Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium:

English Language Arts Item and Task Specifications

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium’s work on the English Language Arts (ELA) Item and Task Specifications will provide item writers with parameters for selected-response (SR) items, constructed-response (CR) items, and performance tasks (PT). The general guidelines for technology enhanced (TE) items/tasks will appear in a separate document. This document outlines general guidelines of the format, content, and rigor for items developed for the Smarter Balanced summative assessments. Item writers should become familiar with the ELA Smarter Balanced bridge document entitled Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Content Specifications for ELA. This document provides a foundation that item writers need in order to create the kinds of items that Smarter Balanced states desire for their assessments.