SMARTER Balanced Assessment - 4th Grade Mathematics Sample Items - Item Types

Oct 3, 2026

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SMARTER Balanced Assessment Grade 4 Mathematics sample materials explain item structures used in the assessment system. The document describes four item types—Selected-Response, Constructed-Response, Technology-Enhanced items/tasks, and Performance Tasks—and clarifies how each type measures different knowledge and abilities. It outlines the four major mathematics claims assessed in the summative test and provides a glossary of key item-writing terms. Example items include a Sample SR question and an accompanying key and distractor analysis, plus a Sample CR item setup.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages118

Reading Time4 h 57 min

AccessFree to download

Item Types

Selected-Response Items (SR)

Constructed-Response Items (CR)

Technology-Enhanced Items/Tasks (TE)

Performance Tasks (PT)

Claims

Glossary

Sample Items

SMARTER Balanced Assessment 4th Grade Mathematics Sample Items Item Types SBAC assessments are made up of four item types: Selected-Response, Constructed-Response, Technology-Enhanced, and Performance Task. A descripƟon of those items follows. Selected-Response Items (SR) TradiƟonally known as mulƟ ple choice, selected-response items include a sƟmulus and stem followed by three to ﬁve opƟons 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 mathemaƟcs pracƟces that could not beas reliably obtained from tradiƟonal SRs and CRs. Technology-enhanced items may stand alone or may be a tool used as part of the Performance Task and/or Constructed-Response items. Performance Tasks (PT) Performance tasks, the most complex of all items, include the following elements: • Integrate knowledge and skills across mulƟ ple claims. • Measure capaciƟes such as depth of understanding, research skills, and/or complex analysis with relevant evidence. • Require student-iniƟated planning, management of informaƟon/data and ideas, and/or interacƟon with other materials. • Reﬂect a real-world task and/or scenario-based problem.. • Allow for mulƟ ple approaches. • Represent content that is relevant and meaningful to students. • Allow for demonstraƟon of important knowledge and skills. • Require scoring that focuses on the essence of the Claim(s) for which the task was wriƩen. • Seem feasible for the school/classroom environment. June 2010 Sep 2011 June 2012 Fall 2012 2013 2014-2015 Claims The Smarter Balanced summaƟve assessments in mathemaƟcs are designed to measure the full range of student abiliƟes in the Common Core State Standards or Core Academic Standards (CAS) . Evidence will be gathered in support of four major claims: (1) Concepts and Procedures,(2) Problem Solving,(3) CommunicaƟng Reasoning, and (4) Modeling and Data Analysis. Students will receive an overall mathemaƟcs composite score. For the enhanced assessment, students will receive a score for each of three major claim areas. (Math claims 2 and 4 are combined for the purposes of score reporƟng. ) Claim 1—Students can explain and apply mathemaƟcal concepts and interpret and carry out mathemaƟcal procedures with precision and ﬂuency. Claim 2—Students can solve a range of complex, well-posed problems in pure and applied mathemaƟcs, making producƟve use of knowledge and problem-solving strategies. Claim 3—Students can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to criƟque the reasoning of others. Claim 4—Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can construct and use mathemaƟcal models to interpret and solve problems. Glossary Distracter: the incorrect response opƟons to an SR item. Distracter Analysis: the item writer‘s analysis of the opƟons or raƟonale for inclusion of speciﬁcopƟons. Item: the enƟre item, including the sƟmulus, quesƟon/prompt, answer/opƟons, scoring criteria, and metadata. Key: the correct response(s) to an item. OpƟons: the responses to a selected-response (SR) item from which the student selects one or more answers. Scoring Rubric: the descripƟons for each score point for an item/task that scores more than one point for a correct response. Stem: the statement of the quesƟon or prompt to which the student responds. SƟmulus: the text, source (e.g., video clip), and/or graphic about which the item is wriƩen. ThesƟmulus provides the context of the item/task to which the student must respond. Task: similar to an item, yet typically more involved and usually associated with constructed response, extended-response, and performance tasks. Top-Score Res

FAQs

What four item types make up SMARTER Balanced assessments?

The assessments use Selected-Response, Constructed-Response, Technology-Enhanced items/tasks, and Performance Tasks.

How do Constructed-Response items differ from Selected-Response items?

Constructed-Response items ask students to develop answers without suggested answer choices, while Selected-Response items provide a stimulus and a stem followed by three to five options to choose from.

What four major claim areas are measured in the mathematics summative assessment?

The four claims are (1) Concepts and Procedures, (2) Problem Solving, (3) Communicating Reasoning, and (4) Modeling and Data Analysis.

Oct 3, 2026

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