Preparing student teachers for alternative assessment in science

Educators have developed a myriad of standardized tests to measure student ability and learning, as well as assess the effectiveness of academic programs. Each year, more than 100 million standardized tests are administered to American public school students. The majority of these tests use a multiple-choice format and report scores using norm-referenced or criterion-referenced scales (Haney & Madaus, 1989; Neill & Medina, 1989). As public perception of the quality of education has waned, there has been an increasing demand for accountability and standardized testing (Cooley, 1991). During the past two decades, many national reports have identified and targeted deficiencies in American education (Education Commission ofthe States, 1978, 1991; National Commission on Excellence in