New Hampshire Technology Readiness Data
The NH Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium want to thank all those schools, districts, and SAUs who were successful in uploading school specific device and school survey information. Although there was significant participation across all states, NH has a 49% participation rate. The majority of schools have yet to participate. A Summary Report from the July 15th data snapshot was developed. August 27th is this report’s anticipated release date.
As a reminder for those who have not entered data, the Technology Readiness Tool remains open, and we encourage you to continue to add and/or update your information. These details will help the consortium to finalize minimum requirements for technology infrastructures and form the baseline for subsequent gap analyses for determination of readiness for the Smarter Balanced online assessments. Your own data will also personally help your schools and districts as it will provide useful and necessary information about your school’s readiness for online testing, data which should inform your technology committee, administration, and school board as you develop, budget, and implement your technology plans over the next few years.
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
New Hampshire is a governing member of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortiu. The SBAC is guided by the belief that a high-quality assessment system can provide information and tools for teachers and schools to improve instruction that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards in ELA/literacy and mathematics.
The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, in collaboration with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) consortium, has developed a Technology Readiness Tool to support districts with planning for technology as they transition to next-generation assessments to be launched beginning in 2014. This new open source tool assesses current capacity and compares that to the technology that will be needed to administer the new online assessments in four areas-devices, device to tester ratio, network infrastructure, and staff and personnel. There will be a series of six data collection windows in which the tool will be open for updating of informaiton. The goal of the first data collection window is to collect easily-accessible baseline data. Data collection will occur once each spring and fall through 2014. All districts in New Hampshire will be requested to use the tool to assess technology readiness during each window. The data collected and reports provided by this tool will be valuable in developing district technology plans in future planning cycles.
In support of this effort, the role of State Readiness Coordinator (SRC) will be assumed by the Office of Educational Technology. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), along with the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), will communicate with and provide training and support to the state liaison as well as districts and interested stakeholders through an online portal, Assess4Ed.net.
Technology Requirements For Testing Announcing!
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has announced the technology reguirements for online testing in 2014-2015. The requirements apply only to the Smarter Balanced assessments and should not be considered minimum specifications to support instruction, which may require additional technology. In addition, all hardware choices should consider the individual needs of students. Some students may need hardware that exceeds these minimum guidelines, and some students may require qualitatively different hardware.
There are several files on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Technology page that you can review regarding the technology reguirements your schools will need to suppor the online testing of the Common Core State Standards, beginning in 2014-2015. These requirements will be uploaded into the Tech Readiness Tool and your schools can use the tool to determine how ready you are, and what you need to do in order to prepare for the assessments.
Training Tutorial on Updating Your Data in the Tech Readiness Tool This tutorial was produced by Missouri and shared with other states. It uses a real district and demonstrates how to use the tool to update your information. Note: The contact information in the video is for Missouri, not for New Hampshire.
View the Tech Readiness Tool Training Video (20 minutes). The video is also posted on the Assess4Ed.net site, in our NH group.
resources supporting technology readiness in preparation for online assessments
National Information
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Smarter Balanced is a state-led consortium with a transparent, consensus-based governance structure. Members include both Governing States and Advisory States. Washington is the Lead Procurement State and oversees all financial procurement on behalf of the Consortium. New Hampshire is a governing state.
State Educational Technology Directors Association Founded in the fall of 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal association serving, supporting and representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership. SETDA is working in partnership with both assessment Consortia (the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College anbd Career) to help states get ready for the online assessments. To that end, SETDA developed and manages Assess4Ed.net,
an informational, communication, and callaboration networking site for interested stakeholders.
The Smarter Balanced Pilot Test
There are two approaches to the Pilot Test.
Scientifically Selected Schools (10% of each SBAC state) were selected in this portion of the pilot based on predetermined demographic criteria to ensure that the pilot items are administered to a representative sample of students. Selected schools will be/were contacted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), the sampling contractor.
Scientifically selected schools will be offered specific in-depth test administration training in the form of webinars and training modules and will be assigned a specific two-week window to test their students.
Schools may also volunteer in any SBAC states but will experience the released test items available during the second half of the pilot test window. All schools are encouraged to volunteer to participate.
Schools should plan for approximately three hours of testing, per grade per content area. Scientifically selected schools will be requested to administer the Pilot Test in no more than two grades. Released test items will be available for the other grades and content areas.
Technical Requirements for Participation – Online test delivery system will work on a variety of hardware/operating system configurations.
Accommodations and Testing Features – Some of the most common online accommodations and testing features will be available for the Pilot. The accommodations on the Pilot assessment will not be representative of the full array of accommodations and testing features that will ultimately be available.
Online training test available: Mid-January 2013
SBAC Pilot Test window: February 20 – May 10,2013
Pilot Testing information packets were sent to the Scientifically Selected Schools in January
Technology Requirements for Online Testing
The Smarter Balanced Technology Strategy Framework and System Requirements Specifications provide minimum hardware specifications and basic bandwidth calculations that will allow schools and districts to evaluate which of their existing computers will support the administration of the assessment system in the 2014-15 school year.
Pilot Test Accessibility and Accommodations Guidelines
The Smarter Balanced Pilot Test will offer a menu of accessibility and accommodation (A&A) options for students with special needs. The development of a full array of A&A features for the Smarter Balanced assessments is an ongoing project, and the options available for the Pilot Test represent a subset of those that will be available for the Field Test and Operational assessments.
Guidelines for New Hardware Purchases
These are recommended guidelines for new purchases. Following these guidelines will insure that any new device you purchase will meet the requirements for online testing in 2015. They do not represent the requirments for online testing. The SBAC requirements for onlne testing can be found above.
Hardware
1 GHz or faster processor
1 GB RAM or greater memory
9.5 inch (10 inch class) or larger screen size
1024 x 768 or better screen resolution Operating System
Windows 7
Mac 10.7
Linux (Ubuntu 11.10, Fedora 16)
Chrome OS
Apple iOS
Android 4.0 Networking
Wired or wireless Internet connection Device Type
Desktops, laptops, netbooks, thin client, and tablets that meet the hardware, operating system, and networking specifications
Information and Notices Information about the work of the SBAC and the efforts to help prepare for online assessments coming in 2014-2015 are sent out on the ET News listserv. They are also posted in the New Hampshrie Group site on Assess4Ed.net.
Data Extraction Dates
Six extraction dates are planned to take data from the tool are form report.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Additional Anticipated Extraction: Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Friday, June 14, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Friday, June 13, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
If your school has not been participating, please make plans to do so. Make participation in the technology readiness effort a vital part of your action plans for school and technology improvements.
Technology Readiness Tool
The tool will remain open for updating and use with data snapshots and reports being developed in summer and fall of each year. Data extraction dates are given above. These dates represent the times when a snapshot will be created. Please create a schedule of updating and adding to the tool that would allow you to complete your data inputs before the scheduled snapshot is taken. The information from those snapshots will give us all valuable information about the readiness of our state.
All schools should prepare and upload both the Device File and the School Survey File.
Founded in the fall of 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal association serving, supporting and representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership. SETDA is working in partnership with both assessment Consortia (the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College anbd Career) to help states get ready for the online assessments. To that end, SETDA developed and manages