CAESART is committed to advancing high quality science education by combining research, technology, and assessment. Key activities include:

• Comprehensive assessment review: CAESART is conducting a systematic review of existing preschool to grade 5 science assessments for researcher use, with results to be published in a publicly available database.
• New technology-based science assessments: We are creating and testing new, technology-based assessments that center students’ thinking and experiences and that provide valid inferences about students’ three-dimensional science learning. These adaptive, accessible, and game-based tools will help us better understand how young students learn science.
• Research on the effects of integrating science and literacy: CAESART is investigating the implementation and effects of an integrated science and literacy curriculum on student outcomes, using our newly developed and innovative assessments to measure this effect.
• Leadership and collaboration: As a national hub, CAESART is bringing together educators, researchers, and policymakers to ensure that our work addresses gaps in access to high-quality science education. The end products will inform curriculum, instruction, and policy.

CAESART’s goal is to build long-term capacity for science education that benefits both students and teachers by designing, testing, and using assessments to increase access to high-quality science learning experiences and illuminate children’s science learning.