InnerOrbit's Scaffolded Formative Assessments are designed to measure student progress toward proficiency on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
These ready-to-use assessments help teachers identify student growth, pinpoint misconceptions, and adjust instruction to meet each student’s needs. With a mix of 1D, 2D, and 3D questions, Scaffolded Formatives support students as they build understanding from core content knowledge to rigorous sensemaking.
What This Help Article Covers:
❓ What are InnerOrbit's Scaffolded Formative Assessments?
🗓️ When Should Scaffolded Formatives Be Used?
🔎 How to Find Pre-Made Scaffolded Formatives?
📊 3D Data Analysis Resources and Tools on InnerOrbit
💡 Tips for Creating Your Own Scaffolded Formatives
❓ What are InnerOrbit's Scaffolded Formative Assessments?
Scaffolded Formative Assessments on InnerOrbit are premade assessments designed to measure student progress on a single NGSS standard, known as a performance expectation (PE). These assessments include questions that support students as they progress through varying levels of difficulty.
These short assessments contain 5 auto-scored questions that consist of:
Two 1-Dimensional Questions
Assess grade-level content knowledge focused on core concepts.
Tag to Look For:
🟧 "Core Content 1D" (Orange Tag)
Two 2-Dimensional Questions
Assess grade-level content knowledge along with the Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) or Crosscutting Concept (CCC) components of the NGSS.
Tags to Look For:
🟩 "Content and Concepts 2D" (Green Tag)
🔵 "Content and Practices 2D" (Blue Tag)
One 3-Dimensional Question
Challenge students to make sense of phenomena using all three dimensions.
These questions require students to apply content knowledge, engage in science practices, and recognize crosscutting concepts.
Tag to Look For:
🟣 "Sensemaking 3D" (Purple Tag)
Why Are These Formatives “Scaffolded”?
These assessments contain a progression of 1D, 2D, and 3D questions to:
Support students as they build understanding from core concepts to rigorous sensemaking.
Provide teachers with insights into how students are progressing with the different dimensions of the NGSS.
Pinpoint misconceptions to guide targeted instruction.
🗓️ When Should Scaffolded Formatives Be Used?
Scaffolded Formatives are best used mid-instruction when you want to measure progress but are not yet ready to summatively assess mastery. They can be used as:
Stand-Alone Formatives for a single standard or lesson.
Comprehensive Mid-Unit Assessments by combining multiple PEs.
Formative assessments can help to:
Identify gaps in understanding before moving to summative assessments.
Adjust instruction to support students in mastering NGSS standards.
🔎 How to Find Pre-Made Scaffolded Formatives?
Step 1: Go to the “Build” Tab
Navigate to the “Build” tab in your InnerOrbit dashboard.
Step 2: Use the Search Bar or Browse Tiles
Use the Search Bar:
Type in a standard (e.g., MS-LS1-1) or a keyword (e.g., cells).
Use the Browse Tiles:
Select a standard using the browse tiles.
Step 3: Locate the “Assign Pre-Made Assessments” Section
Step 4: Select the Pre-Made Scaffolded Formative
Click the “Scaffolded Formative” assessment with the orange tag.
Step 5: Add Questions
To Add All 5 Questions:
Click the green “Assign All Questions” button.
To Add Specific Questions:
Scroll down to the question you want to include on your assessment and select the “Add to Quiz” button.
You can also modify any question by selecting “Modify Question.”
Step 6: Review Your Assessment
After you add or modify questions, click “View Your Assessment” on the upper right corner of your screen.
Step 6: Name and Save Your Assessment
Optional Step 7: Building a Larger Formative Assessment
To build a larger formative assessment to assess more PEs:
Repeat Steps 1-5 on the left-hand side in the Assessment Builder.
Search for another standard, find the pre-made Scaffolded Formative, and add the questions.
💡 If you need help assigning this assessment, see: How to Assign or Unassign an Assessment on InnerOrbit
📊 3D Data Analysis Resources and Tools on InnerOrbit
3-Dimensional student data is available as soon as your students have completed an assessment. This data helps you:
Identify gaps in knowledge and misconceptions.
Track progress toward proficiency on NGSS standards.
Make informed instructional decisions for next steps.
Check out these resources for more info:
📊 The Assignment Report: Best for granular, student-level and question-level analysis.
📈 The Dimensions Report: Great for standards-level analysis and class, school, or district-level trends.
💡 Tips for Creating Your Own Scaffolded Formatives
To collect accurate data and track student proficiency toward NGSS standards, consider the following tips:
Use 1D, 2D, and 3D questions
Avoid "Prior Knowledge" Questions as they are better suited for diagnostic assessments to measure content knowledge from the prior grade band.
Using a mixture of 1D, 2D, and 3D questions provides a balanced assessment that measures both content knowledge and sensemaking abilities.
Include a Minimum of 3 Questions Per Standard
This ensures sufficient data for accurate analysis.
Select Key Standards for Comprehensive Formatives
For end-of-course formatives with multiple PEs, select a maximum of 7 essential standards to:
Avoid overly lengthy assessments.
Target the most important knowledge you want to measure.
Need more help?
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