Norming and Norm-Referenced Test Scores.

Norm-referenced tests yield information regarding a student's performance in comparison to a norm or average of performance by similar students. Norms are statistics that describe the test performance of a well-defined population. The process of constructing norms, called norming, is explored briefly in this paper. Some of the most widely reported norm-referenced test scores are reviewed, and guidelines are provided for their interpretation. Nine steps for conducting a norming study, based on the work of Crocker and Algina (1986), are presented. These are: (1) identify the population of interest; (2) identify the most critical statistics that will be computed for the sample data; (3) decide on the tolerable amount of sampling error for one or more of the statistics in step 2; (4) devise a procedure for drawing a sample from the population of interest; (5) estimate the minimum sample size required to hold the sampling error within the specified limits; (6) draw the sample and collect the data; (7) compute the values of the group statistics of interest and their standard errors; (8) identify the types of normative scores that will be needed and prepare the normative conversion tables; and (9) prepare documentation of the norming procedure and guidelines for interpretation of the norms. Four categories of norm-referenced test scores (percentiles, standard scores, developmental scales, and ratios and quotients) are described. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Mi'xi,r e &Die 6-u TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) NORMING AND NORM-REFERENCED TEST SCORES Maximo Rodriguez Texas A&M University 77843-4272 Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southwest Educational Research Association, Austin, TX, January, 1997. 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Abstract Norm-referenced tests yield information regarding a student's performance in comparison to a norm or average of performance by similar students. Norms are statistics that describe the test performance of a well-defined population. The process of constructing norms, called norming, is briefly explored in the present paper. Some of the most widely reported norm-referenced test scores are reviewed, and guidelines for their interpretation isNorm-referenced tests yield information regarding a student's performance in comparison to a norm or average of performance by similar students. Norms are statistics that describe the test performance of a well-defined population. The process of constructing norms, called norming, is briefly explored in the present paper. Some of the most widely reported norm-referenced test scores are reviewed, and guidelines for their interpretation is