Chapter14 - Standardized Tests

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standardized tests

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usually comercially prepared for nationwide use & designed to provide acurate & meaniful information on students' performance relative to that of others at their age or grade levels.

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norms

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standards that are derived from the test scores of a sample of people who are similar to those who will take the test & that can be used to interpret scores of future test takers

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minimum competency tests

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criterion-referenced tests that focus on important skills students are expected to have mastered to qualify for promotion or grauation

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aptitude tests

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designed to measure general abilities & to predict future performance

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achievement tests

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standardized tests measuring how much students have learned in a given context

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intelligence

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general aptitude for learning, often measured by ability to deal with abstractions & to solve problems

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mental age

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the average test score received by individuals of a given chronological age

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chronological

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the age of an individual in years

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multifactor aptitude battery

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test that predicts ability to learn a variety of specific skills & types of knowledge

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achievement batteries

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standardized tests that include several subtests designed to measure knowledge of particular subjects

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diagnostic tests

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tests of specific skills used to identify students; needs & to guide instruction

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cutoff score

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score designated as the minimun necessaary to demonstrate mastery of a subject

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derived scores

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values computed from raw scores that relate students' performances to those of a norming group, e.g., percentiles & grade equivalents

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percentile score

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a derived score that designates what percentage of the norming group earned raw scores lower than a particular score

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grade equivalent scores

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standard scores that relate students' raw scores to the average scores obtained by norming groups at different grade levels.

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normal distribution

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a bell-shaped symmetrical distribution of scores in which most scores fall near the mean, with progressively fewer occurring as the distance from the mean increases.

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standard deviation

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a statistical measure of the degree of dispersion in a distribution of scores

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stanine score

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a type of standardized score ranging from 1 to 9, having a mean of 5 & a standard deviation of 2

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normal curve equivalent

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a set of standard scores ranging from 1 to 99,

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z-score

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a standard score having a mean of 0 & a standard deviation of 1

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validity

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a measure of the degree to which a test is appropriate for its intended use

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content evidence

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a measure of the match between the content of a test & the content of the instruction that preceded it

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criterion-related evidence

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a type of evidence about validity that exists when scores on a test are related to scores from another measure of an associated trait

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predictive evidence

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a type of criterion-related evidence that exists when scores on a test are related to scores from a measure of a trait that the test could be used to predict

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rediness tests

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used to assess a student's levels of the skills & knowledge nedessary for a given activity

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concurrent evidence

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a type of criterion-related evidence that exists when scores on a test are related to scores from another measure of the same or a very similar trait

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convergent evidence

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type of evidence about validity that exists when scores on a test are related to scores from one or more measures of other traits when educational or psychological theory about these traits predicts they should be related

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discriminant evidence

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type of evidence about validity that exists when scores on a test are unrelated to scores from one or more measures of other traits when educational or psychological theory about these traits predicts they should be unrelated

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reliability

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a measure of the consistency of test scores obtained from the same students at different times

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What are standardized tests & how are they used?

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the term describes tests that are uniform in content, administration & scoring & therefore allow for comparison of results across classrooms, schools & school districts. Standardized tests such as SAT & CTBS measure indivual performance or ability against standards, or norms, that have been established for many other students in the school district, state or nation for which each test was designed. Standardized test scores are used for selection & placement, such as grade promotion or college admission; for diagnosis & remediation, for evaluation of student proficiency or progress in content areas; & for evaluation of teaching strategies, teachers & schools. Uses of standardized tests might be controversial, as in the case of readiness testing of preschoolers & national testing for teacher certification.

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What types of standardized tests are given?

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Aptitude tests, such as tests of general intelligence & multifactor batteries, predict students' general abilites & preparation to learn. IQ tests administered to individuals or groups attemt to measure individual aptitude in the cognitive domain. Achievment tests assess student proficiency in various subject areas. Diagnostic tests focus on specific subject matter to discover strengths or weaknesses in mastery. Norm-referenced testing interprets scores in comparison with the scores of other people who took the test & criterion-referenced testing interprets scores based on fixed performance criteria.

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How are standardized tests interpreted?

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Scores that are derived from raw scores include percentiles, the percentage of scores in the norming group that fall below a particular score; grade equivalents, the grade & month at which a particular score is thought to represent typical performance; & standared scores, the students' performance in relation to the normal distribution of scores. Standard scores include stanines (based on the standard deviation of scores) normal curve equivalents (based on the standard deviation of scores) normal curve equivalents (based on the comparison with of scores with the normal distibution) & z-scores (the location of scores above or below the mean)

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What are some issues concerning standardized & classroom testing?

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Test & test items must have validity, the quality of testing what is intended to be tested. Predictive validity means that the test accurately predicts future performance. Reliability means that test results are consistent when the test is administered at different places or times. Test bias in any form compromises validity. Other issues related to standardized testing include ethics in the content of test, student preparation for testing, the uses of test scores, the relationship of tests to the curriculum & computer administration of tests.