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Assessment Overview

The shift from a lecture-based science lesson to one that is student-led leaves many educators wondering: How will teachers know if their students “get it?” How can teachers assess students as they engage in science?  

Images of students engaging in hands-on activities

What kind of assessments does PhD Science include?

Our teacher–writers carefully crafted PhD Science® assessments to ensure teachers have visibility into student understanding. 

PhD Science includes formative and summative assessments. Based on student responses and teacher observation, including next steps, teachers know how to proceed with instruction. Just-in-time notes and scoring guides further support teachers.

Formative and Summative Assessments

 

Check for Understanding

Check for Understanding formatively assess students at essential points as they progress toward focused learning targets. There is at least one Check for Understanding per lesson.

 

Conceptual Checkpoint

Conceptual Checkpoints measure deep conceptual understanding of the module’s Disciplinary Core Ideas and the skills and knowledge associated with Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts. These are summative assessments, coming after multiple lessons and tied to a specific concept within a module.

 

Engineering or Science Challenge

Science Challenges and Engineering Challenges allow students to apply their conceptual knowledge to solve real-world problems. There is at least one Science or an Engineering Challenge in each module that serves as a summative assessment. There are other opportunities to assess students through evidence and documentation that students capture in their Science Logbooks.

Socratic Seminar

The Socratic Seminar engages students in a deeper examination of the module topic, allowing them to synthesize and extend their learning through peer-to-peer discussion and debate.

For an understanding of questions that are discussed during module-level Socratic Seminars, explore the anchor phenomena and essential questions of PhD Science.

 

End-of-Module Assessment

The End-of-Module Assessment gives students the opportunity to demonstrate and transfer the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the module in the context of one or more new phenomena.

End-of-Module Assessments come at the end of every module as a summative assessment.