Conceptual Assessment of Children's Ideas about Evolution
Expert NotesStrengths:Uses an interview-based, developmentally appropriate format (with visual prompts and open-ended questions) to elicit young children’s ideas without requiring reading, writing, or prior scientific terminology, making it well-suited for capturing authentic thinking in pre-literate learners
Cautions:Relies on one-on-one, interview-based administration, which can be time-intensive and requires skilled interviewers to ask questions consistently and interpret children’s responses accurately
Topics: Student LearningThe Conceptual Assessment of Children’s Ideas about Evolution (CACIE) is a standardized, interview-based assessment tool designed to measure young children’s understanding of key evolutionary concepts.The assessment focuses on children’s ideas about the core evolutionary principles of variation,…Hands-on Scientific Reasoning Assessment (Lazonder & Janssen, 2021)
Expert NotesStrengths:Performance-based, requiring children to actively conduct investigations with real materials and demonstrate scientific reasoning processes (e.g., predicting, experimenting, interpreting, and drawing conclusions), rather than relying solely on written responses.
Cautions:Requires one-on-one administration with a trained facilitator and physical materials, making it time- and resource-intensive
Topics: Student LearningThis assessment is a performance-based instrument designed to measure children’s scientific reasoning through hands-on inquiry tasks. The test evaluates five key scientific reasoning processes: predicting, experimenting, interpreting data, evaluating data, and drawing conclusions.The instrument…Data Analysis and Graphing Assessment (Watson et al., 2024)
Expert NotesStrengths:Uses a multi-method “system of assessments” (including pre/post tests, in-game learning analytics, observation, and questionnaires), allowing for a more comprehensive and multidimensional evaluation of computational thinking across concepts, practices, and perspectives.
Cautions:Relies partly on game-based performance and in-game analytics, which may reflect students’ familiarity with digital tools or gaming strategies rather than purely their computational thinking skills.
Topics: Student LearningThis assessment consists of task-based activities designed to measure primary students’ ability to interpret data, construct graphical representations, and make predictions using interpolation and extrapolation within STEM contexts. Students engage in hands-on investigations, collect quantitative…Computational Thinking Rubric (CTR)
Expert NotesStrengths:Captures multiple dimensions of computational thinking (e.g., problem formulation, abstraction, algorithm use, and debugging) with leveled criteria, allowing for structured and comprehensive evaluation of students’ CT development over time.
Cautions:Relies on subjective rubric scoring based on students’ classroom performance (e.g., programming and debugging), which may introduce rater bias and depend heavily on the consistency and expertise of evaluators.
Topics: Student LearningThe Computational Thinking Rubric (CTR) is an analytic assessment tool designed to evaluate students’ computational thinking skills across multiple domains within learning activities such as robotics education. The rubric includes six core components: formulating problems, abstraction, logical…Engineering Design Assessment (McElhaney et al., 2019)
Expert NotesStrengths:Designed using evidence-centered design to align tasks, evidence, and scoring directly with specific NGSS engineering performance expectations
Cautions:Targets complex, multi-dimensional engineering practices, which can make tasks and scoring more challenging to implement consistently without sufficient training and detailed rubrics
Topics: Student LearningThis assessment consists of a set of task-based instruments designed to measure upper elementary students’ proficiency with engineering design concepts aligned to NGSS performance expectations. The assessment includes multiple tasks that target key aspects of engineering design, such as defining…Engineering Design Assessment (McElhaney et al., 2019)
Expert NotesStrengths:Designed using evidence-centered design to align tasks, evidence, and scoring directly with specific NGSS engineering performance expectations
Cautions:Targets complex, multi-dimensional engineering practices, which can make tasks and scoring more challenging to implement consistently without sufficient training and detailed rubrics
Topics: Student LearningThis assessment consists of a set of task-based instruments designed to measure upper elementary students’ proficiency with engineering design concepts aligned to NGSS performance expectations. The assessment includes multiple tasks that target key aspects of engineering design, such as defining…Big Ideas in Science Assessment (BISA)
Expert NotesStrengths:Standards-aligned and designed around “big ideas” in science, ensuring close alignment with the taught curriculum and providing a targeted measure of students’ conceptual understanding.
Cautions:Primarily assesses students through fixed-item responses (e.g., selected-response questions), which may not fully capture students’ deeper reasoning or ability to apply science concepts in authentic, inquiry-based contexts.
Topics: Student LearningThe Big Ideas in Science Assessment (BISA) is a curriculum-based science assessment designed to measure students’ understanding of core scientific concepts aligned with standards. The instrument is structured around “big ideas” in science, emphasizing key conceptual understandings rather than…Maryland Integrated Science Assessments (MISA) - Practice Test
Expert NotesStrengths:Include technology-enhanced and scenario-based items aligned to science standards, which assess students’ ability to analyze data, interpret models, and apply scientific reasoning rather than just recall facts.
Cautions:Primarily designed to mirror summative test formats, so they may emphasize performance on standardized item types rather than fully capturing students’ deeper, exploratory scientific thinking or inquiry processes.
Topics: Student LearningThe MCAP science practice test assessments are a set of sample assessment tasks designed to measure students’ understanding of science content and their ability to apply scientific reasoning across grade levels. These assessments reflect the structure and expectations of the Maryland Comprehensive…