SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium Assessment Design and Supplemental Application Support for States and Districts: Implementation and Alignment Challenges and Opportunities

• In Event: Symposium on Common Standards and Common Assessments: Implementation and Alignment Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

• Presentation Title: SBAC Assessment Design and Supplemental Application Support for States and Districts: Implementation and Alignment Challenges and Opportunities
• Joe Willhoft, SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium
• Deb Sigman, California SEA and SBAC Partner State

• Presentation Summary:
1. Objectives/Core Questions:
i. What are the major strategies being initiated to support successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and transition to the new common assessments, as well as fidelity of implementation to the reform goals?
ii. What are the critical challenges and impediments being confronted over the first year and a half by the states in implementing their reform rollout plans?
iii. What instructional tools and alignment processes are proving to be most effective in supporting state and local district implementation and transition reform efforts?
iv. What can the education research community do to support the success of these reforms? And how are the Consortia proposing to evaluate the activities, tools, products and outcomes of these implementation and transition efforts?

2. Perspective/Theoretical Frameworks: The notion of systemic reform requires conceptually that all systems be coherent and aligned to achieve the desired system outcomes, including enhanced student achievement (Smith and O’Day). The research demonstrates that education reform will not succeed in a piecemeal fashion, nor sustain itself. This research continues to provide the underlying theoretical rationale that is driving this new phase of standards-based reform inherent in the RTTT initiatives. SBAC is working with CCSSO and national expert in the area of educational change.

3. Methods: Methods for evaluating and monitoring such complex organizational change activities as implementing CCSS and aligning systems of curriculum, instruction, professional development, assessment and accountability are in a very developmental state. The presenters will draw upon approaches and data that are being used by their external evaluators and partner states.

4. Data Sources: A number of extant documents and data sets are available, or will be available, that will form the basis for this presentation, including: the federal grant application, the Supplemental Application Grant, the ongoing activities of the state and local partners to implement and align to the CCSS and the underdevelopment assessments, and data collected from partner states and districts on implementation progress.

5. Point of View: The presenters will draw upon the emerging data using a broad array of sources, including surveys, needs assessments, case studies, extant data analyses and personal reflections, in presenting preliminary findings on these innovative reform efforts after one year to implement CCSS and transitioning to aligned common assessments.

6. Significance: This session will be a timely and much-needed opportunity to inform the AERA community of the research and development challenges and advances emerging from the innovative work to implement the common standards and transition to aligned common assessments. Independent reviews of this “work in progress” by the Consortia will be provided by three prominent policy and research colleagues (Lewis, Minnich and Porter). This will be the first opportunity for sharing some preliminary findings with national, state and local education policymakers and assessment leaders.

Authors

• Joseph L. Willhoft, SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium

• Deborah V. Sigman, California Department of Education