Grade Level: Middle School (6-8)

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, […]

Item and performance task specifications provide guidance on how to translate the Smarter Balanced Content Specifications into actual assessment items. ELA Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) specs are organized by grade level (bands 3-5, 6-8, and grade 11) and by claim and assessment target. Each specification includes the following sections and is available in ZIP file format by selecting the desired section: ELA CAT Item […]

This presentation from Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium provides: an overview of the item review committee; a description of committee members’ roles and responsibilities; and an introduction to the key considerations involved in the review of English Language Arts stimuli, items, and tasks. The presentation is available in the following format: YouTube Video

This presentation from Smarter Balanced provides information about the purpose, components, and essential requirements involved in creating selected response, constructed response, and technology-enhanced items. General guidelines for item writing are presented, along with exemplary and flawed items. The presentation is available in the following format: YouTube Video

This presentation from Smarter Balanced provides an overview of the primary documents used to inform the development of items and tasks. The presentation also details how item writers use these primary documents to create high-quality items and tasks and includes an introduction to the Depth of Knowledge taxonomy for cognitive complexity. The presentation is available in the following format: YouTube Video