Pennsylvania Science
About the Science Assessment Anchors

Introduction

The Pennsylvania Science Assessment is based on the Academic Standards adopted by the State Board of Education in January of 2002. The standards are comprised of two documents: Science and Technology Standards and Environment and Ecology Standards. These documents contain seventeen important categories that describe what students need to know. The purpose of the Assessment Anchors is to articulate essential and assessable elements, and to provide clarity for instruction and for the focus of the state assessment in grades 4, 8, and 11.

How the Assessment Anchors Connect to the Standards
The Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science are:

All of the Science Standards categories are included in the Assessment Anchors, but the anchors tighten the focus of what is assessed. The Assessment Anchors clarify what is expected from grade span to grade span (K-4, 5-7, and 8-10). In addition, the Assessment Anchors have fewer Reporting Categories to help create more reliable scores (meaning that there are more items per reporting category making interpretations about what students actually know more reliable). Rather than reporting student results in all 17 standards, the reports will be organized into four reporting categories.

How the Assessment Anchors are Organized

The four reporting categories are similar to those used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP) and The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The four categories for the assessment anchors are included in these major assessments, but are organized differently. Below are the four student reporting categories for the assessment anchors for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in Science and the related standards.

How to Read the Assessment Anchors

All of the Science Assessment Anchors begin with an “S” to indicate science. The number after the “S” in the label is the grade level (e.g., S8 would be Science at eighth grade). The second letter in the labeling system is the Reporting Category (A through D) followed by the sub-reporting category number. The same reporting categories continue across all Grade levels, 4, 8, and 11. The final number in the label is the actual Assessment Anchor number (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.). Essentially, you read the Assessment Anchors like an outline, with the Assessment Anchor shaded across the top of the page and more specific details underneath. (See example below.)

For example, S8.D.1.1 is the code for the first science (S) assessment anchor for Grade 8 in the reporting category of (D) Earth and Space Sciences, and the sub-category of Earth Features and Processes That Change Earth and Its Resources.

Other Important Features that Appear in the Assessment Anchors

Eligible Content 
The column on the right-hand side of the page underneath each Assessment Anchor is the Eligible Content.  This is often known as the “assessment limit” and helps teachers identify how the anchor will be assessed. Not all of the Eligible Content is assessed on the PSSA each year, but it shows the range of knowledge drawn upon to design the test.

The use of “e.g.” and “ i.e.”  
Some assessment anchors contain additional information in parentheses.  If there is a list inside with an “e.g.,” preceding it, that means the examples included are meant to be just that, examples.  This is not an exhaustive list for assessment purposes. However, if the list is preceded by an “i.e.,” the list is to be considered limited to those specific examples, and those items are the only items that are “fair game” for assessment. 

The use of “and” and “or”  
All of the concepts and skills identified at a given grade level are “fair game” for large-scale assessment purposes. However, conjunctions used throughout this document have specific meaning. The use of the conjunction “or” means that a student can be assessed on all or just some of the elements in a given year. The use of “and” between elements means that the intent is to assess each element of the assessment anchor every year.  In some situations, “or” is used when students have choices about how they will provide supporting evidence for their responses.

Sample Items   
The sample items appear on the bottom half of the page.  These are examples of how the Assessment Anchor might appear on the PSSA.  Some of the pages may not have any sample items because the development committee only created three examples per Assessment Anchor.  We will be continually adding to the sample items as time goes on.  For other sample items, teachers should consult the item sampler on the state website.