Common Core

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

On June 9, 2013 California joined the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) as a governing State. The SBAC is a national consortium of 28 states that collaborate to develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic content standards. Of those, California is one of 21 governing states that allow decision-making participation. The remaining seven are advisory states. The SBAC focuses on assessing students annually in grades three through eight in English language arts and mathematics, as well as once in grades 10 through 12 under current federal requirements.

Sample Items and Performance Tasks
The sample items and performance tasks are intended to help teachers, administrators, and policymakers implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and prepare for next-generation assessments. They provide an early look into the depth of understanding of the CCSS that will be measured by the SBAC. While the items and tasks are not intended to be used as sample tests, educators can use them to begin planning the shifts in instruction that will be required to help students meet the demands of the new assessments.

It’s Official: Brown Signs Bill Suspending Most STAR Testing, Beginning Transition to New CAASPP Tests
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson congratulated Governor Jerry Brown for signing AB 484 on October 2, 2013, saying that the legislation will sweep away outdated tests in favor of modern, computer-based assessments that will measure student readiness for the challenges of college and the workplace.

“Faced with the choice of preparing California’s children for the future or continuing to cling to outdated policies of the past, our State’s leaders worked together and made the right choice for our students,” Torlakson said. Stay tuned for more details as these changes roll out during this school year.