Summer Gifted M1 Wilson

Define: Formative Evaluation

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Define: Median

• 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.

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

• Describes the degree to which a given test measures what it says it is measuring.

Define: Portfolio Assessment

• 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.

• 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.

• The results of this test will significantly impact the lives of the students, teachers, administration, and school. Often, the scores determine eligibility for programs, school admission, etc. Examples include graduation tests, the SAT and ACTs, end-of-grade tests, and tests at the end of selected grades, which indicate whether a student will be retained or promoted to the next grade level.

• 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.

Define: Grade Equivalent

• 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.

• A type of standardized score based on a scale of nine equal units that range from a high of 9 to a low of 1. In general, values of 1-3 are considered below average, 4-6 average, and 7-9 above average.

• Agreed-upon values used to measure levels of attainment that students should work toward in content, process, performance, or lifelong learning—specific indicators of what students should know and be able to do due to their education.

• 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.

Define: Deviation

• The extent to which a score differs from a certain reference point, usually the norm, midpoint, or average.

• The difference between the highest and lowest scores plus 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.

• 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.

Define: Content Validity

• 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.

• Describes the degree to which a given test measures what it says it is measuring.

• 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.

Define: Likert Scale

• Describes the degree to which a given test measures what it says it is measuring.

• The difference between the highest and lowest scores plus 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.

• A type of standardized score based on a scale of nine equal units that range from a high of 9 to a low of 1. In general, values of 1-3 are considered below average, 4-6 average, and 7-9 above average.

Define: Stanine

• 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.

• 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.

• The upper limit a given test or assessment can measure. Individuals are said to have reached this point when their abilities exceed the highest performance level at which the test can make reliable discriminations. These create problems in measuring the progress of gifted or high-achieving students who may hit this point before beginning a unit of study or a school year.

• A type of standardized score based on a scale of nine equal units that range from a high of 9 to a low of 1. In general, values of 1-3 are considered below average, 4-6 average, and 7-9 above average.

Define: Standard Deviation

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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.

Define: Quartile

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• A number that indicates a ratio of mental age to chronological age. The average of this number is thought to be 100. At one time, this score was considered to be the sole measurement of intelligence; however, that is no longer the case. This number is not a fixed number throughout one's life.