This past week, Achieve released two new tools that will assist teachers in evaluating science assessment tasks to determine whether they accommodate for the three-dimensionality of NGSS.

The Science Task Prescreen is used to conduct a quick review of assessment tasks to identify any “red flags” – challenges commonly found in science assessment tasks – and determine whether a task is worth a more rigorous evaluation.

The Science Task Screener is used to take a deeper dive into evaluating science assessment tasks. The Screener is organized around four key criteria, each with a set of indicators to help reviewers determine whether the criteria are met and a set of response forms for gathering and analyzing evidence, providing suggestions for improvement, and rating the task. The Screener builds off the criteria in the EQuIP Rubric for Science by more clearly specifying features for the assessment tasks embedded in lessons and units.

After reviewing both of these tools, it gave me a very focused strategy to review, filter and modify for quality NGSS-aligned assessments.