As outlined in the NRC model for the National Science Education Standards, ”Quality assessment” involves setting goals, assessing students, and using the information collected to adapt instructional practices and promote learning. Trained raters will assess notebooks compiled by 40 8th grade science teachers containing assessment-related materials (such as lesson plans, assignments, quizzes, and exams) teacher feedback, and survey data from teachers and students. The researchers will investigate whether ratings of quality assessment based on notebooks are consistent across raters, science topics, and time; and whether they provide overlapping information about assessment practice, compared with teacher and student surveys. Additional analyses will investigate whether notebook ratings predict student achievement on the California Standards Test in Science.
Martinez and Borko will test the reliability and validity of a measure of “Quality Assessment” in middle school science that combines use of classroom artifacts and teacher and student surveys.
