Definitions of Scores and Norms
Grade Equivalent (GE)
The grade-equivalent of a
given raw score on any test indicates the grade level at which the typical
student makes this raw score. The first digit represents the grade and the
second digit the month within the grade in which the typical student makes
the corresponding raw score. For example, if a student earns a
grade-equivalent of 4.7, this means that the raw score on the test is the
same as that made by a typical or median pupil in the fourth grade at the
end of the seventh month. Similarly, if a student earns a grade-equivalent
of 3.0, this means that the test performance equals that of a typical
student just beginning the third grade.
The average yearly growth is
10 points, by definition. Just as advanced students should be expected to
gain more than 10 points in one year, it is reasonable to expect students
below average in ability to achieve less than 10 points in one year.
The grade-equivalent scores do
not tell you what grade a student should be in or that a student has the
skills to do work beyond his or her grade level. This is because all
grade-equivalent scores are based on test content specific to the level
which has been administered. There is no direct basis for predicting the
student’s performance on different test content. Although the
grade-equivalent is helpful when describing group scores, it tends to be too
specific for describing individual scores. It is usually more useful to
interpret students’ scores using percentile ranks, stanines, or normal curve
equivalents than to use the grade-equivalent.
National Percentile Rank (NPR)
Percentile ranks indicate the status or
relative standing of a student in comparison to other students. The
percentile rank tells the percent of students in a particular norm group who
obtained lower scores. If a student earns a percentile rank of 70 on a
particular test, it means that the student scored better than 70 percent of
students in the norm group and that 30 percent scored as well or better.
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