The Semantics Of Test Scores
Our guest author today is Jennifer Borgioli, a Senior Consultant with Learner-Centered Initiatives, Ltd., where she supports schools with designing performance based assessments, data analysis, and curriculum design.
The chart below was taken from the 2014 report on student performance on the Grades 3-8 tests administered by the New York State Department of Education.
Based on this chart, which of the following statements is the most accurate?
A. “64 percent of 8th grade students failed the ELA test”
B. “36 percent of 8th graders are at grade level in reading and writing”
C. “36 percent of students meet or exceed the proficiency standard (Level 3 or 4) on the Grade 8 CCLS-aligned math test”
Seems like a trick question, doesn’t it? It’s almost as if all three choices are basically saying the same thing. Both Aand B are common refrains in different education circles, and C sounds a bit like bureaucratic word-smithing. So, like any good test taker, let’s make sure we understand the difference between the choices before picking our answer.
Statement A is perhaps the most common format for these types of descriptions. It is often used as a talking point of sorts, one that usually consists of two elements – a shockingly large number and some variation of fail,failure or the inverse, “passing.” Before we pick A as the most “accurate” choice, however, we have to tap some of our background knowledge and consider what it means to pass or fail a test.
Generally speaking, when we talk about a test where the resulting score is described as passing or failing, it’s in relation to the consequences for the test taker. Fail your driver’s test? You can’t drive. Pass your boards? Welcome to the profession, Doctor. Both of these examples are clear pass/fail tests. In contrast, after taking the Armed Shanker Blog » The Semantics of Test Scores: