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Support for Under-Represented Students


The Smarter Balanced assessment system will provide accurate measures of achievement and growth for students with disabilities and English language learners. The assessments will address visual, auditory, and physical access barriers—as well as the unique needs of English language learners—allowing virtually all students to demonstrate what they know and can do.

 

Designed for All Students

Accessibility is a core principle of the Smarter Balanced development process. The assessment system uses technology to deliver assessments that fit the needs of individual students. Assessment items and performance tasks will be associated with a variety of accessibility tools and accommodations that can be delivered to students automatically based on their profile.

All items and tasks will be reviewed for accessibility following the Smarter Balanced Item Specifications and Review Guidelines. Additional information about the development of items and tasks is available in a series of trainings for item writers and reviewers.

 

Developed with Experts

Smarter Balanced is working with educators and experts in the field to design and test the assessment system. Advisory committees on students with disabilities and English language learners include national experts in student assessment, accommodations strategies, language acquisition, and learning disabilities.

The Accessibility and Accommodations Work Group—one of 10 state-led work groups—focuses on ensuring the assessments are designed to meet the needs of special student populations. As part of the development of accessibility and accommodations policies, the Consortium commissioned research on best practices for assessing English language learners and students with disabilities.

 

For More Information

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