Science

Ohio Department of Education Supports;

• Science Student Readiness Gap Analysis may be used to create a record of the learning opportunities students had during the previous academic year to help inform teachers where science knowledge and skills are for incoming students.

• The Science Vertical Alignment K-8 document provides a broad view of how knowledge deepens over time in each topic area and can be used in a variety of ways. For an individual teacher, the vertical alignment can provide a more detailed view into expected prior skills and knowledge than that provided in the standards and model curriculum documents. This may help teachers better understand the content students should have encountered before entering a grade. It also could inform teachers as they create pre-assessments to help identify missing prerequisite skills.

• Ohio's Learning Standards for Science serve as a basis for what all students should know and be able to do in order to become scientifically literate citizens, equipped with knowledge and skills for the 21st-century workforce and higher education. Ohio educators are provided with the content and expectations for learning at each grade level. The standards provide critical science knowledge, are grade-level appropriate, and reflect current research.

• The Model Curriculum is a tool that provides educators with information that clarifies the learning standards and sets the foundation for planning and implementing instruction aligned to Ohio's Learning Standards for Science. As educators begin to use this tool, it is important to understand how all the components work together to accomplish the goal of educating Ohio students.

• Cognitive Demands refer to the kind and level of thinking required of students in order to successfully engage with and solve a task. It describes the level of understanding required to answer a question or perform an activity not whether the task is considered “difficult.” What mental processing, or cognitive rigor, must occur for a student to complete the task?

• Additional Resources for Science

• Practice Tests and Sample Test Items - Both practice tests and sample test items allow students to view and answer test questions that are like those that could appear on state tests. Teachers and parents also may use related resources to help their students know what to expect. Ohio's State Tests portal-

  • Student Practice Site

  • Student Testing Site Tutorials: Testing Tools - These tutorials provide information about the online Student Testing Site. Part 1 walks through the student sign-in process and navigation. Part 2 covers the tools available to students.

  • Science Paper Practice Tests - These documents contain the items from the online science practice tests that can be rendered on paper. These PDFs can be downloaded and printed for use as practice tests in place of the online practice tests.

  • Science Paper Practice Test Answer Documents

  • Science Practice Test Scoring Guides

  • Science Item Release Scoring Guides

  • Science Large Print Paper Practice Tests - These large print documents contain the items from the online science practice tests that can be rendered on paper. These PDFs can be downloaded and printed for use as large print practice tests in place of the online practice tests. The large print practice tests can be used with the existing paper practice test answer documents and scoring guides available on the test portal and listed in these practice resources.

  • Test Specifications The Test Specifications document is an essential tool for the development of a valid and reliable test. Test specifications provide an overview of the structure and content of a specific content/grade level state summative test.

  • Test Blueprints

  • Roadmap of Ohio's Assessment Development Resources

  • The Restart Readiness Assessments Portal contains a suite of optional assessment tools for students in grades 3 through high school that have been developed by the Ohio Department of Education in collaboration with Cambium Assessment, Inc. Comprised of two components, Benchmark Tests and Checkpoint Tests, the purpose of these assessments is to provide educators with actionable performance data using assessments that have been aligned with Ohio's Learning Standards and built using items from Ohio's State Tests.

  • Understanding Formative, Interim and Summative Assessments

  • Rubric Maker

  • Uncovering Science Probes