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Assessment at CTL

The assessment of student learning lies at the heart of the educational enterprise. CTL draws on contemporary research on learning and teaching to advance conceptions of what understandings can be assessed and how they can be assessed. We design assessments for a variety of purposes and settings, using complex forms of evidence derived from significant aspects of knowing and reasoning. Our research and development efforts address assessment design, implementation, and technical quality issues integral to curriculum-embedded evidence of student learning, external standards-based assessments, and assessment literacy. We particularly capitalize on the affordances of learning technologies to design innovative assessments of students' deep conceptual understanding, problem solving and inquiry, metacognition, self-assessment, and collaboration. We are pioneering designs of assessments of the impacts of technologies on learning and technology proficiency. We specialize in assessments involving transformative technologies, including networking technologies, modeling and visualization tools, and wireless devices.

We use principled assessment design to develop integrated, technology-supported assessments for significant, complex learning. We advance methodologies for conducting cognitive analyses of assessments of student learning and for aligning assessments with standards. We develop innovative, technology-supported assessments and Web-based collections of standards-based exemplary performance assessments.

We conduct research and review classroom, state, national, and international assessments in partnership with government and educational agencies, foundations, and commercial firms.

We provide professional development resources and technical assistance on the design and use of technically sound assessments and assessment systems.

Our assessment work is disseminated through publications, conferences, and network communication technologies.

People

Geneva Haertel (Leader) Frank Adamson Marianne Bakia Sara Carriere Eva Chen Britte Haugan Cheng Valerie Crawford Mingyu Feng Ron Fried Reina Fujii Tom Gaffney

Larry Gallagher Amy Hafter Christopher Harris Angela Haydel DeBarger Bill Penuel Liliana Ructtinger Linda Shear Tina Stanford Yukie Toyama Louise Yarnall Dan Zalles

Current Projects

• Practicing democracy through deliberative discourse
• Application of Evidence-Centered Design to State Large-Scale Science Assessment
• Chemistry Facets: Formative Assessment to Improve Student Understanding in Chemistry
• Contingent Pedagogies for Conceptual Teaching and Learning
• Cyber-Enabled Design Research to Enhance Teachers' Critical Thinking Using a Major Video Collection on Children's Mathematical Reasoning
• Data-driven Inquiry in Geoscience Environmental Restoration Studies (DIGERS)
• Domain-Specific Assessment: Bringing the Classroom into Community College Accountability
• Domain-Specific Assessment: Bringing The Classroom Into Community College Accountability
• Evaluation of Kids’ Survey Network
• Evaluation of the Ready to Learn Initiative
• InnovaTE³ Girls Innovating with Technology as Entrepreneurial Environmental Engineers
• OPerETTA Initiative: Optimizing Performance & Enhancing Teaching with Technology & Assessment
• Principled Science Assessment Design for Students with Disabilities
• Scenario-Based Learning
• SimCalc
• Teacher Learning of Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA-TL)
• Thinking With Data
• Universal Design of Inquiry-based Middle and High School Science Curricula
• Wireless Internet Learning Devices (WILD)

Related Non-CTL Projects

• Educational Technology Policy and Practice for the 21st Century
  SRI International, Center for Education Policy

Selected Publications

• Brecht, J., Cheng, B., Mislevy, R., Haertel, G., & Haynie, K. (2009). The PADI System as a Complex of Epistemic Forms and Games (PADI Technical Report 21). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Fishman, B., Penuel, W., Hegedus, S., Moniz, R., Dalton, S., Brookstein, A., Beaton, D., Tatar, D., Dickey, M., & Roschelle, J. (2009). What happens when the research ends? Factors related to the sustainability of a research-based innovation. (SimCalc Technical Report 04). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Gallagher, L. P., Korbak, C., & Lopez-Prado, B. (2009). Is alignment enough? Investigating the effects of state policies and professional development on science curriculum implementation. Science Education. 93(4), pp. 656-677.
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• Penuel, W. R., McWilliams, H., McAuliffe, C., Benbow, A., Mably, C., & Hayden, M. M. (2009). Teaching for Understanding in Earth Science: Comparing Impacts on Planning and Instruction in Three Professional Development Designs for Middle School Science Teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education. 20:415–436.
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• Roschelle, J., Rafanan, K., Bhanot, R., Estrella, G., Penuel, W. R., Nussbaum, M., Claro, S. (2009, October). Scaffolding group explanation and feedback with handheld technology: impact on students’ mathematics learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, doi: 10.1007/s11423-009-9142-9.
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• Crawford, V. M., Schlager, M., Penuel, W. R., & Toyama, Y. (2008). Supporting the art of teaching in a data-rich, high performance learning environment. In E. B. Mandinach & M. Honey (Eds.), Linking data and learning (pp. 109-129). New York: Teachers College Press.
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• Denner, J., Kareem, Z., Koch, M., & Peterson, K. (2008 March,). Girls and information technology: Innovative approaches to narrowing the gender gap. The Build IT portion of the presentation at AERA 2008. New York City, NY.
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• Gallager, L., Means, B., & Padilla, C. (2008). Teachers' Use of Student Data Systems to Improve Instruction: 2005 to 2007. Report prepared for U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. Prepared by SRI International, Menlo Park, CA.
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• Haertel, G.D., Means, B., & Penuel, W. (2008). Technology tools for collecting, managing, and using assessment data to inform instruction and improve achievement. In L. Smolin, K. Lawless, & N., Burbules (Eds.), NSSE yearbook 2007, Information and communication technologies: Considerations for teachers and teacher education. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education.
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• Koch, M. "Build IT Poster." (2008 February). ITEST Poster Session. Presented at NSF's ITEST PI Meeting. Washington, DC.
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• Koch, M. (2008 February). Build IT data summary. Presented at NSF’s ITEST PI Meeting, Washington, DC.
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• Koch, M., & Gorges, T. (2008 February). Scaling Build IT. Presented at NSF’s ITEST PI Meeting, Washington, DC.
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• Michalchik, V., Rosenquist, A., Kozma, R., Kreikemeier, P., Schank, P., & Coppola, B. (2008). Representational resources for constructing shared understandings in the high school chemistry classroom. In J. Gilbert, M. Nakhleh, & M. Reiner (eds.). Visualization: Theory and practice in science education. New York: Springer.
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• Penuel, W. R., & Gallagher, L. P. (2008). Comparing three approaches to preparing teachers to teach for deep understanding in Earth science: Short-term impacts on teachers and teaching practice. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., McWilliams, H., McAuliffe, C., Benbow, A., Mably, C., & Hayden, M. M. (2008). Preparing teachers to teach for deep understanding: A curriculum-based approach. The Earth Scientist XXVII (2), 21-24.
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• Bryan, M., Nemes, O., & Koch, M. (2007 February). Girls in Build IT. Presented in Reaching and Teaching the New Learner at NSF’s ITEST PI Meeting. Washington, DC.
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• Chen, E., Niemi, D., Wang, J., Wang, H., & Mirocha, J. (2007). Examining the Generalizability of Direct Writing Assessment Tasks. CSE Report 718.
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• Courneya, J., & Koch, M. (2007 February). Sharing best practices in youth development. Presented at NSF’s ITEST PI Meeting. Washington, DC.
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• Crawford, V. M. (2007, June). Creating a powerful learning environment with networked mobile learning devices. Educational Technology Magazine: The Magazine for Managers of Change in Education, 47(3), 47-50
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• Gallager, L., Means, B., & Padilla, C. (2007). Teachers' Use of Student Data Systems to Improve Instruction. Report prepared for U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. Prepared by SRI International, Menlo Park, CA.
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• Koch, M. & Penuel, W.R. (2007 April). Designing for design learning. In CHI 2007 Conference Proceedings. Workshop on Converging on a Science of Design through the Synthesis of Design Methodologies. Reading, MA: ACM Press.
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• Koch, M. et al. (August, 2007). Build IT: Girls Developing Information Technology Fluency through Design. Annual Report Year 2. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Koch, M., & Nemes, O. (2007 October). Introduction to Build IT workshop. Presented at Girls Incorporated Region III Conference 2007. Providence, Rhode Island.
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• Pasnik, S., Strother, S., Schindel, J., Penuel, W. R., & Llorente, C. (2007). Report to the Ready To Learn initiative: Review of research on media and young children's literacy. New York, NY and Menlo Park, CA: Education Development Center and SRI International.
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• Penuel, W.R., Boscardin, C.K., Masyn, K., Crawford, V., (2007). Teaching with student response systems in elementary and secondary education settings: A survey study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55, 315-346.
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• Penuel, W.R., Roschelle, J. & Shechtman, N. (2007). Designing formative assessment software with teachers: An analysis of the co-design process. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 2, 1, 51-74.
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• Roschelle, J., Tatar, D., Shechtman, N., Hegedus, S., Hopkins, B., Knudsen, J., & Dunn, M. (2007). Extending the SimCalc approach to grade 8 mathematics (SimCalc Technical Report 02). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Roschelle, J., Tatar, D., Shechtman, N., Hegedus, S., Hopkins, B., Knudsen, J., & Stroter, A. (2007). Can a technology-enhanced curriculum improve student learning of important mathematics? (SimCalc Technical Report 01). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Yarnall, L., Toyama, Y., Gong, B., Ayers, C., & Ostrander, J. (2007). Adapting scenario-based curriculum materials to community college technical courses. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31(7), 583-601.
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• Bao, H., Gotwals, A. W., & Mislevy, R. J. (2006). Assessing local item dependence in building explanation tasks (PADI Technical Report 14). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Gotwals, A., & Songer, N. (2006). Cognitive Predictions: BioKIDS Implementation of the PADI Assessment System (PADI Technical Report 10). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Hamel, L., & Schank, P. (2006). A Wizard for PADI assessment design (PADI Technical Report 11). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Hamel, L., Mislevy, R., & Kennedy, C. (2006). A Guide to the PADI Gradebook (PADI Technical Report 12). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Haynie, K., Haertel, G., Lash, A., Quellmalz, E., & DeBarger, A. H. (2006). Reverse Engineering the NAEP Floating Pencil Task Using the PADI Design System (PADI Technical Report 16). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Koch, M. (2006) Build IT curriculum. Featured in Consumers Guide to After School Science Resources at http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/science.cgi?location=search&show_resource_id=45
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• Koch, M. (April, 2006). Build IT: Girls Building Information Technology Fluency Through Design In M. Koch, J. Denner, D. Emery, & R. London (presenters) BayCHI-Kids Event: Developing girls' technology fluency. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International
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• Koch, M. (October, 2006) Infusing IT/STEM skill standards in informal ITEST learning ITEST Webcast
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• Koch, M. et al. (August, 2006). Build IT: Girls Developing Information Technology Fluency through Design. Annual Report Year 1. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Mislevy, R., & Haertel, G. (In press). Implications of Evidence-Centered Design for Educational Testing (Technical Report 17). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Bienkowski, M., Gallagher, L., Korbak, C., Sussex, W., Yamaguchi, R., Fishman, B. J. (2006). GLOBE Year 10 evaluation: Into the next generation. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Gallagher, L., & Kreikmeier, P. (2006). TIDES: Report on technical quality of 7th grade student assessment. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Gallagher, L., & Kreikemeier, P. (2006). Report on technical quality of 6th and 8th grade student assessments for the TIDES Project. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Kreikmeier, P, & Venezky, D. (2006). Mapping standards to big ideas: A task for assessing teachers’ comprehension of curricular purposes in Earth science. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Seibert, G., Hamel, L., Haynie, K., Mislevy, R., & Bao, H. (2006). Mystery Powders: An application of the PADI design system using the four-process delivery system (PADI Technical Report 15). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Baxter, G., & Mislevy, R. (2005). The case for an integrated design framework for assessing science inquiry (PADI Technical Report 5). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Chen, E., Heritage, H. M., & Lee, J. J. (2005). Identifying and Monitoring Students' Learning Needs with Technology. The Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 10(3), 309-332.
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• Cromley, J., & Mislevy, R. (2005). Task templates based on misconception research (PADI Technical Report 6). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• DeBarger, A. H., & Riconscente, M. (2005). An example-based exploration of design patterns in measurement (PADI Technical Report 8). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Hamel, L., & Schank, P. (2005). Participatory, example-based data modeling in PADI (PADI Technical Report 4). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Heritage, H.M., & Chen, E. (2005). Why data skills matter in school improvement. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(9), 707-710.
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• Heritage, M., Lee, J., Chen, E., & La Torre, D. (2005). Upgrading American's use of Information to Improve Student Performance. CSE Report 661.
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• Kennedy, C. (2005). Constructing PADI measurement models for the BEAR Scoring Engine (PADI Technical Report 7). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Mislevy, R., & Riconscente, M. (2005). Evidence-centered assessment design: Layers, structures, and terminology (PADI Technical Report 9). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Riconscente, M., Mislevy, R., Hamel, L., & PADI Research Group (2005). An introduction to PADI task templates (PADI Technical Report 3). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Chen, E., Heritage, H.M., Baker, E., & Lee, J.J. (2004). Evaluating the Web-Based Quality School Portfolio/Research Report. QSP Year Two Report submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.
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• Chen, E., Burnam, B., Aten, H., Howie, J., & Nambiar, V. (2003). Predicting Teachers' Computer Use in the Classroom. CSE technical report.
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• Hoadley, C., Foley, B., Agarwal, R., Chorost, M., Gaffney, and T., Lewis, S. et al. (2003). Collaborative learning in immersive audio engineering: Evaluation report for Year II. University Park , Pennsylvania: Penn State University.
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• Yarnall, L., Penuel, W. R., Ravitz, J., Murray, G., Means, B., & Broom, M. (2003). Portable assessment authoring: Using handheld technology to assess collaborative inquiry. Education, Communication, Information, 3(1), 7-55.
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• Chen, E., Burnam, B., Aten, H., Howie, J. & Nambiar, V. (2002). Implementation of a Problem Solving Software in High School Science Classrooms. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. New Orleans, Louisianna.
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• Haydel, A. M. (2002). Measuring more than we know? An examination of the motivational and situational influences in science achievement. Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
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• Hoadley, C., Gaffney, T., Lewis, S., and Foley, B. (2001). Collaborative learning in immersive audio engineering: Evaluation report for year I. Menlo Park , California: SRI International.
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• Quellmalz, E. S., & Zalles, D. (2002). Integrative performance assessments in technology. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Padilla, C., & Zalles, D. (2001). Capacity-building partnerships: Improving The evaluation of educational technology: A final report of the partnerships subtask of the evaluation of Educational Technology Policy and Practice for the 21st Century. Menlo Park: SRI International.
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• Quellmalz, E.S., Zalles, D. (2001). World Links for Development Student Assessment: Uganda Field Test 2000. SRI International. 2001.
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• Coleman, E. B., & Penuel, W. R. (2000). Web-based student assessment for program evaluation. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 9(4), 327-342.
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• Roschelle, J., Pea, R., Hoadley, C., Gordin, D., & Means, B. (2000). Changing how and what children learn in school with computer-based technologies. The Future of Children, 10(2), 76-101.
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• Roschelle, J. (1996). Designing for cognitive communication: Epistemic fidelity or mediating collaborating inquiry. In D. L. Day & D. K. Kovacs (Eds.), Computers, Communication & Mental Models (pp. 13-25). London: Taylor & Francis.
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