Validating an Assessment Tool to Assess Teacher Understanding on the Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were published in 2013 and science standards went from a procedural process to an approach to science that aligns to real-life applications. Understanding the depth and application of the NGSS presented challenges. Organizations have developed and implemented NGSS-related professional development workshops to help teachers with these challenges. The purpose of this study was to validate an assessment tool to assess teacher’s knowledge on the NGSS after attending workshops. An examination of the literature revealed a vignette was an assessment tool worth exploring. A vignette is a short, written scenario of a realistic event (Leicher & Mulder, 2018). Validation was the process of seeking input by two groups of experts for different perspectives. The experts, Group A (workshop facilitators) and Group B (K-12 classroom teachers) all worked with the NGSS for three to five years. They provided data to validate a specific vignette developed on NGSS-aligned instruction; qualitative data was collected in two phases – Phase One and Two. Phase One (the vignette) aimed for experts to identify the presence or absence of NGSS-aligned instructional practices. Experts agreed the vignette showed a teacher using NGSS practices but missed others. Phase Two sought feedback regarding the value and alignment of the vignette to the intended use. The feedback included ideas to enhance the vignette to show growth overtime. However, both Phase One and Two demonstrated that even “experts” interpret the NGSS differently, which could be attributed to how recent the NGSS have been implemented