The Smarter Balanced assessment system has three components: the summative assessments, designed for accountability purposes; interim assessments, designed to support teaching and learning throughout the year; and Tools for Teachers, designed to support classroom-based formative assessment processes. Smarter Balanced Assessment Graphic (PDF) displays the relationship between these components, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and college and career readiness.
Pursuant to California Education Code Section 60642.6, interim assessments are available to all local educational agencies (LEAs). The Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics are optional tests that provide meaningful information to guide instruction and support student learning.
There are three types of Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments:
- Interim Comprehensive Assessment (ICAs) are built on the same blueprints as the full form summative assessments
(Please note that California currently uses the adjusted form summative blueprint.) The ICAs include the same item types and formats, including performance tasks, as the summative assessments, and yield results on the same vertical scale. The ICAs yield overall scale scores, overall performance level designations, and claim-level information.
2024–25 Interim Comprehensive Assessments Blueprints:
Interim Comprehensive Assessments Blueprint for ELA 
(PDF)
Interim Comprehensive Assessments Blueprint for Mathematics
(PDF)
- Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs) focus on smaller sets of targets than ICAs. They are intended to provide educators the ability to check where students are at that moment in time, and use results to determine next steps for instruction.
2024–25 Interim Assessment Blocks Blueprints:
Interim Assessment Blocks Blueprint for ELA
(PDF)
Interim Assessment Blocks Blueprint for Mathematics
(PDF)
- Focused IABs assess no more than three assessment targets to provide educators with an even more detailed understanding of student learning.
2024–25 Focused Interim Assessment Blocks Blueprints:
Focused Interim Assessment Blocks Blueprint for ELA (PDF)
Focused Interim Assessment Blocks Blueprint for Mathematics
(PDF)
For further information on the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments, please refer to the related resources, online tools, and frequently asked questions below:
Related Resources
- 2024–25 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments Overview
(PDF) – This document describes the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments, including their purpose, use, and varieties. For ELA and mathematics, this document provides a list of interim assessments available for the 2024–25 school year.
- Interim Assessment Lookup Tool
– This tool allows users to search available CAASPP and ELPAC interim assessments and includes information such as associated content, total number of items, and number of items that require hand scoring. It includes the functionality to narrow results by filtering by subject (i.e., ELA, mathematics, science, and ELPAC), grade level, and hand scoring requirement.
- Back to School Assessment Playbook
(PDF) – This document describes how educators can use Smarter Balanced resources, such as Tools for Teachers and interim assessments, to support high-quality instruction using the formative assessment process.
- Smarter Balanced Interim Assessment Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Smarter Balanced Training Tests, Practice Tests, and Interim Assessments At-a-Glance (PDF)
- Interim Assessment Video Series
– This series consists of six video modules intended to help educators effectively use the interim assessment systems and tools that are needed to select, administer, hand score, view and use results from the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments.
- Tools for Teachers Interim Connections Playlists Flyer
(PDF) – This flyer describes the Tools for Teachers Interim Connections Playlists of instructional resources that can be used to support teaching and learning with the use of Interim Assessment Blocks.
Online Tools
- Smarter Content Explorer
– This user-friendly web tool combines the information provided in the Smarter Balanced Content and Item Specifications—key resources used in test and item development—into an easy-to-use search interface. This tool can help teachers better understand how test questions are designed to provide evidence of what students know and can do.
- Sample Items Website
– Explore sample test questions to understand how Smarter Balanced measures college and career ready content.
- The California Educator Reporting System (CERS) Sandbox
–The California Educator Reporting System Sandbox is a non-secure training and demonstration environment that uses fictitious computer-generated data.
- The Smarter Annotated Response Tool
–The Smarter Annotated Response Tool helps educators understand how student writing is scored on the Smarter Balanced assessments and supports writing instruction in the classroom. View the Getting Started with SmART video
(Video; 7:26) for more information.
- Tools for Teachers
(Account required for full access) – The formative assessment component of the Smarter Balanced assessment system. This website features educator created lessons, activities, strategies and professional development, with a focus on using the formative assessment process during instruction in the classroom. There are two resources available to anyone on the landing page, but full access to this website requires an account. LEA staff members may get a Tools for Teachers account either through self-registration or through their LEA California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) coordinator.
View the Smarter Balanced Tools for Teachers video
(Video; 7:01) for more information.