This professional
learning will engage teachers in the practice of developing three-dimensional
science assessments with support. Assessments look different in the science
classroom and need to be supported by high quality instruction that asks
students to demonstrate progress toward three-dimensional standards. As all
students develop proficiency in science, teachers need feedback from different
kinds of assessments (formative, interim, diagnostic, and summative) to indicate
how individual students, whole classrooms, schools, and districts are
progressing.
Participants examine
sample science assessment tasks that are designed to elicit evidence of student
understanding of the three dimensions. This professional development will
support teachers to identify, revise, and create assessment tasks, use
standards-aligned scoring guides, and develop instructional response plans to
use in their classroom. The Arkansas
Science Assessment Pre-screener will be utilized to conduct a quick review of
assessments to determine whether they might be designed for standards based on
the Framework for K-12 Science Education, like
the Arkansas K-12 Science Standards. Additionally, this Prescreen will
also determine whether these assessments are equitably designed to elicit
student thinking from diverse learners. The Prescreen is intended to reveal
whether assessments include “red flags”—i.e., challenges commonly found in
science assessments.