Smarter Balanced Training Tests

Smarter Balanced Training Tests

Questions? Call the North Thurston Public Schools Assessment office at x40234

Contents:

Preparing To Do the Training Tests Page 1

Accessing the Training TestsPage 1

Signing in to the Training TestsPage 2

Modeling the Training TestsPage 5

Test Instructions and Help Page 6

Tools Checklist Page 9

Preparing to Do the Training Tests

The following tests are available:

SBA ELA:

Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and High School

SBA Math:

Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and High School

MSP Science:

Grades 5 and 8

ELPA21:

Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grades 2-3, Grades 4-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Each SBA training test has 6-9 items; MSP Science has 14 items
The purpose of the training tests is for students to get practice using the various navigational tools and be familiar with the various item types before taking the actual test. The purpose is NOT to have students worry about getting the answers right on the training tests.
Teachers should take the training test themselves before showing it to students.
It is recommended that teachers model each item on the training test as students go through it as a group.
When doing the SBA ELA and ELPA21training tests, make sure students have headphones in order to listen to the listening question on their own.
Optional: prior to having students do the SBA or MSP training test, give them a copy of the Tools Checklist so they can keep track of the tools they use on each training test.

Accessing the Training Tests

Model each step for your students by projecting your computer screen for them to follow along on their own computers.

Getting to the Training Tests:
For students using a PC or Netbook, login in using Username: sbac and Password: sbac – this will automatically open the secure browser. Click on the phrase “Click here to go to the Practice and Training Test Site.”
For students using a Chromebook, after turning on the Chromebook and before signing in, click on “Apps” at the bottom of the screen next to “Shut down.” Click AIRSecureTest.

This opens the secure browser, which is the same browser that will be used for the real test in the spring. Click on the phrase “Click here to go to the Practice and Training Test Site.”

Public access to the practice tests is also available through the Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program portal at We recommend that students access the training test through the PC or Chromebook steps outlined above to more closely mirror the sign in experience for the real test.

Signing in to the Training Tests

Click Sign-In. You and the students do NOT need to fill in any of the name, SSID, or Session ID information here. Just leave these sections as “Guest.”

Select the grade from the drop-down menu and then click “Yes.”

Have students select the appropriate training or practice test.

Choose Settings: Most students should click “Select” at the bottom without changing settings. For students who will use embedded designated supports or accommodations during the real test, make sure those are selected so students can experience them in the training test.

Is This Your Test? Have students click “Yes, Start My Test” at the bottom of the screen.

NOTE: If students will have embedded (computer-based) Designated Supports or Accommodations during the real test, turn them on for the training test on this screen. Examples include stacked Spanish translations, text-to-speech, and translated glossaries. For the real test, these supports will be assigned by the assessment office but for the purpose of the training test the teacher can turn these supports on here.

Sound Check (for SBA ELA): Have students click on the sound icon to ensure the volume is turned up and their headphones are working. Then select “Yes.” This feature will be in the Math test for students using Text-to-Speech or Translations.
Sound Check (for ELPA21 only): Have students follow the directions to ensure the sound check is working.

Test Instructions and Help: Depending on the age and abilities of your students, you may read the Test Instructions and Help page with them, or give them a few minutes to scroll down and read “Overview of the Student Testing Site” and “Test Rules” (see Pages 6-8 of this document for the Overview of the Student Testing Site and Test Rules). Those using Text-to-Speech should do the Training Test in a small setting, so students do not need to spend time reading this section.

Modeling the Training Tests

Begin each Training Test by saying:

The purpose of the Training Test is to practice using the tools that are part of the online test, and to get comfortable with how to put in answers for different kinds of questions. You do not need to worry about answering the questions correctly for this Training Test.

We are going to work through each question together as a group. I will show each question on my computer as you look at it on yours. We can talk together about how we might answer it, but the important part is knowing how to use different tools and how to enter your answer. For each question, when you are done putting in your answer, please look up and wait for us to go to the next question together. Please do not work ahead of the class. If you have any trouble entering an answer, raise your hand and I will help you. You will have to put in an answer for each question before the system will let you go on to the next question.

Materials to give students:

Headphones for the SBA ELA CAT; headphones with microphones for ELPA21
Since students may have scratch paper on the real SBA ELA test and MSP Science, you may let them use scratch paper for the Training Test if they want it. Grades 6 and up can have graph paper for the math test.
For ELA, Math and Science, a copy of the Tools Checklist, for them to track the tools they try out (optional but helpful). They could use the back of the Tools Checklist as the scratch paper.

As you go through each item with your students, be sure to make this an interactive experience allowing students to practice how the tools work and share what they are learning with each other.

For ELA, Math and Science:

Model how to use all the tools to ensure that all students understand them. Use the Tools Checklist to make sure students have had an opportunity to practice all the available tools. In particular, ask students specifically to do each of the following at some point during the Training Test:
Highlight a key phrase
Use the strikethrough on at least one selected response item
Mark an item for later review
Expand a passage
Use the Connect Tool (in the Training Test for Math 6-8 and High School only)
You are welcome to discuss with the students how to think about answering the questions. Some questions may match your grade level’s standards but others may not.
Have students click on the Context Menu and then select the Tutorial which will describe how to respond to each type of item.

Test Instructions and Help

Tools Overview

Global Tools: Global test tools are those that appear at the top of the screen and vary by content area (ELA, science, math).

Context Menu Tools:Certain Context Menu tools vary by passage (ELA), scenario (science), and item, and are accessed by clicking the Context Menu Tools button [].

Other Test Tools: Other test tools also vary by passage (ELA), scenarios (science), and item, and are accessed as described in the Other Tools Table.

Global Tools / Description
Help button / The [?] button at the top right will open this Test Instructions and Help page.
Zoom buttons / Use the [Zoom In] button to make the text and images bigger. Use the [Zoom Out] button to make the text and images smaller. There are four zoom levels.
Calculator button / Click on [Calculator] to open the calculator.
Note:The calculator is available for select items on grades 6-11 mathematics tests and all items on the grade 5 and grade 8 science tests.
Save button / This button lets you save your response to a question. This is an optional feature. If you do not click this button, your answers will still be saved.
Note: This button will not appear on pages that have only selected-response questions.
Questions drop-down list / Click the box next to “Questions” to pick a test question or page to go back to. If you marked a question for review, the word “marked” will appear next to the question number(s). For information about marking questions, see “Mark for Review” below.
Pause button / This button lets you pause the test. When you pause the test, you will be logged out. (All your answers will be saved.)
Navigation buttons / The [Back] and [Next] buttons let you move between pages on a test.
Click the [Back] button to go back to the previous page.
Click the [Next] button to go to the next page. You can only go to the next page after you answer all the questions on the page you are looking at.
End Test button / The button appears after you answer all the test questions. Click this button to start to finish testing.
Context Menu Tools / Description
Tutorial / Each test question has a video tutorial. The tutorial explains how to answer that type of question. Open the context menu for an item and click [Tutorial].
Notepad / Each question has a notepad that allows you to save a note or comment about the question. To open the notepad, open the context menu and select [Notepad].
Mark for Review / Use this tool to mark questions that you want to review. Open the context menu for a question and click[Mark for Review]. The box around the question number will change and show a flap in the upper right corner.
Highlighter / Use this tool to highlight a section of text in a passage or test question. The highlight color is yellow. You cannot highlight answer options.

Option A: Select text on the screen. Right-click on the text and choose [Highlight].The selected text will become yellow.
Option B: Select text on the screen. Select [Highlight]from the context menu. The selected text will become yellow.

Note: Text in images cannot be highlighted.
Strikethrough / For selected-response questions, you can “cross out” an option. This may help you focus on what you think may be the right answer.

Option A: Right-click on one of the options and choose [Strikethrough].
Option B: Select [Strikethrough] from the context menu to activate strikethrough mode. Select the answer options to strike out. Click outside the answer area or press Esc to deactivate strikethrough mode.

Other Test Tools / Description
Stimulus Expansion Tool / Some pages have a passage, scenario, or activity on the left side of the screen. You can make this section bigger so that it’s easier to read.

Click the double arrow button [] to expand the left section so it takes up most of the screen.
Click the double arrow button again to collapse the passage or activity.

Glossary / Some words or phrases have a border around them. You can click these words to open the glossary.

Test Rules

Basic Test Rules

Some pages contain only one question. Students must select an answer in order to move to the next question on the next page. Students can mark a question for review and return to it later.
Some pages contain multiple questions. Use the vertical scroll bar to view all questions on a page. Students must answer all the questions on the page in order to move to the next page.
Within each test there may be segments. For example, the grades 6 through high school mathematics tests include a segment with an embedded calculator available and another segment where the embedded calculator is not available. In the SBAELA, SBA Math and MSP Science, students receive a warning message asking them to review answers before moving on to questions in the next segment of the test. Once a student goes on to the next segment he/she will not be able to review/change answers in a previous section.

Pause Rules

Students can pause the test at any time. They are presented with a warning message asking to verify that they want to pause the test. If they choose to pause the test, they will have to log back in to resume. Once they are approved by the Test Administrator, they can review and change answers within the current test segment.

The Performance Task portions of the ELA and Math assessments, as well as the ELPA21, have no pause rules. The student can return to any questions within the current segment regardless of the length of the pause.

During the Computer Adaptive Test portion of the ELA and Math assessments or the MSP Science, if the test is paused for more than 20 minutes:

Students are required to log back in;
Students will be presented with the page containing the items(s) they were working on when the assessment was paused (if the page contains at least one unanswered item) OR with the next page (if all items on the previous page were answered);
Students are not permitted to review or change any previously answered items, even if they are marked for review (with the exception of items on a page that contains at least one item was not answered yet).

All answers are saved immediately. Students do not lose them when the test is paused.

Navigation Rules:

You can navigate to any available test page by clicking the [Back] or [Next] buttons or selecting a page from the “Questions” drop-down list at the top of the page.

About Print-on-Demand and Text-to-Speech

Print-on-Demand

If you have Print-on-Demand turned on for your test, you can request a printout of reading passages and/or questions. To print a passage, click the [Print Passage] button. Your print request will be sent to your TA for approval. To print a question, click the context menu for the question and select [Print Item]. Your print request will be sent to your TA for approval.

Text-to-Speech

If you have Text-to-Speech turned on for your test, you can listen to passages, questions, and selected-response answer options. To listen to a reading passage, right-click anywhere on the passage and select the [Speak] option you want. Note: You can also select a paragraph and right-click to listen to that paragraph only. To listen to an answer options, right-click in that area. Select the [Speak] option you want. Select [Speak Question] to listen only to the question. Select [Speak Question and Options] to listen to the question and all answer options. (This is available for selected-response questions.)

Name______

Smarter Balanced Assessment Tools Checklist

ELA Tools to Practice
Highlighter
Strikethrough
Notepad
Mark for Review
Tutorial
Zoom In and Zoom Out
Passage Expansion
Glossary
Navigation Aids:

? (Help Guide)
Question number drop down list
Save button
Pause
Back & Next arrows (move between pages)

/ Math or Science Tools to Practice
Strikethrough
Notepad
Mark for Review
Tutorial
Zoom In and Zoom Out
Calculator*
Glossary
Add Point**
Connect Line**
Navigation Aids:

? (Help Guide)
Question number drop down list
Save button
Pause
Back & Next arrows (move between pages)

*not available in the Grades 3-5 math training test

**not available in the Grades 3-5 math or in the Grades 5 & 8 science training test