An Equity Framework for the Design and Development of Next Generation Science Standards–Aligned Formative Assessment Tasks

• In Event: 52.030 - Using Next Generation Science Standards to Inform and Provide Equitable Instruction, Learning, and Assessments to Diverse Students

Abstract

Purpose
The transition to The Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States, 2013) changes how teachers assess students. We provide an NGSS-aligned formative assessment task design and development framework that integrates opportunities for equitable measurement of performance expectations in the Life and Physical Sciences. Our framework responds to increasing diversity in U.S. classrooms by incorporating research-based task design characteristics that increase access to and reduce barriers to equitable formative assessment for a wider range of diverse students.

Perspectives
Today’s classrooms include students that are diverse ethnically, linguistically, socioeconomically, and in learning and physical ability. These children bring a range of experiences, background knowledge, and abilities to the classroom (Brown & Ryoo, 2008; Calabrese Barton, 2001; Lee, 2001; Tolbert, 2015). Supports for student engagement and language have been identified as two critical ways to provide access to instruction, including anchoring assessment tasks in relevant phenomena and practices to increase engagement (Calabrese Barton, 2001; Januszyk, Miller, & Lee, 2016) and language supports to more broadly addresses how students communicate through reading and writing (e.g., English language learners, students with disabilities, and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged populations). These areas provide the foundation for the development of a framework that guides the design and development of equitable NGSS formative assessments.
Methods and Materials
Our task design and development process uses evidence-centered design (ECD; Mislevy, Steinberg, & Almond, 2003) to create formative assessment tasks that explicate key ideas of each dimension of the NGSS performance expectations, through a process called unpacking (Harris, Krajcik, Pellegrino, & McElhaney, 2016). We integrated place-based phenomena into the unpacking of the DCIs, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts (Calabrese Barton, 1998, 2001; Brown & Ryoo, 2008; Mueller & Bentley, 2009; Tolbert, 2015), and used research on cultural biases, and linguistic and cognitive demands in assessments (Luykx, et al., 2007; Solano-Flores & Nelson Barber, 2000; CAST 2011) to identify specific task design and development features for the creation of design patterns.

Results
We developed a framework that applies principles that address diversity and equity throughout our task design and development process - both in the unpacking of the relevant PEs and in the construction of design patterns that inform the writing of tasks. Our work has produced exemplar design patterns that inform task development. In addition, this framework gave rise to a set of guidelines for the evaluation of our formative assessment tasks. Finally, we developed an exemplar set of tasks that emerged from our diversity and equity framework.

Scholarly significance
We address the need to develop a culturally diverse and globally competitive science workforce by working in schools with large populations of underrepresented STEM groups. We contribute to the body of work in equity and diversity by providing an innovative approach for how teachers can formatively assess students in diverse classrooms.

Authors

• Nonye Alozie, SRI International

• Reina Fujii, SRI International

• Tiffany Leones, SRI International

• Britte Haugan Cheng, SRI International

• Phyllis Haugabook Pennock, Michigan State University

• Krista R. Damery, Michigan State University