Overview

The primary goal of this project is to develop models and methods for classroom formative assessment that will support students’ learning of inquiry, while also providing evidence of students’ learning, which schools can use for accountability reporting.

The Web of Inquiry

• We are developing a formative assessment environment and tools that will enhance students’ learning about the nature, processes and purposes of scientific inquiry.
• Students use of these tools for self and peer assessment should also foster their metacognitive abilities for planning, monitoring and reflection.
• Teachers use of these tools should lead to coherent judgments relating evidence from students’ work to judgments of students’ level of accomplishing state standards of inquiry.
• To validate teachers’ judgments so that they can be used by schools, we are creating statistical models to assess the soundness of assessment arguments that they create.
• Enhance the functioning of their class as a community of inquirers.