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Table 2.5. Science statewide high school assessments and grade administered, by state: 2017–18
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| State | Assessment name | Grade administered | Content areas assessed | Assessment included in accountability system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ACT Plus Writing | 11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Alaska | Alaska Science Assessment | 10 | Comprehensive | No |
| Arizona1 | Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) Science |
10 | Comprehensive | No |
| Arkansas | ACT Aspire Early High School | 9, 10 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| California | California Standards Test | 12 | Comprehensive | No |
| Colorado | Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) for science |
11 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Next Generation Science Standards Assessment |
11 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| Delaware | Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) for science |
10 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| District of Columbia2 | DC Next Generation Science Assessment | End of Course (EOC) | Biology | No |
| Florida | Biology I EOC | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Georgia3 | Georgia Milestones Biology EOC | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Georgia Milestones Physical Science EOC | EOC | Physical science | Yes | |
| Hawaii | Biology I EOC | EOC | Biology | No |
| Idaho4 | Biology EOC | EOC | Biology | No |
| Chemistry EOC | EOC | Chemistry | No | |
| Illinois5 | Illinois State Science Assessment (content aligned to biology I) |
EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Indiana | Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+) End of Course Assessments in biology I |
EOC6 | Biology | No |
| Iowa | Iowa Assessments | 11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Kansas | Kansas Assessment Program for science | 11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Kentucky7 | Kentucky End of Course Field Test: Biology | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Louisiana | Biology EOC | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Maine | Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) | 11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Maryland8 | Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) |
EOC | Comprehensive | No |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) Technology/Engineering EOC |
EOC | Technology/engineering | Yes |
| MCAS Biology EOC | EOC | Biology | Yes | |
| MCAS Chemistry EOC | EOC | Chemistry | Yes | |
| MCAS Introductory Physics EOC | EOC | Introductory physics | Yes | |
| Michigan | Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) |
11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-III): Science |
End of Instruction in biology or life science |
Biology/life science | No |
| Mississippi | Subject Area Testing Program, 2nd Edition (SATP2) in biology |
EOC9 | Biology | Yes |
| Missouri10 | Biology EOC | EOC | Biology | No |
| Physical science EOC | EOC | Physical science | No | |
| Montana | Criterion-Referenced Test (CRT) in science | 10 | Comprehensive | No |
| Nebraska | Nebraska State Accountability Tests (NeSA) Science (ACT) |
11 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| Nevada | Nevada High School Science Assessment | EOC | Life science | Yes |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (SAS) for science |
11 | Comprehensive | No |
| New Jersey11 | New Jersey Student Learning Assessment– Science (NJSLA-S) |
11 | Comprehensive | No |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Standards Based Assessment (SBA) in science |
11 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| New York | New York State Regents Exam in Chemistry |
EOC | Chemistry | Yes |
| New York State Regents Exam in Earth Science |
EOC | Earth science | Yes | |
| New York State Regents Exam in Living Environment |
EOC | Living environment | Yes | |
| New York State Regents Competency Tests in Physics |
EOC | Physics | Yes | |
| North Carolina | North Carolina READY EOC in biology | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) for science |
11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Ohio | Biology Ohio State Test (OST) | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Oklahoma12 | Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) Grade 10 assessment in science |
10 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| Oregon | Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) for science |
11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Pennsylvania | Keystone Exam in biology | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Rhode Island13 | Rhode Island Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) |
11 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| South Carolina | End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) in biology |
EOC | Biology | Yes |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Science | 11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Tennessee14 | Biology I EOC | EOC | Biology | Yes |
| Chemistry EOC | EOC | Chemistry | Yes | |
| Texas | State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) EOC in biology |
EOC | Biology | No |
| Utah | Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) EOC in biology |
EOC | Biology | Yes |
| SAGE EOC in earth science | EOC | Earth science | Yes | |
| SAGE EOC chemistry | EOC | Chemistry | Yes | |
| SAGE EOC physics | EOC | Physics | Yes | |
| Vermont | Vermont Science | 11 | Comprehensive | Yes |
| Virginia | Earth Science Standards of Learning (SOL) | EOC | Earth science | No |
| Biology SOL | EOC | Biology | No | |
| Chemistry SOL | EOC | Chemistry | No | |
| Washington | Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science |
11 | Comprehensive | No |
| West Virginia | SAT | 11 | Comprehensive | No |
| Wisconsin | ACT Aspire | 9, 10 | Comprehensive | No |
| ACT | 11 | Comprehensive | No | |
| Wyoming | The Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) |
10 | Comprehensive | No |
| 1 Assessment administered in grade 10, but may be taken by grade 9 students who are enrolled in a life sciences course. | ||||
| 2 Due to errors discovered in the assessment, the District of Columbia did not administer the science assessment in 2018. | ||||
| 3 All students take the Biology End of Course (EOC) prior to graduating. Only students who elect to take the course will take the Physical Science EOC. | ||||
| 4 One science EOC, biology or chemistry, is required in one high school grade (grades 10–12). | ||||
| 5 Administered as a biology EOC (incorporates Next Generation Science Standards). | ||||
| 6 Administered in grade 10. | ||||
| 7 The EOC field tests will not produce student scores or performance levels; therefore, test results will not be included in public reporting for fall 2018. | ||||
| 8 In science, students were required to pass the High School Assessment (HSA) Biology every year until the 2016–17 school year. Students who took the Biology HSA in 2016–17 met the graduation requirement by participating. In 2017–18, students are required to participate in the no fault field test for the high school MISA if they have not met their science assessment requirement as determined by participation in the school year 2016–17 administration of the HSA Biology. Beginning in school year 2019–20, to fulfill the science graduation assessment requirement, students will be required to pass the HSA MISA. | ||||
| 9 Students participate in assessment when they complete the associated course. Biology is typically taken in grade 9. | ||||
| 10 The Physical Science EOC is a local option. | ||||
| 11 This assessment is being field tested in 2017–18. | ||||
| 12 Students who have previously taken the Biology End of Instruction (EOI) and have a valid score may be exempt from the grade 10 science assessment at the discretion of the school district. | ||||
| 13 The Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) will be administered in grade 11 as a census field test. The assessment will be included in the state's accountability system after the spring 2020–21 administration. | ||||
| 14 All students must take a Biology course (and thus the Biology EOC) as a graduation requirement. Only students who elect to take a chemistry course will be assessed using the Chemistry EOC. | ||||
| NOTE: In this table, EOC represents End of Course assessments, and EOI represents End of Instruction assessments. | ||||
| SOURCE: Achieve, 2017–18 State High School Science Assessments, retrieved September 20, 2018 from https://achieve.org/publications/2017–18-state-high-school-science-assessments. Data Source |
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