This project is concerned with the development of procedures and plans for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to use in assessing its initiatives on an ongoing basis. This work is meant to complement another review of NSF's investment opportunities by estabishing a sound basis for designing and carrying out assessments aimed at any of the Foundation's investments in K-12 science education, especially the new initiatives it mounts. To make ideas about assessment concrete, and to illustrate a range of activities that are not now used extensively by NSF, a pilot test of alternative assessment procedures within one area of support--informal science education--was undertaken. In this volume the findings of seven pilot-test activities are reported. These pilot assessments were intended to illustrate how short-term assessments could help NSF deal with difficult assessment questions. The results from each pilot assessment contains numerous insights into the effects of NSF's support for informal science education. (CW)