Dante Cisterna
- Research Project Director
Contact Info
Personal Links
Biography —
Dante Cisterna, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Director of Learning Maps at the Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems center (ATLAS). His work on education intersects the learning sciences, classroom practices, assessment design, and technology.
Cisterna’s research has examined science assessment, learning progressions and models of student learning, teacher professional learning, and the examination of student reasoning in STEM. He has designed frameworks and assessment prototypes that measure complex constructs, such as collaborative problem solving and science practices. Cisterna has served as co-principal investigator on projects funded by the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation.
A former science and biology teacher, Dr. Cisterna aims to enhance learning, teaching, and assessment through research and collaborative practice.
Education —
Selected Publications —
Cisterna, D., Mikeska, J. N., Castellano, K. E., & Lentini, J. (2025). Score reports for teacher educators: Informing assessment results for content knowledge for teaching. Educational Assessment, 30(1), 41-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2025.2456059
Jin, H., Cisterna, D., Owens, D., Riordan, B. (2025). Collaboration with ChatGPT: Preservice Elementary teachers analyzing and interpreting student responses. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Education Research. https://doi.org./10.1186/s43031-025-00146-8
Baidoo-Anu, D., Liu, L., Cisterna., D, & Song, Y. (2024). Cultural validity: Promoting cultural responsiveness in classroom assessment. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education. 18(3), 160-181. https://tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15595692.2023.2193883
Cisterna, D., Bookbinder, A K., Mikeska, J., & Lakhani, H. (2022). Elementary pre-service teachers’ perceptions of assessment tasks that measure content knowledge for teaching about matter. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 33(8), 910-937. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2021.2015831
Gotwals, A.W., & Cisterna, D. (2022). Formative assessment practice progressions for teacher preparation: A framework and illustrative case. Teaching and Teacher Education, 110, 103601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103601
Hanuscin, D., de Araujo, Z., Cisterna, D., Lipsitz, K. & van Garderen, D. (2020). The re-novicing of Elementary Teachers in Science: Grade-level reassignment and teacher PCK. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 31(7), 780-801. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2020.1778845
Cisterna, D., Forbes, C. T. & Roy, R. (2019). Model-Based teaching and learning about inheritance in third-grade science. International Journal of Science Education, 41(15), 2177-2199.https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2019.1663561
Cisterna, D. & Gotwals, A. W. (2018). Enactment of ongoing formative assessment: Challenges and opportunities for professional development and practice. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 29(3), 220-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2018.1432227
Selected Presentations —
Cisterna, D. (2026, April). Using learning maps for individualized instruction: Approaches for the inclusive classroom. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Science Teaching Association. Anaheim, CA.
Cisterna, D., Liu, L., Song, Y., Watts, F., & Kinsey, D. (2025, April). An automated annotation model for science argumentation and reasoning in written assessments. E-board demonstration presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Measurement in Education. Denver, CO.
Cisterna, D., Andrews-Todd, J., Graf, E. A., Song, Y., Lee, J., & Rice, J. (2024, September). Practices for designing STEM Performance Assessments: The weather task. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Association for Educational Assessment. Philadelphia, PA.
Cisterna D., & Quintero, K. (2024, March). Exploring the Intersection of Civic and Science Outcomes: The Heat Island Task. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching. Denver, CO.
Cisterna, D., & Lavigne, C. (2024, March). A framework to Conceptualize Misinformation Literacy in Science Tasks. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching. Denver, CO.
Cisterna, D., Liu, L., Kinsey, D., Qu, Y., & Asmundson, V. (2023, November). Using AI-Supported Feedback to Impact Student Reasoning. Paper presented at the California Educational Research Conference. Anaheim, CA.
Cisterna, D., Liu, L., & Asmundson, V., (2023, October). An Automated Tool to Support Three-Dimensional Student Feedback and Instruction. Paper presented at the California Science Education Conference. Palm Springs, CA.
Cisterna, D., Liu. L., Baidoo-Anu, D., Kinsey, D., & Qi, Y., (2023, April). Exploring Student Responses in the Context of Automated-Generated Feedback on Science Reasoning Patterns. Paper presented at the annual meeting at the annual meeting of the National Science Teaching Association. Chicago, IL.
Cisterna, D. & Qureshi, F. (2023, April). A Framework for K-12 Classroom-Based Opportunity to Learn in Science. Poster presented at the annual meeting at the annual meeting of the National Science Teaching Association. Chicago, IL.
Cisterna D., Liu, L., & O’Dwyer, E. (2023, April). Key Practices for Designing Classroom Assessments with Social and Cultural Considerations. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Measurement in Education. Chicago, IL.
Cisterna, D., Liu, L. & Song, Y. (2022, April). Development of a Collaborative Task that Integrates Science and Civic Learning. In G. Ling (Chair). The Design of Collaborative Activities across Disciplines to Promote Student Learning and Agency. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American Research Education Association. San Diego, CA.
Awards & Honors —
ETS Spot Award for successful contributions to project accomplishments (2024)
Publications Advisory Committee member. National Association of Research in Science Teaching – NARST (2020-2023). Co-chair, 2021-2022, Chair 2022-2023
Grants & Other Funded Activity —
Co-Principal Investigator (07/2024 – 12/2024). Student Reasoning Patterns in Scientific Argumentation (Auto-SPIN-SA). Institute of Education Sciences. PI. Lei Liu, Co-PIs. Dante Cisterna, Yi Song, & Xiaoming Zhai. Total value of grant: $1,999,682. https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/awards/student-reasoning-patterns-science-spin-science
Co-Principal Investigator (07/2020 – 06/2022). Student Reasoning Patterns in Next Generation Science Standards Assessments. National Science Foundation EHR Core Research Program. PI. Lei Liu, Co-PIs. Dante Cisterna, Mathew Johnson, & Aioffe Cahill. Total value of grant: $299,862. https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2000492
Memberships —
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)
National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)