Why does my child take the Smarter Balanced assessment?

HTA students in grades 3-8 and 11 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment this spring.  Unlike the old “smile and file” standardized tests, the SBA is not a “fill in the bubble/fill in the blank” test.  The SBA emphasizes writing, problem-solving, and critical thinking- the exact same skills that HTA’s students encounter in our blended learning program.  In taking the SBA, HTA’s students are able to exhibit and apply the academic skills that they have developed through their class projects, work in the online curriculum and personalized learning plans.   

Most important, the SBA results enable HTA’s faculty and administration to thoughtfully develop our blended learning program to ensure that we are meeting the academic needs of your student.  The faculty takes time and care to read the individualized student reports- reports that provide useful information on areas in which our students are doing extremely well and those areas where we need to provide more focus, instruction and dynamic learning opportunities.  The SBA results, coupled with report card grades, work samples and face-to-face learning provide an informative snapshot of how HTA can best craft enrichment opportunities, courses and a personalized learning profiles for your child.  

At HTA we empower students to succeed through our blended learning experience- face-to-face, independent and virtual.  Participating in the SBA provides your student with an independent opportunity to showcase his or her content knowledge and applied academic skills.  While not every student might enjoy the testing experience, we encourage students to consider this as an opportunity to stretch themselves and work on their test taking skills.  As we know, confident test taking is a skill that students need to develop to be college and career ready.  

In order to better serve your student, the length of the SBA has been shortened.  This year your student will sit the test over a three day period, rather than a five day period.  We believe that this will be less disruptive to our overall program.  Please refer to your division calendar for your island and grade level test dates and times.  Please ensure that your family prioritizes attendance on these dates to avoid making up the test at a later date.  Our teachers have planned their spring pacing guides around the test dates to ensure that your student does not feel overwhelmed.

We believe that HTA’s teachers and you, as parent learning coach, have equipped your students with the content knowledge, skill sets and confidence that they need to successfully navigate the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  We thank you in advance for preparing your student to take the test and look forward to celebrating his or her results next fall.

If you have questions about the Smarter Balanced Assessment and would like to learn more about the test, please contact our Instructional Support Team through Mrs. Goodhue at: mgoodhue@myhta.org

With Warm Aloha~
Ms. Fitz &  Mr. Zitello

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