The Pennsylvania STEELS Assessment Foundations
This session is intended to help classroom teachers, school administrators, and curriculum leads build a foundation in how to monitor and assess student learning of the Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy Sustainability (STEELS) standards, which are Pennsylvania's new learning goals based on research about how students learn best. The modules will focus on:
- Measuring Multi-Dimensional, Phenomena/Problem-Based Learning of STEELS Standards in Classroom Assessments
- Assessing Rigorous Science Learning of All Students
- Cultivating a System Where Assessments Work Together to Improve Student Learning
Module 1: Measuring Multi-Dimensional, Phenomena/Problem-Based Learning of STEELS Standards in Classroom Assessments. Build a shared vision of quality STEELS assessments in which students make visible their ability to integrate multiple dimensions (disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and technology and engineering practices) to make sense of a phenomenon (observable event) or problem (situation somebody wants to change).
Module 2: Assessing Rigorous Science Learning of All Students. Build a shared vision of quality STEELS assessments in which all students, including those who are historically underserved in the science classroom, are able to demonstrate their ability to apply reasoning to connect ideas that have been previously learned to a new phenomenon or problem.
Module 3: Cultivating a System Where Assessments Work Together to Improve Student Learning. Participants develop a common understanding of an assessment culture that focuses on how different types of assessment work together to improve student learning, not just check a box. Just having quality science assessments is not enough – we need to create a culture that supports educators at all levels to appropriately use and know what the research shows is most effective way to use assessment data:
No one assessment can do it all. Different assessments serve different purposes and many assessments should work together in a school system. It’s all about improving student learning. Primary focus and culture in a school system is on using assessments to further student learning rather than to simply evaluate learning.
Act 48: 6 hours per day
Lunch: 1 hour lunch break