edCount led a panel discussion on the topic of strengthening claims-based interpretations and uses of local and large-scale science assessment scores at the 2017 NCME Special Conference on Classroom Assessment and Large-Scale Psychometrics. In this panel discussion, SEA and LEA representatives from Nebraska joined a representative from each of the three partner organizations to share insights on how the SCILLSS project activities will engage state and local educators, along with large-scale assessment developers, in creating a shared understanding of science as it is taught and tested. This discussion included descriptions of how principled-design elements for assessment can and should derive from the same conceptual representation of science used to support instructional design and local assessments. Participants learned about the initial stages of the federally-funded SCILLSS project and were encouraged to consider how they can leverage similar approaches in connecting instruction and assessment to support far richer standards-based alignment than is possible with most current large-scale assessment designs.
