Task Annotation Project in Science: Acknowledgements

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Acknowledgements
The Task Annotation Project in Science would not have been possible without the thought leaders, evaluators, and reviewers who contributed to this work. This diverse set of researchers, developers, partners, educators, and decision-makers lent their time and expertise to conceptualize the project, evaluate the assessments, and identify lessons learned and further questions from this process.

Achieve also thanks Chevron and the Hewlett Foundation for their generous support of this work.  

Contributors include (* indicates a member of the TAPS leadership group):

Cari Herrmann Abell, Research Scientist, BSCS Science Learning. Cari’s work focuses on the development of curriculum and assessment resources aligned to K-12 science learning goals. She is currently the PI of a project to develop three dimensional assessment tasks to measure students’ progress on the energy concept.

Kevin J. B. Anderson, Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Dept of Public Instruction.Kevin supports educators in Wisconsin in thinking differently about science and STEM learning with a goal of helping all students become scientifically and STEM literate.

Aneesha Badrinarayan*, Associate Director, Science, Achieve.

Betsy Barent, Science Teacher, Norris Public Schools. Betsy engages middle-schoolers and facilitates their learning about the world around them. She is also involved in supporting teachers across the state in their navigation of and transition to Nebraska’s Career and College Ready Standards for Science.

Stephen Barry, Outreach and Professional Learning Director, Cereal City Science by Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center. Steve develops and facilitates professional learning for teachers using the K-8 NGSS aligned Cereal City Science Units/kits.  Training focuses on sensemaking and knowledge building as students figure out phenomena while using the science and engineering practices.

Lizette Burks, State Science Supervisor, Kansas State Department of Education. Lizette supports statewide science education efforts for the Kansas Standards for Science. She works in the areas of professional development, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and standards.

Melanie Cooper, Lappan-Phillips Professor of Science Education and Professor of Chemistry, Michigan State University. Melanie’s work has focused on improving teaching and learning in large enrollment general and organic chemistry courses at the college level, and she is a proponent of evidence-based curriculum reform and assessment.

Sara Cooper*, Science Education Specialist, Nebraska Department of Education. Sara supports implementation of Nebraska’s College and Career Ready Standards for Science. Her role includes working across the areas of professional learning, curriculum support, and assessment.

Dawn Cope, Science Assessment Lead, Assessment and Student Information, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of Washington. Dawn manages the overall development and support of the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) aligned to the Washington State 2013 Science K–12 Learning Standards which are the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Nathan Dadey, Associate, The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc. 

George DeBoer, Deputy Director, AAAS Project 2061, Professor Emeritus, Colgate University. George works with colleagues at AAAS to advance the goal of “science literacy for all” through the development of high quality curriculum and assessment materials aligned to national content standards.

Zoe Evans, Principal, Bowdon High School, Carroll County Schools. Zoe is a high school principal in Georgia who is committed to supporting teachers as they create instructional experiences that are designed for the NGSS.  She works in the area of professional development and working with educators as they analyze instructional materials and assessments.

Molly Ewing, Graduate Student, Teaching Fellow, Science Education Consultant, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Molly studies science learning, instruction,  and assessment. She supports implementation of NGSS by working with educators to analyze instructional materials including assessments.

Jeff Greig, Science Assessment Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education. Jeff coordinates the development of assessments aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and efforts to support their implementation in the state of Connecticut.

Joseph Hardcastle, Research Associate, AAAS Project 2061. Joseph works on STEM assessment research and curriculum development. Currently, his work focuses on designing NGSS aligned three dimensional assessment tasks.

Christopher J. Harris, Director, Science and Engineering Education Research, WestEd STEM Program. Christopher designs and studies curricula and assessments that help teachers engage their students in rich integrated learning. In this work, he partners with universities, organizations, government agencies, and K-12 schools and school districts to enhance science and engineering education.

Cora James, Director of Secondary Science and Science Assessments, Oklahoma State Department of Education. Cora supports coherence between Oklahoma’s state science assessments and the Oklahoma Academic Standards For Science by ensuring alignment between assessment, curriculum, and instruction.

Angela Kolonich, Director of Professional Learning, CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University. Angela develops and facilitates professional learning programs for teachers grounded in the curricular materials developed at CREATE for STEM. Her research focus is on supporting teachers in developing equitable, three-dimensional learning environments for their students.

Joseph Krajcik*, Lappan-Phillips Professor of Science Education; Director, CREATE for STEM Institute, College of Natural Science, College of Education, Michigan State University. As director of CREATE, Joe works with faculty, teachers and researchers to improve the teaching and learning of STEM kindergarten through college by engaging in innovation and research. He focuses his research on designing and testing project-based  learning environments to improve student learning and engagement.

Matt Krehbiel, Director, Science, Achieve.

Michael Lim, Science Teacher, Gardena High School, Science Lead, Los Angeles Unified School District. As a high school chemistry teacher, Michael’s #1 priority is to facilitate sensemaking of everyday phenomena, using the 3-dimensions of NGSS, for all of his students.  As a science lead for his district, he develops and disseminates 3-dimensional resources and professional learning for teachers who are implementing the new standards in their classrooms.

Amber McCulloch, K-12 Science Specialist, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of Washington. Amber supports state-wide science efforts around the implementation of Washington State’s Science Learning Standards (Next Generation Science Standards).

Rae McEntyre, Science Consultant, Kentucky Department of Education. Rae supports statewide science education efforts for the Kentucky Academic Standards. She works in the areas of professional development, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and building partnerships with science organizations.

James W. Pellegrino*, Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor, Co-Director, Learning Sciences Research Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago. As Co-Director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute I work with research faculty and staff, doctoral students, and practicing educators from multiple disciplines on designing environments to support effective teaching and deep student learning, especially in areas of STEM. One of my key activities is the design and implementation of assessments that help teachers monitor and support the progress of their students’ learning in math and science.

Phyllis Pennock, Research Associate, CREATE for STEM, Michigan State University. Phyllis designs biology curriculum and chemistry assessment items for K-8 students that are aligned with NGSS. Her research interests include issues relevant to equity and social justice in science education.

William R. Penuel*, Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development, School of Education & Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder. Penuel designs and studies curriculum materials, assessments, and professional learning experiences for teachers in science. He works in partnership with school districts and state departments of education to support equitable implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards.

Katie Ramsey, PK-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator, Grand Island Public Schools. Katie supports her local district in the implementation of new state standards and the development of science courses that reflect Nebraska’s vision for science teaching and learning. She has been involved in planning and facilitating statewide PD aimed at the rollout and implementation of the newly revised and approved state standards.

Brian Reiser, Professor, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University.

Margo Reynolds, Independent Consultant. 

Daisy Rutstein, Educational Researcher, SRI International. Dr. Rutstein is the co-leader of the assessment group in SRI’s Education division. Her work focuses on applying an evidence-centered design approach to the design, development and validation of assessments.

Jennifer Sattem, Vice President, Policy and Research, Achieve. 

Heidi Schweingruber, Director, Board on Science Education, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Heidi oversees a portfolio of work that includes K-12 science education, informal science education and higher education. She works with the board and national experts to provide evidence-based guidance for research, policy and practice related to science education.

Tamara (TJ) Smolek*, Science Education Research Consultant, Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability, Michigan Department of Education. TJ supports the implementation of the Michigan K-12 Science Standards through iteratively co-designing statewide and district assessments with local science educators and researchers. This effort is supported by her work developing a balanced assessment system to support science learners in Michigan.

Ryan Stowe, Research Associate, Dept. of Chemistry, Michigan State University. Ryan works to design high school and college learning environments that support students in understanding the world in terms of atomic/molecular behavior.

Miray Tekkumru-Kisa, Assistant Professor, School of Teacher Education & Learning Systems Institute, Florida State University. Miray’s research focuses on designing for and studying teacher learning, and instructional quality for ambitious and equitable teaching in science classrooms. Her research efforts center on supporting the design, selection, and implementation of cognitively demanding tasks that can position students to engage in high-level thinking and sensemaking in science classrooms.

Israel Touitou, Research Associate, CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University. Israel’s work revolves around designing, developing and testing NGSS-aligned curriculum and assessment items as well as supporting teachers, administrators and policy makers in the transition to NGSS through professional development.

Douglas Watkins, Science Curriculum Specialist, Denver Public Schools. Douglas represents Denver Public Schools (DPS) in their work with CU Boulder to design and implement NGSS-designed high-school science curricula. He also supports DPS science teachers with curriculum and instruction as Colorado implements new standards for science statewide. 

Katie Van Horne, Independent Consultant. 

Hans Voss, Senior Associate, Policy and Research, Achieve.

Jill Wertheim*, Research Associate, Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE), Stanford University. Jill develops programs and resources to support teachers, administrators, and policymakers with using performance assessment as a tool to guide effective implementation of NGSS.

Ted Willard, Assistant Executive Director, Science Standards, National Science Teachers Association. Ted is NSTA’s in-house standards expert and in that role supports NSTA’s efforts to help educators with the implementation of NGSS and other science standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education.

Vanessa Wolbrink, Senior Associate, Science, Achieve.