Precise performance definitions of the criteria for each level give the scores meaning in and of themselves. Norm-referenced scores have meaning only in comparison with scores of other students or the same students at different points in time. Institutions have multiple needs in using assessment instruments, and each type is useful for a particular purpose. The norm-referenced scores are most helpful in getting a broad comparative view of skill outcomes. The Proficiency Level data allow an institution to understand what its students can do and to measure learning growth more effectively.
Growth is progressive and tends to occur between adjacent levels.
Where growth has taken place, it can be identified by using the Proficiency Levels. With norm-referenced scores, changes in mean scores do not show where the score movement has occurred, and regression to the mean tends to mask actual gains. The level reached on each skill dimension is reported for each student on the Standard Form. Norm-referenced scale scores are reported both graphically and numerically with a confidence band around the institutional mean scores. All rights reserved.