Every fall year around fall, winter, and/or spring our children are administered a series of standardized tests to determine their progress towards grade level standards. Parents are typically sent a score printout with a bunch of numbers telling you how our child’s performance compares to other children their age. But what do these numbers mean? Below you will find a few links to brochures that explain what these tests measure and how the data can be used. You’ll also find a chart with a glossary of terms used to describe some of the most popular types of standardized test scores.
What is the CogAT? In short, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a nationally standardized, norm-referenced Test. Norm-referenced tests report whether the test taker performed better or worse than a hypothetical average student of their same age and grade level. Scores are reported as standard scores and percentile ranks.
What is the IOWA? The Iowa Assessments, previously known as the IOWA Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), are achievement tests published by the University of Iowa. The assessment is aligned with Common Core standards and is designed to test what a student has learned in school. Scores are reported as percentile ranks.
What is the MAP? MAP Growth is a computer adaptive test created by NWEA that kids take two to three times per school year. The results provide teachers with information to help them deliver appropriate content for each student and determine each student’s academic growth over time. Scores are report as RIT scores.
What are STAR Reading and STAR Math? STAR is another assessment designed to evaluate students’ academic growth over time. The test is published by Renaissance and can be administered up to 3 times per year. Scores are reported as scaled scores and percentile ranks.
What are the Reading Invetory (RI) and Math Inventory (MI)? The RI and MI utilize adaptive computer software to give teachers a research-based growth assessment for K–12 with results that can be used for instructional planning and personalization recommendations. Scores are reported as lexiles and quantiles.
What are Standard Scores? So that we can better compare scores on different test measures, we convert your child’s score into a standard score. Most tests have average standard scores of 100. Increments of 15 (also known as standard deviations) are used to separate sections of the population into average, below average, and above average sections. For example, if your child gets a standard score between 85 and 115, these scores are considered within the average range. The curve is higher for this section because most people in the world fall in the average range. If your child has a standard score below 85, their score is considered below the average range. See the curve above for information on other divisions based on other standard scores.
What are Percentile Ranks? Percentile ranks are an easy way to compare your child to other children his or her age. For example, if your child has a percentile rank of 16, they fall in the 16th percentile and scored higher than 16% of children the same age who took the same test. If your child earned a percentile rank of 75 on a standardized test, your child scored as well or better than 75 percent of his peers. Percentile ranks are not the same as percent of correct answers on a test.
Descriptive Classification or Category – describes a student’s performance compared with same-age peers (Below Average, Average, Above Average, etc.).
Standard Deviation – how spread out the numbers or values are in a set of data. It tells how far a student’s standard score is from the average or mean. The closer the standard score is to the average, the smaller the standard deviation.
Stanine – measures a student’s performance based on an equal interval scale of 1 to 9. (A Stanine of 5 is average.)
Grade Equivalent – compares a student’s performance to a school grade equivalent. (A grade equivalent of 1.5 indicates the student’s performance is at the 5th month of 1st grade)
Age Equivalent – compares a student’s performance to a chronological age.
RIT (Rasch Unit) Scale – a stable, equal-interval scale. Equal-interval means that a change of 10 RIT points indicates the same thing regardless of whether a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale, and a RIT score has the same meaning regardless of grade level or age of the student. You can compare scores over time to tell how much growth a student has made.
Lexile – a scientifically proven tool for simultaneously measuring student reading ability and text difficulty. If we know how well a student can read and how hard a specific book is to comprehend, we can predict how well that student will likely understand that book. Visit Lexile.com for more information.
Quantile – helps identify the math concepts your child knows and match your child with the concepts they are ready to learn. It’s a number followed by the letter “Q.” Quantile measures range from below 0Q to above 1400Q and span the skills and concepts taught in kindergarten through high school. Visit Quantiles.com for more information.
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