Index of archived SBAC e-mail updates
SBAC CDE News
- Computer Adaptive Testing Webinar Available
- Business and Parent Factsheets Posted
- SBAC Teacher Involvement
- Technology Readiness Data Collection Pilot Update
- Technology Readiness Reporting
The SBAC CDE weekly update is an email sent each week to inform California educators and parents of new developments and upcoming events. Please feel free to share information in the update with those who are interested in the SBAC CDE’s work.
SBAC Announcements
- Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) Webinar (Outside Source) Available—A recording of the March 9 webinar presentation by Gage Kingsbury, Vice President for the International Association for Computerized Adaptive Testing and Senior Research Fellow at the Northwest Evaluation Association.
- Business and Parent Factsheets Posted
- Factsheet for Business Leaders (PDF; Outside Source). This one-page handout explains key features of the SBAC system most relevant to business leaders.
- Factsheet for Parents (PDF; Outside Source). This one-page handout explains key features of the SBAC system most relevant to parents and families.
- SBAC Teacher Involvement— Teacher involvement in the development and implementation of SBAC assessments are essential. Further, the SBAC assessments are designed to give teachers the feedback they need to inform instruction and the tools to improve teaching and learning. Visit the SBAC Web page for teachers (Outside Source) to get an overview of how teachers are involved in SBAC.
- Technology Readiness Data Collection Pilot Update—To ensure that district and school staff time is used effectively, SBAC and California have implemented a phased rollout of the Technology Readiness Tool. To make the first data collection window effort as easy as possible, CDE is working with over 38 pilot districts in each of the eleven California service regions to test the system in order to provide CDE feedback and suggestions for improving the local educational agencies (LEAs) experience with the tool. The pilot districts will test the system from March 20, 2012 through April 9, 2012. The statewide data collection window will open April 16, 2012 and end June 14, 2012.
- Technology Readiness Reporting—It was determined that both consortia need baseline data from districts and schools to help determine the minimum requirements for technology. Therefore, the first data collection window will be a technology readiness inventory. Data collection summaries will be available. These reports will help improve data quality and to inform the two consortia regarding which types of hardware and operating systems are currently being used in schools.
SBAC CDE Upcoming Events
Technology Readiness Data Collection Rollout— The following timeline outlines the CDE Technology Readiness Data Collection Rollout.
- March 20–April 9, Pilot Districts Test Data Collection: To facilitate the success of the data collection window, CDE will work with the pilot districts to test the system in order to provide feedback and suggestions for improving the experience with the tool.
- April 9–16, Enhance Communications for the Technology Readiness Tool Survey: CDE will consider issues and challenges, solidify the state-specific frequently asked questions (FAQs), and help enhance Consortium FAQs; CDE will host a statewide Technology Readiness Webinar in the near future that will be archived.
- April 16–June 14, Begin Statewide LEAS Data Collection: Use both the lessons learned from the pilot districts and the enhanced FAQs to support California’s statewide rollout.
Prior to April 16, CDE will host a statewide Technology Readiness Webinar that will be archived and available on the CDE Web site. As additional information on the Technology Readiness Tool is made available, CDE will provide the latest information in the SBAC CDE weekly updates and on the CDE Web site.
SBAC CDE Resources
- Join the SBAC CDE electronic mailing list by sending a blank e-mail to subscribe-sbac@mlist.cde.ca.gov.
- To receive Common Core State Standards CDE Updates via e-mail notification, subscribe to the from CDE listserv by sending a blank message to join-commoncore@mlist.cde.ca.gov.
- SBAC CDE Web site—The Smarter Balanced CDE Web site includes access to archived SBAC CDE Updates, resources, and presentations.
- SBAC External Web site—The Smarter Balanced external Web site (Outside Source) showcases the SBAC work and provides frequent updates on activities, milestones, and events.
- A list of the parameters collected by the SBAC Information Technology (IT) Readiness Tool for the spring 2012 data collection can be found on the CDE SBAC IT Readiness Tool Parameters Web page.
- The IT architecture and requirements are now available online at the SBAC Technology Web page (Outside Source; refer to section titled "IT Systems Architecture Reports and Resources").
SBAC Question/Answer of the Week (From SBAC All States Update)
Q: How will scores on the Smarter Balanced assessment support differentiating student performance for the purpose of placement?
A: A primary feature of the SBAC system is the commitment by higher education institutions to recognize an agreed-upon performance level on the 11th-grade summative assessment as one piece of evidence that students are ready for entry-level, credit-bearing coursework in English and mathematics and can be exempted from remedial or developmental coursework. If students score at the college-ready level and wish to take more advanced courses, additional information would be needed to make specific course placement decisions. Likewise, if students score below the college-ready level, a placement test or diagnostic assessment may be needed to determine their developmental needs.
