About the Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards

for Performance Tasks in Science, Grades 1-6

Relationship to BC Performance Standards
The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science
should not be confused with the BC Performance Standards in Reading, Writing,
Numeracy, and Social Responsibility. Although all have been developed for
voluntary use in BC schools and all are intended as resources to support ongoing
instruction and assessment, there are also important differences.

The BC Performance Standards reflect the participation and collective judgments

of thousands of educators and thousands of students, and were subjected to a
rigorous validation process. The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for
Performance Tasks in Science, on the other hand, reflect the participation of four
to six teachers per grade in one or two Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast
school districts and a few hundred students at each grade level from the same
region. The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in
Science have also not been subjected to a validation study. Like regional
adaptations of the BC Performance Standards, they should not be viewed as
provincial standards that capture the collective professional judgment of the
educators of BC.

With those cautions, the Coast Metro Consortium offers these regional standards
to teachers across the province for piloting, review, and response.
Levels of Student Performance
The Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science describe
levels of achievement in key areas of learning. The performance standards
answer the questions: “How good is good enough? What does it look like when a
student’s work has met the expectations at this grade level?”

The Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science were not
designed to reflect outcome-by-outcome matching of curriculum. However, they
were developed in relation to the prescribed curriculum that sets out grade level
expectations in the form of prescribed learning outcomes.

The Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science use the
same four levels of student performance as the BC Performance Standards for
Reading, Writing, Numeracy, and Social Responsibility.

NOT YET WITHIN EXPECTATIONS

• the work does not meet grade-level expectations
• there is little evidence of progress toward the relevant prescribed learning
outcomes
• the situation needs intervention

MEETS EXPECTATIONS (MINIMAL LEVEL)

• the work may be inconsistent, but meets grade-level expectations at a
minimal level
• there is evidence of progress toward relevant prescribed learning
outcomes
• the student needs support in some areas

FULLY MEETS EXPECTATIONS

• the work meets grade-level expectations
• there is evidence that relevant prescribed learning outcomes have been
accomplished

EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
• the work exceeds grade-level expectations in significant ways
• the student may benefit from extra challenges
Using the Regional Standards
Teachers use a variety of methods to gather the information they need to assess,
evaluate, and report on student learning. Possible methods include observations,
student work portfolios, conferences, self- and peer assessment, classroom
tests, and performance tasks.

The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science
give teachers one way to assess students’ abilities to apply their learning in
realistic performance tasks. Used with other methods, they can be an important
part of a comprehensive assessment and evaluation system.

Guidelines
The standards:
• should be used as part of regular classroom learning activities, within the
context of ongoing classroom instruction.
• provide resources for assessing and evaluating the quality of a specific
piece or a collection of student work from various subject areas. They can
help to develop a profile of student achievement, typically based on three
to seven pieces of work.
• assume that in most cases teachers are observing students as they work.
Often, some evidence needed to make decisions comes from
observations and conversations with students.
• allow for teachers to intervene where students are unable to complete a
task independently. The level of assistance required is often one of the
criteria for determining whether or not a student’s work falls within grade-
level expectations.
• may be adapted as needed. For example, this might include creating
class-developed rating scales in age-appropriate language, developing
IEPs or other tailored evaluation, or adjusting expectations for different
times of the year.

The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science are
intended to support instructional decision-making. Teachers may want to
consider the following questions as they plan instruction:
• How do these standards match my/our expectations for students at this
level?
• What kinds of instructional strategies and learning opportunities will help
most students develop the skills they need to meet these expectations?
• What additional support and interventions will be needed to help all
students meet these expectations?
• If there are some students for whom these expectations are not
appropriate, what expectations should they meet?
• What evidence do I/we need to collect to find out if students are making
progress towards the expectations?
Adaptations
Some students may require adaptations in order to meet the prescribed learning
outcomes in the science curriculum for their grade. None of these adaptations
should affect how the students’ work is assessed using the rating scales because
they are working on the same grade level science learning outcomes as other
students. Some adaptations, such as having someone read material aloud to the
student, or scribe for the student, would be modifications in the Language Arts
curriculum if the learning outcomes being addressed were about reading and
writing respectively, but these are always adaptations, not modifications, in the
Science curriculum. With the use of adaptations, ESL students will likely be able
to work on grade level science learning outcomes before they can work on grade
level Language Arts learning outcomes.

Very few students, likely students with special needs in low incidence categories,
may require modifications to their science program. The work of these students
should not be assessed using the grade level rating scales. It should be
assessed in relation to the goals set out in the individual student’s Individual
Educational Plan (IEP). It is possible that an aspect of a rating scale from a
previous grade might be used or modified to assist with this assessment.

Purposes
How the Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in
Science are used depends on the purpose for which they will be used. The first
priority is to improve learning. The chart on the next page provides some
examples of purposes and uses.
 Assessment for Learning
Formative assessment is
ongoing in the classroom
• teacher assessment,
student self-assessment,
and/or student peer
assessment
• criterion-referenced –
criteria based on provincial
curriculum, reflecting
performance in relation to a
specific learning task
• involves both teacher and
student in a process of
continual reflection and
review
• teachers adjust their plans
and engage in corrective
teaching in response to what
they find out
Purpose: Use the Draft
Regional Standards to focus
and monitor learning,
provide feedback and,
adjust instruction.
Example uses/adaptations:
• Design learning activities
and assessment tasks to
provide evidence of the
aspects of learning and the
criteria described in the
regional standards.
• Develop a profile of a class
or group of students to
support instructional
decision-making.
• Focus instruction around
selected criteria or aspects
from the regional standards,
based on ongoing
assessments.
• Use criteria from the
regional standards to build
shared understanding; make
learning intentions explicit.
• Use criteria from the
regional standards to give
students feedback on
specific aspects of their
learning, and on specific
learning tasks.
Assessment as Learning
Formative assessment is
ongoing in the classroom
• self-assessment
• provides students with
information on their own
achievement and prompts
them to consider how they
can continue to improve their
learning
• student-determined criteria
based on previous learning
and personal learning goals
• students use assessment
information to make
adaptations to their learning
process and to develop new
understandings
Purpose: Use the Draft
Regional Standards to
engage students in
discussing, reflecting on,
assessing and shaping their
own learning.
Example uses/adaptations:
• Work with students to
develop ‘kid-friendly’
versions of the regional
standards that are relevant
to learning intentions
• Provide copies of the
regional standards for
student reference and self-
assessment.
• Work with students to
develop class criteria, based
on the regional standards,
for specific purposes.
• Use the regional standards
to guide conference and
group discussions about
learning intentions and
evidence of learning.
• Use criteria from the
regional standards to
develop/ use various self-
assessment prompts and
formats.
• Have students use selected
criteria from the regional
standards to guide peer
feedback.
Assessment of Learning
Summative assessment
occurs at end of year or at
key stages
• teacher assessment
• in BC this is criterion-
referenced, based on
provincial curriculum
• information on student
performance can be shared
with parents/guardians,
school and district staff
• used to make judgments
about students’ performance
in relation to regional
standards
Purpose: Use the Draft
Regional Standards to
monitor and report on
student learning.
Example uses/adaptations:
• Document individual student
progress in key areas of
learning.
• Use the regional standards
to identify students will
benefit from intervention.
• Adapt the regional
standards to guide reporting
discussions with parents.
Note: The draft and regional
nature of the Coast Metro
Regional Standards for
Performance Tasks in
Science, as well as the lack of
a validation study, limit their
use for district-wide
assessments and plans to
improve achievement.
Aspects of Science
The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science
describe student achievement in the three broad disciplines of science
addressed by the provincial curriculum:
• Life Science
• Physical Science
• Earth and Space Science.

The draft regional standards are intended to help teachers assess the extent to
which students are able to apply the skills and processes, attitudes and
dispositions, and knowledge and understanding of science in purposeful, age-
appropriate science tasks related to the provincial curriculum and to make
connections among science, technology, society, and the environment.

The draft regional standards focus on four aspects of science that are consistent
with the goals of the provincial curriculum:

Skills and Processes

The provincial curriculum defines skills and processes for each grade in
prescribed learning outcomes. The skills and processes addressed by the end of
grade 6 are:
• observing
• communicating
• classifying
• interpreting observations
• making inferences
• questioning
• measuring and reporting
• interpreting data
• predicting
• designing experiments
• fair testing
• controlling variables
• scientific problem solving
Students are expected to use the skills and processes taught in previous grades
with increasing independence and to gradually build their capacity to choose
appropriate skills and processes for specific tasks.

Skills and processes that the provincial curriculum prescribes for each grade are
indicated in bold on the rating scales. Skills and processes from previous grades
are listed as well.

Evidence for Skills and Processes in hands-on performance tasks comes largely
from teacher observations and conferencing with students, although some may
come from the assessment of written work.
Attitudes and Dispositions
• has a positive attitude towards science
• demonstrates the habits of mind of science
• recognizes and uses science

Students will have varying attitudes and dispositions depending on their previous
experiences and personal qualities but the development of these can be fostered
in classroom science activities.

Information on the attributes and dispositions associated with excellence in

science can be found in Appendix 2. Personal attributes and dispositions may be
observed as attitudes towards science and scientific inquiry. Some of the
attributes and dispositions that make good scientists may be construed as
undesirable attitudes in school; e.g., questioning, skepticism, tendency to
consider multiple alternatives. An assessment of science attitudes and
dispositions is quite different from the assessment of attitudes and behaviours at
school required for report cards.

Evidence for Attitudes and Dispositions in hands-on performance tasks comes

largely from teacher observations and conferencing with students.

Making Connections
• connections to personal experience and prior knowledge
• connections among science, technology, society, and the environment

Teachers understand the importance of accessing and assessing prior

knowledge as a starting point for teaching and learning. Encouraging students to
make connections among science, technology, society, and the environment
helps them see the relevance of science in their lives and become informed
citizens.

Evidence for Making Connections in performance tasks comes from teacher

questioning, listening, conferencing, written work, and oral presentations.
Generic prompts that teachers can adapt to the age and grade-level of their
students and particular content are included in Appendix 3.

Knowledge and Understanding of Science Concepts

The provincial curriculum sets out the expectations for knowledge and
understanding of science concepts in prescribed learning outcomes for Life
Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science.

The Draft Coast Metro Regional Standards for Performance Tasks in Science
include three rating scales at each grade level – Life Science, Physical Science,
and Earth and Space Science. These rating scales are identical within each
grade for the first three aspects – Skills and Processes, Attitudes and
Dispositions, and Making Connections, and differ only for the fourth aspect –
Knowledge and Understanding of Science Concepts.
Key Components
Rating scale. This scale describes the four levels of performance for each of the
four aspects of science.

Chart. This chart has the description of the four “Aspects” from the rating scale in
the first column and the description of “Fully Meets Expectations” in the second
column. The third column, which is blank, can be used by teachers when they
are planning tasks or as a template for making observations as students work.
Sample task. This is a performance task developed by practising teachers to
provide opportunities to assess student work in science. Teachers may use the
tasks as given or as models. Each sample task identifies the context, the
prescribed learning outcomes, both skills and processes and content outcomes,
that are addressed, and the process that was used in the class.
Student Samples

1 Level of work.

2 Teacher’s observations. These are additional comments by the

teacher and key relevant criteria from the Rating Scale.

3 Rating scale icon. This is a generalized summary of the scale

completed by the teacher.

4 Student work. This shows a reproduction of the student’s work. (Names of

students and teachers have been deleted.)