The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has a partnership with Questar Assessment Inc. (Questar) for the online delivery of the 2023 Elementary-Level (Grade 5) and Intermediate-Level (Grade 8) Science Computer-Based Field Tests. Teachers from across the State work with NYSED in a variety of activities to ensure the validity and reliability…

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has a partnership with Questar Assessment Inc. (Questar) for the online delivery of the 2022 Elementary-Level (Grade 5) and Intermediate-Level (Grade 8) Science Computer-Based Field Tests. Teachers from across the State work with NYSED in a variety of activities to ensure the validity and reliability…

The discovery of and research into penicillin resistance by Sir Edward Abraham and Sir Ernst Chain can be used to teach the concept of natural selection and also multiple nature of science (NOS) objectives associated with Next Generation Science Standards, such as "scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence" and "science is…

Art and science help students investigate light energy and practice fair testing. With the goal of finding a way to save "Beady Kid" from invisible rays, students used science practices to investigate the transfer of light energy from the Sun. During this art-integrated science lesson presented in this article, upper elementary (grades…

Presenting both traditional and innovative assessment methods integral to science teaching and learning, this book shows teachers the connection between effective science assessment and improved student learning. The text uses a competence-based approach consistent with the National Science Education Standards to help teachers master assessment…

This report presents results from a new quantitative synthesis of research on the effectiveness and validity of test accommodations for English language learners (ELLs) taking large-scale assessments. In 2006, the Center on Instruction published a review of the literature on test accommodations for ELLs titled "Practical Guidelines for the…

Mutational inactivation of a specific gene is the most powerful technique to analyze the biological function of the gene. This approach has been used for a long time in viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fruit fly, but looked quite hopeless in more complex organisms. Targeted inactivation of specific genes (also known as knock-out mutation) in mice is…

This book by Sheryn Spencer Waterman follows the bestselling "Handbook on Differentiated Instruction for Middle and High Schools." With numerous examples and strategies, it is an all-inclusive manual on assessing student readiness, interests, learning and thinking styles. It includes examples of: (1) Pre-, Formative and Summative assessments; (2)…

Describes a final exam that is based on six papers from the primary chemical literature. Allows general chemistry students a chance to see a sample of the chemical literature and enables them to realize that the day-to-day use of chemistry requires a broad-brush approach - the simultaneous application of a myriad of concepts. Contains 12…

Presents a simple variation on multiple-choice testing that overcomes some of its drawbacks but still permits easy hand or machine grading. Gives student partial credit for partial knowledge and reduces frustration because students are no longer forced to choose between answers that they think might be correct. (JRH)

Briefly describes the first Astronomy Olympiad in Israel. Presents an example of deliberately planting errors in a scientific article in order to assess contestants' knowledge and their ability to confront familiar material presented in a nontraditional format. (JRH)

Discusses a simple modification to the method of answering and scoring multiple choice tests that allows students to indicate their estimates of the probability of the correctness of the multiple choice options for each question without affecting the validity of the assessment. (Author/CCM)

Presented are released science exercises from the National Assessment of Educational Progress in a loose-leaf format. Each exercise is followed by a documentation page that describes the objective being measured, mode of administration, age groups assessed, type of scoring, and national result. (CS) Primary type of information provided by report:…

A brief examination of the Chinese National University Entrance Examination (NUEE) and the unusual influence it has on physics teaching in China. An assessment is made of the problems the NUEE has created for teaching secondary school physics, and the trends of the reform of the Chinese NUEE. (AIM)

Recent special education legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) emphasizes the placement of students with mild disabilities in the general education classroom. Therefore, students with learning, behavior, and communicating disorders will typically be learning science from classroom teachers rather than in separate special…