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WestEd and the Council of Chief State School Officers to Develop the 2009 National Assessment
(10/01/2004) (10.01.04) WestEd, a national nonprofit research, development, and service agency, in partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a national nonprofit organization of public officials who head state departments of elementary and secondary education, has been awarded $1.3 million from the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) to develop the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science Framework and Specifications. This initiative will lead to the NAEP science assessments administered nationally to students in grades 4, 8, and 12 beginning in 2009.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "the Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and the arts. NAGB, appointed by the Secretary of Education but independent of the Department, sets policy for NAEP and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the assessments. NAGB is a bipartisan group whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Today, the education community nationwide relies on and uses NAEP findings to improve students' education.
“We are honored that NAGB selected our agency to develop the new science NAEP,” said Steve Schneider, Program Director of WestEd's Mathematics, Science, and Technology Program and Co-Principal Investigator of this framework project. “We look forward to collaborating with the organization and CCSSO to define a forward-looking framework that will assess what students should know and be able to do in science,” adds Senta Raizen, Co-Principal Investigator for the framework project and Director of WestEd’s National Center for Improving Science Education: “This is an exciting opportunity to build an assessment framework that reflects high standards for all. The team will involve scientists, science education professionals, state education staff, and the public to develop a quality framework that will guide the national science assessment through 2021.”
To ensure the science framework and specifications are valid, reliable, and an accurate assessment of what students should know, WestEd and CCSSO have brought together an impressive group of collaborators including: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Council of State Science Supervisors, the National Science Foundation’s Center
for Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning at WestEd, and the National Science Teachers Association.
"We look forward to our collaborative partnership with NAGB and WestEd,” said G. Thomas Houlihan, CCSSO's Executive Director. “The resulting product of this 15-month undertaking will be the development of a new science framework that articulates the high standards of what students should know and be able to do. The involvement of educators from our states and numerous other organizations will result in an extremely valuable resource for use as states continue to systematically review their content standards and develop science assessments to meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements.”
About WestEd
WestEd, a national nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California. Its corporate headquarters are in San Francisco. Additional information about WestEd is available at http://www.WestEd.org. Additional information about this project may be obtained from Steve Schneider at sschnei@wested.org.
About the Council of Chief State School Officers
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major education issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major education issues and expresses its views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public. Additional information about CCSSO is available at http://www.ccsso.org. Additional information about this project may be obtained from Mary Yakimowski, Director of Assessments, at MaryY@ccsso.org.