Science teachers need assessments that mirror the new way students are learning.
WAKEFIELD, Mass. (PRWEB) July 31, 2019
Certica Solutions, provider of K-12 analytic and assessment solutions which promote student improvement and achievement, today announced the availability of the NextGen Science Checks™ designed to assess mastery of the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS). The NextGen Science Checks have been developed in accordance with the Achieve guidelines for NGSS assessment, so that teachers can evaluate students who are exposed to new methods of science learning.
The NextGen Science Checks are pre-defined tests, each containing 8-10 questions related to a phenomena-based stimulus, and are available to educators as a component of Certica’s Navigate Item Bank™. The NextGen Science Check assessment items have been developed independently from the Navigate Item Bank’s state-aligned science items and have been expressly designed to follow the Achieve best practices.
Three-Dimensional Standards Assessment
Adoption of NGSS has shifted the focus of science education, impacting not only curriculum and classroom experience, but also the way student learning is measured. NGSS provides a framework for learning science in three dimensions—Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)—applicable to the NGSS learning goals, called “performance expectations.” As a result of this shift, science teachers need assessments that mirror the new way students are learning.
The NextGen Science Checks are modular, so teachers can give an expertly-developed, best practice assessment, while having the flexibility to administer either an individual module or combine modules to create more in-depth assessments. The NextGen Science Checks are available for grades 3-8 and include more than 70 modules bundled by performance expectations, consistent with Achieve recommendations.
Focus on Rigor and Alignment
The NextGen Science Checks are the latest addition to Certica’s portfolio of assessment products. Leveraging the company’s unique standards alignment and assessment content management technology during the development process, Certica continues to lead the market with a focus on testing rigor and precise alignments to all states’ learning standards, including NGSS. As part of this focus, earlier this year, Certica acquired assessment provider TE21, publisher of the CASE Benchmark Assessments™, which are both customizable for individual clients and predictive of state test performance in all core subjects
Said Mark Rankovic, Certica’s president and CEO, “many schools and districts are now implementing NGSS, but there hasn’t been an abundance of resources for assessing student mastery. Although our company’s Navigate Item Bank has offered an extensive collection of science items aligned to state standards and NGSS for a number of years, we have taken the step to create a series of assessments which specifically evaluate three-dimensional learning which is the foundation of contemporary science education. We are excited to introduce these assessments to teachers and contribute to the advances educators are making in science instruction.”
About Certica Solutions
Certica promotes equity in education by giving every student a chance to improve and every teacher an opportunity to guide student improvement. Certica’s analytic, assessment and data management solutions provide a foundation for standards-based learning and assessment, as well as teacher data literacy. Certica serves more than 1,500 K-12 school districts and numerous charter school organizations, state education agencies and educational service agencies. Certica is based in Wakefield, Massachusetts, with offices in North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. Follow Certica on Twitter @Certica_K12.
*Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of Achieve and is included as a reference. Achieve does not endorse any products.