Main
Title: Norm-Referenced and Criterion-Referenced Test
Stephanie
Grant
Ashford
University
Learning
& Assessment for the 21st Century
Prof.
Darrell Rice
November 22, 2012
Abstract
The purpose of this journal is to compare
the difference and similarities between a norm-referenced and
criterion-referenced test as well as how it will summarize how they each will
be used in the assessment performance (place or rank) compared in other
students. You may have had a test in a
class and your teacher showed you the class results which mapped out into a
curve. Whereas the majority of the
student score was in the middle, others were very low and a couple of students
score was on the high end. During my
time in school (1980s’) when this occurred the teacher would curve the grades
so the ones with lower scores/grades would receive a grade/score of a C verses
a D. Even though by doing this you may
help the student to receive a C verses D it doesn’t help them if they don’t
fully understand the concept of the test or if they are actually learning you
are just passing them on. Which I found
out by doing research that this is a normal distribution found in
norm-referenced testing.
Norm-Referenced
tests – refers to where a student stands compared to other students. Certain kind of test data helps determine a
student’s “place or rank”. This is
accomplished by comparing the student’s performance to a norm or average of
performances by other, similar students.
(Kubiszy, Tom & Borich, Gary, Educational Testing & Measurement
Classroom Application and Practice 9th edition (2010))
Standardized
examinations such as the SAT are norm-referenced tests. The goal is to rank the set of examinees so
that decisions about their opportunity for success (e.g. college entrance) can
be made.
Criterion-Reference
test – tells us about a student’s level of proficiency in or mastery of some
skill or set of skills. It compares a
student’s performance to a standard of mastery criterion. CRT- information conveys to a comparison with
a criterion or absolute standard, it also helps the teacher decide whether a
student needs more or less work on some skill or set of skills. The norm-referenced tests helps determine a
student’s place or rank whereas the criterion-referenced tests says nothing
about the student’s place or rank compared to other students but is useful only
for certain types of decisions.
(Kubiszy, Tom & Borich, Gary, Educational Testing & Measurement
Classroom Application and Practice 9th edition (2010))
The results of a
Criterion-Reference tests is usually “pass or fail” and are used in making
decisions about a job entry, certification, or licensure. A national board medical exam is an example
of a CRT. Either the examinee has the
skills to practice the profession, in which case he or she is licensed, or does
not.
The
norm-referenced test, in contrast, tends to be general; it measures a variety
of specific and general skills at once, but fails to measure them
thoroughly. Also with norm-referenced
test you get an estimate of ability in a variety of skills in a much shorter
time than you could through a battery of criterion-referenced tests. Criterion-referenced tests must be very
specific if they are to yield information about individual skills. This is both an advantage and disadvantage.
Using a specific test enables you to be relatively certain that your students
have mastered or failed to master the skill in question. The major disadvantage of
criterion-referenced tests is that many such tests would be necessary to make
decisions about the multitude of skills typically taught in the average
classroom. (Kubiszy, Tom & Borich, Gary, Educational Testing &
Measurement Classroom Application and Practice 9th edition)
TABLE 5.1 Comparing Norm-Referenced and
Criterion-Referenced Tests
Dimension NRT CRT
Average of number of students who get an item
right
|
50%
|
80%
|
Compares a student’s performance to
|
The
performance of other students.
|
Standards
indicative of mastery.
|
Breadth of content sampled
|
Broad,
covers many objectives.
|
Narrow,
covers a few objectives
|
Comprehensiveness of content sampled
|
Shallow,
usually one or two items per objective.
|
Comprehensive,
usually three or more items per objective.
|
Variability
|
Since
the meaningfulness of a norm-referenced score basically depends on the
relative position of the score in comparison with other scores, the more
variability or spread of scores, the better.
|
The
meaning of the score does not depend on comparison with other scores: It
flows directly from the connection between the items and the criterion. Variability may be minimal.
|
Item Construction
|
Items
are chosen to promote variance or spread items that are “too easy” or “too
hard” are avoided. One aim is to produce good “distractor options.”
|
Items
are chosen to reflect the criterion behavior. Emphasis is placed on
identifying the domain of relevant responses.
|
Reporting and interpreting consideration
|
Percentile
rank and standard scores used {relative rankings}.
|
Number
succeeding or failing or range of acceptable performance used {e.g., 90%
proficiency achieved, or 80% of class reached 90% proficiency}
|
(Kubiszy, Tom
& Borich, Gary, Educational Testing & Measurement Classroom Application
and Practice 9th edition)(Chart form chapter 5 page 94)
Criterion-Referenced
Assessment may be used in all three types of evaluation:
Assessment
For Learning
|
Assessment
As Learning
|
Assessment
Of Learning
|
Assessment
for learning is ongoing, diagnostic, and formative. It is for ongoing
planning. It is not used for grading report cards.
|
Assessment as learning actively
involves students. It is ongoing, and involves
self and peer assessment. It provides
students with the opportunity to use the feedback to improve learning. Allows
time for self-edit.
|
Assessment of learning occurs at end of
year or at key stages. It is summative. It is for grading and report cards.
|
Assessment
for learning involves criterion-referenced criteria based Prescribed Learning
Outcomes identified in the provincial curriculum, reflecting performance in
relation to a specific learning task
|
Assessment as learning includes
teacher-supported self-assessment or peer-assessment based on criteria, with
a subsequent opportunity to bring work up to standard.
|
Summative teacher evaluation in the
classroom is essentially criterion-referenced (based on Prescribed Learning
Outcomes); norm-referenced assessment (comparing student achievement to that
of others) appears on standardized tests such as the FSA and the Government
finals
|
So within it all
the Norm-Referenced test (standardized test) basically shows the students
growth over a period of time, and the Criterion-Referenced test you can see
what the student accomplished; overall they both are put into learning /
developing perspective for the student.
References
(Kubiszy, Tom
& Borich, Gary, Educational Testing & Measurement Classroom Application
and Practice 9th edition)
(Kubiszy, Tom
& Borich, Gary, Educational Testing & Measurement Classroom Application
and Practice 9th edition)(Chart form chapter 5 page 94)
