ATLAST developed instruments with strong evidence of validity and reliability to study the effects of professional development for middle school science teachers.
Content-Specific Instruments
ATLAST developed content-specific assessments in three content areas:
- Flow of matter and energy in living systems;
- Force and motion; and
- Plate tectonics.
Content Clarifications
The content clarifications identify concepts covered by the content-specific instruments. Each content area is based on middle school benchmark(s) from the Benchmarks for Science Literacy by AAAS. The content clarification includes the targeted benchmark(s) along with sub-ideas “unpacked” from these benchmarks. More information about the content clarifications, including links to the documents and details about their development, can be found in Content Clarifications.
Student Assessments
Multiple-choice student assessments measure knowledge of the science content as defined in the content clarification. More information about the student assessments can be found in Student Assessments.
Teacher Assessments
The teacher assessments were designed to measure teacher knowledge in each content area. Like the student assessments, they are multiple-choice. They measure all of the content included on the student assessment, as well as additional science content identified as necessary for teaching the student content (as noted in the content clarification). All items on the teacher assessment are set in instructional contexts, with some items requiring teachers to analyze student thinking or choose among instructional responses to student thinking. More information about the teacher assessments can be found in Teacher Assessments.
Content-Neutral Instruments
Recognizing the influence teacher attitudes and beliefs have on classroom practice, ATLAST developed a questionnaire to measure teacher views of effective science instruction. More information about the questionnaire can be found in Teacher Views of Effective Science Instruction.