US teachers needed for science-assessment field tests on energy topics

Submitted by Cari Herrmann Abell

2014-03-20 18:38:12

AAAS Project 2061 is developing assessment items to measure late elementary, middle, and high school students’ understanding of ideas about energy. We are recruiting elementary, middle, and high school science teachers willing to field test our multiple-choice test items with their students in April, May, or June of the 2014 school year. Students must be in fourth through twelfth grade, but it is not necessary that they have had formal instruction on the topic of energy. The test may be administered online or in paper format. Students will be asked to choose one correct answer per test item. The assessment should take no longer than 45 minutes to complete. As an incentive, each participating teacher will receive a $25 gift card from Amazon.com.

The guidelines for participation are as follows:
• You must be an elementary, middle, or high school science teacher in the US.
• Your students must be in 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.
• You must obtain permission to participate from the appropriate school or district personnel. Please do not register before you obtain permission.
• The test can be administered in either a paper and pencil or online format.
o If administering the online version, you must reserve enough computers (desktops, laptops, or tablets) that have a reliable internet connection for all students in your classes on the day of testing (1 per student).
o If administering the paper version, you must return all testing materials to AAAS Project 2061 as soon as possible after completion of testing. (Pre-paid shipping envelopes will be provided to return the testing materials.)

This study is not intended to evaluate teachers or students. Individual student and teacher data will remain strictly confidential. Individual students will not be identifiable. Our only interest is to learn how students respond to these test items so that we can design test items that are valid measures of what students know about important energy ideas.

If you are willing to participate, please click the link below and complete the registration form that follows. Participation in this study is limited, so registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. If necessary, we will also adjust our selections to achieve representation from urban, rural, and suburban schools from different parts of the country. Teachers who are selected to participate will be notified by email. Teachers who are not selected will be given priority for participating next school year.

Click here to register: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/project2061registration">https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/project2061registration</a>

The deadline for registration is April 9, 2014.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact Cari Herrmann Abell, Senior Research Associate at AAAS/Project 2061, at [see email image].

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