Index of archived SBAC e-mail updates
SBAC CDE News
- Mathematics Content Specifications Claims State Vote Opens
- Request for Proposal (RFP)/Test Delivery System Posted
- Request for Proposal (RFP)/Initial Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) Development Posted
- 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
- Mathematics Content Specifications Claims State Vote Opens—SBAC Specifications for mathematics have been through two rounds of review and extensive revisions/editing based on the feedback from states and organizations. At the heart of the Content Specifications are the claims made about what students should know and can do within mathematics. These claims will serve as the basis for essential assessment development decisions, such as test design and reporting categories. Given the important role these claims will have in future assessment development work, Governing States will be asked next week to review these claims for approval.
Draft Mathematics Content Specifications Claims
- RFP for Test Delivery System Posted—To view the SBAC RFP released to vendors to develop a computer-based, adaptive test delivery system for SBAC, visit the SBAC Jobs and Contracts page.
- RFP for Initial ALDs Development Posted— To view the SBAC RFP released to vendors to develop initial achievement level descriptors for the SBAC summative assessment, visit the SBAC Jobs and Contracts page.
- Technology Readiness Data Collection Pilot Update—To ensure that district and school staff time is used effectively, SBAC and CDE 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 SBAC 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").
- The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the largest nationally representative student assessment, and has recently conducted a series of studies to determine the feasibility of using 12th-grade NAEP results in English language arts and mathematics as an indicator for postsecondary academic preparedness. While the full results will be published later this spring, one finding comparing grade 12 NAEP scores with SAT scores shows that students who are proficient in ELA or mathematics on the 12th-grade NAEP are likely to score at or above the mean on the SAT. This work represents an ongoing research effort to better understand the linkage between NAEP and postsecondary academic preparedness. This research contributes to what we know about college readiness and will be helpful as SBAC moves forward. Additional research on 12th-grade preparedness is available from The National Assessment Governing Board (Outside Source; an independent, bipartisan board that sets policy for NAE).
SBAC Question/Answer of the Week (From SBAC All States Update)
Q: How are teachers involved in creating the SBAC assessment system?
A: SBAC is committed to engaging teachers over the next three years to design an assessment system that provides resources and information to improve teaching and learning. Teachers will contribute to the development of assessment items for the pilot and field tests. Teams of teachers from each state will evaluate the formative tools and resources that will be available through the assessment system. SBAC will provide professional development for teams of teachers from member states in using the assessments. Finally, teachers will score parts of the assessments, including extended response and performance tasks.
