Gifted Definitions

The extent to which scores, tests, programs or assessments are accurate, dependable, stable, consistent and free from error over a period of time.  This includes the way they are administered, implemented and scored.

• Evaluation

• Mean

•  Reliability

•  Norm-Referenced

 A progression showing the steps, guideposts or reasonable expectations indicating what students are capable of learning and what they should know and be able to do at different ages and grade levels in regard to standards.  They often provide the framework for teaching and assessing key concepts and skills because they are usually more specific and concrete than standards.

•  Percentage

• Norms

• Bias

• Benchmarks

A systematic sample of student performance obtained under prescribed conditions such as time allotted, verbal instructions required, etc..  Such tests are usually developed for state or national use and are norm-referenced in order to provide accurate and meaningful information regarding a student’s level of performance relative to others at the same age or grade level.  Many of these tests are high stakes tests and their scores may be the sole criterion upon which students, teachers or administrators are judged.  Because of this, such tests often take on great importance resulting in curriculum and instruction being aligned to test items and objectives.

• Standardized Tests

• Quartile

• Performance Assessment

• Reliability

A relationship, correspondence or connection between any two things.  This is not a cause and effect relationship; two items may be strongly “connected” without one causing the other.

• Diagnostic Test

• Formative Evaluation

• Correlation

• Average

The results of this test will have a significant impact on the life of the student, teacher, administration and/or school.  Often the scores determine eligibility for programs, school admission, etc.  Examples include graduation tests, the SAT and ACT tests, end of grade tests, tests at the end of selected grades which indicate whether a student will be retained or promoted to the next grade level.

• Mental Age

• High Stakes Test

•  Accountability

• Battery

Statistics developed by test makers to represent specific populations and how the average person in that population would do on a specific test.  Norms may include grade, age, percentile or standard score and provide a basis for comparison.

•   Norms

• Correlations

• Benchmarks

• Reliability

The upper limit that can be measured by a given test or assessment.  Individuals are said to have reached this point when their abilities exceed the highest performance level at which the test can make reliable discriminations.  These create problems in measuring the progress in gifted or high achieving students who may hit this point before ever beginning a unit of study or a school year.

• Correlation

• Accountability

• Measurement

• Ceiling

The division of achievement distribution into four equal parts.  The scale is 0-25, 26-50, 51-75 and 76-100.  The number of persons per “division” is the same.

• Standardized Tests

• Norms

• Rubric

• Quartile

A teacher-constructed list of characteristics used as criteria for ranking the quality of students’ work along with some type of guide for scoring or grading.  Usually, this guide describes the criteria along with a numerical range or scale to indicate the degree of quality or mastery shown by the work.  There are many different types of these; all of which are useful for the project, or performance assessment.

• Portfolio Assessment

• Rubric

• Formative Evaluation

• Grade Equivalent

A combination of natural and acquired talents, interests and/or abilities that a student may innately possess,or that he/she may have learned.  These usually indicate ability to learn more and develop proficiency in a given area, subject or skill.

• Standards

• Range

• Aptitude

• Quartile