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Descriptors:
Learning Disabilities; Science Instruction; Academic Standards; State Standards; Science Tests; Language Arts; Scientific Concepts; Science Teachers; Secondary School Students; Secondary School Teachers

Abstract:
The Common Core Science Standards represent a new effort to increase science learning for all students. These standards include a focus on English and language arts aspects of science learning, and three dimensions of science standards, including practices of science, crosscutting concepts of science, and disciplinary core ideas in the various subject areas. Many of these issues bring important implications for students with learning disabilities, which we discuss in turn. With appropriate supports and applications, students with learning disabilities can potentially benefit greatly from these new standards. However, the demands of these standards may require a higher level of support than those commonly available for many students with learning disabilities. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Equated Scores; Alternative Assessment; Disabilities; Case Studies; Grade 11; Science Tests; Language Tests

Abstract:
The development of alternate assessments for students with disabilities plays a pivotal role in state and national accountability systems. An important assumption in the use of alternate assessments in these accountability systems is that scores are comparable on different test forms across diverse groups of students over time. The use of test equating is a common way that states attempt to establish score comparability on different test forms. However, equating presents many unique, practical, and technical challenges for alternate assessments. This article provides case studies of equating for two alternate assessments in Michigan and an approach to determine whether or not equating would be preferred to not equating on these assessments. This approach is based on examining equated score and performance-level differences and investigating population invariance across subgroups of students with disabilities. Results suggest that using an equating method with these data appeared to have a minimal impact on proficiency classifications. The population invariance assumption was suspect for some subgroups and equating methods with some large potential differences observed. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Testing Accommodations; Science Tests; Equated Scores; Grade 5; Elementary School Students; Disabilities; English Language Learners; Item Response Theory; High Stakes Tests; Cutting Scores

Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to utilize Score Equity Assessment (SEA) to examine measurement comparability and equity in reported scores on a statewide fifth-grade science assessment with respect to groups of students defined by disability status, English Language Learner status and use of test accommodations. Benefits of SEA include a focus on equity in reported scores, the connection of SEA to equal construct assessment, and no a priori assumptions about how accommodations should affect the mean test scores of subpopulations. The findings of this study indicate that students with disabilities and English language learners who utilized accommodations on this assessment displayed a slightly higher degree of measurement comparability to the overall population of test takers than did students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners who did not utilize accommodations. This study supports the use of SEA to assess equity in reported scores and the validity of inferences based on accommodated test scores. (Contains 5 figures and 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Attitudes; Biotechnology; Video Games; Secondary School Teachers; Science Careers; Educational Technology; Educational Games; High School Students; Curriculum Implementation; Scientific Attitudes; Science Tests; Outcome Measures; Science Activities; Science Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Statistical Analysis

Abstract:
The educational video game Mission Biotech provides a virtual experience for students in learning biotechnology materials and tools. This study explores the use of Mission Biotech and the associated curriculum by three high school teachers and their students. All three classes demonstrated gains on a curriculum-aligned test of science content. Students from two of the classes showed gains on a standards-aligned test of content; students from the third class did not demonstrate statistically significant gains. This result is attributable to a ceiling effect. The results support the idea that video games can be useful in classroom contexts. No statistically significant changes were found when looking at how the game affected student attitudes toward science and science careers. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Physics; Majors (Students); Enrichment Activities; Foreign Countries; Asians; Intention; Psychometrics; Textbooks; Likert Scales; Science Education; Science Tests; Secondary School Students; Classification; Surveys; Difficulty Level; Student Attitudes

Abstract:
Asian students often perform well in international science and mathematics assessments. Their attitude toward technical subjects, such as physics, remains curious for many. The present study examines Singapore school students' views on various aspects of physics according to whether they intend to choose physics as an advanced field of study. A sample of 1076 physics students, from 16 secondary schools and junior colleges, participated in this study. The students were categorized as physics choosers or non-choosers according to their indicated intention, as sought in the survey, to study or not to study physics as a major subject at university after their leaving level examinations. Rasch-anchored analysis was employed to interpret the results; the use of Rasch analysis has helped to overcome significantly the psychometric limitations inherent in the treatment of Likert scale type of data using traditional analysis. As expected, the image of physics as a difficult subject surfaced in the samples used in our study. The students recognized unequivocally the utilitarian value of physics: physics is said to enhance career options and is necessary for technological progress to occur in a country. They also showed high interest in school physics--this is so even for students who are not keen to study physics in the future, a finding which is at variance with other studies reported from Western countries. School physics is seen to be relevant, and physics teachers are viewed as being able to foster students' interest in physics. Laboratory work, enrichment activities, and physics textbooks were reported to be important in order to encourage students to like physics. Though the physics choosers showed greater intention in physics, they were generally not inclined to pursue physics-related careers after graduation. Parents and peers at school, on the other hand, are perceived to display unenthusiastic attitudes toward physics. Possible reasons for these are discussed along with the implications of the study. (Contains 8 tables and 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Case Studies; Science Tests; Science Education; State Standards; Stakeholders; Earth Science; Core Curriculum; Federal Legislation; Academic Standards; Educational Assessment; Alignment (Education); National Standards; Science Curriculum; Statistical Analysis

Abstract:
In a standards-based system, it is important for all components of the system to align in order to achieve the intended goals. No Child Left Behind law mandates that assessments be fully aligned with state standards, be valid, reliable and fair, be reported to all stakeholders, and provide evidence that all students in the state are meeting the standards. This study reports an analysis of the alignment between the "National Science Education Standards" (NSES), New York State "Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum" (Core Curriculum) and New York State "Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents Examination" (Regents Exam)--the sources teachers use for creating Earth Science curricula in New York State. The NSES were found to have a 49% overlap with the Core Curriculum and a 27% overlap with the Regents Exam. The Core Curriculum and Regents Exam, represented by matrices consisting of performance indicators and cognitive demands, were compared using the Porter Alignment Index. The alignment was 0.35, categorized as slightly aligned, due to the different emphases on cognitive levels. The Core focused on cognitive skills of Understand and Apply while the Regents concentrated more on Apply followed by Understand and Remember. It is suggested that the NSES be revised and the Core updated to include quantifiable emphasis on the major understandings such as percentage of time. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Accountability; Science Tests; Science Instruction; Scores; Merit Pay; Reading Tests; Reading Improvement; Mathematics Achievement; Reading Achievement; Science Achievement; Intervention; Incentives; Program Effectiveness; Correlation; Nonparametric Statistics; Regression (Statistics); Evidence; Economic Status

Abstract:
Pay for performance plans are spreading across the country due to the Obama administration's $4 billion Race to the Top initiative, which places a high priority on merit pay. Through a program that involved public accountability and bonuses, the state of North Carolina awarded more than $1 billion in school-based performance bonuses for meeting test score growth targets between 1997 and 2009. Using statewide student-level data from North Carolina, I examine the effects of accountability consequences on test scores in 2008, a year in which math and reading scores were "high stakes" and science tests were "low stakes." Results from nonparametric discontinuity models show that at the margin, accountability incentives cause higher reading gains and have no adverse effects on science scores or on low achieving students. Incentive effects on science are generally positive rather than negative. Effects on science are much stronger in low-poverty schools, however, which suggests that interventions implemented in these schools to increase math and reading scores may have complemented, rather than substituted for, science instruction. (Contains 7 tables, 4 figures, and 9 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Space Sciences; Science Teachers; Field Tests; Test Validity; Test Reliability; Construct Validity; Test Construction; Item Response Theory; Evaluation Research; Teacher Evaluation; Science Education; Teacher Competency Testing; Teacher Competencies; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Natural Sciences; Science Tests

Abstract:
Science teachers' content knowledge is an important influence on student learning, highlighting an ongoing need for programs, and assessments of those programs, designed to support teacher learning of science. Valid and reliable assessments of teacher science knowledge are needed for direct measurement of this crucial variable. This paper describes multiple sources of validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.8) evidence for physical, life, and earth/space science assessments--part of the Diagnostic Teacher Assessments of Mathematics and Science (DTAMS) project. Validity was strengthened by systematic synthesis of relevant documents, extensive use of external reviewers, and field tests with 900 teachers during assessment development process. Subsequent results from 4,400 teachers, analyzed with Rasch IRT modeling techniques, offer construct and concurrent validity evidence. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Evaluation; Academic Discourse; Program Effectiveness; Decision Making; School Policy; Science Teachers; Educational Assessment; English Language Learners; Middle School Students; Middle School Teachers; Inquiry; Content Area Writing; Evaluation Utilization; Science Instruction; Science Tests; Inservice Teacher Education; Diagnostic Tests

Abstract:
Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support teachers in diagnosing their students' emergent understandings of science inquiry practices, science content knowledge, and the academic language of science, with a particular focus on the needs of English-language learners. In our current school policy context, writing for meaningful purposes has received decreased attention as teachers struggle to cover large numbers of discrete content standards. Additionally, high-stakes assessments presented in multiple-choice format have become the definitive measure of student science learning, further de-emphasizing the value of academic writing for developing and expressing understanding. To counter these trends, we examine the implementation of educative assessment materials--writing-rich assessments designed to support teachers' instructional decision making. We report on the qualities of our educative assessment that supported teachers in diagnosing their students' emergent understandings, and how teacher-researcher collaborative scoring sessions and interpretation of assessment results led to changes in teachers' instructional decision making to better support students in expressing their scientific understandings. We conclude with implications of this work for theory, research, and practice. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
American Indian Reservations; Science Instruction; Grade 3; Grade 4; Grade 5; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Science Teachers; Faculty Development; American Indian Students; Student Diversity; Culturally Relevant Education; Equal Education; Geographic Isolation; Educational Change; Beliefs; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Achievement Gains; Scores; Science Tests; Multiple Regression Analysis; Educational Strategies

Abstract:
This study focuses on a professional development program for science teachers near or on American Indian reservations in Montana. This program was framed by culturally relevant pedagogy premises and was characterized by instructional strategies and content foci resulting from the intersection between three cultures: tribal, science teaching, and science. The study employs a quasi-experimental design and quantitative methods to examine the impact of the program on teachers' practice and beliefs, and to determine the relationship between student-centered equity-focused instruction and students' science test score gains. Results of the analyses indicate that after 2 years in the program teachers changed their teaching practices and beliefs about their ability to teach science and to implement equitable instruction in a way that positively impacted students' performance. Using a multiple regression analysis it was found that gains in teacher beliefs about their ability to implement equitable strategies and the increase of teaching strategies that prompt students to make connections between science and their real-life issues significantly explained the 36.7% of the variance of student science test scores gains in treatment classrooms. No significant changes in beliefs or teaching strategies were found for comparison teachers. The results obtained from this study contribute to the identification of characteristics of a professional development program that positively impacted the science teaching of American Indian students. (Contains 6 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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