Center for Standards, Assessment, and Accountability

Subject Area: Science

Changes in the Expertise of ESL Professionals: Knowledge and Action in an Era of New Standards

This professional paper published by TESOL discusses the shifting landscape surrounding the new Common Core Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and their implications for building and enacting ESL teacher expertise. The authors explain the challenges and the possibilities associated with the new Standards for the ESL profession in the K-12 context, […]

Overview of the Common Core State Standards Initiatives for ELLs

The purpose of this brief from TESOL is to provide an overview of the policies behind the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. The paper outlines some initiatives that are in place (as of the time of publication) to address the needs of English language learners (ELLs) in relation to the […]

Science Assessments: Innovations in the Next Generation of State Assessments

The Alliance for Excellent Education and the K-12 Center at ETS collaborated to present this webinar discussing options for science assessment aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The webinar provided an overview of the NGSS, and panelists discussed activities in states that have adopted them; outlined options for assessment; and described efforts already underway […]

The Art of Science Learning

The Art of Science Learning is a National Science Foundation-funded initiative that uses the arts to spark creativity in science education and the development of an innovative 21st Century STEM workforce. The initiative is built on more than 15 years of work by Harvey Seifter, Principal Director and Investigator, and colleagues who have explored the […]

Promoting STEM Career Interest in the Classroom: An Exploratory Study Linking Teacher Professional Development with Changes in Teaching Practices

This resource highlights a study within Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), a program solicitation from the National Science Foundation. The ITEST program funds foundational and applied research projects addressing the development, implementation, and dissemination of innovative strategies, tools, and models for engaging students to be aware of STEM and cognate careers, and […]

Research Brief: Designing an Assessment System that Measures Three-Dimensional Science Learning

From the publishers: “Many districts and states need an assessment system that aligns with the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education and NGSS to determine whether students are developing proficiency in science and whether students have adequate opportunities for “three- dimensional” science learning that blends (a) science and engineering practices, (b) crosscutting concepts, and (c) […]