For this week I looked through the 8th grade TCAP science items and one of the Biology EOC exams. On the TCAP, I was pleased to see that there were many questions that assessed skills related to scientific practices (e.g., experimental design, classification procedures, interpreting a number of representations of data). I was also surprised to see questions that, at least to me, seem to assess scientific sense-making (for example, Q6 asks students to make predictions that relate organism physiology to the type of environment, or Q24 asks students to make an inference about a cause and effect relationship). However, many questions simply asked for factual answers (Q14, Q18, Q20, and Q22, to name a few). I don't want to suggest that these are unimportant facts for students to know, but to point out these questions really only assess a student's memory, not their thinking process. Factual recall questions were in abundance on the Biology EOC I reviewed; only a handful evaluated whether or not a student could interpret evidence or make inferences.
I don't think that these assessments align very well with the modeling vision that we have been discussing in class. I feel like the Tennessee assessments reflect many of the pedagogical resources that Harlow et al. identified - especially the third resource, that good models use scientific language. While the exams don't make use of many models, they heavily rely on specialized vocabulary (Discourse) in their fact-recall questions. It's important that students develop fluency in this literacy, but term use is secondary to habits of inquiry and conceptual understanding. Students that are able to demonstrate those skills can do so without scientific vocabulary, and students that can use scientific vocabulary can do so without proficient skill levels. The former is more consistent with our discussions of scientific modeling in the classroom.
I'll add my questions later, now I have to board my flight!!
I also noticed the level of vocabulary and language in the sample and 8th grade practice tests. The literacy here, though, seemed to not just be specific to science, but also general English literacy (though definitely not as much as science literacy). I am not certain what standards the TN state follows for science (I think the Common Core), so hopefully the standards want more thinking and science practice such as thinking skills, reasoning, and modeling. Students can show these skills without a high science literacy, but I think a certain level of fluency is, and should be, required by the end of high school. For middle schoolers, this level of literacy development may be a little too high. Science practice should be taught at every grade level. I think we read a piece earlier in the semester that discussed how those practice skills are not seen enough in high schoolers, and therefore have more focus on in the earlier grades. I hope you had a good flight!
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