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    Explaining Test Results To Parents

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    Standardized test scores can provide useful information to parents about their child's performance, but the scores can be difficult for parents to understand without explanation. The document provides guidance for teachers on explaining different types of test scores like stanines, percentiles, and grade-level equivalents to help parents interpret their child's results. It also advises teachers to compare each child's test scores to their classwork to identify any differences and discuss scores in relation to other students who took the same test.

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    Explaining Test Results To Parents

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    Standardized test scores can provide useful information to parents about their child's performance, but the scores can be difficult for parents to understand without explanation. The document provides guidance for teachers on explaining different types of test scores like stanines, percentiles, and grade-level equivalents to help parents interpret their child's results. It also advises teachers to compare each child's test scores to their classwork to identify any differences and discuss scores in relation to other students who took the same test.

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    Standardized test scores can provide useful information to parents about their child's performance, but the scores can be difficult for parents to understand without explanation. The document provides guidance for teachers on explaining different types of test scores like stanines, percentiles, and grade-level equivalents to help parents interpret their child's results. It also advises teachers to compare each child's test scores to their classwork to identify any differences and discuss scores in relation to other students who took the same test.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    206 views4 pages

    Explaining Test Results To Parents

    Uploaded by

    api-299934038
    Standardized test scores can provide useful information to parents about their child's performance, but the scores can be difficult for parents to understand without explanation. The document provides guidance for teachers on explaining different types of test scores like stanines, percentiles, and grade-level equivalents to help parents interpret their child's results. It also advises teachers to compare each child's test scores to their classwork to identify any differences and discuss scores in relation to other students who took the same test.

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    Eissenberg, Thomas E. & Rudner, Lawrence M. (1988). Explaining test results to parents.

    Practical
    Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 1(1). Retrieved February 3, 2015 from
    http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=1&n=1 . This paper has been viewed 101,103 times since
    11/13/1999.
    Explaining Test Results to Parents
    Eissenberg, Thomas E. & Rudner, Lawrence M.
    ERIC Clearinghouse on Tests and Measurements
    Students are taking more standardized tests than ever before. This means that their parents are
    seeing more test results. As a result, parents may call on you, as their children's teacher, to explain
    these test results.
    Standardized test scores can give parents useful information about their children. Explaining the
    results to parents, however, can be difficult because parents may not understand what the tests are
    for or what the scores mean. To help educate parents, you need to

    explain why students are tested,

    explain what the different types of scores are

    help parents to interpret test scores.

    This article will give you some basic information to help you answer parents' general questions
    about tests. It may also raise questions of your own. On the next page are some sources of more
    detailed information.
    WHY ARE STUDENTS TESTED?
    Parents often ask, "Why were my children tested?" Help parents understand that standardized
    testing programs usually serve several purposes. They help teachers, principals, and
    superintendents

    evaluate and improve the school district

    evaluate and improve the individual school

    identify a child's academic strengths

    identify areas where a child may need to improve

    You can also point out to parents that a testing program is only one of several tools you use to
    evaluate their children's performance. Children are never measured on the basis of one test alone.
    WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCORES?

    You can help parents better understand test scores by helping them understand that they can
    compare their child's test scores to the scores of one or more groups of students. Three popular
    ways of making comparisons are by using stanines, percentiles, or grade-level equivalents.
    Test publishers use one of these three methods to report test scores so that teachers and parents
    can compare an individual student's scores with the scores of other students who took the same
    test.
    WHAT ARE STANINE SCORES?
    Stanine is short for standard nine. The name comes from the fact that stanine scores range from a
    low of 1 to a high of 9. For instance, a stanine score of
    1, 2, or 3 is below average
    4, 5, or 6 is average
    7, 8, or 9 is above average
    If a child achieved a stanine score that was below average in a particular area, the test revealed an
    area in which the child needs improvement. If the child achieved an average stanine score, the test
    indicated that he or she performed at about the same level as other students who took the test. If
    the child achieved a stanine score that is above average, the test results mean that he or she
    performed better in that area than other students who took the test.
    WHAT ARE PERCENTILE SCORES?
    In contrast to stanines, percentiles give parents a more detailed description of how their children
    compare with other students who took the test by showing scores that range from 1 to 99.
    For example, if a student scored in the 66th percentile on a test, that student achieved a score that
    is higher than 66% of the other students who took the test. So, if 1,000 students took the test, the
    student in the 66th percentile scored higher than 660 students.
    Do not confuse percentile scores with percentage correct scores. Percentile scores allow you to
    compare one student's scores with a group of students who took the test. Percentage correct scores
    simply reveal the number of items that a student answered correctly out of the total number of
    items.
    WHAT ARE GRADE-LEVEL EQUIVALENT SCORES?
    Grade-level equivalent scores are determined by giving a test that is developed for a particular
    grade to students in other grades. For instance, test designers establish grade-equivalents for a 4th
    grade test by giving that same test to students who are in the 6th and the 2nd grades.
    Grade-level equivalent scores are often misunderstood; be careful when you interpret them with
    parents. If a 4th grader received a 7th grade equivalent score on a 4th grade reading achievement

    test, the parents may believe their child is ready for 7th grade material. Actually, the score means
    that the child reads 4th grade material as well as the average 7th grader.
    WHO ARE THE OTHER STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE TEST?
    Stanines, percentiles, and grade-level equivalent scores all rely on measuring your students' scores
    against the scores of a large group of students who also took the same test. This other group of
    students, or the comparison group, may be composed of other students in your district who took
    the test at the same time or of students from a nationally representative sample who took the test
    earlier.
    A student's test results are most meaningful for parents when you discuss them in relation to these
    other students' scores. When you compare one student with others who took the same test, you
    can discuss with the student's parents the ways in which their child is similar or dissimilar to other
    students in the group.
    HOW CAN YOU HELP PARENTS TO INTERPRET THEIR CHILD'S TEST SCORES?
    The most pressing question parents ask is, "What do the scores mean?" As their child's teacher, you
    are in a unique position to answer this question. Because you have seen their child's work every
    day, you should have a firm impression of their child's capabilities.
    Before you talk with parents, compare each of your students' test scores with their daily classwork.
    Is there a large difference between the test results and your impression of how each student should
    have scored? If there is no difference, the test confirmed your impression of each child's skills.
    If there is a large difference, however, look closely at the scores and the child's in-class
    performance. What do you think causes the difference? There is no easy way to determine the
    reason, but subskill scores can help you identify problem areas. Check to see if any one subskill
    score lowered the overall test score. For example, reading tests often have subskill scores in
    vocabulary and comprehension. Parents may believe that a child with an overall score in the 75th
    percentile has few reading difficulties. However, if the vocabulary subskill showed that the child was
    in the 65th percentile, he or she may need to improve vocabulary skills.
    If the student's test results do not include an analysis of subskill scores, ask for it. Most test
    publishers will give you this information.
    Remember that parents have a right and a need to know about their children's educational
    progress. Wherever possible, discuss past and current test scores together, as a way of helping them
    track their children's progress. Above all, remember that test results give you a powerful way of
    checking whether your students are working up to their potential.
    WHERE TO FIND OTHER INFORMATION
    Frechtling, Joy A., and Myerberg, N. James. Reporting Test Scores to Different Audiences. ERIC/TM

    Report 85 December, 1983.


    Green, Donald Ross. "A Guide for Interpreting Standardized Test Scores," NASSP Bulletin. February,
    1987, 71, 496, pp 23-35.
    Hieronymus, A.N., and H.D. Hoover. Manual for School Administrators. Levels 5-14, ITBS Forms G/H
    Chicago, IL: The Riverside Publishing Company, 1986.
    The Psychological Corporation. On Telling Parents About Test Results, Test Service Notebook. 154,
    San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation, n.d.
    REFERENCES
    Lyman, Howard, B. Test Scores and What They Mean, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall,
    Inc. 1986.
    Merwin, Jack C. "Standardized Tests: One Tool for Decision Making in the Classroom," Educational
    Measurement. Spring, 1982, pp 14-16.
    Rudman, Herbert C. "Classroom Instruction and Tests: What Do We Really Know About the Link?
    NASSP Bulletin, February, 1987, pp 3-21.
    Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; Grade Equivalent Scores; *Parent School
    Relationship; *Scores; *Standardized Tests; *Teacher Role; *Test Interpretation; *Test Results

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