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Everything NGSS & Videos

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With Courage, Generosity and Honor, the Academy for Academic Excellence works to ensure high levels of learning and to nurture a growth mindset for all. As a collaborative community, we use effective instructional practices that are STREAM-focused, research-based and data-driven. We engage in integrated learning experiences that promote global-mindedness, critical thinking, and a re-defined use of technology.

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With Courage, Generosity and Honor, the Academy for Academic Excellence works to ensure high levels of learning and to nurture a growth mindset for all. As a collaborative community, we use effective instructional practices that are STREAM-focused, research-based and data-driven. We engage in integrated learning experiences that promote global-mindedness, critical thinking, and a re-defined use of technology.

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NGSS 3D Assessment Examples

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Measured Progress assessment resources can help you gather evidence of 3-dimensional learning as you transition to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*. The NGSS call for higher rigor, a greater demand for evidence of student learning, and the integration of the 3 dimensions:

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Science and Engineering Practices

Crosscutting Concepts

As you adjust your curriculum and instructional approach to meet these goals, Measured Progress offers classroom formative assessment resources and professional learning support as well as customized benchmark assessments, tailored for your science curricula pacing, scope, and sequence.

*NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

Measured Progress, a nonprofit organization, is a pioneer in authentic, standards-based assessments. We connect the K-12 educational community with innovative and flexible assessment solutions.

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Science Assessments for NGSS: STEM Gauge for Elementary and Middle School

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Measured Progress assessment resources can help you gather evidence of 3-dimensional learning as you transition to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*.

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Lessons covering all science disciplines.

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The NSTA Next Generation Science Standards Hub offers information, resources, news, professional learning opportunities, and expert advice in understanding and implementing the Next Generation Science Standards - NGSS

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Additional details for each PE on what students should know and do

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NGSS Evidence Statements provide educators with additional detail on what students should know and be able to do. These Evidence Statements describe a detailed look at the NGSS performance expectations.

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Online Practice and Training Test Portal

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Online Practice and Training Test Portal

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CAST Practice Test

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Home > Online Practice and Training Tests

Administration of Practice and Training Tests is optimized in supported versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari web browsers.

The following resources are available to assist you in using the practice and training tests.

To access the online Practice and Training Tests, please select one of these buttons.

Last Reviewed: October 13, 2022

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california alternate assessments training test

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test administrator practice and training tests

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Home > Online Practice and Training Tests Administration of Practice and Training Tests is optimized in supported versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari web browsers. The following resources are available to assist you in using the practice and training tests. To access the online Practice and Training Tests, please select one of these buttons.

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Information about the CAST pilot assessment

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Go to: Video || Testing Materials || Practice Test Scoring Guides || Test Administrator Tutorial for General Assessments || Accessibility Resources || Estimated Testing Times || Reporting || Test Security

The California Science Test (CAST) is an online assessment based on the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS) . All local educational agencies (LEAs) with eligible students in grades five and eight and in high school (grade ten, eleven, or twelve) administer the CAST. Every device used for testing must have the secure browser installed. Stable, high-speed Internet is required.

Who takes the CAST? The CAST is administered in grades five and eight and once to each student while that student is in high school. All students must take the CAST by the end of grade twelve, but have the option of testing in grade ten or grade eleven. Only eligible students may participate in the administration of the CAST. Students assigned to take an alternate assessment should take the California Alternate Assessment for Science.

Visit the California Department of Education (CDE) California Science Test web page for additional information.

Video

The California Science Test (CAST) and the Next Generation Science Standards video presents an opportunity to learn about the standards and how they are built into the CAST. The video has information about the structure of the CAST and the types of questions students can expect to see on the assessment.

Testing Materials

Administration Materials

Test Coordinator Resources

Paper-Pencil Test Administration Directions for Administration (DFAs)

Requests for CAST paper-pencil tests are reviewed and approved by the CDE.

Testing Notification Templates

Parent/Guardian notification templates that can be used to notify parents and guardians of the year's statewide assessments are available on the Parent/Guardian Notification web page.

Practice Test Scoring Guides

The CAST practice and training tests include all accessibility resources found in the operational assessments. Refer to the California Science Test Online Practice Test Scoring Guides and DFAs web page section for additional information.

Test Administrator Tutorial for General Assessments

The Test Administrator Tutorial is designed to prepare test administrators to administer the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts/literacy and mathematics, the CAST, and the California Spanish Assessment. This tutorial is optional and may be used in addition to the LEA's local training.

Participants can log on to the Moodle Training Site and use an assigned enrollment key to access the Test Administrator Tutorial. The online Certificate of Completion is generated after a participant views the required sections and related videos and answers the Checks for Understanding questions correctly.

Accessibility Resources

Once it has been determined that a student should receive an embedded or non-embedded designated support or accommodation, an LEA CAASPP coordinator or site CAASPP coordinator should assign the student's accessibility resource(s) in TOMS at least 48 hours prior to testing. More information about accessibility resources can be found on the CAASPP Accessibility Resources web page.

Desmos Calculators

A student taking the CAST can access to the embedded Desmos calculator during the entire test. The calculator that appears in the test delivery system is assigned on the basis of the student's grade level. The student can resize and reposition the calculator on the screen as needed.

The Desmos calculator is free and available all year via the Desmos website for the student to build familiarity with this resource. A student using Job Access with Speech (JAWS®) can use the Desmos calculator.

Translated Test Directions

Translated test directions are available as a non-embedded designated support. A biliterate student or adult can read these directions in conjunction with the CAST. Refer to the CAST Translated Test Directions web page to download a language-specific PDF.

Science Reference Tools

The CAST assessments for grade eight and high school include a periodic table of the elements and a reference sheet of formulas that students may access during online testing as universal tools. The reference sheet provides all formulas that a student may need to use in responding to a test item; however, this does not imply that the student will receive a specific item type. The purposes of these reference tools are to signal that students do not need to memorize formula sheets and to ensure that students have equal access to the tools during testing. These reference tools are not meant to guide instruction.

Refer to the Printing Enlarged Science Reference Tools quick start guide if the student requires the science reference tools to be enlarged and printed on 11×17 paper.

Periodic Table

An updated and accessible periodic table of the elements is available for all students on the practice and training tests. This periodic table can be resized and moved within the item and is accessible for a student using JAWS.

A printable CAST periodic table has been provided as a resource intended for classroom use. This printable version closely resembles the online periodic table available in the CAST and can be downloaded and printed to give a student practice using the periodic table in a format similar to the online version. Students are encouraged to practice using both types of periodic table resources throughout the year.

Files that contain a periodic table and reference sheet of formulas-.brf and.prn files-are intended to be printed using a braille embosser.

Reference Sheet

Estimated Testing Times

Administration of the CAST is estimated to take approximately two hours. Note that the CAST is an untimed test.

The CAST is composed of six segments of test questions: two or three segments of discrete (stand-alone) questions followed by three or four PTs, where each PT is a segment. It is strongly recommended that a PT be started and completed in a single test session and that students only pause the test after the end of a segment.

Reporting

Once a student completes the CAST, the student's score is available in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS) . Student Score Reports (SSRs) are produced and available for download in TOMS and made available to parents and guardians through parent or student portals.

Typically, an LEA can access results in the CERS and SSRs in TOMS by June of the test administration year, after the CDE verifies and approves the data.

Each student receives an SSR in English and one in the student's primary language if that language is Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Filipino, or Cantonese (traditional Chinese). To view a sample SSR in each language, visit the CAASPP Sample Student Score Reports (SSRs) web page. If the student needs an SSR in one of the provided languages and that language is not the student's primary language, the LEA should change the language of the SSR in TOMS prior to student testing.

Test Security

LEA CAASPP coordinators and site CAASPP coordinators have the ability to submit STAIRS cases in TOMS as a means of reporting testing incidents. Refer to the CAASPP and ELPAC Security Incidents and Appeals Procedure Guide and the Test Security web page for more information.

Last Reviewed: February 16, 2022

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Go to: Video || Testing Materials || Practice Test Scoring Guides || Test Administrator Tutorial for General Assessments || Accessibility Resources || Estimated Testing Times || Reporting || Test Security The California Science Test (CAST) is an online assessment based on the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS) .

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Resource bank of science performance assessments

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First, select below the National Science Education Standards (NSES) you wish to assess. Next, click on the "Show Tasks for Selected Standards" button to view the tasks that are intended to meet the standards you have selected. The full text of the standards is also available for your reference.

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NGSS activities, lessons and websites for each PE

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Are you a STEM, STEAM, and/or science teacher looking for great edtech for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)? Browse hundreds of apps, games, and websites evaluated by our expert reviewers and tagged for relevant Performance Expectations (PEs).

To find the right tool for your NGSS-aligned activities, lessons, and curriculum: select a grade, choose a topic, and then find the PE that interests you. Click the green arrow on the right-hand side of the PE to see a list of suggested tools. Just below each PE you'll see three NGSS dimensions - Science and Engineering Practices (SEP), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), and Crosscutting Concepts (CC) - for quick and easy reference.

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Next Generation Science Standards Explorer

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Task format tables to support writing of 3D assessments

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Welcome to the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) task portal.

Elementary Grades (3-5) Assessment Tasks Middle Grades (6-8) Assessment Tasks

Here you will find a set of tasks produced by the NGSA Collaborative, which consists of researchers and technology developers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, WestEd, Michigan State University, and the Concord Consortium. Researchers from UChicago STEM Education partnered on the development of the elementary tasks. For more details about our work visit the main project website: nextgenscienceassessment.org

You can preview assessment tasks without an account, but signing up has many benefits. With a teacher account you can create classes, assign specific tasks, and get collated reports of student work. A detailed user manual for the portal can be found here. District, state, and other researchers are welcome to sign up as well.

Create classes, assign tasks, and more

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Welcome to the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) task portal. Elementary Grades (3-5) Assessment Tasks Middle Grades (6-8) Assessment Tasks Here you will find a set of tasks produced by the NGSA Collaborative, which consists of researchers and technology developers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, WestEd, Michigan State University, and the Concord Consortium.

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Webinars that discuss each of the SEP's

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Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards

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This is the first in a series of seven web seminars that focus on the science and engineering practices found within the Next Generation Science Standards. Presenter Mariel Milano, P-SELL and STEM Coordinator for Orange County (FL) Public Schools, talks about the role of technology and engineering in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

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Sample phenomena for middle and high school

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Access Google Sites with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Examples of phenomena to support teachers in inquiry process

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An electronic newsletter for the science education community
November/December 2007 Using Phenomena to Promote Science Literacy Poster session showcases phenomena that support K-12 learning goals
Much of science involves finding patterns in observations and explaining them in terms of a small number of principles or ideas. For students to appreciate how science works, they need to have a sense of the range of observations (phenomena) that are used to form the patterns and the helpfulness of the principles or ideas in explaining them. Project 2061's evaluations of science textbooks revealed that textbooks rarely engaged students with phenomena-real-world objects, systems, and events-relevant to important science ideas. In addition, the textbooks rarely included phenomena that directly address the often incorrect ideas that students may already have and rarely guided students in reconciling phenomena with scientifically accepted ideas (Kesidou & Roseman, 2002; Stern & Roseman, 2004; American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], 2002, 2005).

To help address this lack of relevant phenomena and provide guidance for teachers and students, Project 2061 and other researchers from the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS) are identifying phenomena that could be used to support the teaching and learning of ideas recommended inBenchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS, 1993) and in the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996). At the Center's Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI) in July, held at AAAS headquarters in Washington, DC, researchers participated in an interactive poster session on "Phenomena" to share their work in this area. (For an overview of the KSI meeting, see " Collaborating for Better Science Learning" in the July/August 2007 issue of 2061 Connections.)

The session brought together 10 posters to showcase useful phenomena that support student learning of key ideas on a range of science topics and to highlight issues that arise across the set of topics related to teachers' effective use of the phenomena. Many of the phenomena on display at the KSI session will become part of an online collection of curriculum resources being developed by Project 2061 with funding from the National Science Foundation. The collection also includes (1) clarifications of the scientific ideas that the national science standards expect students to learn, (2) descriptions of connections among those ideas, (3) summaries of research on how students think about the ideas, and (4) suggestions for guiding student interpretation and reasoning about the phenomena to promote learning (read a project overview).

"The KSI session provided further evidence that teachers need a variety of phenomena on hand to teach different learning goals effectively," said Ted Willard, project director for Project 2061 and one of the presenters. "It also became clear that students need specific guidance in interpreting phenomena if they are to reach the desired understandings."

For Natalie Dubois, a Project 2061 research associate attending her first KSI meeting, the poster session provided an opportunity for dialogue with other researchers. "I gained new insights into the challenges one meets when attempting to identify observable phenomena that afford tangible evidence of targeted learning goals," said Dubois. "In addition, phenomena need to be accessible to students in a way that allows them to transfer their classroom experience to their conceptual understanding of the 'real world'."

Following is a list of the 10 posters and their abstracts from the "Phenomena" session. To view each poster, click on the title.
Using Phenomena to Learn about Seasons in the Science Classroom Lori Agan, Bath Middle School, Bath, Maine
Abstract: In the spring of 2007, Agan utilized the LHS-GEMS curriculum The Real Reasons for Seasons, supplemented with additional resources. She carefully considered the use of representations and the use of phenomena in her instructional choices. She found her use of phenomena to be critical, but difficult to administer. Agan's account emphasizes the aid needed to ensure that teachers can effectively include phenomena in instruction.
Engaging Students in Phenomena Related to Matter Transformation in Plants Natalie S. Dubois, George E. DeBoer, and Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Dubois, DeBoer, and Roseman provide examples of phenomena aligned to middle school key ideas about the transformation of matter in living systems, specifically focusing on examples from plants. By their nature, living systems exhibit a degree of complexity that often requires students to utilize multiple key ideas in order to develop an understanding of any particular phenomenon. While this may pose a challenge to students and teachers alike, it also presents an opportunity for students to develop connections between key ideas and begin to recognize the importance of this set of interconnected ideas in explaining the growth and development of living organisms.
The Importance of Phenomena in IQWST: Helping Students Understand Scientific Concepts through Experiences
Jennifer Eklund, Yael Shwartz, and Joi Merritt, University of Michigan

Abstract: Each IQWST unit uses multiple phenomena to help students make connections between real-world experiences and scientific concepts. Eklund, Shwartz, and Merritt present examples from IQWST chemistry, physics, and earth science units for middle school to show how phenomena can be used to (1) help construct conceptual models, (2) elaborate or revise conceptual models, (3) provide evidence that supports a claim, and (4) motivate students and further engage them in scientific investigations.
Engaging Students in Thermal Expansion and Contraction Phenomena Cari F. Herrmann Abell, George E. DeBoer, and Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Herrmann Abell, DeBoer, and Roseman provide three examples of phenomena that are aligned to a middle school key idea about thermal expansion and contraction. For students to be able to fully comprehend these phenomena and relate them to the idea about thermal expansion and contraction, they must also appreciate the importance of careful measurement and/or use of detection instruments or methods more sensitive than the naked eye. Students also need to be shown corresponding representations of the molecular level phenomena in order to link the phenomena to the key idea. The poster also illustrates the role that data on students' ideas can play in identifying useful phenomena and strategies for guiding students' interpretation of them.
How Offspring Resemble Their Parents: Relevant Phenomena for K-2 Students Belén Hurle, NHGRI-NIH, and Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Hurle and Roseman present examples of phenomena that could be used to illustrate the K-2 idea that "living things are very much, but not exactly, like their parents and like one another" (Benchmark 5B/P2). This seemingly simple idea summarizes a wide range of phenomena that contribute to the recognition, in grades 3-5, that "for offspring to resemble their parents there must be a reliable way to transfer information from one generation to the next" (Benchmark 5B/E2) and, later, to the high school idea that "the information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules" (Benchmark 5B/H3) (Roseman, Caldwell, Gogos, & Kurth, 2006). Without a firm grasp of these and other ideas, students will be unable to understand the science and significance of important discoveries such as those made possible by the Human Genome Project.
PRISMS: Phenomena and Representations for the Instruction of Science in Middle Schools Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Joyce Tugel , Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA); Francis Molina and Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Project 2061's evaluations of science textbooks highlight the need for better phenomena and representations in middle grades materials. NSDL collections are a potential source; however, they are mainly geared towards high school and undergraduate education. MMSA staff, trained by AAAS Project 2061, are working with teams of middle school teachers to analyze approximately 1,000 digital phenomena and representations for their alignment to middle grades content standards and for the quality of their instructional support for teachers. Reviews of these resources are being assembled into a collection called PRISMS (Phenomena and Representations for the Instruction of Science in Middle Schools), designed to increase the number of quality K-12 science educational resources accessible through digital libraries.
Engaging Students in Phenomena Relevant to the Interdependence of Life: Feeding Interactions Kristen A. Lennon, George E. DeBoer, and Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Lennon, DeBoer, and Roseman show an example of a set of phenomena that can be used to help middle school students gain an understanding of some of the concepts targeted by the key idea, "Animals may interact with other organisms for food in a variety of ways" (from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, 5D/M2a).

Phenomena to Help High School Students Understand the Mechanism of Natural Selection
Luli Stern, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Stern's poster presents a phenomenon that could be used to challenge high school students' naive idea about the inheritance of acquired traits and another that could be used to make the mechanism of natural selection more plausible for students.
Phenomena to Help Elementary School Students Understand that the Earth is Spherical Ted Willard, Sofia Kesidou, Lori Kurth, and Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061
Abstract: Willard, Kesidou, Kurth, and Roseman describe three phenomena that could be used to help students understand that the Earth is spherical in shape and one phenomenon that most likely would not be useful to help elementary school students.
Phenomena to Help Middle School Students Understand Seasonal Changes in Temperature Patterns on the Earth Ted Willard and Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061; Tim Eichler, NOAA
Abstract: Willard, Roseman, and Eichler describe how to present students with data that show how the temperatures in one place vary over the course of the year and with patterns that show how temperatures vary across the surface of the Earth.

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Funded by the National Science Foundation as a Center for Learning and Teaching, CCMS brings together AAAS, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan in its mission to develop new knowledge and leadership that can contribute to the effective design, selection, and use of curriculum materials.

Project 2061's work to develop a collection of curriculum resources, "Supporting the Next Generation of Curriculum Materials in Science, Mathematics, and Technology," is funded by the National Science Foundation.

For more information about CCMS and Project 2061's research on curriculum materials, please contact:

Principal Investigator/Director of CCMS: Jo Ellen Roseman, (202) 326-6752
Project Director: Ted Willard
References
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2002). Middle grades science textbooks: A benchmarks-based evaluation. Retrieved on June 19, 2007, from http://www.project2061.org/publications/textbook/mgsci/report/index.htm.

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2005). High school biology textbooks: A benchmarks-based evaluation. Retrieved on June 19, 2007, from http://www.project2061.org/publications/textbook/hsbio/report/default.htm.

Kesidou, S., & Roseman, J. E. (2002). How well do middle school science programs measure up? Findings from Project 2061's curriculum review. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(6), 522-549.

National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Stern, L., & Roseman, J. E. (2004). Can middle-school science textbooks help students learn important ideas? Findings from Project 2061's curriculum evaluation study: Life science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(6), 538-568.
[Table of Contents]

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An electronic newsletter for the science education community November/December 2007 Using Phenomena to Promote Science Literacy Poster session showcases phenomena that support K-12 learning goals Much of science involves finding patterns in observations and explaining them in terms of a small number of principles or ideas.