
ASPiRe: Formative Assessment of Scientific Practices Research Practice Partnership
Effective Years: 2015-2017
Classroom assessment remains a significant challenge to most school districts that decide to implement the practice standards set forth by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Aurora Public School (APS) district is facing this challenge head-on by engaging in a research-practice partnership (RPP) with researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Through this RPP entitled ASPiRe, the two partners will engage in a long-term collaboration that is intentionally organized to investigate problems of practice and generate evidence based solutions for improving district outcomes (through changes in the practices of teachers and students). The university-based team of faculty and graduate students will work with district instructional leaders, science content leaders, and science teachers to co-design formative assessments of scientific teaching practices in the NGSS and Colorado Academic Standards for all middle and high school teachers in the specific school district. The goal is to determine how formative assessment design and enactment can work to sensibly serve the many different participants and communities (district leadership, scientific practice teams, school-based teacher learning communities, and teachers) in ways that improve teaching and learning. This RAPID award capitalizes on the opportunity for the university to engage in a RPP with a whole school district that requested its assistance in using research-based evidence to improve formative assessment driven instructional practices for science teachers.
The project builds on evidence based lessons from prior NSF funding where results showed that long-term professional development linked to a learning progression can support teachers as they iteratively design, enact, and reflect upon formative assessments linked to NGSS practice standards. The project team will collaborate with, learn about, and contribute to efforts underway by APS to determine the best approach to integrate this intervention into science teaching and learning at the system level. Through a design-based implementation research (DBIR) approach, data will be collected at four levels of the district including classroom observations, videotaped meetings, artifacts, and interviews. An advisory board composed of nationally recognized education researchers will help guide the overall implementation of the project.