Cognitive and Quantitative Skills Descriptions for MCAS High School Biology

The lists below are general examples, but they are not a complete list. Depending upon how the itemis written, these descriptions may not always apply.

Cognitive Skill / Description
Remembering
/
  • Identify or define a basic concept or term with little or no context
  • Recall facts with little or no context
Does the item require recalling or remembering facts or definitions?
Understanding /
  • Describe, explain, or identify typical classroom examples for a biology concept
  • Recognize, differentiate, and define concepts using key phrases (e.g., for viruses, they use “cellular machinery ,” for evolution, the ability to “survive and reproduce,” for species, they “interbreed and produce fertile offspring”)
  • Recognize and differentiate representations and descriptions of familiar models (e.g., population growth, cell transport, anatomy diagram, biotic and abiotic cycles)
  • Draw conclusions by comparing and contrasting familiar concepts
  • Identify a structure or cell part on a diagram of a system or a cell
  • Identify carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or nitrogenin various compounds or tissues when asked what are the most common elements
  • Identify the number of chromosomes found in body or sex cells of a familiar or novel organism
Does the item require the recognition or a description of a familiar concept?
Applying /
  • Describe, explain, or identify a biology concept presented ina novel situation
    (Note: if a key phrase is used, item may be understanding, see bullet 2 above)
  • Draw conclusions by comparing and contrasting information in novel situations
  • Draw conclusions by interpreting information/data(including graphs and tables) or make predictions based on data (does not include “critical examination” of data, as is done for analyzing)
  • Interpret and construct Punnett squares to draw conclusions or make predictions about offspringor parent phenotypes or genotypes
  • Identify phosphorus and/or sulfur in a given organic compound, molecule, or tissue in a novel situation when asked what are the most common elements; and identify any of the most common elements in a novel situation when not directly asked about “common elements”
  • Interpret simple food webs to identify direct ecological relationships
  • Describe or explain a biology concept usingfamiliar models (e.g., population growth, cell transport, anatomy diagram, biotic/abiotic cycles)in a novel situation (Note: applies to open-response items)
Does the item require drawing conclusions based on novel information?
Analyzing /
  • Critically examine and interpret data(e.g., graphs with lines with differing slopes, tables with multiple variables), diagrams (including food webs), or mapsto draw conclusions based on given information (Note: An item with a graph/diagram/table/map is not necessarily analyzing—it depends on how the information needs to be interpreted.)
Doesthe item require critical examination of information to make conclusions?
Creating /
  • Generate an explanation/conclusionby combiningtwo or more biology conceptsin a novel situation
  • Constructmodels, graphs, charts, drawings, or diagramsand generate explanations or conclusions based on the information
  • Construct food webs illustrating specific ecological relationshipsand generate predictions or conclusions based on the food web
  • Propose solution(s) to a scientific problem based on given criteria and constraints and generate an explanation for the solution(s)
Does the item require the synthesis of different concepts or skills to generate a solution?

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education | Cognitive Skills for STE MCAS | Updated Working Draft May 2013