3.5 Practice Assessments

Practice Next Generation Assessments

In the next three (3) sections you will explore different types of Next Generation assessments that you can practice this type of test from the student perspective.  Please select one (1) of the practice tests that best fits your current teaching responsibilities.

• Smarter Balanced Practice Test
  • Math
  • ELA
• Next Generation Assessment Preview (NGAP)
  • Math
  • ELA
• Performance Assessment Social Studies Thinking (PASST)
• Social Studies

After you explore at least one of the tests, you will be asked to reflect on your experience in the discussion forum.

Option #1: Smarter Balanced Practice Test (Math & ELA)

The Smarter Balanced Practice Test is available to schools and districts for practice and training purposes, professional development activities, and for discussions with parents, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders.

Click the link below to access the practice test, then click on Student Interface Practice and Training Tests.  This will give you a glimpse of what the Smarter-Balanced assments will look like to students.

SBAC Practice Test:  http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/

Optional:  For additional SBAC Practice Test resources (Manuals and User Guides, Classroom Activities, Scoring Guides, Performance Task Writing Rubrics), visit http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/resources/.

You are now ready to move to the next activity: 3.6 Reflection of Practice AssessmentsForum

Option #2: Next Generation Assessment Preview (Math & ELA)

Previously, you had the opportunity to explore examples of next generation assessment items created by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). These items are contained within SBAC's proprietary assessment system, which is not available for public use. Also, the SBAC sample items are not graded, which means users do not receive any information related to the answer or their performance.

This is why the Next Generation Assessment Preview (NGAP) was developed. This online tool provides users with an opportunity to explore several next generation assessments, which include Common Core aligned assessment items. After completing each assessment, users are able to review their attempt and receive feedback on their performance.* Additionally, the item specifications form for each assessment item is included under every assessment. These documents contain additional information about each assessment item, including the standard(s) being assessed, the difficulty level, and much more.

*Constructed response and essay questions are not graded automatically, which means that users will not receive feedback on these types of assessment items. Users can refer to the corresponding item specification form to review answer keys and rubrics.

Explore at least one of the NGAP assessments that best fits your grade level and content area. You can access each assessment by clicking on the corresponding link and then entering the enrollment key, "ngap". The assessments contain both ELA and Math sessions. Please complete all of the sessions for your assessment. After each session, you will be able to review your responses and received feedback. Please keep in mind that you can also review the item specification forms for additional information related to each assessment item.

NGAP Links:

Elementary Assessment   |   Middle School Assessment   |   High School Assessment

You are now ready to move to the next activity: 3.6 Reflection of Practice AssessmentsForum

Option #3: Performance Assessment Social Studies Thinking (Social Studies)

Michigan Social Studies teachers have been hard at work creating their own next generation assessment that mirrors what Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) has done for ELA and Math. the PASST project provides Social Studies teachers across the state with free classroom assessments that test the Social Studies Content Expectations, as well as the Common Core State Standards and C3 Framework. Available in Moodle and Data Director, students are able to take these assessments and receive feedback on their performance.

PASST completed 5th grade, 8th grade, and HS US History during the 2013-14 school year, and is hard at work developing assessments over the next two years for the remaining grade levels. Currently, you can take an elementary, middle school, and high school sample test online on their prototype test page, and download all available grade levels questions directly into your own school's Moodle server.

• Constructed response and essay questions are not graded automatically, which means that users will not receive feedback on these types of assessment items. Users can refer to the corresponding item specification form to review answer keys and rubrics.
• Requires freely available plugins listed on their Technology Components page

Explore at least one of the PASST assessments that best fits your grade level and content area. You do not need an enrollment key for the prototype test page, just an account on the Moodle server.

• PASST Links: http://passtmoodle.wmisd.org
• Prototype test page: http://passtmoodle.wmisd.org/course/view.php?id=2

You are now ready to move to the next activity: 3.6 Reflection of Practice Assessments