Smarter Balanced
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| Smarter Balanced | |
|---|---|
| Name | Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium |
| Established | 2010 |
| Type | Consortium |
| Focus | Student assessment |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California |
| Members | Multiple U.S. states and territories |
Smarter Balanced is a statewide consortium that developed computer-adaptive assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards Initiative for grades 3–8 and 11. The consortium produced summative assessments, interim assessments, and formative tools intended for K–12 public schools in participating United States jurisdictions. Member states coordinated policy decisions, procurement, and technical implementation through collective governance involving state education agencies and education-related organizations.
Overview
The consortium emerged from policy debates involving the No Child Left Behind Act, the Race to the Top competition, and the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which incentivized standards and assessments reform. Key institutional participants included state departments such as the California Department of Education, the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Oregon Department of Education. Technology partners and testing vendors interacted with entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and research organizations including the RAND Corporation and the American Educational Research Association to shape item development and psychometric strategies.
Development and Governance
Development drew on collaborations among state education chiefs, assessment experts from institutions such as Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and vendors with experience in large-scale testing. Governance structures mirrored multi-state consortia like Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and included steering committees, technical advisory panels, and operational boards. Legal frameworks referenced state procurement codes in jurisdictions like New York (state), Florida, and Texas, while policy discussions intersected with federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education and oversight bodies such as the Government Accountability Office.
Test Structure and Content
Summative assessments comprised adaptive sections for English language arts and mathematics, with performance tasks intended to mirror complex competencies similar to examples from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development studies and international assessments like the Programme for International Student Assessment. Item types ranged from machine-scored items to constructed responses reviewed against rubrics developed by panels including curriculum specialists from institutions such as Columbia University Teachers College and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Content specifications referenced grade-level standards derived from the Common Core State Standards Initiative and incorporated universal design principles promoted by organizations such as the National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Administration and Scoring
Administration required secure test delivery systems, involving state-level technology infrastructures similar to those managed by large districts like Los Angeles Unified School District and Chicago Public Schools. Test security protocols paralleled procedures used in national examinations administered by organizations such as the Educational Testing Service and included item exposure controls, proctoring guidelines, and accessibility features for students with individualized education programs coordinated with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act procedures. Scoring combined automated scoring engines for selected-response items with human scoring for extended responses, employing psychometric calibration methods informed by researchers from University of Michigan and Ohio State University.
State Adoption and Implementation
Adoption patterns varied across jurisdictions: some states such as California and Washington (state) implemented consortium assessments statewide, while others adopted alternative assessments or hybrid models influenced by legislative decisions in places like Florida State Legislature and Arizona Legislature. Implementation involved instructional alignment efforts in districts such as Miami-Dade County Public Schools and professional development partnerships with organizations like Learning Forward and Council of the Great City Schools. Funding streams drew on state appropriations, federal grants such as those connected to Every Student Succeeds Act, and philanthropic contributions from entities including the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critiques encompassed debates over standardized testing prominence raised by advocacy groups like Parents Across America and policy analysts from think tanks including the Brookings Institution and the Cato Institute. Controversies addressed technical issues such as platform outages reminiscent of challenges faced by large-scale assessments administered by College Board, debates over alignment with classroom instruction discussed in forums hosted by National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and legal disputes in statehouses analogous to litigation involving other assessment programs. Privacy and data-security concerns prompted scrutiny from civil liberties organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and state-level auditors.