NECAP Assessment of Inquiry

The third session of the NECAP Science Assessment is an Inquiry Task that measures each student’s
ability to engage in the science process as defined by the thirteen constructs of the Four Broad Areas of
Inquiry. The Inquiry Tasks at Grades 4, 8, and 11 have items from each of the Four Broad Areas, but
not every construct will be represented in each task each year.

NECAP Schema for Assessing Scientific Inquiry (with DOK levels for constructs)
Broad Areas of Formulating Planning and Developing and
Conducting
Inquiry to be Questions & Critiquing of Evaluating
Investigations
Assessed Hypothesizing Investigations Explanations

Constructs for each 1. Analyze 4. Identify 7. Follow procedures 11. Analyze data,
Broad Area of information from information/evidence for collecting and including
Inquiry observations, that needs to be recording qualitative determining if data
(including intended research, or collected in order to or quantitative data, are relevant, artifact,
DOK Ceiling Levels, experimental data for answer the question, using equipment or irrelevant, or
based on Webb the purpose of hypothesis, measurement devices anomalous
Depth of Knowledge formulating a prediction accurately (DOK 2 – specify
Levels for Science – question, hypothesis, (DOK 2 – routine; (DOK 1 – use tools; relationships
see also Section II) or prediction: DOK 3 non- routine procedure; between facts;
Inquiry Constructs (DOK 3) routine/ more than DOK 2 – follow ordering, classifying
answer the question: 1a. Appropriate for one dependant multi-step data)
What is it about the answering with variable) procedures; make
broad area of scientific observations) 12. Use evidence to
Inquiry that we investigation 5. Develop an support and justify
want students to 1b. For answering organized and logical interpretations and
know and be able to 8. Use accepted
using scientific approach to methods for conclusions or
do? knowledge investigating the explain how the
organizing,
question, including representing, and evidence refutes the
controlling variables manipulating data hypothesis
2. Construct
coherent argument in (DOK 2 – routine; (DOK 2 – compare (DOK 3)
support of a DOK 3 non-routine) data; display data)
question, hypothesis, 13. Communicate
prediction 6. Provide reasoning how scientific
9. Collect sufficient
(DOK 2 or 3 for appropriateness data to study knowledge applies to
depending on of materials, tools, question, hypothesis, explain results,
complexity of procedures, and scale or relationships propose further
argument) used in the investigations, or
investigation (DOK 2 – part of construct and analyze
3. Make and describe following
observations in order (DOK 2) alternative
procedures) explanations
to ask questions,
hypothesize, make (DOK 3)
predictions related to 10. Summarize
topic results based on data
(DOK 2) (DOK 2)