Chicago, Illinois: November 9, 2005
Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches for Grades 3–12 Teachers and School and District Administrators
A Daylong Conference Offering NSF-funded Program Findings in Assessment
In response to the current interest in science assessment strategies in grades 3–12 classrooms, NSTA will present Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches, a special conference on this topic on Wednesday, November 9, in conjunction with—and one day before—the opening of the November 10–12 convention in Chicago. Assessments play key roles in learning how to learn; understanding the cognitive frameworks and thinking patterns of students; measuring progress in relationship to curricular goals; and communicating to parents, the community, and other stakeholders information about program effectiveness and student accomplishments.
The Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches conference is designed to familiarize practitioners with current National Science Foundation–funded research on the multiple forms, roles, and contexts for student assessment in science. This research develops and tests new assessment strategies, studies assessments that can inform classroom practice, explores students’ understanding and misconceptions, and investigates assessment formats that can serve as accountability measures in high-stakes tests. The overall objective of the daylong event is to allow teachers, as well as administrators at school and district levels and professional development providers, to learn about the implications of NSF-funded researchers’ work for classroom practice and professional development.
According to Rowena Douglas, NSTA’s Assistant Executive Director, Professional Development, “This conference is the second of NSTA’s convention-linked events highlighting NSF-funded research and our expanding commitment to bring specific, meaningful, and practical professional development to science educators. Our first presentation—Linking Science and Literacy in the Classroom—was a sellout, and we offered an encore presentation at our Dallas national convention. These highly focused, and timely single-topic events are an important part of our continuing emphasis on topics of current interest in the education community. They complement NSTA’s Professional Development Institutes, which we have presented at our last two national conventions—and the Institutes currently in the planning stages for the Anaheim convention in 2006.”
The Conference Program
The conference format includes plenary sessions that address issues of general interest. Plenary sessions focusing on linking science assessment research to effective science teaching and learning will feature Richard Shavelson and Dylan Wiliam. An interactive plenary panel discussion on the alignment of classroom assessment with high-stakes testing and accountability will feature Elizabeth Stage, Meryl Bertenthal, Diane Briars, and Peter Afflerbach. Click here for an agenda and titles and descriptions of Plenary Sessions.
Twenty-one concurrent small group sessions, including two panel breakouts, have also been planned that will be relevant to the interests and needs of the practitioner audience. When registering for the conference, participants may select two breakout sessions that best match their needs and interests. See “Registration” below for details on how to select breakout sessions. Each breakout session targets the interests of specific groups, such as elementary teachers, secondary teachers, principals, curriculum coordinators, and professional development providers.
Note: Only 20 breakout sessions (C-2 – C-21) are listed in the Chicago Advance Program, which was mailed to members in August. Breakout session C-22 was added after the Advance Program went to press.
The breakout topics closely relate to the professional needs of these groups, such as embedded assessments; diversifying student feedback and assessment; assessment policies, expectations, and accountability; assessment systems models; examining assessment strategies across reading, math, and science; and using data to support and sustain school improvement. Breakout session presenters represent the fields of science education research, instructional materials development, assessment design, school administration, and teacher professional development.
All participants will be able to access conference materials online and through the subsequent executive summary and conference publications. Participants are encouraged to attend in teams, and the diverse breakout session format is designed to accommodate different team members’ interests.
Registration
You must register for the NSTA Chicago convention to participate in the Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches conference.
Registration Fees
The cost of the science assessment conference will be at an NSF-subsidized rate of $165, after you have registered for the Chicago convention at the applicable rate. The fee includes plenary sessions, breakout sessions, a continental breakfast, lunch, and all materials, including a forthcoming NSTA Press book on assessment generated by the information presented at the conference and sent to participants when it is published (est. August 2006).
How to Register
Participation in the Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches conference is by advance registration only, and group size is limited. Purchase tickets for the science assessment conference when you register for the Chicago convention online or using the Chicago Advance Registration Form available by download below (included with Breakout Sessions Selection form). You MUST provide your e-mail address when registering for the assessment conference. The registration deadline is October 31, 2005.
If you have already registered for the Chicago convention and wish to add a ticket to the assessment conference, you must submit a new Chicago Advance Registration Form on which you check the box indicating that you have already registered and wish to add a ticket. You cannot add a ticket to the Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches conference online!
Selecting Breakout Sessions
You may select two breakout sessions when you register for the science assessment conference. For descriptions of the sessions (C-2 through C-22), including framing questions and a short summary to clarify the topic, grade level, and audience, click here.
You can select breakout sessions when you register for the Chicago convention online or by completing and attaching the Breakout Session Selections form to your completed Chicago Advance Registration Form (download both below).
Session attendance is limited, and sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Rank the sessions in order of preference, putting a number (1 to 21) in front of every session. Every effort will be made to assign you your top choices. Online registration will provide you with the best opportunity to enroll in the breakout sessions of your choice.
Why assessment? Click here for more background information and a look at the goals and outcomes of the Science Assessment: Research and Practical Approaches conference.