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As California educators prepare for the seismic challenge of ushering in the new curriculum known as the Common Core State Standards, much of the worry has centered on student assessment. Legislators are debating whether to suspend the traditional California Standards Tests while students and teachers adjust to the massive shift in approach and material in the classroom. Meanwhile, a new assessment system waits in the wings, called the Smarter Balance Assessments, it’s expected to be up and running in LAUSD later this year. These are not bubble-answer, multiple choice tests; rather, they emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The new tests will eventually be administered on an iPad, and will be ‘adaptive.’ In other words, the questions will change, depending on a student’s response. You can check out practice tests for different grade levels here. For more info on the LAUSD roll-out click here.

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