Exploring a Heuristic Framework for Science Assessments: Drawing From the Analysis of NAEP Items

• In Event: Application of Formative and Classroom Assessment Practices Across Content Disciplines

Abstract

Drawing from the sociocultural perspectives of assessments and systemic functional linguistics, this paper highlights the use of a framework to address the development of classroom assessments in science aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. To that end, the framework is used to analyze NAEP 4th and 8th grade science assessment items. The framework discerns ways to identify constructs by which language of the assessments might influence students’ responses. Results show that many items have high language use, language demands were not addressed adequately by use of multimodal elements and not many real world applications. It can be applied by teachers and researchers to guide the overall process of development of science assessments for use in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms.

Author

• Preetha Krishnan Menon, Stanford University