Investigation of the science inquiry behaviors elicited by NYSED's elementary and intermediate level prototype performance assessments

NYSED developed science inquiry performance assessments (EL-SIPA and IL-SIPA) to measure team science inquiry ability. This study examined how the science inquiry behaviors that are components of NYS learning standards compared with the behaviors elicited by these assessments. This study was based on the EL-SIPA and IL-SIPA conducted in 2001. Two records of the performance existed: the written Team Log record, and the Oral Record, a transcription of team actions and conversations.; Judges, using a Verified List of science inquiry behaviors, determined that the EL-SIPA Team Logs demonstrated 67% overall alignment with the standards, and the IL-SIPA Logs demonstrated 57% overall alignment.; While comparison of the Oral Record and the Team Logs indicated that the elementary (chi2(13, N = 200) = .59, p > .05) and intermediate (chi2(16, N = 200) = .55, p > .05) Logs captured the distribution of inquiry behaviors that teams demonstrated during the assessment, other results indicated that some demonstrated inquiry behaviors were absent or were underrepresented in the elementary (chi2(13, N = 493) = 54.46, p < .05) and the intermediate (chi2(16, N = 409) = 83.31, p < .01) Team Logs when compared to the Oral Record.; No correlation, (p < .05), between gender, (elementary, rs(10) = -.256, and intermediate, r s(10) = -.557), or academic ability, (elementary, rs(10) = .346, and intermediate, rs(10) = .209), or attendance, (elementary, r(10) = .380, and intermediate, r(10) = .256), and the number of inquiry behaviors exhibited by individuals. This suggests that the scores on these assessments were a valid measure of team science inquiry ability.; A Survey of Student Self-Perceptions about the Test probed students' self-perceptions related to their inquiry engagement. Responses (N = 39) indicated no interaction between gender and academic ability (F = 0.626; df = 2, 36; p > .05) and students' self-perceptions of their process engagement with the inquiry task. Examination of the main effects indicated no difference for gender (F = 1.761; df = 1, 36; p > .05) or for academic ability (F = .493; df = 2, 36; p > .05). Qualitative analysis of the Oral Record revealed inconsistencies in what intermediate students reported about their engagement, and the behaviors they manifested during the assessment.