Question 1

Common Core State Standards

Accepted Answer

A set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy.

Question 2

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

Accepted Answer

A system of valid, reliable, and fair next-generation assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Question 3

Performance Task

Accepted Answer

An assessment that asks students to demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world problems.

Question 4

Universal Design for Learning

Accepted Answer

An educational framework based on research in learning differences to guide the development of flexible learning environments.

Question 5

Language Function

Accepted Answer

The purpose for which language is used, such as persuading, instructing, or describing.

Question 6

Scaled Score

Accepted Answer

A conversion of a student's raw score on a test or version of a test to a common scale.

Question 7

Summative Assessment

Accepted Answer

Assessment designed to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit.

Question 8

Interim Assessment

Accepted Answer

An assessment administered during instruction to evaluate a student's comprehension, learning progress, and readiness for further instruction.

Question 9

Accessibility Support

Accepted Answer

Tools or procedures that provide equitable access during assessment for students with special needs.

Question 10

Depth of Knowledge

Accepted Answer

A system that categorizes tasks according to the complexity of thinking required to successfully complete them.

Question 11

Constructed Response

Accepted Answer

A type of question that asks students to write a short answer in response to a prompt.

Question 12

English Learner Progress Indicator

Accepted Answer

A metric used to measure the progress of English learners toward English proficiency.

Question 13

ELPAC

Accepted Answer

English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, a system of assessments used to measure how well students in California schools understand English.

Question 14

CAST

Accepted Answer

California Science Test, an online assessment based on the California Next Generation Science Standards.

Question 15

Content Specifications

Accepted Answer

Detailed descriptions of the content domain that a test will cover.

Question 16

Criterion-referenced Test

Accepted Answer

A test designed to measure student performance against a fixed set of standards or criteria.

Question 17

Norm-referenced Test

Accepted Answer

A test designed to compare and rank test takers in relation to one another.

Question 18

Selected Response

Accepted Answer

A type of question where students select one or more answers from a list.

Question 19

Computer Adaptive Testing

Accepted Answer

A type of assessment that adapts to the test taker's ability level.

Question 20

Mathematics Claim

Accepted Answer

Broad statements that provide a structure for the assessment of student knowledge in math.

Question 21

English Language Arts Claim

Accepted Answer

Broad statements that provide a structure for the assessment of student knowledge in English language arts.

Question 22

Desmos Calculator

Accepted Answer

An advanced calculator implemented in the SBAC test for mathematical operations.

Question 23

Achievement Level

Accepted Answer

Pre-determined standard levels of knowledge or skill proficiency.

Question 24

High-level Cognition

Accepted Answer

The complex thinking processes that involve analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Question 25

Multidimensional Items

Accepted Answer

Assessment items that measure multiple skills or qualities at once.

Question 26

Student Growth Percentile

Accepted Answer

A measure of student growth over time, calculated by comparing a student's performance to that of his or her academic peers.

Question 27

Embedded Universal Tools

Accepted Answer

Pre-planned strategies and resources provided within the test system to help all students access the assessment.

Question 28

Writing Domain

Accepted Answer

The area of writing that an assessment item targets, such as argumentative, informative/explanatory, or narrative.

Question 29

Sequential Bilingualism

Accepted Answer

A form of bilingualism where the second language is learned after proficiency has been developed in the first.

Question 30

Language Proficiency Level

Accepted Answer

A measure of the degree to which an individual has mastered a language.

Question 31

Accessibility Barrier

Accepted Answer

An aspect of a test that hampers or prevents a student from fully demonstrating his or her knowledge or skill.

Question 32

Direct Translation

Accepted Answer

A word-for-word translation from one language to another, often used in language proficiency assessments.

Question 33

Text Complexity

Accepted Answer

A qualitative and quantitative measure of the difficulty of a text, taking into account factors like vocabulary, sentence structure, and theme.

Question 34

Longitudinal Data

Accepted Answer

Data that tracks the same type of information over long periods of time, used in educational settings to track student growth and performance.

Question 35

Scaffolding

Accepted Answer

The support given during the learning process which is tailored to the needs of the student with the intention of helping the student achieve learning independence.

Question 36

Assessment Bias

Accepted Answer

The presence of some characteristic of an item in the assessment that results in differential performance for different groups of students.

Question 37

Inclusion of Special Populations

Accepted Answer

The practice of including students with disabilities or English learners in general assessments with or without accommodations.

Question 38

Evidence-based Selected Response

Accepted Answer

A type of question that combines a traditional multiple-choice question with a second, evidence-based part related to the first question.

Question 39

English Language Proficiency Level

Accepted Answer

A measure of the degree to which an individual has acquired proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English.

Question 40

Local Educational Agency

Accepted Answer

A public authority legally recognized as an administrative agency for public elementary or secondary schools.

Question 41

Domain

Accepted Answer

A sphere of knowledge, influence, or activity. In testing, it refers to a specific area of knowledge or skill that a test measures.

Question 42

Performance Level Descriptor

Accepted Answer

A narrative description of a student's performance on a test at various levels of achievement.

Question 43

Confidentiality

Accepted Answer

The act of keeping student data private, a significant element of professional ethics in educational testing.

Question 44

Measurement Error

Accepted Answer

The amount by which each test score point overestimates or underestimates the true proficiency level of the individual student.

Question 45

Reporting Cluster

Accepted Answer

A group of test items that are based on a common theme, topic, or skill area, and are reported together in test results.

Advanced Concepts for the California SBAC, CAST, ELPAC Tests