Reporting Smarter Balanced Results

Kelli GauthierJacqueline King

National School Public Relations AssociationJuly 14, 2015

Implementing Smarter Balanced

Field Test (Spring 2014)

Achievement Level Setting (Fall 2014)

Operational Test (Spring

2015)

Results Reported

(Summer/Fall 2015)

Agenda

• Key Messages about Smarter Balanced

• Score Reports

• Benefits of Smarter Balanced– Use of Scores by Higher Education

• Responding to Questions– From board members and constituents

– From parents

• Additional communications resources

About Smarter Balanced

Key Points For All Audiences

• Smarter Balanced is part of our [INSERT SCHOOL/DISTRICT]’s plan to prepare all students for success in college and careers. It replaces the [INSERT TEST NAME] in English and math given in prior years

• Smarter Balanced is more than just a year-end test. Teachers have access to classroom assessments and other resources that help them check in on student progress throughout the year.

• Smarter Balanced assessments offer the broadest array of accessibility features ever offered in a statewide assessment, allowing all students to demonstrate what they know and can do.

Why Smarter Balanced is a Good Choice for Our Kids

Smarter Balanced assessments were developed with input from 4700 K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, and other experts. The tests include:

• Essays at every grade

• Performance tasks that ask students to demonstrate research, writing, and problem solving skills

• A variety of question types that move far beyond multiple choice

• A rich array of accessibility resources for all students and accommodations—such as Braille—for those who need them

New Standards, New Tests, New Results

• Smarter Balanced assessments measure the full range of the Common Core State Standards. They are designed to let teachers and parents know whether students are on track to be college- and career-ready by the time they graduate.

• Because the new standards set higher expectations for students--and the new tests are designed to assess college and career readiness using the standards as a benchmark--expectations for student achievement are higher than they used to be.

• As a result, it’s likely that fewer students will score at the higher achievement levels on the assessments, especially for the first few years. Results should improve as students have more years of instruction based on the new standards.

• This does not mean that our students are doing worse than they did last year. Rather, the scores represent a new baseline that provides a more accurate indicator for educators, students, and parents.

Score Reports

Score Report Elements

The design of student score reports will vary from state to state, but all score reports will include this information.

In the future, score reports may include information on score changes from the prior year.

Scale score Overall score in English or math on a scale of 2000 to 3000

Achievement Level From 1 to 4, with 3 or above indicating proficiency

Standard error Margin of error for the scale score

“Claim” Level Level from 1 to 3 on areas such as reading and writing

Mathematics: Estimated Percentage of Students at Each Achievement Level

3 4 5 6 7 8 110%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

32% 27% 35% 35% 36% 38% 40%

29% 36%32% 32% 31% 30% 27%

27% 24% 18% 19% 20% 19% 22%

12% 13% 15% 14% 13% 13% 11%

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Grade

Est.

% a

t Eac

h Le

vel

Estimates based on Spring 2014 Smarter Balanced field test conducted in 21 states and USVI.

ELA/Literacy: Estimated Percentage of Students at Each Achievement Level

3 4 5 6 7 8 110%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

35% 37% 33% 30% 34% 28% 28%

27% 22% 23% 29% 28%31% 31%

20% 23% 29% 30% 30% 32% 30%

18% 18% 15% 11% 8% 9% 11%

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Grade

Est.

% in

Eac

h Le

vel

Estimates based on Spring 2014 Smarter Balanced field test conducted in 21 states and USVI.

“Yes, but how will this impact MY child?”

“The messenger is as important as the message.”“No

propaganda.”

“Keep it simple, but provide us with tools and resources for additional information.”“I don’t want my

child to struggle.”

“I’ve heard Common Core is no good for my child.”

“Critical thinking and problem solving are important skills for my child.”

7

Research from Be a Learning Hero

Key Findings

• Parents are ill-prepared to digest score report information as intended.

• Several barriers complicate the reports’ ability to communicate information clearly and efficiently:– Misinformation or limited information about the tests, standards,

and their benefits– Existing frustration that parents cannot help their children with

their homework due to changes made for Common Core– An undercurrent of anti-testing sentiment– New tests (and reports) use unfamiliar language and require a

new way to interpret results:• No more percentiles• A “pass/fail” mentality

Parents’ Reactions

“What do I need to do over the summer to improve (my child’s) scores?

• Parents turn to problem-solving or rationalizing the results—some even question the validity of the test itself.

“What can I do to help my child? Get a tutor?”

“I would want to talk to the teacher…look at other tests my child has taken.”

“[I’d say to the teacher,] what’s the plan? What can I do at home to help him out?”

Parents want to know, specifically, where their children struggled.

“Did he not have enough time? Was he nervous?”

“Kids are smart, but they don’t test very well. They stress out over testing.”

“What they do on [these] tests have nothing to do with what they are learning.”

Other objections include:• System crashes• Essay requirements (including

typing issues for younger students• “Mystery” graders who are not

their child’s teacher

Problem-Solving Mode: Rationalizations:

Key Takeaways

• Common Core and state assessments remain an arena with limited information, misinformation, and in some cases, frustration. This environment can cloud how parents view score reports.

• Parents are facing new terminology, a new way to interpret results, and the fact that their child may not be performing as well as other tests/report cards have indicated.

• Lower-than-anticipated scores foster strong, emotional reactions.

• Parents exhibit the need to “problem-solve” for the child and rationalize and/or question the reliability of the results.

Anticipated Questions for Teachers:Scoring Questions

1. Why is this score lower than other tests my child has taken, and the grades on the report card?

2. What types of questions were asked? 3. How many questions were there in each test? How many questions did my

child answer correctly?4. How were the questions scored? Who scored them?5. My child is slow on a computer. Did he or she have enough time to finish?

Were their accommodations for the technology being a factor?6. It is too much to ask a 3rd grader to write an essay the computer? My child

does not know how to type. Did they have the opportunity to write it with pen and paper first and then type it?

7. How was my child’s performance for each of the categories determined? Can I see some of the questions in the categories?

8. Can I find out if my child finished the test?9. What information did you receive as a teacher vs what I received as a

parent?

Template Note for ParentsDear Parent/Guardian,

This spring, your child participated in a new state test in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics known as Smarter Balanced. These online tests were designed to replace the [INSERT PREVIOUS STATE ASSESSMENT] and match the content and skills outlined in the new standards that your child is learning. These new tests move away from fill-in-the bubble end of year exams and ask questions that require students to explain their reasoning. Results from this test, along with your child’s performance in the classroom, will give you a more accurate picture of your child’s progress towards graduating ready to succeed at college level work.

Your child’s score, as well as the school and district averages, may look lower this year. These new tests measure more complex, real-world skills such as critical-thinking, writing, and problem solving. As a matter of fact, the number of students meeting the grade level standards in our state decreased by X percentage points in English and X points in math. These scores cannot be compared to previous test scores. Instead, they are setting a new, more accurate baseline from which progress can be measured moving forward.

I hope you will find that the attached report provides you with more detailed information about your child’s learning. Each subject is broken down into categories of skills and content to identify where a student needs additional support and where he or she has mastered the content and should be challenged to go deeper into the subject matter. Your child’s 2015-16 teacher(s) also receives these test results. We encourage you to talk to them for additional information on how your child is performing in class as well as discuss how your child can be further supported in school. In addition, you can find grade level learning resources that can be accessed at home at xDOE website, and www.BeALearningHero.org.

We appreciate your patience this year as we transition to a set of standards and tests that we believe will put our students on track to ensure they are prepared to achieve their full potential.

Thank you, 

Score Report Key Messages

• Initial results represent a new baseline based on more rigorous college and career ready standards. We expect performance to improve as students have more years of instruction aligned to the new standards.

• Because Smarter Balanced is based on new standards, we cannot compare results to our previous test.

• Test scores provide one set of information about what students know and are able to do. To get a complete picture, parents should consider these scores along with student grades and other information from their child’s teachers.

• These tests are used to help schools and teachers better understand how students are doing. They are also used by policy makers to track school performance. These scores do not factor into student grades or determine whether students can graduate from high school.

Smarter Balanced and High School

Use of Smarter Balancedby Colleges and Universities

• High school students and their parents have expressed the greatest concern about new tests. In some communities, students have balked at taking new tests because they believe that they do not “count” with colleges.

• More than 200 colleges and universities in 7 states (CA, DE, HI, NV, OR, SD, and WA) have agreed to use Smarter Balanced scores to help determine student readiness for entry-level courses.

• Students who score at Levels 3 or 4 on the Grade 11 assessment—and meet Grade 12 requirements—can proceed into entry-level courses at participating colleges. If students score at Level 1 or 2, they can use Grade 12 to close academic gaps.

• Smarter Balanced scores are generally not used for college admission at this time.

Student Preparation TodaySAMPLE - OREGON

Community Colleges

Four-year, Non-flagship

Four year, Flagship

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%37%

20%

11%

Percentage of Entering Students Needing Remediation

Community Colleges

Four-year, Non-flagship

Four-year, Flagship

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%11%

7%

4%

Percentage of Remedial Students Completing Gateway Courses w/in 2

Years

21Source: Complete College America. Gateway Courses are entry-level, credit-bearing courses that meet General Education requirements.

Assessing College ReadinessTypical Readiness

Testing Today

• Each college or system sets its own standards and selects its own measures.

• K-12 typically has no information about the standards.

• Students don’t know about tests and don’t prepare for them.

• Predictive validity of tests is often unknown.

• Students who “played by the rules” end up in remediation.

Smarter Balanced Vision

• Assessments designed around known, agreed-upon standards (Common Core).

• Performance standards set through an open process with substantial higher education involvement.

• Everyone (students, teachers, parents, etc.) knows the expectations.

• Students address deficiencies in high school.

Key Takeaways

• For parents and students: 200 colleges are using Smarter Balanced results, and more are expected to join them. If students do well on Smarter Balanced and in Grade 12, they can bypass further testing in college. If their scores indicate they aren’t yet ready, they can use Grade 12 to catch up and avoid the time and expense of non-credit remedial courses.

• For school leaders and policy makers: Smarter Balanced provides an important early warning system to identify students who are not on track to graduate ready for college or further career education.

• Key question: How do your schools plan to help students whose test scores suggest they are not on track to be ready for introductory college courses?

Communication Resources

Smarter Balanced Videos

3-minute overview: https://youtu.be/anIOSuafpsgEmbed code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/anIOSuafpsg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Video file (download): https://www.dropbox.com/s/v85d76z3uf4ssdk/033115_SBA_National_Main.mp4?dl=0 1:20 SBA system video: https://youtu.be/Av4AY6lSH8MEmbed code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Av4AY6lSH8M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Video file (download): https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6tkt2lmyfjuxwx/033115_SBA_National_Short.mp4?dl=0 30-second promo/ad: https://youtu.be/swjyqB1KP5MEmbed code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/swjyqB1KP5M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Video file (download): https://www.dropbox.com/s/sthtsan2x9psq4j/033115_SBA_National_30sPromo.mp4?dl=0

Spanish-language video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmSZ6aphxzc

Materials for School Districts

• A comprehensive set of materials for school districts including:

– Sample parent night PPT decks– Communication tips for teachers– Sample newsletter text– Role play cards for answering tough

questions

Materials for School Districts