Welcome

We are looking for students in grades five, six, seven, and eight to help us test a portion of the new Massachusetts Innovative Science Assessment for The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Interviews will last 60-minutes, and students can participate online from a quiet location of their choosing where they have access to either a desktop or laptop/computer, webcam and microphone and high-speed internet. The interview can be scheduled at a date and time that works best for you. After the completion of the interview, the student will receive a $25 gift card from a major credit card company as a ‘thank you’ for their participation

We will observe and ask about your child’s understanding of the questions. Your child will also be asked whether they have any suggestions about how to improve the questions. Research staff may record audio and video for analysis and take notes about your child’s reactions to the questions in order to revise and refine survey content. No other personally identifying information will be retained, and all recordings will be deleted six months following completion of the final report.

These research interviews are an important stage of the DESE test development process. The feedback your child provides can help DESE evaluate the test questions to create the best test possible.