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MOSART-LS
The Misconception Oriented Standards-based Assessment Resource for Teachers in Life Science (MOSART-LS) project develops rigorous Distractor Driven Multiple Choice assessment tools that aid in generating evidence-based measures of MSP projects' impact on K-8 teachers' life science subject-matter knowledge and relevant pedagogical content knowledge. The National Research Council's Science Standards and AAAS Science Benchmarks serve as a framework for the grade-appropriate content that teachers are expected to master. This work utilizes peer-reviewed research studies of student conceptions in order to generate specialized assessments. These assessments measure the degree to which teachers hold the accepted scientific view represented by each of the 31 K-8 Content Standards in life science. The project is developing 250 valid new items and gathering data from a nationally representative sample of 8000 students and their teachers, characterizing the content knowledge of both. Incorporation of these tests into the MOSART online assessment system will make administration easier and allow for the aggregation of data from participating MSPs.

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Project Contributions

Assessing the Life Science Knowledge of Students and Teachers Represented by the K-€“8 National Science Standards
"We report on the development of an item test bank and associated instruments based on the National Research Council (NRC) K-8 life sciences content standards. Utilizing hundreds of studies in…
MOSART-LS: Misconceptions Oriented, Standards-based Assessment Resource for Teachers in the Life Sciences
Posted by: Nancy Cook Smith . The primary goal of MOSART-LS is to assist MSP Institutes to evaluate the effects of their professional development activities and other interventions on teacher participants and their students. The assessment…
The Astronomy and Space Science Concept Inventory: Development and Validation of Assessment Instruments Aligned with the K-12 National Science Standards
Posted by: Nancy Cook Smith . We report on the development of an item test bank and associated instruments based on those K-12 national standards which involve astronomy and space science. Utilizing hundreds of studies in…