Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments (SBAC)
The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments (SBAC) are comprehensive, end-of-year assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics and measure progress toward college and career readiness. Students in grades 3-8 and 11 are administered SBAC exams annually in the spring. These exams are comprised of both a computer adaptive component and performance tasks.
SBAC results in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics give one measure of how well students are mastering California’s challenging academic standards. The skills called for by these standards—the ability to write clearly, think critically, and solve problems—are essential for preparing students for college and a 21st-century career. There are four levels of scores for ELA and mathematics. “Standard Met” and “Standard Exceeded” are the state targets for all students.
▅ Standard Exceeded (Level 4)
▅ Standard Met (Level 3)
▅ Standard Nearly Met (Level 2)
▅ Standard Not Met (Level 1)
Score ranges for each level are different for each grade, and the standards for the next grade are higher than for the previous grade. As a result, students may need a higher score to stay in the same level as the previous year.
The State Board of Education has approved the continued use of adjusted blueprints for the SBAC assessments in ELA and math. Originally adopted when the U.S. Department of Education provided assessment flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on education, the shortened blueprints reduce the amount of time students spend on the assessments, allowing for increased instructional time and flexibility in scheduling, as well as minimizing the risk of connectivity or network issues. However, the adjusted form blueprints do not support the reporting of individual student claim results for the assessed sub-domains within the ELA and math exams. Currently SSRs only report the four levels of scores referenced above. Student score reports (SSRs) are available electronically via the Illuminate Home Connection Parent Portal and the Infinite Campus Parent Portal for as long as 3 years or until students graduate.