Understanding Your Child’s
Assessment: What Do Those
Tests Really Tell You?
Victoria B. Damiani, Ed.D., NCSP
Center for Rural Gifted Education
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
First, some terms you should
know
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Achievement-Score on a test of
academic content such as reading,
math, or science
Intelligence/ability/aptitude-Score
on a test of problem solving/reasoning
not based in an academic area
More terms

Standardized test-A test that is
administered the same way each time it
is given. Also, a test on which a
person’s score is determined by
comparing his/her performance on the
test to that of the norming group
More terms
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Norming group-The group on which a
test was originally developed
Normal curve-A graph representing
the theoretical assumption that most
people’s test scores (for example, on a
test of intelligence) are in the average
range with only a few scoring very low
or very high. Most standardized tests
are based on this assumption.
More terms

Standard score-A score based on a
comparison of one student’s
performance to that of the norming
group. This score does NOT show the
number or percentage of items the
student got correct.
More terms

Percentile rank-A ranking of a
student’s performance based on the
percentage of those whose scores were
lower (usually in comparison to a
norming group for the test, but
percentile ranks can also be based on a
group taking a test currently, such as a
class) Does NOT tell what percent of
items a student got correct.

Rating Scale-A list of characteristics or
observations that the rater, usually a
parent or teacher, will check as present
or absent. May also include the degree
to which the characteristic is present or
absent.
Your child’s assessment is
likely to include
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An individual test of intellectual ability
A group or individual test of academic
achievement
Rating scales completed by the teacher
& the parent
A review of existing achievement test
data (for example PSSA or 4Sight)
What is intelligence?
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Several theoretical formulations of
intelligence do exist
Different tests of intelligence
represent different theories
But, most theories include
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Verbal ability
Quantitative ability
Visual/spatial problem solving
Memory
Speed
Some also include planning/attention
Most achievement tests will
include at least
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Reading
Math
Some also include social studies &
science, but that is less common
Some Tests of Intellectual
Ability
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Wechsler Scales (WISC)
Binet Scales
Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive
Ravens Progressive Matrices
Test of Non-verbal Intelligence (TONI)
Some Tests of Academic
Achievement
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Woodcock-Johnson Achievement
Tests
Wechsler Individual Achievement
Curriculum Based Measures
Standard score interpretation
90-109
110-119
120-129
Over 130
Average
High Average
Superior
Very Superior
All scores are not created
equal
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Standardized tests are more reliable
than rating scales
Curriculum-based assessments relate
better to what has been taught in the
student’s school
Standardized achievement tests have
only a few items at a given level
Some FAQs
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Does the psychologist who administers
the test affect my child’s score?
Should my child be re-tested?
How young is too young for testing?
If one of my children scored in the
gifted range, is my other child likely to
do the same?
What are your questions?