Assessments

1. What are the different types of scores?
2. What are stanine scores?
3. What are percentile scores?
4. What are grade-level equivalent scores?
5. Who are the other students who took the test?
6. How to interpret a child's test scores?

Stanines, percentiles and grade-level equivalents are the three main ways of making comparisons between students. Test publishers use one of these methods to report test scores so that teachers and parents can compare an individual student's scores with the scores of other students who took the same test.
  

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Stanine 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 average; 4, 5, or 6 is average; and 7, 8, or 9 is above average.

If a child achieved a stanine score that was below average in a particular area, the test revealed an area in which the child needs improvement. If the child achieved an average stanine score, the test indicated that he or she performed at about the same level as the other students who took the test. If the child achieved a stanine score that is above average, the test results mean that he or she performed better in that area than other students who took the test.
   

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In contrast to stanines, percentiles give parents a more detailed description of how their children compare with other students who took the test by showing scores that range from 1 to 99. For example, if a student scored in the 66th percentile on a test, that student achieved a score that is higher than 66% of the other students who took the test. So, if 1,000 students took the test, the student in the 66th percentile scored higher than 660 students who also took the same test. Do not confuse percentile with percentage correct scores. Percentile scores allow you to compare one student's scores with a group of students who took the test. Percentage correct scores simply reveal the number of items that a student answered correctly out of the total number of items.
  

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Grade-level equivalent scores are determined by giving a test that is developed for a particular grade to students in other grades. For instance, test designers establish grade-equivalents for a 4th grade test by giving that same test to students who are in the 6th and the 2nd grades. Grade-level equivalent scores are often misunderstood. If a 4th grader received a 7th grade equivalent score on a 4th grade reading achievement test, you might believe the child is ready for 7th grade material. Actually, the score means that the child reads 4th grade material as well as the average 7th grader.
  

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Stanines, percentiles, and grade-level equivalent scores all rely on measuring your student's scores against the scores of a large group of students who also took the same test. This other group of students, or the comparison group, may be composed of other students in your district who took the test at the same time or of students from a nationally representative sample who took the test earlier.
  

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The most pressing question parents ask is, "What do the scores mean?" To start, compare each of the test scores with daily class work scores. Is there a large difference between the test results and your impression of how each student should have scored? If there is no difference, the test confirmed your impression of each child's skills.

If there is a large difference, however, look closely at the scores and the child's in-class performance. What do you think causes the difference? There is no easy way to determine the reason, but subskill scores can help you identify problem areas. Check to see if any one subskill score lowered the overall test score. For example, reading tests often have subskill scores in vocabulary and comprehension. Although a parent may not be overly concerned if a child has an overall score in the 75th percentile in reading, the child may need to improve vocabulary skills if her vocabulary subskill score was in the 65th percentile.

If the student's test results do not include an analysis of subskill scores, a parent should ask for it. Remember that parents have a right and a need to know about their children's educational progress. Wherever possible, discuss past and current test scores together with the teacher, as a way of helping them track their children's progress. Above all, remember that test results give you a powerful way of checking whether your children are working up to their potential.

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