Collaboration between educators and Equity Cadre creates stronger science assessments

Future science tests may appear differently thanks to a first-of-its-kind collaboration between members of the Lincoln Public Schools Equity Cadre and educators.
 
The group of 16 that included teachers and high school students spent three days this summer working on strategies to strengthen LPS science assessments. One idea was moving to open-ended test questions that would allow students to show what they could do with information, not just what they had memorized. A second proposal included having group discussions before a test to help create personal connections to science. They also suggested including scientific activities as part of an exam instead of only having students read and answer questions.
 
North Star High School student Rafa said she was encouraged by her time in the workshop. She and her classmates shared their insights about science topics with teachers during brainstorming sessions and group activities. They discovered how teachers develop tests and learned how long the assessment-making process takes for each science unit.
 
Rafa said she gained a deeper appreciation for the effort that goes into generating tests, experiments and other assessments. She felt the workshop helped everyone better understand each other.
 
“It was so uplifting to be able to have open discussions alongside the teachers at the workshop, because it brought us all to the same level, not as teacher-to-student but as learner-to-learner,” Rafa said. “We were all at the workshop to learn from each other.”
 
LPS Science Curriculum Specialist Betsy Barent said it is important to design science assessments that reach all students. This can increase their confidence and sense of belonging in class, which can lead to higher test scores and better comprehension of science material. It can also create a deeper curiosity and passion for science topics.
 
“We want students to understand how science works, what science is and why it matters,” Barent said. “We believe science is for each and every student. We also believe all students come to us with experiences and ideas that should be valued and seen as assets. This is the learning environment we strive for in our science classrooms, and assessments need to parallel that.”
 
Barent said LPS is part of a national movement to create science tests that impact students in positive ways. She was excited to have LPS science teachers cooperate with Rafa and other students. She felt the 12 teachers and four students achieved all of the workshop’s top goals.
 
“First and foremost, it was to think about assessment in a different way,” Barent said. “The word assessment comes from the Latin word ‘assidere,’ which means to sit beside the learning. And so it made sense to have learners as a part of our assessment design so that we could be inclusive of their experiences and voices. We also had the goal of developing teacher ownership in curriculum and assessment development.”
 
LPS uses OpenSciEd educational materials for middle and high school science courses. The curriculum focuses on student-led questioning and investigating during classroom lessons and activities. It also relies on the “Framework for K-12 Science Education” developed by the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council.
 
After securing a grant for the workshop, Barent reached out to Peter Ferguson, coordinator of culture, inclusion and scholar development at LPS, to ask if students would be interested in joining the event. Ferguson passed along the invitation to Rafa and other members of the LPS Equity Cadre. Both were pleased when four students said yes to the proposal.
 
Rafa said it was important for everyone to have invested three days of their time and energy at the workshop. This helped them learn more about each other and discover the reasoning behind different test-making suggestions.
 
“I believe the three days were crucial to our progression, and any less would have resulted in more unanswered questions and untied ends,” Rafa said. “As it is said, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and not much will get done in a day or a half-day. For example, while we all felt accomplished and transformed by the end of our time together, it was absolutely astonishing how little we got done in comparison to what all the teachers would have to do on their own.”
 
Barent said the results of a post-workshop survey mirrored Rafa’s positive feelings. She said teachers gained confidence in their understanding of assessments that are more equitable and caring, and they were excited to try out the tests in their classrooms in the future.
 
The students said they felt heard and respected the entire time they were there. They were also pleased that teachers were willing to look at science classes from their viewpoint.
 
“What was really clear from the student perspective was that positive relationships made a big difference,” Barent said. “Students shared that their feelings of well-being in the classroom had to come first, before outcomes and achievement. The student voices focused our attention on the importance of assessment-as-relationship-building as a design principle.”
 
All four students ended the workshop by writing reflections about their time there. Rafa said in her summary that she had gained a full galaxy of knowledge.
 
“Overall, this experience was invaluable for my personal, academic and district growth,” Rafa said. “While I intended to support the teachers, I learned important lessons that will impact my science education and my life as a whole.”
 
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