Standards-Based Science Assessment

Ohio’s Science Cognitive Demands

Science is more than a body of knowledge. It must not be misperceived as lists of topics to be covered in the six standards in Ohio’s

Academic Content Standards, K-12 Science. Holistically, science is a way of

studying the natural world.

Cognitive Demand

Every Ohio achievement test item for science is classified on the basis of what the

item asks of the student in terms of reasoning, evaluating investigative procedures, understanding science

concepts or analyzing scientific information and technological solutions

Cognitive Demand

Distributing items across the types of cognitive demand ensures a balance of

ways for students to demonstrate science skills and understandings

Types of Cognitive Demand

• Recall / Identify Accurate Science

• Communicate Understanding / Analyze Science Information

• Demonstrate Investigative Processes of Science

• Apply Concepts / Make Relevant Connections with Science

Types of Cognitive Demand

Recall / Identify Accurate Science

• Students provide and identify accurate statements about previously learned, scientifically valid facts, concepts and relationships

• Teachers use a variety of motivators to engage students’ thinking to help them access previously learned science knowledge and skills

Types of Cognitive Demand

Communicate Understanding / Analyze Science Information

• Students analyze scientific information and communicate scientifically, given rich investigative scenarios and valid scientific data and information

• Teachers use questioning and science content knowledge and content-pedagogy to facilitate exploration of standards-based questions, challenge misconceptions and help students develop scientifically valid conceptions and explanations

Types of Cognitive Demand

Demonstrate Investigative Processes of Science

• Students use scientific inquiry skills, grounded in standards-based science content

• Teachers integrate the teaching of standards for Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Ways of Knowing into opportunities for students to conduct investigations aligned with the content standards

Types of Cognitive Demand

Apply Concepts / Make Relevant Connections with Science

• Students apply science in the context of individuals and society and scientifically analyze consequences and alternatives, given real-world situations and technological problem-solving scenarios

• Teachers integrate the teaching of standards for Science and Technology, Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Ways of Knowing into opportunities to help students contextualize and expand understandings of science content standards

Implications for Instruction

Employing instructional strategies that allow students a variety of

ways to demonstrate their science skills and understandings can

improve learning and performance on Ohio’s standards-based

assessments

Statewide Assessment

Factors that affect student performance on statewide

assessment items–Student Ability

–Item Attributes

–Random Factors

OGT Spring 2005 Data

• Multiple choice item on

which Ohio students performed the lowest– Physical Science– Recalling / Identifying

Accurate Science – 25% of students

responded correctly

Standard and Benchmark Assessed: Standard: Physical Sciences Benchmark: F. Explain how energy may change form or be redistributed but the total quantity of energy is conserved. Multiple Choice Question:

Inclined Plane Experiment

In doing the following inclined plane experiment in “ideal conditions,” students assume that friction from the air, incline or floor is negligible. A stationary box at the top of a frictionless incline is released and is allowed to slide to the bottom. The figure below illustrates the box in four positions labeled A through D as it is sliding from the incline onto the level floor. As the box moves from the bottom of the incline to the floor, students assume that the box experiences no change in speed, only a change in direction.

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3. The total energy of the box is A. always the same. B. negative at point D. C. increasing with time. D. zero before the box is released.

OGT Spring 2005 Data• Multiple choice item on

which Ohio students performed the highest– Life Science – Communicating

Understanding / Analyzing Science Information

– 90% of students responded correctly

Standard and Benchmark Assessed:

Standard: Life SciencesBenchmark: C. Explain the genetic mechanisms and molecular basis of inheritance.

Multiple Choice Question:

Sickle cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited disorders in which deoxygenated red bloodcells become distorted and take on a shape like a sickle. There are two common allelesfor this gene. One causes normally shaped red blood cells and the other allele causesthe red blood cells to have a sickle shape. The sickled cells can lodge in the smallestblood vessels and reduce the circulation of blood to tissues.

The sickle cell allele is most common in areas where the disease malaria is a significantproblem, and among people whose ancestors are from those areas. Evidence showsthat having just one sickle cell allele makes a person resistant to malaria.

This genetic condition is a recessive trait. When an individual has only one allele for thesickle cell trait, the person is a carrier.

The pedigree below represents a family in which some members have the sickle cellallele.

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14. Which person on the pedigree could not pass the allele for sickle cell disease tohis/her offspring?A. VB. XC. YD. Z

Student PerformanceCharacteristics of Items that may Impact

Individual Student Performance• Standard and benchmark

– What content is covered?• Format of item

– How is the information presented?• Passage-based or not passage-based• Multiple-choice, short-answer, extended-response • Cluster-based or not cluster-based

• Cognitive demand – What does the task require in terms of student

thinking?• Random factors

Student Performance on Spring 2005 OGT Multiple-choice Items

Standard Ave % Correct

Cognitive Demand

Ave % Correct

ES 65 R 58

LS 59 C 65

PS 58 D 68

SI

SWOK

ST

74

A 80

Preliminary Analysis of Spring 2005 OGT Data

• Student performance on constructed response items is significantly lower than performance on similar multiple choice items

• Student performance is not significantly different across standards or benchmarks

• Student performance appears to be impacted by item cognitive demand

Preliminary Analysis Research suggests that student

achievement is positively impacted by:• Teaching for transfer by providing

students with a variety of tasks • Varying the complexity of tasks and

emphasizing higher-order thinking skills

• Teaching for mastery and helping students reflect on their learning

D. W. Tileston. ( 2000.) Ten Best Teaching PracticesR. J. Marzano. (2003.) What Works in Schools

Preliminary Analysis

Research suggests that studentachievement is positively impacted by:• Ensuring multiple exposure to, and

complex interactions with knowledge• Comparing classroom or individual

student data to statewide data to reveal gaps in instruction or student experience

D. W. Tileston. ( 2000.) Ten Best Teaching PracticesR. J. Marzano. (2003.) What Works in Schools

Cognitive Demand

How can understanding cognitive demand inform classroom instruction to

improve student performance?

Aligning to the StandardsClick on the following links to learn more about:

The Learning Cycle and Classroom Inquiry

Standards-based Science Instruction

Standards-based Science Assessment

Teacher Tools for Reflecting on Teaching Science

Student Tools for Reflecting on Learning Science