ShmoopTube

00:03

Life is all about balance.

00:05

That’s why the most important meal of the day is a balanced breakfast.

00:10

And why our government is made up of a system of checks and balances.

00:13

And why seeing someone lose their balance is…pretty much the funniest thing in the

00:17

world. Well, a balanced brain is important, too…

00:20

…and having one will help a student nail the Smarter Balanced—or SBAC—assessment test

00:28

Shmoop is one of the only places you can go for help on this particular test.

00:32

So, if you’re in one of the states using the SBAC to test students’ Common Core know-how…

00:37

…you’ll definitely want to check out what we’ve got cooking in the Shmoop kitchen.

00:40

Our test prep materials are tailored specifically to the Technology-Enhanced Items and Depth

00:45

of Knowledge questions that the SBAC is designed to test.

00:49

You’ll find boatloads of drills and diagnostic exams for both the Math and ELA portions of

00:53

the exam…

00:54

…as well as assessment tools that will help teachers gauge where a student is struggling

00:58

and needs help…i.e. where the Common Core may not quite be…common sense.

01:03

For each problem, Shmoop provides a thorough review of an ideal response, and explains

01:07

how a student can get inside those test-makers’ heads and deliver precisely what they’re

01:11

looking for.

01:12

By the time they’ve gone through our product, each student will be the Robin Hood of…hitting

01:17

assessment targets. We know that this test is new and scary, like

01:20

some strange, shadowy, looming figure…

01:22

…but we’ll shrink it down to size, bring it into the light…and slap a smiley face

01:26

on it.

01:27

We’ll be with your students every step of the way…

01:29

…from familiarizing them with Common Core-aligned assessments…

01:33

…to understanding TEI problems and what’s expected of them…

01:36

…to learning how to review effectively for the summative assessment they’ll have to

01:39

take at the end of the school year.

01:41

Hopefully, they’ll even get to the point where terms like “summative assessment”

01:45

don’t cause them to immediately break down in tears.

01:47

Okay, so…what’s the deal with all these tabs? We’ll give you the quick rundown so

01:51

you can…keep tabs on them…

01:53

First, there’s the Topics tab, where you’ll get the low-down on what the Smarter Balanced

01:57

is all about…

01:58

…including what question types your students can expect to see, and the relevancy of their

02:03

scores.

02:04

In both the Math and ELA sections you’ll find a list of “targets,” which are further

02:07

broken down into Depth of Knowledge, Question Type, Description of the topics and Common

02:12

Core tags…

02:13

…with links to corresponding drill sets, so students can practice the different subsets

02:17

of the targets.

02:18

Or, as we like to call them... “Mini-targets…” Next there’s the Drills tab, which will

02:24

link students directly to untimed, bite-sized practice questions that are broken down by

02:27

target areas.

02:28

And, because they’re bite-sized, they don’t have to worry about ruining their appetite

02:31

for the actual test. Moving right along we come to the Assessment

02:35

tab. It includes Assessment and Diagnostic exams…

02:39

…that have been segmented by Claims…which is just a fancy word the Smarter Balanced

02:43

uses for “major categories.”

02:45

To their credit, the word “Claims” is way, way shorter. So…good call.

02:50

The Diagnostics are just as long and thorough as the Assessments…but are guaranteed to

02:54

cover every target at least once, so teachers can assess the full breadth of material to

02:59

be tested.

03:00

The Assessments more accurately reflect the makeup of an actual test, but may not hit

03:04

every single target.

03:05

So…you can pick your poison. Just remember that the vessel with the pestle has the brew

03:09

that is true.

03:11

When a student’s score is submitted, we immediately provide a grade…and go through

03:15

each question with a thorough explanation of the answer…

03:18

…as well as show the question’s target area and common core standards it covers.

03:22

We have got them covered. Like a warm blanket.

03:25

Or…like a cold blanket, if it’s hot outside. Whatever sounds best, really, temperature-wise.

03:30

And finally, there are Performance Tasks, which ask students to synthesize knowledge

03:34

and skills covering multiple standards…focusing on research, writing, complex analysis and more.

03:40

Each performance task includes an activity that will help your students cut their teeth

03:44

on a given topic…

03:45

…as a warm-up for the more extensive, project-based activity that will be required by the SBAC.

03:50

They’ll be provided with any sources or information needed to answer their questions…

03:54

…so we’re not going to leave them stranded on a raft in the middle of a sea of uncertainty.

03:58

That sea is, by the way, the place you’re most likely to find someone stranded on a

04:02

raft… And don’t forget that you can always create

04:04

your own virtual Classroom.

04:06

To set one up, all you have to do is click your name in the upper-right corner…

04:11

find the “Create Classroom” button, and then link to Common Core 8th.

04:16

Don’t forget to give your students the classroom code, or they’ll be back on that raft.

04:20

Once you’ve decided that our test prep is a must-have…

04:23

…you can access it the same way you would any of our other prep…by logging in, visiting

04:29

your profile page…

04:30

…and then navigating to Common Core 8th or 11th grade.

04:33

And…that’s it. You’re in, and ready to begin getting your students ready for the

04:37

ride of their lives.

04:39

Unless they ever get the chance to take a shuttle into space, in which case we may be

04:43

overselling it a tad.

Full Transcript