Last week we discussed the changes in the new Common Core assessments and how you can better prepare your students for the tests. Links were included to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and Smarter Balanced websites to view the samples for yourself, which is well worth the time, but let’s have a more in-depth discussion about what these assessments actually look like.
The assessments from both PARCC and Smarter Balanced are designed for computers and, eventually, tablets. This allowed the designers a lot of freedom and flexibility to create tests that really capture the spirit of the Common Core. Kids now have to perform rather than just regurgitate.
Let’s look at what a sample test question from a current statewide assessment might look like:
“The total land area for the United States is 3,537,438 square miles. What is this value rounded to the nearest thousand square miles?” followed by four multiple-choice answers.
It’s basic rounding, a skill every elementary math student will be asked to master. Testing this skill with multiple-choice questions asks for virtually no proof that the student knows what they’re doing. An unprepared child still has a 25% chance of getting the question right.
A sample assessment item released by Smarter Balanced handles this skill quite differently. There is an animated video of five swimmers.
“Five swimmers compete in the 50-meter race. The finish time for each swimmer is shown in the video. Explain how the results of the race would change if the race used a clock that rounded to the nearest tenth.”
Then there is a text box. That’s right. Not only will the students have to write in a math test, but they will also have to explain their reasoning regarding the skill at hand, much as if someone would have to do if rounding digits was part of their job.
You also probably noticed the mention of video. Multimedia will be an integral part of the new assessments. It simply gives the designers more options to present material in an effort to get the tests as “real world” as possible. Older students can fully expect to see tasks they would see at the workplace, which flows seamlessly with the Common Core’s stated goal of preparing students for the world of college and career.
The Next Level
Have you seen the samples from PARCC or Smarter Balanced? What struck you about the difference? Educate us in the comments below.
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And if you feel your child needs a little more help preparing for this rigorous new curriculum, please find out more about Athena’s services and how they can help you using this link.