SMARTER Balanced Assessment - 3rd Grade ELA - Item Types, Claims, and Sample CR Item

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by sagouaw

Overview of SMARTER Balanced Assessment for 3rd grade ELA, describing the shift from Missouri MAP testing and providing an implementation timeline context. Explains four ELA item types—selected-response, constructed-response, technology-enhanced tasks, and performance tasks—along with their purposes and how student responses are elicited. Defines four major ELA claims (read analytically, write effectively, speak and listen purposefully, conduct research) and outlines scoring approaches including composite and claim-area scores. Includes glossary terms and a sample constructed-response item with target, standards, DOK, and stimulus references.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages84

Reading Time3 h 32 min

AccessFree to download

SMARTER Balanced Assessment 3rd Grade ELA

Implementation Timeline (Summative Assessment Development Timeline)

Item Types

Selected-Response (SR)

Constructed-Response (CR)

Technology-Enhanced Items/Tasks (TE)

Performance Tasks (PT)

Claims and Scoring

Glossary

Grade 3 ELA Sample CR Item (Sample Item ID ELA.03.CR.1.04.019)

SMARTER Balanced Assessment 3rd Grade ELA As 2015 approaches and we transition from Missouri’s traditional MAP testing to the Smarter Balanced Assessments, many teachers and administrators have been asking for information. What is the implementation timeline? What kinds of items will be on the test? What do assessment items look like? How are the tests scored? How will technology be utilized? While not every detail is known, information is available. First, an implementation time line: SMARTER Balanced Summative Assessment Development Timeline | | June 2010 | | --- | --- | Common Core State Standards (CAS) Released From [http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/ItemSpecifications/GeneralItemSpecifications.pdf](http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/ItemSpecifications/GeneralItemSpecifications.pdf) Item Types SBAC assessments are made up of four item types: Selected-Response, Constructed-Response, Technology-Enhanced, and Performance Task. A description of those items follows. Selected-Response Items (SR) Traditionally known as Multiple Choice, selected-response items include a stimulus and stem followed by three to five options from which a student is directed to choose only one. Constructed-Response Items (CR) The main purpose of a constructed-response item is to address targets and claims that are of greater complexity. They ask students to develop answers without suggested answer choices. Technology-enhanced Items/Tasks (TE) Technology-enhanced items can provide evidence for ELA practices that could not be as reliably obtained from traditional SRs and CRs. Technology-enhanced items may stand alone or may bea tool used as part of the Performance Task and/or Constructed-Response items. Several TE template specifications have been designed for use in the ELA domain, including reordering text, selecting and changing text, selecting text, and selecting from drop-down menus. Performance Tasks (PT) The ELA Performance Tasks focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening, and research claims. They measure capacities such as depth of understanding, interpretive and analytical ability, basic recall, synthesis, and research. They may take place over time. Claims The Smarter Balanced summative assessments in ELA are designed to measure the full range of student abilities in the Common Core State Standards or Core Academic Standards (CAS) for language arts and literacy. Evidence will be gathered in support of four major claims: whether students can (1) Read Analytically,(2) Write Effectively,(3) Speak and Listen Purposefully, and (4) Conduct Research. Students will receive an overall ELA composite score. For the enhanced assessment, students will receive a score for each of the four major claim areas. (Speaking isnot part of the summative assessment, but may be part of the interim assessment. ) Claim 1 – Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts. Claim 2 – Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences. Claim 3 – Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences. Claim 4 – Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information. Glossary Distracter: the incorrect response options to an SR item. Distracter Analysis: the item writer‘s analysis of the options or rationale for inclusion of specific options. Item: the entire item, including the stimulus, question/prompt, answer/options, scoring criteria, and metadata. Key: the correct response(s) to an item. Options: the responses to a selected-response (SR) item from which the student selects one or more answers. Scoring Rubric: the descriptions for each score point for an item/task that scores

FAQs

What are the four item types used in SMARTER Balanced ELA assessments?

The assessments include Selected-Response, Constructed-Response, Technology-Enhanced items/tasks, and Performance Tasks. Each type supports different ways of demonstrating ELA skills.

What do the four major ELA claims measure in the summative assessment?

They measure whether students can read analytically, write effectively, speak and listen purposefully, and conduct research. Students receive an overall ELA composite score, and the enhanced assessment provides scores for each claim area.

How is a constructed-response item different from a selected-response item?

Constructed-response items ask students to develop answers without suggested answer choices, targeting more complex targets and claims. Selected-response items provide a stimulus and stem with three to five answer options.

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by sagouaw