The development of proficiency in the practices used by scientists and engineers is considered an important student outcome of laboratory instruction. We developed tasks to assess students' use and development of selected scientific and engineering practices in the general chemistry laboratory using an adapted evidence-centered design approach. In…

This article discusses funky protractor tasks, which are designed to provide opportunities for students to reason about protractors and angle measure. These tasks afforded opportunities for students to think critically about angular measurement tools, which supported the teachers with valuable insights into students' developing conceptions of…

This article describes the development and initial testing of the "Elementary Literacy Coach Self-Efficacy Survey", a new instrument designed and created to assess literacy coaches' efficacy for coaching-specific tasks. A synthesis of literature on literacy coaching tasks and experts in the coaching field were used to craft the…

Item Response Theory (IRT) has proven useful in physics education research to examine the validity of concept tests (e.g., Refs. 1-3) and online homework (e.g. Refs. 4-6), yet as a tool for the improvement of physics instruction (particularly exams), it is oftentimes perceived as (a) mysterious, (b) unjustified, and (c) impractical. This article…

A decision of whether to move from paper-and-pencil to computer-based tests is based largely on a careful weighing of the potential benefits of a change against its costs, disadvantages, and challenges. This paper briefly discusses the trade-offs involved in making such a transition, and then focuses on a relatively unexplored benefit of…

Many students share a certain amount of discomfort when encountering proofs in geometry class for the first time. The logic and reasoning process behind proof writing, however, is a vital foundation for mathematical understanding that should not be overlooked. A clearly developed argument helps students organize their thoughts and make…

This technical report documents the processes and procedures employed by NWEA® to build and support the English MAP® Reading Fluency™ assessments administered during the 2020-2021 school year. It is written for measurement professionals and administrators to help evaluate the quality of MAP Reading Fluency. The seven sections of this report: (1)…

This document is written primarily for policy makers and state department of education staff who are considering through-year assessments, as well as consultants and contractors state departments rely on. The document identifies essential things to consider when designing or evaluating a through-year assessment program. The paper is organized into…

Was the approach proposed for calculating exam grades in summer 2020 fair? Were the grades eventually awarded (after policy changes) fair? What is a fair arrangement for 2021? These questions have been at the heart of debate in the UK in the light of COVID-19. After schools were closed in the spring of 2020 and the decision was made not to proceed…

Students often view their role as that of a replicator, rather than a creator, of mathematical arguments. We aimed to engage our students more fully in the creation process, helping them to see themselves as legitimate proof creators. In this paper, we describe an instructional activity (i.e., the "group proof activity") that is…

We propose a new instructional theory, the Domain of Validity (DoV) Framework, which offers a new way forward for designing teaching for conceptual change, while also resolving conflicts between existing theories related to common, difficult-to-change conceptions students have about particular scientific topics. We propose that knowledge consists…

The redesigned "TOEIC Bridge"® tests are designed to measure the reading, listening, speaking, and writing proficiency of beginning to low-intermediate English learners in the context of everyday adult life. This report describes the comprehensive and multifaceted process used to enhance the meaningfulness of TOEIC Bridge test score…

Valid and reliable assessments are difficult to administer in PK-12 physical education due to a lack of resources. In this article, we discuss a collaborative model that may mutually benefit students in both the PK-12 and higher education settings. We detail a process with related materials and procedures that should be present for a…

The article presents some examples of plane geometric variance of an area with the use of computer technology. These tools can offer teachers opportunities for adaptation and preparation of pedagogical presentations which will help students along the process of fruitful conjectures formation and eventually construction of formal deductive proofs.…

This article considers how a handicapping system should be devised for squash. It looks at the American scoring system, and whether it is possible to have a fair system of handicapping. We consider "fair" from a perspective of expected number of rallies won and probability of winning.