SCALE Science at WestEd
Stanford NGSS Assessment Project
The Stanford NGSS Assessment Project (SNAP) was started as a collaboration between experts in science performance assessment at SCALE and lead authors of the Framework for K-12 Science Education Jonathan Osborne and Helen Quinn to develop a model coherent and balanced system of assessments for a state to use to support and monitor NGSS implementation. Exemplar 3D performance assessments illustrate each component of this system, and design resources and scalable professional learning modules assist states and districts in replicating and adapting this system to their needs.
Formative Assessment Network
Since 2021, SCALE Science has been working with the New Mexico Public Education Department to enhance the way formative assessments are used to drive student-centered instructional practices in science. District teams, comprised of teachers and leaders, engage in year-long sequences of in-person, asynchronous, and synchronous learning activities to develop culturally and linguistically responsive 3D assessment practices. Administrators also develop their leadership practices around supporting teachers in integrating these collaborative assessment practices into their school or district.
Building Science Leaders Network
In 2023, SCALE Science, in collaboration with the K-12 Alliance and the NM Public Education Department, began building a statewide community of practice, comprising district and school teams, dedicated to enhancing participants’ leadership in promoting equitable instruction and assessment practices. This network builds the capacity of leaders across the state to support teachers in using responsive instructional practices to enhance science learning experiences and outcomes for all students.
Implementing Practices of Ambitious Teaching for Complex Assessment Tasks (IMPACT) PL is part of a multi-institution research-practice partnership among performance assessment experts, learning scientists, district leaders, and cognitive scientists to explore the situated implementation of PL focused on teachers’ use of ambitious science teaching practices when implementing 3D performance assessments. This team is studying how and why the PL shapes teachers’ thinking and practice, and the ways in which organizational structures and conditions in the schools and district intersect with the implementation of the PL model. Learn more
SCALE Science was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to develop 3D interim performance assessments, learning-centered rubrics, and self-paced professional learning resources for grade 3-5 NGSS standards. The assessments and supporting materials guide teachers in embedding the tasks in HQIM instructional sequences to both monitor and support ongoing learning. Assessments can be scored with an app that reports trends in multidimensional performances for the whole class and groups of students, suggests actionable next steps based on students’ performance, and provides class score reports that highlight specific strengths and areas for growth.
SCALE Science worked with PBLWorks staff’s to build their capacity to develop instructionally-embedded performance assessments that are seamlessly integrated into PBL units. Capacity-building activities included a year-long training series focused on creating a coherent assessment system, developing performance assessments, analyzing pilot data and revising assessments, and constructing equitable and educative rubrics. SCALE Science also provided direct coaching services and developed exemplar transfer tasks and rubrics to serve as models for developers and to embed into the units.
Twig
SCALE collaborated with Twig on the development of a coherent system of assessments integrated into a K-5 NGSS curriculum and developed an assessment framework, performance assessments, and 3D rubrics for their grade 6-8 NGSS curriculum.