Rachel

Dodds

10/5/17

HDFS 421, Fall 2017 Interpreting Assessment Information I: Measurement Concepts

Explain when you would use norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments.

Norm-referenced assessments are determined by comparing one student to the rest of the students in a
grouptracked whether a child is slipping behind or catching up to peers.
Criterion-Referenced assessments are assessing each child individually according to a pre-defined scale and
certain criteria for each levels. Progress of skills or levels achieved over time is tracked.

What does it mean to be normal in our society? How do our views of normal map on to different scales of
measurement and measures of central tendency?

Normal means being averagenot behind or ahead in any way. Normal on an assessment means being near a score
from the scales of central tendency.

Describe 4 Scales of Measurement used in assessments

What is it? How do you use it? How NOT to use it?
Nominal
Categories that have no particular Describing composition of a There is no basis or
order, the category labels are just group/population. reason for comparing
names. one child to another
Or defining sub-groups within a on a nominal scale.
Ex: Race, Sex, Family Composition group/population.
Assess subgroups separately.
Compare children with sub-group
only to each other.
Compare average scores of sub-
groups to other sub-groups.

Ex: Are children from minority groups
doing as well as other children?

Ordinal
Categories have discrete values in a To rank children on who did best and Can compare scores
particular order, but distance worst on assessment. Sometimes to from different
between categories is not equal. define cut-off point and create a nominal children to one
category (which children belong in another, but cannot
reading groups? Clinical range scores know how far apart
Ex: Class year, placement in need services). scores really are.
competition, Likert Scales

Interval
Categories have an order and are the Rank children, track child progress, Cannot make
same distance from another, but compare children to one another, comparative
doesnt have a true zero value. compare children to normed score, statements about the
define cut-off point and create nominal absolute relationship
category.
 Ex: Parenting Stress Index, Bayley or ratio of scores to
Mental Development Index one another.

Ratio
Categories have an order and are Rank children, track child progress, Only a few true ratio
same distance from each other and compare children to one another, scales that apply to
has a true zero. compare children to normed score, child development.
define cut-off point and create nominal So we can never
Ex: height, weight, time (but not age) category. make absolute ratio
comparisons
between children.

Define the range of a set of scores.

The range is the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a set.

Define and describe 3 Measures of Central Tendency used in assessments

Mode Median Mean

Definition
Most frequently observed 50th percentile, half scores are Numerical average score.
score. above and half are below.




How do you
determine this
measure? Which score is the most Reorder data from smallest to The sum of all scores then divide
frequent. largest, find center point. by number of scores.






What can you
tell about an If they have scored the most Performance compared to The average score, relation to the
individual by frequent score. others. average score numerically.
comparing
their score to
this measure?




Write one
question you How many children in a class Do these children perform What is the average?
could answer are girls? Boys? better or worse than their How far below/above average is
using this What is most common? peers on __? __?
 measure of How does this score rank
central compared to those of same-
tendency age peers?