Download DOES NOT MEET STANDARD - Minnesota Department of Education

Achievement Level Descriptors
MCA-II Science, High School
DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARDS
Students at this level of science demonstrate little knowledge and succeed at few of the most
fundamental science skills of the Minnesota Academic Standards. Some of the knowledge and
abilities these students demonstrate consistently include the following:
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Scientific inquiry and processes such as formulating testable hypotheses
Knowledge of the history and nature of science such as recognizing how hypotheses
and theories are different
Knowledge of life science such as recognizing the functions of cell structures;
recognizing differences and similarities among plant, animal, and bacterial cells;
identifying examples of symbiosis; describing chromosomes in terms of DNA and genes;
knowing that species have characteristic numbers of chromosomes; knowing that
species change over time and that this process is called biological evolution; recognizing
whether parts of an ecosystem are living or nonliving; knowing that matter and energy
flow through different levels in a community
PARTIALLY MEETS THE STANDARDS
Students at this level of science partially demonstrate the scientific knowledge and abilities
described by the Minnesota Academic Standards. Some of the knowledge and abilities these
students can demonstrate consistently include the following:
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Scientific inquiry and processes such as distinguishing between quantitative and
qualitative data
Knowledge of the history and nature of science such as distinguishing among
hypothesis, theory, and law
Knowledge of life science such as describing and differentiating between the
processes of photosynthesis and respiration; recognizing the structure and organization
of organ systems; knowing that organisms have both innate and learned behavioral
responses to stimuli; describing how adaptations of species are related to success;
knowing that the role of nucleic acids; recognizing the effects of change in an
ecosystem; describing the water, carbon, and oxygen cycles
MEETS THE STANDARDS
Students at this level of science meet the expectations for knowledge and abilities described by
the Minnesota Academic Standards. Some of the knowledge and abilities these students can
demonstrate consistently include the following:
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Scientific inquiry and processes such as designing a scientific experiment; applying
mathematics to analyze data; identifying possible sources of errors and their effects on
results
MCA-II Achievement Level Descriptors, Science, High School
July 2008
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Knowledge of the history and nature of science such as describing the effect of new
evidence on scientific theories; knowing that scientific knowledge must be consistent
with experimental evidence; knowing that scientific ideas may be incomplete and may
provide opportunity for new advances; describing examples of scientific problems solved
by engineering or technology and how technology facilitates new discoveries; describing
the development of scientific advancements and their impacts on society
Knowledge of life science such as describing the role of the cell membrane; describing
the roles of enzymes as catalysts; describing and comparing the processes of mitosis
and meiosis and their roles in the cell cycle; classifying organisms in order to show
evolutionary relationships and common ancestry; describing how genetic information is
transmitted from parents to offspring; describing factors in an ecosystem that influence
population size and carrying capacity; describing how adaptations of species and coevolution with other species are related to success; describing how changes in
ecosystems can affect population size and biodiversity; using Mendel’s laws of
segregation and independent assortment to determine genotypes and phenotypes;
differentiating among different patterns of inheritance; using the principles of natural
selection to explain the differential survival of groups of organisms; describing the
nitrogen cycle; describing how energy is used to maintain living systems; describing the
nervous system and how it helps maintain homeostasis
EXCEEDS THE STANDARDS
Students at this level of science exceed the expectations for knowledge and abilities described
by the Minnesota Academic Standards. These students demonstrate the knowledge and
abilities that meet expectations; the knowledge and abilities they demonstrate consistently that
exceed expectations include the following:
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Scientific inquiry and processes such as knowing that different domains of science
use different bodies of scientific knowledge and different methods to investigate
questions
Knowledge of the history and nature of science such as knowing that, to be valid,
scientific knowledge must meet certain criteria; describing examples of scientific
advancements by other civilizations and cultures; describing differences between
scientific theories and theories from other disciplines
Knowledge of life science such as describing analogous structures; describing
phylogenetic trees; describing and differentiating among replication, transcription, and
translation of nucleic acids; using genetic drift to describe the formation of new species;
describing how energy is dissipated as it flows through living systems; describing how
organ systems are integrated to maintain homeostasis
July 2008
MCA-II Achievement Level Descriptors, Science, High School
July 2008