Index of archived SBAC e-mail updates
SBAC CDE News
- Item Writing/Review, Research, and Test Design Continue Through Fall
- Educators and Experts Will Help Draft Achievement Level Descriptors
- Schools Will Participate in the Pilot Test
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.
- Item Writing/Review, Research, and Test Design Continue Through Fall—CTB/McGraw-Hill is working with educators from Governing States to write and review items and tasks for content, bias, and sensitivity. Training materials
are available on the SBAC website to provide background on the item and performance task development process and to train writers and reviewers. Students are participating in cognitive labs that will study how students approach and interact with different types of computer-administered items. - Educators and Experts Will Help Draft Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs)—Contractors CTB/McGraw-Hill and the College Board will convene SBAC work group members, grade level and content experts, K-12 teachers, and higher education faculty for an initial ALD drafting workshop October 1-5. Workshop participants will develop documents that summarize the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of students in each achievement level as part of the SBAC assessment system. Member states will nominate workshop participants in August. Stay tuned for more details in the upcoming SBAC CDE Updates.
- Schools Will Participate in the Pilot Test—Participation in the Pilot Test of the assessment system in February and March 2013 will be open to classrooms across the Consortium. Additional information will be provided this fall by the contractor for RFP-19 Test Administration.
CDE Opportunity to Provide Feedback
- Reauthorization of the California Pupil Assessment System—
As part of the process in developing recommendations to the Legislature for the reauthorization of the California pupil assessment system, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson, is seeking your help. All Californians have a unique opportunity to provide thoughts on and suggestions for what they think should be included in this system. Several opportunities exist for you to provide feedback. You may:- Complete a brief survey:
- You may access the English version of the survey
online. - You may access the Spanish version of the survey online.
- You may access the English version of the survey
- Send comments by e-mail to reauthorization@cde.ca.gov.
- Attend the Statewide Assessment Reauthorization Work Group meetings, which are open to the public.
- Complete a brief survey:
- To access the schedule of Work Group meetings and learn more about the statewide assessment reauthorization process, please visit the AB 250 Statewide Pupil Assessment Web page.
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 showcases the SBAC work and provides frequent updates on activities, milestones, and events.
- Smarter News, the SBAC's monthly eNewsletter —Smarter Balanced provides monthly updates on the development of the Smarter Balanced assessment system and activities in member states.
- SBAC is on Twitter—Follow @SmarterBalanced to get resources and links to the latest SBAC news.
- National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Presentation—This recorded webinar was shared by the NAESP and presented an overview of the SBAC system design, timeline, and progress as of June 2012. To view this webinar and other webinars detailing the SBAC work to-date, visit the SBAC Webinars Web page .
SBAC Question/Answer of the Week
Q: How will instructional practices and curricula be altered to align with new standards and assessments?
A: SBAC believes that a balanced, high-quality assessment system can improve teaching and learning by providing information and tools for teachers and schools to help students succeed. Timely and meaningful assessment information can offer specific information about areas of performance so that teachers can follow up with targeted instruction, students can better target their own efforts, and administrators and policymakers can more fully understand what students know and can do, in order to guide curriculum and professional development decisions. The SBAC theory of action
articulates this vision. In addition, access to professional development materials and instructional resources for teachers through a digital library will be available. These tools are optional and can be used, as needed, to complement curriculum support to districts and teachers.
