(From Spring 2006 – Based on the previous (NWEA) version of the ISAT. Shared here as a reference.)
This spring, the computerized ISAT Science Tests will be administered to students in grades 5, 7 and 10. Science tests are required by NCLB to be in place by the 2007-2008 school year. The tests were introduced as a pilot in the spring of 2005, in preparation to meet the federal requirements.
The science test questions were written by knowledgeable Idaho science teachers, and were assessed for accuracy, potential bias, and alignment to state standards. (The ISAT Science Blueprint, from the Idaho State Board of Education, outlines the science standards covered.) The questions were also tested by NWEA, the company that develops the ISAT tests.
Previously, paper and pencil tests have been given in two areas for Science: Concepts & Processes and General Science. The computerized test will incorporate both of these tests and will provide separate scores for each.
Science ISAT Tests and Standards Areas Covered:
- Scientific Inquiry
- Unifying Concepts in Science
- Life Science
- Earth and Space Science
- Physical Science
ISAT Science Resources:(for the previous NWEA version)
- ISAT Science Vocabulary (pdf) from NWEA
- Science Power Standards from the State Dept of Education