Smarter Balanced Assessment – Information

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Hi all!

I think it would be beneficial for me to provide digestible pieces of information about the Smarter Balanced Assessment in this venue so that it is accessible and websites can be linked.  I am going to take information from the presentation last Tuesday as well as resources that we are sharing as principals and write several blog posts.  Special thanks to Penny Plavala (Multnomah ESD) and all my principal colleagues for their collaborative efforts!

This post comes courtesy of Robert Caplinger, Principal of LOJH, who sent the following to his parent community:

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In case you missed the district’s Smarter Balanced Assessment Parent Night on Monday, I want to share some highlights that I believe are relevant to your student’s success.

The Four SBA Question Types

The SBA will have four different types of questions:

1. Selected Response: Multiple choice questions.


2. Constructed Response: Fill-in-the-blank questions. These questions could ask for a single answer, 2-3 sentences (short response) or multiple paragraphs (extended response).

3. Technology Enhanced: Students manipulate information. For example, students may be asked to “drag and drop” items on the screen, click to highlight text, or listen to a passage with earphones.

4. Performance Tasks: Measures multiple skills. Students demonstrate their ability to think, reason, and produce fully-developed products. For example, students may be asked to read two passages, look at a series of graphs, and then provide a constructed response to a question based on the information they reviewed.

SBA Practice Test Portal

The SBA is still part of the OAKS system. Practice tests for the SBA are available at: oaksportal.org for students and parents. Students are utilizing these tests during some classes and I encourage them (and you) to further explore them at home. Familiarizing themselves with the format of the test will be very beneficial. Click on “students” and follow the prompts for the practice tests.

This is not a diagnostic practice test, so when you finish the test, you won’t receive a score. However, answers to the practice tests are available here.

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Watch for more information on the blog, and please let me know if you have questions!
Thanks,
Sara

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