Connecticut State Department of Education

Next Generation National Science Standards

WHY?• 15 years since last national standards• Time to reflect on standards’ enactment and impacts• National and international science test scores• New research on how students learn scienceHOW?• 2010: NAS develops Guiding Principles, Domains and

Core Ideas• 2011: Achieve leads standards-writing process• 2012: Standards published; states choose to adopt

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Connecticut Science Standards Pop Quiz!

1. The Gr. 5 CMT assesses 5th grade science standards (True or False)

2. What is the difference between a Content Standard and an Expected Performance?

3. Content Standard 2.2, like all .2 standards, is an optional unit (True or False)

4. How does Content Standard K.4 relate to other kindergarten standards?

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HIERARCHY OF SCIENCE STANDARDS:From Broadest Ideas to Measurable Student Outcomes

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Anatomy of the Science Standards

Follow along on the annotated sample page

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Grade-Level Concepts (“GLCs”)• Unwrap underlying knowledge for each Framework Content

Standard• Learning goals for the unit• Indicate scope and depth of learning unit• Suggested pacing: typically 1-3 lessons per concept statement• Suggested unit sequence• Key scientific literacy vocabulary• Some are assessed on CMT

How can your district use unwrapped concept statements?• Aligning learning activities, selecting instructional materials,

designing content-based professional development;

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Grade-Level Expectations (“GLEs”)• What students should be able TO DO as evidence of learning• Interim assessments after a series of lessons• Measured primarily through classroom- and district-level

assessments; some GLEs are assessed on CMT• Bloom’s Taxonomy - range of cognitive challenge

• ALL students use higher order processes (not just recall)• Include some INQs merged with content• Districts may prioritize and modify

GLE Uses:

• Common formative and summative assessments, tracking student growth across grades (portfolios,) competency-based report cards, etc.

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Assessment Expectations

• Summative assessment of learning (end of unit, marking period or year)

• Broad ideas (big picture)• Grades 3-10 Expected Performances indicate

selected content sampled on CMT

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QUESTIONS ABOUT ORGANIZATION AND USES OF SCIENCE STANDARDS?

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Using Standards to Develop AssessmentsUsing Standards to

Develop Assessments

Remember…

“Not everything that counts can be counted;

not everything that can be counted counts.”

-Albert Einstein

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1. Give Context to the Task:“Why are we doing this?”

• Learning activities/tasks should stimulate student ideas or be driven by students’ ideas;

• Tasks need a purpose or a question worth investigating. Not…“Make these objects move” or “Count these leaves”.

Science can provide an engaging context

for applying mathematical content and

practices

Mathematics enables us to collect

quantitative data, identify patterns,

construct evidence-based claims, and communicate with

precision

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2. Look for Math/Science Connections

Science TopicsKindergarten –objects in the

classroom (K.1), living and nonliving things on the schoolyard (K.2) , weather conditions, building materials

Gr. 1 – sun’s position, ways objects move, shadows, animal/plant parts, growth/change

Gr. 2 – states of matter, plant life cycles, soils, nutrients

Mathematics Skills • Kindergarten – counting by 10s,

cardinality, comparing length & weight, adding & subtracting within 10, recognizing shapes, classifying and counting objects in a category

• Gr. 1 – counting to 120, adding, subtracting, comparing lengths, how many in a category

• Gr. 2 – using tools to measure length in std units, odd & even, counting by 5s, 10s and 100s, adding 2-digit numbers, drawing picture and bar graphs 13

3. Prioritize the MOST Important Standards to Assess

• Look at the big idea in the Content or Practice Standards

• Choose one GLE or numbered standard that most closely captures the essence of the standard

• Choose one GLE or numbered standard that captures a high-leverage practice

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Sample Science GLE Selection

2.1 – Materials can be classified as solid, liquid or gas based on their observable properties.

GLE 1 – Compare and contrast the properties that distinguish solids, liquids and gases. (content)

GLE 5 – Design a fair test to compare the flow rates of different liquids. (inquiry)

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Sample Mathematics Standard Selection

CC 2 Measurement and Data• Measure and estimate lengths in standard

units• Relate addition and subtraction to length

6. Represent whole numbers as lengths…

• Represent and interpret data 10. Draw a picture graph and bar graph…

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Your turn…

• Independently review Standard 2.2• Select 2 important GLEs (content and inquiry)• Compare and discuss your choices with a

partner• Work together to select 2 important GLEs for

Standard 2.3• Be prepared to share and justify your

selections with the whole group

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Qualities of Good Assessment Tasks

1. What do you think? Turn and talk…Interesting -Relevant-Important -

2. What does the CREC K-2 Rubric say? – see Section 73. How would you define these terms:

Meaningful -Real world -Multiple modalities –Meaningful feedback – Inform instruction -

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QUESTIONS ABOUT USING STANDARDS TO DEVELOP

ASSESSMENTS?

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Useful Resources - Science• Science Content Explanations –National Science Education Standards

• AAAS Benchmarks On-linehttp://www.project2061.org/publications/atlas/sample/toc.htm

• Page Keeley’s Formative Assessment

Strategies and Probes (Vol 1-4) 20

Useful Resources - Mathematics

• A Model for Mathematics Curriculum for Grades PreK-8 Correlated GOALS 2000 Criterion Referenced Test

• Uncovering Student Thinking

• NCTM K-2 Assessment Sampler 21

CSDE Science Consultant:Liz Buttner860-713-6849elizabeth.buttner@ct.gov

CSDE Mathematics Consultant:Charlene Tate Nichols860-713-6757charlene.tate.nichols@ct.gov

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