The Next Generation Science Assessment project is a collaborative effort between SRI International, Michigan State University, and University of Illinois at Chicago, and The Concord Consortium. Read more about our projects or contact us for more information.
Principal Investigators and Institution Leads
 Christopher Harris Principal Investigator Center for Technology in Learning |
 Joe Krajcik Principal Investigator CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University |
 Jim Pellegrino Principal Investigator University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Christopher is a senior researcher in science education within the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA. His research focuses on designing and studying instructional innovations that support science teaching and learning in PK-12 classrooms and informal settings. He leads large-scale multiyear, multi-institutional research, development, and evaluation projects and has been involved in developing scalable approaches to address the Next Generation Science Standards through curricula and assessments that help teachers make learning engaging, interactive, and accessible for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Christopher serves as SRI’s lead for the NGSA project. | Joe is the Lappan-Phillips Professor of Science Education and Director of the CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University. During his career, Joe has focused on working with science teachers to reform science teaching practices to promote students’ engagement in and learning of science. He focuses on developing and studying the outcomes of project based learning environments that will engage students in making sense of phenomena or finding solutions to problems that learners find important. His hope is that such environments will provide optimal learning situations for diverse learners that will help them develop the capabilities to live fruitful lives. | Jim is Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Co-director of UIC’s interdisciplinary Learning Sciences Research Institute. His research and development interests focus on children’s and adult’s thinking and learning and the implications of cognitive research and theory for assessment and instructional practice. He has published over 300 books, chapters and articles in the areas of cognition, instruction and assessment and served as head of several National Academy of Sciences committees including the Committee on Developing Assessments of Science Proficiency in K-12. He is a lifetime member of the National Academy of Education. |
 Lou DiBello Co-Principal Investigator University of Rochester |
 Daniel Damelin Institution Lead Concord Consortium |
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| Lou is a Research Professor and Associate Director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at UIC and co-lead of the Informative Assessment Initiative. His research focus includes measurement, psychometrics, diagnostic assessment, assessment design and development, validity, and links among assessment, cognition, teaching, and learning. DiBello played a leadership role in the testing industry in bringing psychometric research on diagnostic classification models into development and practice. Lou currently serves as Co-Principal Investigator on an IES funded project to study diagnostic classification models. His projects include studies of curriculum-embedded assessments in mathematics, concept inventories in engineering and science education and the facet-based science assessments. Lou serves as UIC’s assessment lead for the NGSA project. | Dan has worked in the field of education for 20 years, as a teacher, curriculum and technology developer, professional development leader, and educational researcher. Currently an employee of the non-profit Concord Consortium, he has worked on numerous NSF and foundation funded projects that resulted in open educational resources to support the learning of science through simulation and data visualization, interactive curriculum and pedagogy, and formative assessment. Dan serves as Concord Consortium’s lead for the NGSA project. |
NGSA Team
 Nonye Alozie |
 Cynthia D’Angelo |
 Chanyah Dahsah |
| Nonye M. Alozie, Ph.D., is an education researcher at SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning. Her work focuses on science education, scientific discourse, and equity in learning through curriculum development, professional development, classroom observations, and qualitative methods. | Cynthia D’Angelo, Ph.D., is an Education Researcher specializing in science education, tech-enhanced learning environments (including simulations and games) and collaborative learning. She focuses on leveraging data gathered through online technologies to better understand student learning of STEM concepts and practices. Cynthia is working on aspects of the project relating to assessment design and data analysis. | Chanyah is an assistant professor in science education at Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand and visiting scholar at CREATE for STEM, Michigan State University since July 2013. Her research focuses on developing instructional and assessment innovation in PK-12 classrooms, and professional development for in-service science teachers. For the NGSA project, she mainly works on developing assessment items. |
 Reina Fujii |
 Brian Gane |
 Nathan Kimball |
| Reina is a researcher within the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International. Her work focuses on assessment design using evidence-centered design (ECD), development of assessment tasks, and fairness and equity issues in assessment. She is on the NGSA task and rubric development team. | Brian Gane, Ph.D., is a Visiting Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. His research focuses on developing and testing learning environments for a variety of STEM domains, especially attending to how students learn and apply their conceptual knowledge. On this project he is involved with assessment design, assessment validation, and data collection/analysis. | Nathan is a developer and researcher at Concord Consortium has over 25 years experience developing technology tools and inquiry-based curricula for science learning. He assists creating computer models and other materials for the online assessments. |
 Jane Lee |
 Tiffany Leones |
 Krystal Madden |
| Jane is a research associate working at CREATE for STEM institute, Michigan State University. She is interested in improving environment for K-12 science teaching and learning. In the NGSA project, she works on developing assessment tasks and classroom-based research. | Tiffany is a research analyst at SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning working on a number of STEM-related projects. She is on the NGSA task and rubric development team and contributes to the equity and fairness work. | Krystal is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Learning Sciences Research Institute with a focus in Urban Science Education. Krystal’s research interests include factors that impact successful matriculation of students from underrepresented populations in science disciplines. She is on the NGSA design team. |
 Kevin McElhaney |
 Phyllis Pennock |
 Gauri Vaishampayan |
| Kevin McElhaney, Ph.D., is a science education researcher within the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International. He studies curriculum design, curriculum implementation, assessment design, and professional development in the disciplines of science, engineering, and computational thinking. On the NGSA project, his areas of focus have been task and rubric design, as well as refining and articulating the design process. | Phyllis Pennock, Ph.D., is a research associate at CREATE for STEM, Michigan State University. She designs biology curriculum and chemistry assessment items for K-8 students that are aligned with NGSS. Her research interests include issues relevant to equity and social justice in science education. She develops assessment items for the NGSA Project. | Gauri is a student at the University of Illinois, Chicago pursuing her doctoral degree in Education Policy. Her research interests include investigating the influence of organizational factors on STEM related education reform, as well as the impact of policy on teacher labor markets. She is a member of the task and rubric development team. |