transition to CCSS – Membership in CCSSO’s “Implementing the Common Core System” – Instructional materials – identification, adaptation, development – Formative processes and tools/Professional development – Communications Alignment of Assessments to College and Career Readiness – Validity studies to connect SBAC college-readiness determinations to evidence of success in college or careers – Enhancement of Interim system to support high school EOC exams aligned to CCSS Support for Technology Transitions Coordination with PARCC 23-Jun-15

24. Optional Interim assessment system — no stakes Summative assessment for accountability Last 12 weeks of year* DIGITAL CLEARINGHOUSE of formative tools, processes and exemplars; released items and tasks; model curriculum units; educator training; professional development tools and resources; an interactive reporting system; scorer training modules; and teacher collaboration tools. Scope, sequence, number, and timing of interim assessments locally determined PERFORMANCE TASKS Reading Writing Math COMPUTER ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT Re-take option The SBAC Assessment System * Time windows may be adjusted based on results from the research agenda and final implementation decisions. English Language Arts and Mathematics, Grades 3 – 8 and High School Computer Adaptive Assessment and Performance Tasks INTERIM ASSESSMENT Computer Adaptive Assessment and Performance Tasks INTERIM ASSESSMENT

25. SBAC Implementation Milestones 2011 - 2012Develop, procure and review materials to populate the digital library Develop test specifications and test blueprints for summative assessments; vet state-submitted items and tasks and determine procurement needs Develop sample item/task sets and initial achievement level descriptors 2012 - 2013Develop exemplar modules of formative assessment tasks and tools and PD modules; Conduct teacher training Pilot test items and tasks 2013 – 2014Conduct field test of items and tasks 2015Administer summative assessments; verify and adopt final achievement level standards 23-Jun-15

26. Will This Become an Inflection Point? Benefits: Fewer, clearer, next-generation standards Systems of high quality, aligned summative and formative assessments, with rapid results to teachers Online digital libraries for sharing of instructional resources, professional development modules, student support materials, identification of effective practices, etc. Leveraging of human and financial capital across states 23-Jun-15

27. Will This Become an Inflection Point? Challenges Measurement challenges: » Measuring individual growth and “on track” to college/career readiness » Use of individual student growth in determinations of teacher and principal effectiveness » Aggregation and weighting of scores from multiple assessments ESEA Reauthorization: » Will the re-authorized ESEA accountability framework align with the RTTT Assessment Program requirements? Political Will: » Will states continue their membership in Consortia over time? Information System: » Will it be possible to mine the data to identify “what works” and “what has worked for similar students”? 23-Jun-15

28. Contact: Pascal (Pat) D. Forgione, Jr., Ph.D. Distinguished Presidential Scholar and Executive Director Center for K-12 Assessment and Performance Management at ETS Educational Testing Service 823 Congress Avenue, Suite 816 Austin, TX 78701 E-Mail: pdforgione@k12center.org Nancy Doorey Director of Programs ndoorey@k12center.org www.k12center.org GUIDE TO THE ASSESSMENT CONSORTIA: Coming Together to Raise Achievement: New Assessments for the Common Core State Standards Download this free guide at www.k12center.orgwww.k12center.org Visit www.k12center.org for periodic updates on the development of these assessment systems