Smarter Balanced Online Achievement Level Setting Recruitment

Registration is now open for the Smarter Balanced Online Panel, giving parents of school-age children an opportunity to weigh in on the new Common Core assessments.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has developed new tests in English language arts/literacy and mathematics aligned to the Common Core that may replace existing assessments in Washington. The Consortium is inviting parents and teachers to help establish performance expectations for students on these new assessments.

To help ensure the process is inclusive and reflects input from a large group of teachers and parents, Smarter Balanced has organized an Online Panel to recommend proficiency scores on the assessments.

Through the Online Panel this October, parents, teachers and interested community members can help ensure that these assessments are fair and provide accurate information about student progress.  Parents can help recommend an achievement level score for proficiency in one grade and subject as part of the Online Panel. The Online Panel will take up to three hours during a two-day window that each participant can select between October 6 and October 17, 2014. Parents can participate from a home or office computer or tablet.

“The Common Core sets clear and consistent guidelines for teachers and helps ensure that all children are on track for success at each grade level and graduate ready for college or a career. Assessments are essential for achieving those high expectations, and the Online Panel provides a critical opportunity to hear from teachers and parents as an integral part of launching these assessments in the 2014-2015 school year,” Heather Gillette said.

Interested parents, teachers, and community members can register and learn more at SmarterBalanced.org/OnlinePanel.

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