Assessment Vocabulary

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. Fill in the blank: ____________

• Formative Evaluation

• Summative Evaluation

• Diagnostic Assessment

• Norm-Referenced Assessment

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. What is this called?

• Rubric

• Checklist

• Portfolio

• Anecdotal record

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. Fill in the blank: ____________

• Median

• Mode

• Mean

• Range

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. Fill in the blank: ____________

• Reliability

• Validity

• Objectivity

• Feasibility

Theoretically, an average score at a given grade level. This score relates a student's raw score to the average scores obtained by others. Fill in the blank: ____________

• Grade Equivalent

• Percentile Rank

• Standard Score

• Stanine

A test that assesses specific skills to determine individual strengths and weaknesses, usually in reading and math. Teachers should use this type of test to guide them in planning instruction based on student needs. Such tests should be tied to curriculum and content objectives. What type of test is this?

• Diagnostic Test

• Achievement Test

• Aptitude Test

• Placement Test

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. Fill in the blank: ____________

• Likert Scale

• Guttman Scale

• Semantic Differential

• Thurstone Scale

A statistical measure of the dispersion in a set of scores, beginning with the mean or average. Usually, the standard deviation is a 15-point range. It indicates what percent of scores are higher and lower than the mean. What is this called?

• Standard Deviation

• Median

• Mode

• Percentile

What type of test measures what has been taught and learned in the extent to which an individual has achieved or mastered a set of defined objectives or learning outcomes, usually acquired as a result of instruction or schooling?

• Achievement Tests

• Aptitude Tests

• Personality Tests

• Intelligence Tests

What are Standardized Tests? Fill in the blank: ________ are a systematic sample of student performance obtained under prescribed conditions such as time allotted, verbal instructions required, etc., and are usually developed for state or national use.

• Standardized Tests

• Formative Assessments

• Classroom Quizzes

• Project-Based Assessments