From the abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide readers the opportunity to see the planning, organization and delivery of an undergraduate course in the area of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). This course for is designed for students to thoughtfully engage in the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM. In the course students develop skills related to intersections between these content areas, and the construction and application of STEAM models for cross-disciplinary dialogue, inquiry, and problem solving. The discussion fits in the discipline of SCIENCE and contributes to the continued efforts in the science community to engage and create opportunities for interdisciplinary study for student work and research (p. 2).
Assessing English Learners Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), includes new provisions that are designed to support ELs’ participation in statewide testing. To facilitate testing of ELs and to support their testing participation, ESSA includes stipulations for states to administer content assessments in languages other than English. ESSA also requires states to make efforts to develop state content assessments in languages that are present to a significant extent in their student population. As with federally required state content assessments, any assessment developed in a language other than English must meet federal requirements for technical quality and peer review.
This resource provides an overview of the different state content and language assessment requirements for states to consider and is designed to be shared with state department of education staff and can be used as part of training materials for district and school staff who assess English learners.
ESSA Requirements Related to English Learners
CSAI presented at the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Standards, Assessments, and Accountability System Negotiated Rulemaking Committee meeting on state requirements related to English Learners under the Every Student Succeeds Act. In the presentation, CSAI shared federal policy requirements, state implementation examples, and considerations for how the Committee may approach their own decision-making. The meeting was held in Arlington, Virginia on December 4-6, 2018.
Supporting Formative Assessment for Deeper Learning: A Primer for Policymakers
This primer argues that effective formative assessment is essential to successfully implementing new college- and career-ready standards. It explains what formative assessment is, how it works in practice, and why it is critically important in fostering powerful pedagogy and 21st-century competencies. It then contrasts the purposes and uses of formative assessment with those of other forms of assessment in a comprehensive and balanced assessment system. It also offers recommendations for policymakers at state and local levels in how to support formative assessment, and not unintentionally undermine it. Ultimately, this primer argues for formative assessment’s central role in fostering a culture of learning for students and teachers.
Online Reading Comprehension Assessments
Online Reading Comprehension Assessments (ORCA) are tests of students’ abilities to locate, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate information that they read online. Funded by a grant from the Institute for Education Sciences, the ORCA Project was a five-year research project to create, study, and validate assessments that educators could use in schools. The research team developed and studied the use of ORCA assessments with middle school students.
Understanding the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension
“Understanding the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension” is a curated collection of resources to support educators’ professional learning about online reading comprehension skills and strategies–both how to assess and how to teach these skills and strategies. Researchers at the University of Connecticut created this collection to complement the Online Reading Comprehension Assessment (ORCA) Project, which was funded by the Institute for Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education.