ERIC Number: EJ1232290
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Oct
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8555
EISSN: N/A
Test Blueprints in the Science Classroom
Miller, Kurtz; Caprio, Terri; Smarr, Tonie; Bledsoe, Kathleen Guest; Pettinichi, Katie
Science Teacher, v87 n3 p37-41 Oct 2019
School districts across the country have identified priority areas aligned to school improvement plans, such as formative assessment, differentiated instruction, and posted learning targets. Several studies indicate that these areas, coupled with high-quality instruction, may have significant returns in terms of student learning (Marzano 2013; Marzano 2010; Hattie 2008). This article describes how "test blueprints" (documents that state learning targets, the type of knowledge, the level of thinking required, and the relative importance of the target) in a high school science setting to plan curricula, enact day-today instruction, write formative and summative assessments, and then determine what students have learned. Test blueprints are commonly used for high-stakes tests, such as the ACT and state-level testing across the country. Although they take time to write, the blueprints can help teachers become more organized and purposeful, and help them align a planned curricula to the enacted and assessed curricula for the benefit of student achievement.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Science Achievement, School Districts, Educational Improvement, Formative Evaluation, High Stakes Tests, Educational Quality, Teaching Methods, High School Students, Thinking Skills, Curriculum Development, Science Tests, Alignment (Education), Test Construction, Educational Objectives, Summative Evaluation, High School Teachers
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A