Items for Teachers to Prepare for the HSPE Quality
Test Preparation
DOK Levels
Item Specs
State Standards
Breakdown of the HSPE
First attempt offered during the students’ sophomore year
75 multiple-choice questions
60 core multiple-choice questions
15 field test items
Questions are constructed at three Depth of Knowledge
levels (DOK 1-3)
DOK 1
The question requires recall and there is nothing to “figure out”
The student either knows the answer or they do not
DOK 2
The student needs to apply information
Typically multi-step
Recall info, then decide what to do with that information
DOK 3
Includes DOK level 1 and 2 processing
Requires the student to decide how to approach the problem
Make a prediction or inference while providing a justification
2010 Science HSPE Test Matrix
Content Strand
DOK Level 1
DOK Level 2
DOK Level 3
Points
C1
(Physical Science)
7
10
1
18
C2
(Life Science)
5
10
3
18
C3
(Earth Science)
5
7
1
13
C4
(Nature of Science)
4
6
1
11
Items
21
(35%)
33
(55%)
6
(10%)
60
Science HSPE Standards – Atmospheric Processes and the
Water Cycle
E.12.A.1 Students know the Sun is the major source of Earth’s
energy, and provides the energy driving Earth’s weather and
climate. E/S
 Explain how solar energy powers the water cycle.
 How uneven heating of Earth’s surface determines weather
and climate patterns.
E.12.A.2 Students know the composition of Earth’s atmosphere
has changed in the past and is changing today. I/S
 Explain how variations in the ozone layer affect the amount of
ultraviolet radiation entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
 Describe how life forms have affected the composition of the
atmosphere over time.
 Describe how natural events have affected the composition of
the atmosphere over time (e.g., volcanoes and meteorites).
Science HSPE Standards – Atmospheric Processes and the
Water Cycle
E.12.A.3 Students understand the role of the atmosphere in
Earth’s greenhouse effect. E/S
 Explain how the proportions of gases in the atmosphere affect
weather and climate.
 Identify sources of greenhouse gases.
 Explain why a certain level of greenhouse effect is essential
for life on Earth.
E.12.A.4 Students know convection and radiation play
important roles in moving heat energy in the Earth system. E/S
 Explain how the processes of radiation, conduction, and
convection occur in the atmosphere.
 Explain how the processes of radiation, conduction, and
convection affect weather and climate.
Science HSPE Standards – Atmospheric Processes and
the Water Cycle
E.12.A.5 Students know Earth’s rotation affects winds and
ocean currents. I/S
 Identify that wind and ocean currents form global
patterns based on Earth’s rotation.
Science HSPE Standards – Earth’s Composition and
Structure
E.12.C.1 Students know how successive rock strata and
fossils can be used to confirm the age, history, and
changing life forms of the Earth, including how this
evidence is affected by the folding, breaking, and uplifting
of layers. E/S
 Explain the basics of the process of fossil formation.
 Apply the principles of superposition to relative dating of
rock layers.
 Describe the process of absolute dating.
 Sequence the age, history, and changing life forms of
Earth using strata and fossil evidence.
 Describe how folding, breaking, and uplifting of strata
complicate geological evidence.
Science HSPE Standards – Earth’s Composition and
Structure
E.12.C.2 Students understand the concept of plate
tectonics including the evidence that supports it
(structural, geophysical and paleontological evidence).
E/S
 Describe how convection in Earth’s mantle has changed
the locations and shapes of continents based on tectonic
plate movement.
 Identify the evidence for seafloor spreading.
 Identify the three major types of tectonic plate
boundaries.
Science HSPE Standards – Earth’s Composition and Structure
E.12.C.3 Students know elements exist in fixed amounts and
move through solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and living
things as part of biogeochemical cycles. E/S
 Explain how matter and energy are transferred chemically
through systems that include living and non-living components.
E.12.C.4 Students know processes of obtaining, using, and
recycling of renewable and non-renewable resources. E/S
 Identify the differences between renewable and non-renewable
resources.
 Explain how recycling reduces the rate of depletion of nonrenewable resources.
 Identify the processes used to obtain natural resources (e.g.,
mining, oil production, water and agriculture).
Science HSPE Standards – Earth’s Composition and Structure
E.12.C.5 Students know soil, derived from weathered rocks and
decomposed organic material, is found in layers. E/S
 Describe the structure of soil, its components, and its
formation.
Science HSPE Standards – Solar System and Universe
E.12.B.1 Students know common characteristics of stars. I/S
 Identify the processes of stellar evolution.
 Recognize that stars change in temperature, size, color and
brightness as they age.
 Demonstrate the general relationship between the color and
temperature of stars.
Science HSPE Standards – Solar System and Universe
E.12.B.2 Students know stars are powered by nuclear
fusion of lighter elements into heavier elements, which
results in the release of large amounts of energy. I/S
 Know that stars are composed mostly of hydrogen and
helium and ultimately produce all other elements through
nuclear reactions.
E.12.B.3 Students know ways in which technology has
increased understanding of the universe. I/S
 Describe the uses of optical and radio telescopes, probes,
and artificial satellites in astronomy.
Science HSPE Standards – Solar System and Universe
E.12.B.4 Students know the on-going processes involved
in star formation and destruction. W/L
 Identify the processes of stellar evolution
 Recognize the life-cycles of mid-size and massive stars
and their stellar remnants.
E.12.B.5 Students know scientific evidence suggests that
the universe is expanding. I/S
 Recognize the red shift effect and know that the most
distant objects have the greatest degree of red shit.
 Atmosphere Vocabulary 1
 Earth Structure Vocabulary 1
 Earth Structure Vocabulary 2
 Space Vocabulary 1
 Space Vocabulary 2