1. What are States Doing to Prepare for the Next Generation of Assessments? Planning for 2014-2015 and Beyond West Virginia Department of Education Office of Assessment, Accountability, and Research

2. Background Standards (2009) Revised Assessment (2009) Cut Scores (2010) CCSS Adoption (WV Next Generation Standards, Summer 2010) CCSS Implementation (2013) Restrictions to policy led to interim CC support (2013)

3. A State of Transition Current Assessment System – Formative, interim, and summative in grades 3-11 – Math, ELA, science and social studies Future Assessment System – Smarter Balanced in math and ELA – Legacy assessment (and future augmentation) in science and social studies – Interim assessments and formative (Smarter and custom) – Diagnostics in all (custom)

4. Current Year Concerns Historically mixed-mode testing 2013-2014 was the first year with 100% online testing Concerns exist with legacy assessment comparability Further concerns with comparability

5. Impact on System Instructional Responsiveness & Actionable Data – Summative Assessments: least instructionally responsive but greater depth of coverage (Math & ELA) – Complete Interim Assessments: monitoring status of students – Interim Assessment Blocks: more granular understanding of student learning – Diagnostic Assessments: loss of the most instructionally responsive and granular assessment events (Acuity) – Major questions on ability to support costs for the latter

6. Cost Implications West Virginia Current Operating Budget – ~182,000 students assessed – Approximately $54/student to support 4 content- based balanced assessment system – Using estimate of $27/student for Smarter Balanced (for summative, interim, and digital library) – Remaining budget for science and social studies administration and development for summative, interim, and diagnostic

7. Accountability Implications WV awarded flexibility from ESEA in 2012 Currently in 2 nd year of flexibility request Executive order from governor to switch to A-F system concurrent with Smarter Balanced implementation Both systems require use of growth (SGPs), inclusive of growth to standard Goal of including science for accountability by 2017-2018 (including growth)

8. Accountability Implications Current year’s online transition requires a comparability study (science and social studies) Observed growth is slated to be included 2014- 2015 calculations, but not growth to standard Science and social studies baseline may be the 2013-2014 data Potential linking studies using a third set of items and scales may mitigate challenging cross-year comparisons

9. Impact on Practice Key to successful implementation is about systemic capacity building – Fortunate to have historical awareness of a balanced assessment system – Too much focus on assessment events – Shift in focus toward an assessment process – Previous system (post-hoc alignment) – buy-in challenges – Smarter approach (aligned by design) – bringing along both assessment and instructional community

10. Impact on Practice Key to successful implementation is about systemic capacity building – Substantial revision to our PD delivery in 2013-2014 Formerly supported by SEA because of small state size Too much professional assistance, insufficient professional development – Regional Education Service Agencies Increased funding Increased professional development personnel Ongoing increase in the collaboration with SEA leadership and content and technical staff

11. Impact on Practice Small state benefit—monitoring equity of distributed PD quality – Statewide R&E study has focused on implementation of our latest Educator Enhancement Academics (EEA) – focused on standards and instructional practices to understand key areas of high quality PD Content and pedagogy focus Coherence Active learning Collective participation Duration – Subsequent study will focus on assessment process Dissemination of results

12. Contact Information Juan M. D’Brot Executive Director Offices of Assessment, Accountability, and Research Building 6, Room 825 1900 Kanawha Blvd East Charleston, WV 25301 jdbrot@k12.wv.us 304-554-2546