Gifted Class Vocabulary

Formative Evaluation

• 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.

• 1. Information and data gathered along the way that is used to improve, modify, or revise a program, curriculum, or unit of instruction to enhance student learning. This type of evaluation helps guide ongoing classroom instruction.

• 1. The middle number; the point where there is one-half above and one-half below, thus dividing the group into two equal parts: the 50th percentile…..

• 1. A collection and evaluation of student products and performances selected for inclusion based on agreed-upon criteria. These generally illustrate a range of abilities and special talents showing growth, self-reflection, and achievement. They may be composed of the student's best work or work that shows improvement over time.

Rubric

• 1. 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.

• 1. The difference between the highest and lowest scores plus 1.

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

• 1. An assessment that measures progress toward mastery of a given set of objectives, outcomes, or skills. This measurement does not compare one person's score to the scores of the rest of the group. Instead, this objective measure of mastery is tied to specific skills and objectives based on predetermined standards or criteria. Each individual is judged on how well he achieves the criteria, emphasizing performance relative to an absolute standard.

Grade Equivalent

• 1. A numeric rating scale of attitudes or values indicating most to least, strongly agree to strongly disagree, etc. The respondent uses this scale to indicate attitudes about people, places, ideas, concepts, activities, or objects. It helps put a numeric measurement onto qualitative ideas and other things that are hard to measure objectively.

• 1. An assessment that measures progress toward mastery of a given set of objectives, outcomes, or skills. This measurement does not compare one person's score to the scores of the rest of the group. Instead, this objective measure of mastery is tied to specific skills and objectives based on predetermined standards or criteria. Each individual is judged on how well he achieves the criteria, emphasizing performance relative to an absolute standard.

• Theoretically, an average score at a given grade level. This score relates a student's raw score to the average scores obtained by norming groups at different grade levels. This score is often greatly distorted because there are so many variations in what is actually taught at each grade level.

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

Aptitude Test:

• Predicts what a student will be able to do in the future and the likely effects of future learning experiences. Thus, it may predict future behavior, achievements, or performance by measuring general abilities, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. These tests are often used to measure general intelligence or mental ability and to predict the likelihood of an individual's benefit from a certain educational or training program. Examples include IQ tests, which predict how well a student will do in school, and SATs, ACT, and GRE, which predict success in college or graduate school.

•   Doing the same thing every time. Accuracy and predictability in measurement over time with different students and scorers in different environments.

• 1. 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. They are norm-referenced 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 held accountable. Because of this, such tests often take on great importance, resulting in curriculum and instruction being aligned to test items and objectives.

Quartile:

• 1. 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.

• Consistency in scoring no matter who the scorer is. As such, it includes differences of opinion among scorers as to whether responses are scored as right or wrong. This is much easier to accomplish with a test that has a given correct answer for each item.

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

• 1. The average of a set of scores or numbers; the sum divided by the number of scores. Extremes in scores skew this number. For instance, giving a student a zero significantly affects his average.

Mathematically, the sum of a group of numbers divided by the amount of numbers. This term is also used to describe the center, the normal, or the general level of knowledge, which is minimally acceptable. On a report card, a grade of "C" usually indicates average.

• Average

• Mastery Test

• Assessment

 A criterion-referenced test that shows the extent to which a student has mastered a given set of objectives or skills. This assessment provides the teacher with information about what the student already knows, what he has learned in a given time period, and what he still needs to know.

• Average

• High Stakes Test

• Mastery Test

Responsibility for student learning based on agreed-upon criteria such as rubrics or test scores. It includes being responsible for and being able to document results. In most educational accountability systems, teachers are accountable for what they teach and what the child learns. When the curriculum is diverse and flexible and involves higher-level thinking skills, measuring accountability via standardized testing is more complicated.

• Ceiling

• Accountability

• Benchmarks

1.  One of the points on a 99-point scale. Each point reflects the distribution of ranked scores and shows a person's relative standing within a particular group. One's position on this scale indicates the percentage of those above and below them. This term is not to be confused with percentage.

• Norm-Referenced

• Battery

• Percentile:

The number of points or a given part out of 100. The scores on many classroom tests and report card grades are based on the percentage a student has gotten correct.

• Percentage

• Battery

• Percentile