Posts by vanehdarakjian
Smarter Balanced Welcomes Department of War Education Activity as Newest Member
Smarter Balanced is proud to announce that the Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) has joined the Consortium. “We are thrilled to welcome DoWEA to our Consortium,” said Smarter Balanced Executive Director Tony Alpert. “Their collaboration will strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate learning for all students.” DoWEA educators serve students and families across the…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Appoints Karen Barton as Deputy Executive Director
Barton brings more than two decades of leadership experience in assessment and learning Santa Clara, CA, October 12, 2026 — Smarter Balanced has appointed Dr. Karen Barton as Deputy Executive Director, effective October 12, 2026. Working closely with Executive Director Tony Alpert, Barton will oversee major operational portfolios, coordinate work across teams, and align resources…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Issues Request for Proposals for Mathematics Content Development Services
Santa Clara, CA, June 8, 2026 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in mathematics and English language arts in grades 3 through high school, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations to support mathematics content development services for its assessment system. The effort aims to expand and refresh the Smarter…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Issues Request for Proposals for Field Test Scoring and Item Calibration Services
Santa Clara, CA, May 18, 2026 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in mathematics and English language arts in grades 3-12, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations to support field test scoring, item calibration, and educator data review meetings for its assessment system. The effort aims to ensure the…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Issues Request for Proposals for English Language Arts/Literacy Content Development
Santa Clara, CA, April 13, 2026 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in mathematics and English language arts in grades 3–12, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations to support the development of English language arts/literacy (ELA) assessment content for its assessment system. The effort aims to support the development…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Issues Request for Proposals for Accessibility and Inclusion Resources
Santa Clara, CA, April 6, 2026 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in math and English language arts (ELA) in grades 3-12, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations to support the development of accessibility and inclusion resources for its assessment system. The effort aims to expand equitable access to…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Welcomes District of Columbia as Newest Member
Santa Clara, CA, October 15, 2025 – The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium today announced the District of Columbia as its newest member, joining 11 states and one territory. “On behalf of our members, we are delighted to support the District of Columbia’s continued commitment to academic excellence, as its Office of the State Superintendent of…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Launches New Five-Year Strategic Plan to Empower Teaching and Learning Success
Member-Driven Plan Reflects Voices of Educators; Policymakers; and, for the First Time, Students Santa Clara, CA, July 31, 2025 — The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium today announced the release of its new five-year Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 — a roadmap for making the Smarter Balanced system even more useful, adaptable, and student-learning focused to support…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Extends Deadline for K-2 Literacy and Dyslexia Screener RFQ
Santa Clara, CA, July 3, 2025 — Smarter Balanced has extended the deadline for its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking to identify organizations with high-quality K-2 literacy and dyslexia screeners for the purpose of organizational collaboration. The new deadline for responses is Monday, July 28, 2025 at 2 p.m. Pacific. Originally issued on Monday, June…
Read MoreSmarter Balanced Issues Request for Qualifications for K-2 Literacy and Dyslexia Screener
Santa Clara, CA, June 9, 2025 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in math and English language arts (ELA) in grades 3-12, has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking organizations for a grades K-2 literacy and dyslexia screener collaboration. The effort aims to strengthen alignment between early learning and later-grade…
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