1. Chapter 8 Assessing Active Science Learning 299-330

2. How to Read This Chapter Assessment is presented from three contexts: the classroom context, assessment at the national level and assessment at the international level. If you are looking for specific assessment strategies, then you’ll want to focus on the first part of the chapter. If you are interested in national and international assessments then the sections on these reports will be of interest. You will want to come back to this chapter from time-to- time to find examples of assessment strategies that you can integrate into your teaching plans. 300

3. Invitations to Inquiry What are some trends in the development of assessment strategies? What are the components of a comprehensive assessment strategy for student learning and instruction? How can inquiry-based learning be assessed? What methods of assessment are effective in understanding student learning? How can assessment items be classified? What are the trends in the national assessment of science progress? What are the trends in the international assessment of science achievement? 300

4. Chapter 8 Map 299-330

5. Case Study: Mrs. Cronin’s Whirlybird Project Read the case of Mrs. Cronin’s whirlybird project. Do you think the project, as described, is a valid way to assess student learning? Why do you think so? 299-300 Teacher’s testing their whirlybirds

6. Inquiry 8.1: Designing an Assessment Plan In this activity, you will design an assessment plan for a mini- unit, a chapter in a text, or course of study. The plan makes use of the tools presented in Chapter 8. You will be developing: –Preassessment activities –Performance assessments –Assessments for intended learning outcomes –A student portfolio 301-302

7. Informal Methods of Assessment Informal methods involve direct interaction of the teacher with students, during class or nonclass time. Which of these methods would use, and why? –Observing Students –Asking Questions –Student Questions –Conferencing 303-304

8. Semiformal Methods of Assessment How would you implement monitoring classroom practice as a semiformal method of assessment? How would you integrate homework into an assessment plan? 304-305

9. Formal Methods of Assessment Pre-assessment--used to find out student’s prior knowledge. Three methods are presented, including: –The T-Chart –Pictorials & Drawings –Concept Maps How would these pre- assessment strategies help you in planning lessons and designing units of study? 305-308

10. Formal Methods of Assessment Several formal methods are presented, including: –Traditional Paper-and- Pencil Tests –Traditional Short Answer –Student Writing –Open-Ended Questions –Content-Specific Tasks –Science Journals –Written Reports or Multimedia Presentations 307-308

11. Inquiry 8.2: Designing Performance Assessment Tasks and Rubrics In this inquiry you are going to design a performance task that would assess student understanding of a big idea or concept. You will be given selected big ideas/concepts from the Standards and the Benchmarks. Using these statements, you will be asked to create a performance task that will assess learners on the idea. An example of a performance task is shown here. 309-310

12. Paper Tower Assessment Project 309 Teacher-interns collaborating on the construction of a paper tower.

13. Portfolios Study the sample portfolio provided in the Art of Teaching Science (pp. 312-313), and use it as a model to develop a portfolio based on your mini-unit, or a chapter from a middle or high school science textbook. 311-313

14. Assessment at the National Level The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a federally mandated organization that administers assessments to measure educational progress in science, and other content areas. Review the material on NAEP in the Art of Teaching Science (pp. 311-320). How can the NAEP contribute to the improvement of education in U.S. school districts? 311-320

15. Long-Term Trends in Science Find out how the following have changed over time based on NAEP results (science): Achievement Age Race/Ethnicity Gender Parental Education Level and achievement Type of School Science Curriculum Attitudes 314-317

16. Inquiry 8.3: Surveying Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes in Science In this activity, you will use a survey instrument to find out about student knowledge and attitudes toward science. You’ll use some NAEP items to put together a two part assessment instrument. Work with other peers to assess a wide variety of students at different grade levels and at different schools. Use the results and compare them to the NAEP results. 317-318

17. Assessment at the International Level The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has conducted comparative studies since the 1960s. Known as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), students in more than 40 nations at the fourth, eighth and final year of high school have been tested. Results of some recent testing are show in Tables 8.8 and 8.9. Although not all of the countries that were featured in Chapter 4 participated in the study, find those that did participate, and how their results compared. Rank order them. Where is the U.S. on your ranked list? Do you think comparisons across cultures are valid? Visit the TIMSS site by clicking on the globe and see what you can find at their site. 320-322

18. Think Pieces 322-323

19. Think Pieces 322-323 What are the elements of a model of assessment that you would implement with middle or high school students? What is a performance assessment and how does it differ than traditional paper and pencil tests? What do you think is the fairest way to assess students in a heterogeneous chemistry class? What is the basis for your thinking? Are the results national assessments of science achievement valid in making comparisons from one state to another or region of the country? What do you think? How can international assessments of science be helpful to educators?