Smarter Balanced releases interim assessments that allow teachers and educators in member states to check student progress throughout the year and receive feedback they can use to tailor instruction.

Smarter Balanced conducts a Field Test—a test of the test—of summative and interim assessment items and performance tasks. More than 4.2 million students participate, making it the largest online assessment to date.

Teachers write pilot items and tasks, review for alignment with college and career readiness standards, and check for bias/sensitivity. Small-scale trials of new items and task types are used to inform revisions.