School Years
Smarter Balanced assessments will be implemented in the 2014-15 school year.
Click below to see what’s happening and when.
December 2009:
States from Hawaii to Kansas collaborate to create dynamic interim and formative assessments that could be scaled to a common summative assessment.March 2010:
At the Next Generation K-12 Assessment Systems meeting, the Consortium joins forces with a collaboration of New England states and West Virginia working to create a balanced assessment system.April 2010:
U.S. Department of Education announces availability of funds for assessment development through Race to the Top. READ MOREJune 2010:
Smarter Balanced submits Race to the Top Assessments grant to the U.S. Department of Education. READ MORE
October 2010:
U.S. Department of Education awards Race to the Top Assessment grant to Smarter Balanced. READ MOREJuly 2011:
Member states approve master work plan for summative assessment. READ MORE
Fall 2011:
Smarter Balanced releases content specifications in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. READ MORE (Math) READ MORE (ELA/Literacy)January 2012:
Information technology systems architecture available. This provides a roadmap for how the Smarter Balanced technology vision will be realized. READ MOREMarch 2012:
Technology readiness tool available to assist with transition to online assessments. READ MOREApril 2012:
Smarter Balanced awards contract for item writing for the Pilot Test and small-scale trials. READ MOREMay 2012:
Smarter Balanced awards item authoring and item pool application contract. READ MORESpring 2012:
Development of item and task specifications; accessibility and accommodations guidelines; and bias and sensitivity guidelines for assessment system. READ MOREJune 2012:
Governing States approve the Formative Assessment Master Work Plan, which outlines the development of a digital library of formative assessment resources. READ MOREAugust 2012:
Advisory committees on English language learners and students with disabilities convened. READ MORESummer/Fall 2012:
Teachers help write pilot items and tasks, review for alignment with CCSS, and check for bias/sensitivity. Cognitive labs and small-scale trials are conducted. READ MORESeptember 2012:
Smarter Balanced awards test delivery system contract. READ MORE
September 2012:
Smarter Balanced holds twice-yearly Collaboration Conference, bringing together K-12 state leads, higher education leads, work groups, and contractors. READ MOREOctober 2012:
Smarter Balanced releases online, interactive sample of items and performance tasks. READ MORENovember 2012:
Member states approve preliminary blueprint for summative assessment. READ MORENovember 2012:
Smarter Balanced awards contract for the development of online reporting system. READ MORENovember 2012:
Smarter Balanced releases draft initial achievement level descriptors and college content-readiness policy. READ MOREDecember 2012:
Smarter Balanced releases technology strategy framework and system requirements specifications. The framework provides minimum hardware specifications and basic bandwidth calculations. READ MOREWinter 2012:
Teachers and teacher educators recruited to develop digital library of formative assessment tools and practices. READ MOREEarly 2013:
Begin development of Exemplar Instructional Modules across grades in ELA/literacy in collaboration with State Networks of Educators (through May 2014). READ MOREFebruary – May 2013:
Pilot Test of assessment items and performance tasks. Research sample includes 10 percent of public school students in member states; all schools may participate on a voluntary basis. READ MOREWinter/Spring 2013:
Planning for long-term sustainability of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.Spring 2013:
Teacher teams write Field Test items and tasks, review for alignment with CCSS, and check for bias/sensitivity (through fall 2013).Spring 2013:
Pilot Test scoring.Spring 2013:
Development of Field Test items and tasks; reporting system developed.
Summer/Fall 2013:
Field Test items and tasks are reviewed for content and bias/sensitivitySpring 2014:
Smarter Balanced conducts Field test of summative and interim assessment items and performance tasks.Spring 2014:
Field test scoring.Summer 2014:
Preliminary standard-setting.Summer/Fall 2014:
Training materials available for all users on interpreting interim and summative assessment reports, searching resources, and using collaboration tools in the Digital Library. READ MORE
Fall 2014:
Smarter Balanced assessments and Digital Library ready for use by states.Spring 2015:
States administer summative assessment during last 12 weeks of the school year.Summer 2015:
Final achievement standards for the summative assessment verified and adopted.
