High School Science Performance Assessments: An Examination of Instruments for Massachusetts

By Pamela Ellis, Erica Jablonski, Abigail Jurist Levy, Amie Mansfield

This paper describes the development and implementation process of high school science performance assessments in the following nine states: Colorado, Connecticut. Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Vermont. It provides detailed descriptions of these states’ instruments, including in-depth information on the test development process (who, how, when), piloting (length of time, recruitment of schools, sampling framework), technical qualities (validity, reliability, item analysis), reporting (student/school/district/state level), and district/school buy-in strategies (surveys, meetings, regulations/laws). The products resulting from this project guided the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as they developed a science performance assessment in 2008.

Contact Info: Abigail Jurist Levy (1-800-225-4276 x2437)

Published by: Education Development Center, Inc.

Download a copy of High School Science Performance Assessments: An Examination of Instruments for Massachusetts (PDF, 170 KB): http://cse.edc.org/products/pdfs/HS_SciencePerfAssessMass_12-21-08.pdf

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