Test Interpretation

What do Test Scores Really Mean?Rebecca [email protected]

Why test?School effectivenessDetermine what students know and can doCompare student achievement to achievement of similar studentsCompare student ability level and achievement

Norm vs. Criterion ReferencedNorm referencedComparing a person's score against the scores of a similar group who have taken the same exam, called the "norming group." ExamplesCalifornia Achievement Test (CAT)Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) - "Terra NovaIowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT)WISCStanford-BinetBell Curve all students cannot be above average!

Norm vs. Criterion ReferencedCriterion referencedMeasure how well a person has learned a specific body of knowledge and skills ExamplesISTEP and most state examsITBS and Terra NovaDrivers License testContent area placement exam (Algebra placement test)Do not compare student to student

Wait until KINDERGARTEN THIS WEEK WE TOOK A TEST TO SEE IF WERE READY FOR THE TEST THAT TESTS OUR TEST SKILLS

Ability vs. AchievementAbility TestMeasure of cognitive abilityChilds ability to learnAchievement TestMeasure of what an individual has learnedThere may be a discrepancy between ability and achievement scoresUnderachievementLearning Disability

Individual vs. Group Ability TestsIndividual intelligence tests are considered the most accurate measure of intelligenceWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV)Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III),Stanford Binet (SB-5)Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III) cognitiveIndividual IQ tests must be given by a school or counseling psychologist.

Individual vs. Group Ability TestsGroup intelligence tests are commonly used as screening measuresCommon group intelligence testsOtis-Lennon School Ability Test - OLSATCognitive Abilities Test CogATIQ scores are not given on group tests

Group Achievement TestsCriterion-referencedTypically on grade level content, therefore difficult to know the level of mastery for a gifted childGrade-level achievement tests are only a measure of basic skillsYou cannot compare standard scores on achievement tests to IQ scores.

Will this beon the test?

CeilingThe highest level of performance or score that a test can reliably measure WISC-IV = 160Stanford-Binet IV = 165CogAT = 150OLSAT = 150

Standard Deviationa statistical measure of spreadOne standard deviation is the range which includes 65% of all scores, two standard deviations includes 95% of all scores

68%96%

From Get Off My Brain, by Randy McCutcheon, illustrated by Pete Wagner

Types of ScoresRawPercentile RanksGrade Equivalent ScoresStandard Scale Scores

Raw ScoreThe number of items a student answers correctlyAllow students to be ranked, but they do not allow you to compare students

Percentile RankA percentile rank indicates the percentage of students in the same age or grade group whose scores fall below the score obtained by a particular student.99 is the highest percentile rank possible. 50 is considered average Deals with percentage of persons not percentage of items

Grade Equivalent ScoreMost misinterpreted test scoreIf a 4th grader received a 7th grade equivalent score on a 4th grade reading achievement test, it DOES NOT mean the child is ready for 7th grade material. It means the child reads 4th grade material as well as the average 7th grader reads 4th grade material.What is the test assessing???

Age Equivalent ScoreFrequently misinterpreted If a 10 year old received a 15 year old age equivalent score on a 4th grade reading achievement test, it DOES NOT mean the child is ready to tackle 10th grade material. It means the child reads material intended for 10 year olds as well as the average 15 year old reads it.

StanineStanine is short for standard nine. The name comes from the fact that stanine scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 9. For instance, a stanine score of 1, 2, or 3 is below average4, 5, or 6 is average7, 8, or 9 is above average The stanine scale is a normalized standard score scale consisting of nine broad levels designated by the numbers one through nine. Stanines are provided for both age and grade groups.

Standard Age ScoreRaw Scores are converted to SAS based on chronological ageUsed for interpretation purposesScale scores allow comparison of studentsSomewhat akin to an IQ scoreUses means and standard deviationMean = 100

68%96%

Standard scores130 and above Very Superior120-129 Superior110-119 High Average90-109 Average80-89 Low Average70-79 Borderline69 and below Impaired (Mentally Retarded range)

Relationship Between CogAT Scores

Standard Measure of ErrorThe range inside which an individual subject's future scores are expected to fall, based on her current scoreThe score +/- the standard measure of error is the estimated range in which the actual score lies130 +/- 5 means that the childs true score is somewhere between 125 and 135

Confidence IntervalUsing the standard measure of errorA range of values that indicates where the true score is likely to fallOften expressed in 68%, 90%, or 95%Such as: We can say with 68% confidence that a students true score is within this range.The higher the confidence (95 instead of 68), the wider the range of scores

K-BIT

WISC-IV 5rd grade boyVerbal Comprehension:150Perceptual Reasoning:146Working Memory: 97Processing Speed: 88Full Scale IQ:127

WISC-IV 3rd grade boyVerbal Comprehension:110Perceptual Reasoning:137Working Memory:135Processing Speed:112Full Scale IQ:130

5th 3rdVerbal Comprehension:150110Perceptual Reasoning:146137Working Memory: 97135Processing Speed: 88112Full Scale IQ:127130

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests.htmhttp://achieve.org/files/indiana_ISTEP_0.pdf