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Educational Measurement and Evaluation

Notes comparison of the student’s scores to other tests. They answer questions such as, “does the
student’s achievement score appear consistent with his cognitive score ?” The degree of difference
between those two scores might suggest or rule out a learning disability.
After the norming process, the tests are used to assess groups of students or individuals using
standardized, or highly structured, administration procedures. These students’ performance is
rated using scales developed during the norming process.
Educators use norm-reference tests to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching programs, to help
determine students’ preparedness for programs, and to determine diagnosis of disabilities for
eligibility for IDEA special education programs or adaptations and accommodations under Section
504.

15.2 Need for Norm Referenced Test (NRT)

The major reason for using a norm-referenced tests (NRT) is to classify students. NRTs are designed
to highlight achievement differences between and among students to produce a dependable rank
order of students across a continuum of achievement from high achievers to low achievers.
School systems might want to classify students in this way so that they can be properly placed in
remedial or gifted programs. These types of tests are also used to help teachers select students for
different ability level reading or mathematics instructional groups.
With norm-referenced tests, a representative group of students is given the test prior to its
availability to the public. The scores of the students who take the test after publication are then
compared to those of the norm group. Tests such as the California Achievement Test the Iowa
Test of Basic Skills (Riverside), and the Metropolitan Achievement Test (Psychological Corporation)
are normed using a national sample of students. Because norming a test is such an elaborate and
expensive process, the norms are typically used by test publishers for years. All students who
take the test during that seven year period have their scores compared to the original norm
group.

While norm-referenced tests ascertains the rank of students, criterion-referenced tests (CRTs)
determine “...what test takers can do and what they know, not how they compare to others. CRTs
report how well students are doing relative to a pre-determined performance level on a specified
set of educational goals or outcomes included in the school, district, or state curriculum.
Educators or policy makers may choose to use a CRT when they wish to see how well students
have learned the knowledge and skills which they are expected to have mastered. This information
may be used as one piece of information to determine how well the student is learning the
desired curriculum and how well the school is teaching that curriculum.
Both NRTs and CRTs can be standardized. The U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment
(1992) defines a standardized test as one that uses uniform procedures for administration and
scoring in order to assure that the results from different people are comparable. Any kind of test-
from multiple choice to essays to oral examinations-can be standardized if uniform scoring and
administration are used. This means that the comparison of student scores is possible. Thus, it can
be assumed that two students who receive the identical scores on the same standardized test
demonstrate corresponding levels of performance. Most national, state and district tests are
standardized so that every score can be interpreted in a uniform manner for all students and
schools.
Human beings make tests. They decide what topics to include on the test, what kinds of questions
to ask, and what the correct answers are, as well as how to use test scores. Tests can be made to
compare students to each other (norm-referenced tests) or to see whether students have mastered
a body of knowledge (criterion or standards-referenced tests). This fact sheet explains what NRTs
are, their limitations and flaws, and how they affect schools.

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