There is growing awareness of the need for a shift in science instruction in the elementary grades. As elementary classrooms make this shift, high-quality formative assessments are essential for providing teachers with information on where students are in the process of developing proficiency in science. We especially need formative assessments attentive to the Next Generation Science Standards’ (NGSS) emphasis on scientific oral and written language and communication skills. 

The cross-institutional team is developing and piloting a suite of innovative NGSS-aligned classroom-based assessment resources comprised of a suite of assessment tasks with accompanying rubrics for interpreting student performance, teacher practice guides for engaging in classroom instruction that is informed by student learning, and PL to help teachers learn about science assessment and instruction consistent with the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education and the NGSS. 

The project team is employing a design-based implementation research methodology that emphasizes not just the development of a product, but also a body of knowledge regarding best practices for addressing local concerns of implementation. The research and development plan entails using the Next Generation Science Assessment Young Scientists (NGSA-YS) approach, a design process that builds on the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) approach by adding a focus on integrated science and literacy for elementary students. 

A key outcome of the project will be formative assessment resources that equip Grade 3 teachers with tools to understand where students are in their integrated science and literacy learning, which can then be used to guide instruction. When successfully implemented in classrooms, the tasks and rubrics will help teachers see what evidence of NGSS learning “looks like” and how to promote it.