There is growing appreciation for ways that assessments can do more than simply evaluate students. Assessments can provide insights to administrators, teachers, and to students that guides deeper learning that is meaningful and engaging for students. The SCALE Science Team at WestEd provides targeted support in the design and use of performance-based assessments to cultivate student-centered and equity-seeking science classrooms.
Our assessment design framework is grounded in a performance-based approach. This means that tasks engage students in developing agency around using science ideas and practices to address meaningful, compelling, and complex questions and problems about real phenomena. Performances increase in complexity as students work individually and in groups, offering teachers a range of evidence of students’ progress with the science dimensions measured throughout the task.
We believe that instructionally-meaningful assessments are critical for deeper learning, but not sufficient. Teachers need to cultivate responsive instructional practices leverage students’ thinking to support ongoing growth. SCALE Science provides customized professional learning to support teachers in incorporating student-centered assessment practices into their science teaching.
For information on ways that we support schools, districts, states, and developers in developing and/or using performance assessments in science, visit our services page or contact us.
