Science DCAS

Spring 2011

Step One: Log into the DCAS Portal

http://de.portal.airast.org/

From here: click on “administrators and teachers”

Let’s start with general DCAS details

Click on “Educator Resources”

Take about 5 minutes to explore the relevant science resources

With a partner:

• Which information will be important for your staff to know?

• Based on these resources, what has changed about your understanding of the science DCAS?

To access your school’s data:• Log into IMS: https://login.doe.k12.de.us/• Choose “Delaware Comprehensive

Assessment System (DCAS)”

When you get to online reporting system, make sure you choose

Spring 2010-2011

• Choose the science grade of your choice.

• You will see the aggregated score of all Red Clay Schools, the district, and the state.

• For a given school, click “Reporting Categories” To see the significance of the average scale score, click “Definitions” (top right).

• Now, click “Red Clay Consolidated School District” and click “View Topics”

We’ll use 10th grade science as our example here.

New stuff—never seen on the DSTP!

• This report gives information based on the standard, not just the general topic. For example, Materials and their Properties is distinguished from Energy and its Effects (even though both are part of Physical Science).

• The + means the questions for this standard were scored relatively well compared to the exam as a whole for this group. The – means the opposite, and the = means the questions for this standard were scored the same as the overall test.

Strengths and Weaknesses: one more thing…

• Every school at every tested grade has some assortment of +, -, and =. These symbols reflect the school’s performance relative to its own overall score. In other words…

• One school’s strengths and weaknesses cannot be compared to another school’s strengths and weaknesses.

Grade level units corresponding to the content standards—Grades 4 and 5

Science Content Standard Science Coalition unit(s) Grade(s)

2: Materials and their properties

Mixtures and Solutions 5

3: Energy and its Effects Magnetism and Electricity

Motion and Design

4

54: Earth in Space Skywatchers 4

5: Earth’s Dynamic Systems Land and Water 4

6: Life Processes Structures of Life

Ecosystems

4

57: Diversity and Continuity of Living Things

Structures of Life

Ecosystems

4

58: Ecology Land and Water

Ecosystems

4

5

Grade level units corresponding to the content standards—Grades 6-8

Science Content Standard Science Coalition unit(s) Grade(s)

2: Materials and their properties Properties of Matter 7

3: Energy and its Effects Forces and Motion/Simple Machines

Transformation of Energy

6

84: Earth in Space Planetary Science 8

5: Earth’s Dynamic Systems Earth History

Watersheds

Weather

6

7

86: Life Processes My Body and Me

Diversity of Life

6

77: Diversity and Continuity of Living Things

Our Genes Ourselves

Delaware Ecosystems

7

8

8: Ecology Delaware Ecosystems

Grade level units corresponding to the content standards—Grades 9 and 10

Science Content Standard Science Coalition unit(s) Grade(s)

2: Materials and their properties

Living by Chemistry/Alchemy

Cellular and Chemical Basis of Life

9

103: Energy and its Effects Energy Across Systems 9

4: Earth in Space Earth Systems (only Solar Nebula Theory) 9

5: Earth’s Dynamic Systems Earth Systems 9

6: Life Processes Cellular and Chemical Basis of Life 10

7: Diversity and Continuity of Living Things

Nature of Science/Evolution

Genetics and Biotechnology

10

108: Ecology not assessed on 10th grade test

After exploring the site, with a grade level colleague

• What should your building-mates, your PLC team, and your administrators know about the science DCAS scores?

• What (if anything) should the district office be telling teachers during in-service or professional development?

• What (if anything) do these scores tell us about the Coalition units or how training occurs?

• What (if any) further discussion do we as the Science Curriculum Council need to have about the science DCAS?

What??? More Questions??• Edward McGrath, Science Supervisor

552-3768 edward.mcgrath@redclay.k12.de.us

• Gerri Marshall, Supervisor of Research and Evaluation 552-3718 gerri.marshall@redclay.k12.de.us

• April McCrae, DOE associate for Science Assessment (302) 735-4093 amccrae@doe.k12.de.us

Where do we go from here???