Center for Standards, Assessment, and Accountability

Grade Level: Elementary School (K-5)

Appendix B: Grade Level Tables for All Claims and Assessment Targets and Item Types

These tables lay out assessment targets that comprise each of the four claims Smarter Balanced summative assessment is being designed to evaluate: Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts. Students can produce effective writing for a range of purposes and audiences. Students can employ effective speaking […]

Bias and Sensitivity Review Training Module

This presentation from Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium provides: an explanation of the purpose of bias and sensitivity review; an overview of the Bias and Sensitivity Review committee; a description of the expectations for committee members; an introduction to the bias and sensitivity guidelines document; a review of the concept of bias and sensitivity in the context of assessment; and an […]

Content Specifications for the Summative Assessment of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (Revised Draft)

This resource describes the claims about student learning in mathematics that were derived from the Common Core State Standards and how they have been used to guide Smarter Balanced’s design of a system of summative and interim assessments. The document includes detailed rationales and justifications for each of the following four claims: Students can explain and apply mathematical […]

Description of Smarter Balanced Core Components

This resource describes the components of the Smarter Balanced System, including the End of Year and Interim Assessments and the Formative Assessment Tools found in the digital library. A related resource displays a table of estimated testing times for the summative assessment. Please note that the assessment is designed as an untimed test. Click the […]

ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint

The ELA Blueprint provides an overview to the types and content of items and tasks that appear on the Smarter Balanced student test forms. The document starts with a blueprint overview, by claim, for each of grade levels 3-5, 6-8 and 11. Initial charts show the major content categories comprising each claim (for example, within the Reading Claim, […]

English Language Arts Grade Level Considerations for Grades 3-5

This presentation describes key considerations in the Smarter Balanced Content Specifications for Grades 3-5. These include guidelines for the following considerations: reading level vocabulary grade appropriate contexts item difficulty assessment targets and associated expectations  The presentation is available in the following formats: YouTube Video SchoolTube Video