Identifying Linguistic Factors Associated with Differential Student Performance on Middle School Science Assessments

该项目由美国科学促进会（AAAS）进行，旨在改善K-12学生对科学理解的评估。 该项目将涵盖科学教育领域的16个主题。 当学生参加科学考试时，表现将取决于认知因素，学生知道什么，以及与语言相关的语言因素。 该项目旨在区分认知和语言因素，重点是英语学习者。 该项目的第一阶段涉及数据分析，使用AAAS先前开发的800多个评估项目，以符合初中和高中科学标准，并对10万多名学生进行了测试。 这一阶段涉及对试题的广泛分析（例如，语言的使用，以及学生的表现。 在确定哪些因素会影响英语学习者的不同表现后，该项目的第二阶段涉及开发和测试新版本的科学评估。该项目解决了2012年国家研究理事会报告《K-12科学教育框架》中强调的重要问题，即评估开发人员必须消除因英语学习者身份而导致的科学参与障碍。 换句话说，本项目旨在为英语学习者和非英语学习者制作准确评估科学知识的科学测试。 这项工作有助于教育和人力资源局以及学习研究司履行支持科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教育研究的使命。 特别是，该项目侧重于提高对STEM学习和STEM评估的理解，以及扩大STEM教育的参与，并最终扩大STEM劳动力。

This project, conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), seeks to improve assessment of science understanding in K-12 students. The project will cover a wide range of 16 topics within science education. When a student takes a science test, performance will depend on cognitive factors, what the student knows, and linguistic factors, related to language. This project aims to distinguish cognitive and linguistic factors, with a focus on English language learners. The first stage of the project involves data analysis, using more than 800 assessment items previously developed by AAAS to align with middle and high school science standards, and tested on more than 100,000 students. This stage involves extensive analyses of the test questions (e.g.,, the language used) as well as student performance. After it is determined what are the factors that affect differential performance based on English language learner status, the second stage of the project involves developing and testing new versions of the science assessments. This project addresses the important issue highlighted by the 2012 National Research Council report, A Framework for K-12 Science Education, that assessment developers must remove barriers to science participation due to English language learner status. In other words, this project aims to produce science tests that accurately assess science knowledge for both English language learners and non-English language learners. This work helps the Education and Human Resources directorate, and the Division of Research on Learning, pursue the mission of supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education research. In particular, this project focuses on improving understanding of STEM learning and STEM assessment, as well as broadening participation in STEM education and ultimately the STEM workforce.