Lessons and Curriculum Planning
There are a variety of resources available for creating, sharing lessons and curriculum aligned to the COmmon Core State Standards.

• New Hampshire Digital Resources Consortium Common Core Directory
• OER Commons open educational resources for you to use and share.
• Open Education Resource Rubrics provides a variety of rubrics you can use to assess your resources for alignment to the Common Core State Standards.
• Achieve the Core a website full of free content tdesigned to help educators understand and implement the COmmon Core State Standards.
• P21 Common Core Toolkit A Guide to Aligning the Common Core State Standards with the Framework for 21st Century Skills.
  

Downloadable Documents and Information

English Language Arts Timing Chart

Mathematics Timing Chart

Training Test Release Information

Test Admininstration Updates - K-12 Leads Meeting

Training Modules Available for Field Test

Scribing Protocol for Smarter Balanced Assessments

Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Implementation Guide

Educator Communications Toolkit

Practice and Pilot Tests
The Smarter Balanced Practice Tests provide an early look at sets of assessment questions aligned to the Common Core for grades 3–8 and 11 in both English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The release of the Practice Tests follows the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test, the first large-scale tryout of items and performance tasks, conducted February – May 2013.

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.

• Learn more about the Practice and Pilot Tests
• Take the Practice Test (Select the student side.)
• New Updates for Practice Test (May 2014)

Accessibility and Accommodations Information
The Smarter Balanced Tests 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. Questions regarding Accessibility and Accommodations for Students should be directly to the Smarter Balanced Helpdesk via phone or email.

• Smarter Balanced HelpDesk
  • smarterbalancedhelpdesk at ets.org
  • 1.855.833.1969
• Pilot Test Accessibility and Accommodations Guidelines (pdf)
• Usability and Commodations Guidelines September 2013 (pdf)
• Accessibility and Accommodations Framework Presentation, March 2013 (pdf)
• Accessibility and Accommodations Framework January 2014 (pdf)
• Scribing Protocol for Smarter Balanced Assessments March 2014 (pdf)
• NH Bureau of Special Education Guidance Memo March 2014 (pdf)

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.

• Subscribe to ET News
• Join the Smarter Balanced Network on the NH Networks (Login Required)
  

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Downloadable Documents and Information

Smarter Balanced Assessment - Frequently Asked Questions

Statewide Assessment and Student Participation - Technical Advisory

NH Privacy of Student Records - Frequently Asked Questions

NH Statewide Assessment - Frequently Asked Questions for Parents

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
• Smarter Balanced Assessment on the DOE website

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Field Test Important Reminders
Smarter Balanced set up a site for resources and documentation involving the Field Test. Visit the site for information and training for field testing.

• Testing will be conducted online only.
• The total test time is estimated at three to four hours for each subject, which can be administered over multiple sessions.
• All students in the selected grade should participate.
• Accommodations will be available in the Field Test. All students with special needs and English learners should be included as appropriate.
• Smarter Balanced Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines
• Test administration and training materials will be released prior to test administration, which will provide additional administration information related to the testing of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners.
• Technical Requirements for the Field Test
• Smarter Balanced Field Test
• Field Test Resources
• Field Test Training Modules Available
• Field Test Frequently Asked Questions and Key Dates
• Field Test Classroom Activity Notification Letter (Template)

Field Test Coordinators
Please review the Test Information Distribution System (TIDE) User Guide in its entirety and follow the steps for assigning authorized users within your district as appropriate. Access to the TIDE System Log-in, the TIDE User Guide, Field Test Administration Manual, Training Modules, and other resources are available through the Smarter Balanced Field Test Portal. Questions regarding the TIDE system should be directed to the Smarter Balanced HelpDesk by e-mail or phone.

• Field Test Portal
• Smarter Balanced HelpDesk
  • smarterbalancedhelpdesk at ets.org
  • 1.855.833.1969

Creating and Uploading Student Data Files
Specific instructions for creating and uploading the student data file begin on Page 37 of the TIDE Users Guide. In accordance with federal and state statutes pertaining to the protection of student identifiable data, specific student data cannot be uploaded into the TIDE system. The following student data fields in the student data file must be left blank:

• student name (Columns D, E, F)
• student date of birth (Column G)
• (SASID) State-Assigned Student ID

As the SASID ID cannot be used, districts must generate and assign a unique SBAC ID code for each student and enter this code in Column H. (Note: For your records, be sure to have a way within the district to match the SASID with the new SBAC code so to accurately identify each student).

For more information on generating a unique SBAC ID, please see below.

• Information coming soon

Technology Readiness Tool
In order to check whether your school has sufficient technology requirements for testing, Smarter Balanced initiated a free Technology Readiness Tool which was designed to help your school evaluate your readiness for the online assessments. Participating schools were able to determine their level of readiness and make plans to improve areas in which they were less ready.

Note: The Technology Readiness Tool is now closed.

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