Assessing NGSS-Aligned Understanding of Energy Concepts Using Phenomenon-Based Item Clusters

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) calls for assessments that can measure students’ three-dimensional (3D) science learning. In this study, we developed and collected validity evidence for 3D assessment tasks that assess students’ ability to reason about energy disciplinary core ideas using science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts across three grade bands. We field tested the tasks with 3446 elementary, middle, and high school students. Validity evidence based on test content, response processes, internal structure, and relations to other variables was collected. The evidence supports the use of these tasks as measures of students’ ability to reason about energy as recommended by NGSS. The field test data revealed that while many middle and high school students demonstrated understanding of the elementary-level NGSS expectations, many have not yet met the NGSS expectations for their own grade levels. This finding likely reflects the uneven implementation of NGSS-aligned instruction.