A new book from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine outlines how educators can develop and adapt student assessments for the classroom that reflect the approach to learning and teaching science described in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and similar standards.  The book is based on the 2013 National Academies report Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards, which found that the assessments states and districts currently use were not designed to assess the type of understanding envisioned by the NGSS, which stress the integration of knowledge of science with scientific and engineering practices.   

 In 2011 the National Academies released A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, which served as the foundation for the NGSS.  Many school districts and states are using the ideas in that report to make changes that will engage students in solving problems the way scientists and engineers do and will help them better see how science is relevant to their lives. This approach capitalizes on the natural curiosity all students have about the world around them and helps educators provide varied learning experiences that offer entry points for students from diverse backgrounds.

While educators’ adaptation of instruction and approach to assessment is likely to be a gradual process, the new guidebook contains ideas for incorporating new assessment methods into instructional practice in the short term.  The chapters in the book walk through how science learning and instruction have changed; case studies and sample tasks; how different types of assessments can give evidence of students’ science proficiency; how to build new kinds of assessments into the flow of instruction; and how educators can work with others in their schools, districts, and states.

Co-author Heidi Schweingruber, director of the National Academies’ Board on Science Education, will discuss the book during presentations at the annual conference of the Council of State Science Supervisors on March 29 and the national conference of the National Science Teachers Association on March 30.

DETAILS: 

Seeing Students Learn Science: Integrating Assessment and Instruction in the Classroom is available for immediate release.  Media inquiries should be directed to the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine.  The National Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.