News Brief
California State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Encourages Taking an Early Look at New, Online Smarter Balanced Practice Tests
Sierra Sun Times (CA) (05/29/2013)California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson says students, educators, and parents should check out the Smarter Balanced Practice Tests (available here) to acquaint themselves with the computer-based assessments that will be taken by students in the 2014-15 school year. Practice tests for English-language arts and math for grades 3-8 and grade 11 were released by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, and they are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Torlakson says, "These practice tests give teachers, students, and parents a glimpse into understanding the skills and abilities our children will need to do well on test day and in preparation for college and career. This marks another step forward in the effort to help schools prepare to replace outdated assessments with tests that gauge the kind of critical thinking and deeper learning that comes with a world-class education."
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