Science Assessment Item Collaborative (SAIC)

AsstatesarebeginningtoimplementnewsciencestandardsforK-12students,theyfacemajorchallengesdevelopingalignednext-generationassessments.Thesechallengesincludemeasuringstandardswithathree-dimensionaldesign,shiftingtodepthofunderstandingcomparedtobreadthofcontent,andachievingacceptablecoverageofstandards.

Tohelpstatesaddressthesechallenges,theCouncilofChiefStateSchoolOfficers(CCSSO)hasfacilitateda14-stateScienceAssessmentItemCollaborativetodevelopsummativeassessmentitemsalignedtotheNextGenerationScienceStandards(NGSS).Thefirstphaseofthisworkfocusedonprocessdocumentationandprototypedevelopment.

Standards,Assessment,andAccountabilityServices(SAAS)atWestEdsupportedtheCollaborativebyproducingthefollowingguidingdocumentationthatwillbeusedbythe14participatingstates—andareavailablepublicly—toinformlarge-scaleNGSStestanditemdevelopment:

• AnAssessmentFrameworkthatincludestheoveralltestdesign,descriptionofanalignedtestitemclusterasthefoundationalunitofanNGSS-alignedassessment,specificationsforvarioustypesoftestitems,andaccessibilityprinciples.

• ItemSpecificationsGuidelinesthatdetailamodelofNGSSitemclusterspecifications.Theguidelinesclassifyitemtypesforconsiderationinanitemcluster,identifykeyelementsforeachitemcluster,anddescribethelinkagebetweenitemclustersandtheNGSS.Thedocumentprovidesguidanceforitem-writinganditem-reviewefforts.

• TwoItemClusterPrototypesthatwillbeusedbytheparticipatingstatestoinformtestitemdevelopment.Eachprototypeincludesadescriptionofthecluster’salignmenttoperformanceexpectationtargets,NGSSdimensions(i.e.,DisciplinaryCoreIdeas[DCI],ScienceandEngineeringPractices[SEP],andCrosscuttingConcepts[CCC]),NGSSevidencestatements,andadescriptionofhowtheitemsaredesignedtofunctionasaunit.

WestEdfacilitatedreviewcyclesandprototypereviewcommitteemeetingstoensurethatparticipatingstates’needsandexpectationsweremetbythefinaldocumentation.

ThestatesandentitythatparticipatedintheScienceAssessmentItemCollaborativeincludeArkansas,California,Connecticut,Delaware,Illinois,Kentucky,Hawaii,Maryland,Massachusetts,Michigan,Nevada,Oregon,Washington,WestVirginia,andtheU.S.VirginIslands.Asaresultofthiswork,stateshavebeenabletomoreclearlydefinetheirneedsandexpectationsforNGSSlarge-scaleassessments.ThisdocumentationhassupportedstatesintheirongoingeffortstoaddressthechallengesofalignmentofitemsanddevelopmentoftestdesignstomeasurestudentachievementfortheNGSS.

Formoreinformation,pleasecontact:KevinKing(kking@wested.org;435.655.1229)NicolleRomero(nromero@wested.org;415.412.4448)

Science Assessment Item Collaborative Guiding Documentation

AssessmentFramework

TheAssessmentFrameworkprovidesarangeofoptionsandaccompanyingrationalesforthedevelopmentofNGSS-aligneditemsandsummativeassessments.

ItemSpecificationsGuidelines

TheItemSpecificationsGuidelines,developedasacompaniondocumenttotheSAICAssessmentFramework,providesamethodicalandpracticalguideforthedevelopmentofItemSpecificationsfortheassessmentoftheNGSS.Itdiscussesissuespertinenttoassessmentdevelopmentandprovidesaroadmapforthedevelopmentofclear,comprehensivespecificationsforNGSS-aligneditemclusters.

Grade5ItemClusterPrototypeTheGrade5ItemClusterPrototypewasdesignedtofollowtheprinciplesandrecommendationssetforthintheSAICAssessmentFrameworkandItemSpecificationsGuidelinesforanNGSS-alignedlarge-scalesummativeassessmentitemcluster.Theprototypeservesasaninitialmodelformeasuringthethree-dimensionalsciencelearningcalledforintheNGSSandshouldpromoteongoingdialogueaboutthevisionforatrulynext-generationscienceassessment.Theitemclustercannowbepreviewedlivewithinteractiveitemsandmedia.

HighSchoolItemClusterPrototypeTheHighSchoolItemClusterPrototypewasdesignedtofollowtheprinciplesandrecommendationssetforthintheSAICAssessmentFrameworkandItemSpecificationsGuidelinesforanNGSS-alignedlarge-scalesummativeassessmentitemcluster.Theprototypeservesasaninitialmodelformeasuringthethree-dimensionalsciencelearningcalledforintheNGSSandshouldpromoteongoingdialogueaboutthevisionforatrulynext-generationscienceassessment.

Sources:http://www.csai-online.org/spotlight/science-assessment-item-collaborative

http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Resources_Listing.html