2. Objectives
List the purposes of assessment in science
education.
Give numerous examples of ways to conduct
formative and summative assessment.
Describe the process of developing an
assessment (Learning by Design, LBD).
Create and evaluate rubrics for science
education projects.
3. Key Components of the
Assessment Process
Focus
Purpose
Process
Users
4. Key Components of the
Assessment Process
Focus – On what aspects of the
teaching-learning process should we
collect, describe, and quantify
information?
Purpose – How will the information we
collect be used?
5. Key Components of the
Assessment Process
Method – What methods will we use to
collect the data?
Users – For whom are we collecting the
data? Who will be provided with this
information?
6. Focus (NSES, p. 88)
To describe and quantify:
Student achievement and attitude
Teacher preparation and quality
Program characteristics
Resource allocation
Policy instruments
7. Methods (NSES, p. 88)
Paper and pencil testing
Performance testing
Interviews
Portfolios
Performances
Observing programs, students, and
teachers in classroom
Transcript analysis
Expert reviews of educational materials
8. Purpose (Use) (NSES, p. 88)
Plan teaching
Guide learning
Calculate grades
Make comparisons
Establish credential
and licensure
Determine access to
special programs
Develop education
theory
Inform and monitor
policy
Allocate resources
Evaluate quality of
curricula, programs
and teaching
practices
9. Users (NSES, p. 88)
Teachers
Students
Educational
administrators
Parents
Public
Policymakers
Institutions of higher
education
Business and
industry
Government
10. ASSESSMENT STANDARD A:
(NSES, p. 89)
Assessments must be consistent with the
decisions they are designed to inform.
Assessments are deliberately designed.
Assessments have explicitly stated purposes.
The relationship between the decisions and
the data is clear.
Assessment procedures are internally
consistent.
11. Assessments must be consistent with the
decisions they are designed to inform.
This means that the purpose must
match the process. For example, if you
want to measure how well students
understand the methods of scientific
inquiry, they must be given an
opportunity to engage in scientific
inquiry as part of that assessment.
12. Assessments are deliberately designed.
This means that the assessment must
clearly provide the kind and quality of
data you need. For example,
―Classroom observation‖ might be ok to
see if students understand the
directions of an activity, they it would
hardly provide any accurate data of
student understanding of concepts or
achievement.
13. Assessments are internally consistent.
This means that if something is measured
several times in the same assessment, the
degree of success should be similar. For
example, if I ask a student multiple choice
questions about a topic and he does well, but
does very poorly over open-ended questions
on the same content, the test is not
accurately measuring his understanding of
the concept.
14. ASSESSMENT STANDARD B:
(NSES, p. 90)
Achievement and opportunity to learn science
must be assessed.
Achievement data collected focus on the
science content that is most important for
students to learn.
Opportunity-to-learn data collected focus on
the most powerful indicators.
Equal attention must be given to the
assessment of opportunity to learn and to the
assessment of student achievement.
15. …opportunity to learn science must be
assessed.
This means that we cannot state the these
students do poorly and these students do
well unless we are also evaluating such
factors as teacher quality, classroom climate,
availability of resources, whether special
needs are being addressed, etc.
Equity is an essential factor in interpreting
any social science data.
16. Achievement data collected focus on the
science content that is most important for
students to learn.
When we design assessments, we must focus
on:
The ability to inquire.
Knowing and understanding scientific facts,
concepts, principles, laws, and theories.
The ability to reason scientifically.
The ability to use science to make personal
decisions and to take positions on societal issues.
The ability to communicate effectively about
science.
17. Achievement data collected focus on the
science content that is most important for
students to learn.
Do not test what is easy to test. Test
what is important to know.
18. Assessment
At its best, it is an opportunity to learn:
what students know in order to
congratulate them.
what students do not know in order to help
them learn it.
what direction your teaching should take.
20. Assessment
According to the National Science
Education Standards:
Assessment and learning are two sides of the
same coin.
Assessment methods define what teachers
should teach and students should learn.
Students should not just demonstrate
learning during assessment; they should learn
from assessments.
21. Assessment
According to the National Science
Education Standards:
All aspects of science achievement—ability to
inquire, scientific understanding of the natural
world, understanding of the nature and utility
of science—are measured using multiple
methods such as performances and
portfolios, as well as conventional paper-and-
pencil tests.
22. Assessment
At its worst, assessment is:
An opportunity compare and rank students.
An opportunity to punish students for not
learning.
23. When do you develop the
assessment?
According to ―Understanding by
Design,‖ assessment is the SECOND
step in curriculum design.
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (nd) Understanding by Design: A
brief introduction. Center for Technology & School Change at
Teachers College, Columbia University. Retrieved 6/7/07.
Wikipedia (2010). Understanding by Design. Retrieved on
February 18, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_by_Design
24. When do you develop the
assessment?
FIRST: Select your objectives.
SECOND: Decide what proof you will accept
that the student has mastered the targeted
knowledge and skills. Your assessment must
provide that proof.
This is a very important concept. If your
assessment cannot provide that proof, it is
inadequate.
25. Characteristics of Assessment
Formative or Summative
Authentic – i.e. ―real world‖ – or
artificial
Should be tested as much as possible in
the way it will actually be used, BUT
Should also be tested as much as possible
in the way it was taught
26. Developing Assessment
ASK:
What are the essential skills and
knowledge I am trying to teach?
How can I find out whether students
are learning them?
How can I help students learn better?
27. Key to the process
Refer back to your objectives. Does
your assessment test THESE items and
to the DEPTH you targeted?
28. Provide abundant feedback
Assessments should teach, not just test
prior teaching.
Assessments should help students
internalize what competency ―looks
like.‖
Feedback provides this.
29. Which of the following BEST
describes the role of assessment?
A. Assessments reveal to the teacher what the student
does and does not know.
B. Assessments tell the teacher how to design the
curriculum.
C. Assessments provide data about the students’
current levels of knowledge and skills for the
purpose of improving those levels.
D. Assessments provide a way to assess school quality.
30. Which of the following BEST
describes the role of assessment?
Assessments show the teacher what the
student does not know.
Although this is true, it does not BEST
describe the role of assessment. It is
actually more important for the student
to have this information. Can you
explain why?
31. Which of the following BEST
describes the role of assessment?
Assessments tell the teacher how to design
the curriculum.
Although this is true, it is not the BEST
answer. Teachers should use this information
to make needed improvements in the
curriculum, but it is also essential that
assessment provide the student information
about his current knowledge and skills. Can
you explain why?
32. Which of the following BEST
describes the role of assessment?
Assessments provide data about the students’
current levels of knowledge and skills.
This is the best of the four statements.
Students, teachers, and perhaps parents and
administrators can and should use such data
to improve learning. The most important of
these, however, is always the student. Can
you explain why?
33. Which of the following BEST
describes the role of assessment?
Assessments provide a way to assess
school quality.
Although this is true, it is not the BEST
answer. Feedback to others in the
educational community is important,
but most important is feedback to
students. Can you explain why?
34. ASSESSMENT STANDARD C
The technical quality of the data
collected is well matched to the
decisions and actions taken on the basis
of their interpretation.
35. ASSESSMENT STANDARD C
Assessments are:
Valid
Reliable
Stable
Authentic
Multiple measures
Sufficient opportunity to demonstrate
knowledge and skills
36. ASSESSMENT STANDARD D
Assessments must be:
Fair
Without bias or stereotype
Modified appropriately for special needs
set in a variety of contexts
engaging to students with different
interests and experiences
37. ASSESSMENT STANDARD E
The inferences made from
assessments must be reasonable
and well-supported.
38. Assessment should develop students as
independent learners. Students should:
Select a piece of their own work to provide
evidence of understanding of a scientific
concept, principle, or law—or their ability to
conduct scientific inquiry.
Explain orally, in writing, or through
illustration how a work sample provides
evidence of understanding.
39. Assessment should develop students as
independent learners. Students should:
Critique a sample of their own work using the
teacher’s standards and criteria for quality.
Critique the work of other students in
constructive ways.
40. Assessment should develop students as
independent learners. Students should:
Involve students in the
assessment process!
41. For example: Let students to develop
the assessment instrument.
―Design your own‖ rubric.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
42. Hints for effective assessment
Assess often (formative assessment) so
that you can modify instruction to fit
student needs.
ALWAYS let students know in advance
how they will be assessed.
Use assessment for its primary purpose,
to provide feedback to you and to the
students.
43. What can you do for formative
assessment?
Exit questions: "your
ticket out the door―
Write a paragraph
Journaling
Graphic organizers
Text-based questions
Notebook checks
Quizzes
Worksheets
Diagrams/drawings/cartons
Oral questioning
Nerf basketball review game
Pass-the-ball review
What did you learn?" closure
questions
Vocabulary/concept skits
Daily warm-up review
questions
44. What can you do for formative
assessment?
Homework assignments
Review games
Group work updates
Timelines
Compare answers from
students of different
achievement levels
Compare answers from
students of different
learning styles
"Ask the Teacher" forms
Pictionary
Idea webs
Making and supporting
predictions
Metacognitive reports
Minneapolis Public Schools (2010).
Retrieved on February 17, 2010,
from
http://aaa.mpls.k12.mn.us/formati
ve.html
45. What can you do for
summative assessment?
Pencil-paper tests
Multiple choice
Essay
Matching
True/False
Etc.
Other ideas….
46. What can you do for summative
assessment?
Debate
Models
Perform a television show
Perform a television
commercial/infomercial
Improvisational role-play
Create advertisements
play
Poetry (dialogue poem:
Students create books
Letters dialogue
Plan a museum
exhibit/commemorative
stamps/historical markers
Research paper
Minneapolis Public Schools (2010).
Retrieved on February 17, 2010,
from
http://aaa.mpls.k12.mn.us/summat
ive.html
47. What can you do for summative
assessment?
Role-play journals/diaries
Stand-up comedy routine
Present and support a
new way of doing
something
Present and support your
answer to a "what if"
scenario
Compare/contrasts
Postcards from time/places
with art and text
Create and support a
metaphor
Minneapolis Public Schools (2010).
Retrieved on February 17, 2010,
from
http://aaa.mpls.k12.mn.us.summat
ive.html
48. How do you assess these other
(alternative) forms of assessment?
Rubrics
49. How do you make a rubric?
Decide on the criteria that are
important for this assignment.
Examples:
Content
Inquiry
Use of resources
Higher level thinking
Communication/Presentation
50. How do you make a rubric?
Put them in order from the most
important to the least important.
Example:
Content (most important)
Inquiry
Use of resources
Higher level thinking
Communication/Presentation (least
important)
51. How do you make a rubric?
Decide how many levels you will
describe (usually 3-5).
Decide what scale you will use.
Example:
1 = needs improvement
2 = satisfactory
3 = exceeds expectations
4 = clearly outstanding
52. How do you make a rubric?
Describe each level for each criteria.
Example:
Content
1=many serious errors in content
2 =a few serious errors in content
3 = most content correct, a few minor
errors
4 = no content errors; clear evidence of
understanding
53. Examples of science rubrics.
Which to you think is best?
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?scree
n=ShowRubric&rubric_id=1696498&
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?scree
n=ShowRubric&rubric_id=1506645&
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?scree
n=ShowRubric&rubric_id=1647435&
54. Key Points
Assessment drives the learning process.
Your assessment methods should be decided
even before the activities for the lesson have
been chosen.
Formative and summative assessments are
necessary to give students the important
feedback all during the learning process.
All assessments must be fair, rigorous, valid,
and reliable.