Assessment in Schools – Secondary Science

Science assessment in secondary schools requires instruments and techniques that reveal the depth and complexity of students' science understandings and capabilities. Because students' knowledge, reasoning, and skills vary across science domains and contexts, assessments must encompass a range of tasks, formats, and techniques. This article focuses on six types of assessment: question–demonstration assessments, performance assessments, information technologies, conceptual inventories and item clusters, concept maps, and student notebooks. For each of these, distinctive features are outlined; example items are provided; and formative and summative uses are described where applicable.