Content Progressions & Clustering Across Instructional Materials - Viability for Supporting the Design of a Through-Year Assessment Model

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

Examines how to administer a year-round computer adaptive test (CAT) model that mirrors Smarter Balanced interim assessment blocks while emphasizing content considerations. Focuses on a differing blueprint approach that selects subsets of grade-level content standards for measurement at each administration and addresses how standards are grouped over time. Evaluates the alignment potential of widely used mathematics and ELA curricula and considers whether the existing Smarter Balanced interim system can be adapted for high-quality through-year assessment design and development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Snapshot of Some Existing Through-Year Assessment Models

Curriculum Materials as a Proxy for Through-Year Model Viability

Analysis of Instructional Materials—Mathematics

Analysis of Instructional Materials—English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA)

Overall Recommendations

Appendix A: Scopes and Sequences for Three Grade 3 Math Curricula

Appendix B: Scopes and Sequences for Three Grade 4 Mathematics Curricula

Appendix C: Scopes and Sequences for Four Grade 3 ELA Curricula

Appendix D: Scopes and Sequences for Three Grade 6 ELA Curricula

References

Content Progressions & Clustering Across Instructional Materials: Viability for Supporting the Design of a Through-Year Assessment Model Prepared for Smarter Balanced by Shelbi K. Cole & Carey Swanson March 2022 Table of Contents | Introduction | 4 | | --- | --- | | Snapshot of Some Existing Through-Year Assessment Models | 5 | | Curriculum Materials as a Proxy for Through-Year Model Viability | 6 | | Analysis of Instructional Materials—Mathematics | 8 | | Selection of Materials | 8 | | Mathematics Grade 3 Overview | 8 | | Mathematics Grade 4 Overview | 9 | | Summary | 10 | | Analysis of Instructional Materials—English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) | 12 | | Selection of Materials | 12 | | ELA Grade 3 Overview | 13 | | ELA Grade 6 Overview | 14 | | Summary | 15 | | Overall Recommendations | 16 | | Appendix A: Scopes and Sequences for Three Grade 3 Math Curricula | 18 | | Appendix B: Scopes and Sequences for Three Grade 4 Mathematics Curricula | 20 | | Appendix C: Scopes and Sequences for Four Grade 3 ELA Curricula | 22 | | Appendix D: Scopes and Sequences for Three Grade 6 ELA Curricula | 24 | | References | 26 | Introduction Over the past few years, several states have begun to explore or pilot different through-year assessments to serve as replacements to the traditional end-of-year summative assessments that are currently the predominant source of information used by states to meet federal accountability requirements. While there are several different assessment models that could be considered as part of a through-year design, the purpose of this paper is to examine what it might look like to administer the end-of-year computer adaptive test (CAT) in a through-year model that more closely resembles the current Smarter Balanced interim assessment blocks (IABs), with a specific emphasis on content considerations.1 Content considerations are an important aspect of the through-year design, but they differ among models that are using the same blueprint design versus a differing blueprint design (Dadey & Gong, 2017) . In models that use the same blueprint design, students are assessed on the breadth of content standards at each time point for administration, including on content which they would not yet have had the opportunity to formally learn as part of instruction. This paper focuses solely on the differing blueprint model and a design that more closely resembles the IABs. A differing blueprint model requires that a subset of the grade level content standards be selected for measurement during each assessment administration throughout the year. As Dadey and Gong (2017) describe, …the standards are generally agnostic about when during the academic year students should be able to demonstrate such knowledge and abilities. Tying interim assessments to specific subsets of standards requires consideration of when students should demonstrate what they know and can do, or at bare minimum, how standards should be grouped together into specific assessments (p. 6) . This paper is therefore guided by the following questions: ● To what degree do some of the most widely used mathematics and English language arts/literacy curricula support a reasonable structure for clustering standards for a through-year model? ● To what degree can the existing Smarter Balanced interim assessment system, with some adaptations, be used to support the design and development of a high-quality through-year assessment model? 1 Note: This paper is one in a series being commissioned by Smarter Balanced as part of its exploration of through-year assessment options. CONTENT PROGRESSIONS & CLUSTERING ACROSS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 3 Snapshot of Some Existing Through-Year Assessment Models The idea of administering through-year assessments in lieu of a single end-of-year summative assessment is not new. In 2010, the Race to the Top grant program allowed fora through-year assessment model, which the federally-funded state assessment con

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the paper?

To examine what it would look like to administer an end-of-year CAT within a through-year model that more closely resembles Smarter Balanced interim assessment blocks, with emphasis on content considerations.

How does a differing blueprint through-year model work?

It requires selecting a subset of grade-level content standards for measurement at each assessment administration throughout the year, rather than using the same blueprint content at every time point.

Which curricular areas does the paper analyze for standards clustering support?

It analyzes instructional materials for mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA) to assess how well they support clustering standards for a through-year model.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah