BEYOND STANDARD > SUPPORTS FOR EDUCATORS

A Commitment to Supporting Teachers

Smarter Balanced provides teachers with the tools and resources they need to do what they do best—teach.

NEW! The Smarter Annotated Response Tool (SmART), is a new resource to support educators' understanding of how student writing is scored on Smarter Balanced assessments. Educators can use SmART to explore how different responses are scored across the grade levels and writing purposes to understand deeply how the rubrics are applied to each student’s response. Interactive annotations guide the way!
Visit: Smarter Annotated Response Tool
Smarter Annotated Student Response Tool (SmART) home page
Illustration of teacher standing next to Tools for Teachers website logo. Icons representing professional development, accessibility, the formative assessment process, and connections playlists float nearby.
Our website, Tools for Teachers, features lessons and activities to enhance instruction, save time in lesson planning, and boost student learning. And the best part is we went straight to the experts—teachers—to create and review the resources.

Resources in Tools for Teachers include:

  • Formative assessment and accessibility strategies that are effective across grades and content areas
  • Professional learning resources to help teachers get started
  • Links to interim assessment items and sample test questions that are integrated into resources
Visit: Tools For Teachers
Screenshot of the "What's Your Angle" Instructional Resource on Tools for Teachers.

Explore Tools for Teachers Resources

Tools for Teachers resources include:

  • Tips for getting started including Overview, Learning Goal, and Success Criteria
  • A step by step process for implementing the resource
  • Embedded accessibility strategies
  • Strategies for how the formative assessment process is incorporated
  • Attachments for materials the resource relies on
  • Explore the What's Your Angle? resource here!

How does Tools for Teachers Support Educators?

Additional Smarter Supports

Screenshot of the homepage of the Smarter Balanced Reporting System website.

Smarter Reporting

Interactive reporting platform that connects assessment data and instructional resources in one place. Learn how educators can leverage assessment data to understand what students know and can do.

Visit: Smarter Reporting
Screenshot of the Sample Item website homepage.

Sample Items Website

Preview of sample test questions similar to the ones used on Smarter Balanced assessments. Test questions are developed with extensive involvement by educators, including test question writing, reviewing for accuracy, and ensuring questions are fair for all test takers.

Visit: Sample Items Website
Screenshot of the Smarter Content Explorer website homepage.

Smarter Content Explorer

A comprehensive resource that supports educators in exploring the range of knowledge and skills for college and career readiness by filtering content on grade, subject, claim, target and academic standard. Learn about test development with resources like construct relevant vocabulary, blueprints, and scoring rubrics.

Visit: Smarter Content Explorer