Raw Scores (RS)
A raw score is the number of items answered correctly on a given test. Raw scores by themselves have little or no meaning. A child's Raw Score (number correct) is compared to the original group of students of the same age who first took the test. The averages of this original group are called the "Norms." Norm-referenced test scores compare a child's raw score to the norm group. Next, a child's raw scores are converted into percentiles, grade equivalents, and stanines.
Let's say a child receives a 75th percentile. This means that he did as well as, or better than, 75% of those kids in the norm group. It does not mean he got 75% of the items correct. Percentiles run from 1-99. There is not a 100th percentile because a child can't do better than himself.
To rank percentiles, one might say that a child is having great difficulty with a skill if he or she only scores in the 1st to 10th percentile. He or she is having difficulty if the score falls within the range of the 10th to the 30th percentile. His or her understanding of a skill is somewhat below average if the score falls between the 30th and the 40th percentile. Average understanding of a skill is between the 40th and 60th percentile. Good understanding falls between the 60th and 70th percentile, while very good understanding is between the 75th and 90th percentile. Excellent understanding of a skill would place a child’s score between the 90th and 99th percentile.
If a child receives a "54" on an item, it should be read as 5.4, or 5th grade, 4th month. Take caution! This is the most misleading type of score. If a 2nd grader gets a 5.4, it does not mean the child is ready for 5th grade. It just means that an average 5th grader would have scored as well on the same test. It also lets you know the 2nd grader mastered the material very well and answered most of the questions correctly.
This term comes from the combination of the words "standard of nine." It rates a child's achievement on a scale from 1-9 based on a coarse grouping of the scores. In general, a stanine of 1, 2, or 3 indicates below average achievement. A stanine of 4, 5, or 6 indicates average achievement, while 7, 8, or 9 indicate above average.
Of all the numbers explained above, the percentile ranking seems to be the best indicator of how a child compares to others in the norm group and whether or not a child is having difficulty with a particular skill. In my opinion, these scores are best used to find a child's strengths and weaknesses. This is easy to determine by looking at the percentiles.
What do you do when a child scores low, but above the 23rd
percentile? Or low in just one or two areas? A low test score can mean that the
child simply didn't remember what he was taught or maybe hadn’t been taught the
material that was tested. Maybe the
teacher didn't feel the class was ready for some of the material. These tests
do not allow for the "readiness" philosophy that many of us adhere
to. Most college courses on testing teach that no important educational
decision concerning a child should be made on the basis of one test.
There is also the possibility that the child is a poor test-taker. Most states, if not all, require students to take standardized tests to assess academic progress. However, some children simply are not able to accurately express what they know in this form. Always take into account that no one measure gets at the complete picture, and that the best measure of how a child is performing will always be the parent and teacher(s) of the child.
Another area to consider when interpreting low scores is the particular circumstances of the test day. Was the child sick or upset about family problems, or was there an undue amount of test anxiety? The test is also a measure of a child's physical and emotional condition on that day. So, if the child took this same test tomorrow, he or she could have different scores. Sometimes it is very easy for us to put too much pressure on our children, even if we don't intend to. In one sense, teachers are being evaluated along with their students. How about telling students that this is a test that tells teachers how they are doing and what they might need to do differently; the results will let the teachers know where more work is needed. This takes the pressure off of the students.
Remember that the test is a measure of only the material that is on the test. A test, for instance, which tests third graders for multiplication skills, assuming that all third graders would have such skills, will be hard on the child who masters multiplication in fourth grade.
Most importantly, when reacting to low scores, we need to remember that scores have nothing to do with a child's innate worth. Your reaction, positive or negative, will influence the child's sense of self-worth and anxiety on future tests. Tell your students that you will try to find the reason for the low scores, and help to improve the weak areas. Be sure to include praise for the strong areas. Remember, teachers are the best judge of what each child knows.