BRIGANCE IED-II Module 3
Welcome to Hawker Brownlow Education’s online tutorial on norm-referenced testing with the revised
BRIGANCE Inventory of Early Development, the IED-II. My name is Martine Power, and I’ll be your
guide through this tutorial.
In this module you’ll learn the purpose of norm-referenced testing. You’ll see an example of a normreferenced assessment in the IED-II Inventory.
And you’ll learn how to use the Standardised Assessments Record Book to record testing results and
obtain raw scores. You’ll learn how to convert raw scores into normed data with the IED-II
Standardised Scoring Conversion Software.
And finally, you’ll see an explanation of normed scores.
Norm-referenced testing differs from criterion-referenced testing in that children’s performances are
compared to that of a norming group – a large group of children who were all given the assessments
in the same manner. Using standardisation studies, scores are determined for comparison purposes
(such as quotients).
Norm-referenced assessment, sometimes referred to as standardised assessment, is appropriate for
use as one component of a battery for evaluation or placement purposes. No one instrument should
ever be used for these kinds of decisions.
Norm-referenced testing is also an appropriate way to collect data concerning child performance in an
early childhood or preschool program and to conduct longitudinal studies; that is, studies concerning
child performance over longer periods of time.
If you are required to supply standardised scores for your population, the IED-II will allow you to
provide those scores while still giving you the information you need for instructional planning and
tracking growth.
There are several components necessary for administering the IED-II as a norm-referenced test. You
will need the Inventory of Early Development II.
You will also need both a Standardised Assessments Record Book and a Developmental Record
Book for each child you will be testing. The Standardised Assessments Record Book is where you
record the results of the standardised assessments. The Developmental Record Book is the tool you
use to indicate mastery of skills, identify instructional objectives and track ongoing progress.
The IED-II Standardisation and Validation Manual contains information about the standardisation
study, reliability and validity, as well as detailed instructions for administration and interpreting and
using testing results.
The IED-II Standardised Scoring Conversion Software automatically computes chronological age and
converts raw scores into normed data: quotients, percentiles, age equivalents and instructional
ranges.
Normed scores available from the IED-II are quotients, percentiles, age equivalents and instructional
ranges. Scores are available for assessments in the areas of Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Receptive and
Expressive Language, Academic/Cognitive Skills, Daily Living and Social and Emotional
Development.
Total Adaptive Behaviour Scores are also available. These scores reflect a child’s overall performance
and are a combination of the areas listed above. Depending upon a child’s age, not all areas may be
included in the Total Adaptive Behaviour score.
Raw scores simply reflect the number of skills a child has mastered. Remember that all items below
the basal are counted as correct for the purpose of normed scoring.
Quotients, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, enable a comparison with intelligence
scores and most diagnostic tests in order to view whether children are making progress that is
commensurate with their ability.
Percentiles are scores between 0.1 and 99.9. These scores show the percentage of same-age
children who perform at or below a given score. For instance, a percentile of 20 means that a child
performed in the lowest 20 percent. On the other hand, a percentile of 86 means that a child
performed better than 86 percent of the standardisation sample.
Age equivalents can help with the selection of curricular content and materials. However, can be an
uneven unit of measure. For example, there is a large difference between the performance of a child
who is 1 year and 1 month, and a child who is 1 year, 11 months; but the difference between 3 years
and 1 month and 3 years and 11 months is much less apparent.
Instructional ranges take into account the standard error of measurement for assessments and
provide a proximal zone of development, the range which is the optimal level for instruction.
The Standardised Assessments Record Book allows you to focus solely on the key items within the
assessments in the IED-II which yield normed data.
The assessment areas are divided into Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Receptive and Expressive
Language, Academic/Cognitive Skills, Prereading and Reading, Daily Living and Social/Emotional.
The assessments are presented in chronological order within that skill area.
The Standardised Assessments Record Book is where the entry levels, basals and ceilings for each
assessment are listed. The entry level is the suggested starting point, based on the child’s age. The
basal is a series of items completed successfully, where mastery can be established. The ceiling is a
series of items completed unsuccessfully and the point at which an assessment should be
discontinued.
When a child responds correctly to an item, circle the item number in the booklet. Put a slash through
the item number when a child responds incorrectly.
Write the child’s raw score on the line at the bottom right of the box. The raw score is the number of
items a child has responded to correctly. Also, for the purposes of standardised scoring, all items
below the basal are to be counted as correct. So, in our example, the raw score would be 15, since
the child established a basal, in this case five consecutive correct items.
Be sure to have a Standardised Assessments Record Book for each child you’ll be assessing. After
testing, you can transfer the results into the child’s Developmental Record Book, used to record
results for all assessments, standardised or not, and to identify instructional objectives and track
growth.
Because all BRIGANCE Inventories are meant to be used by teachers in the classroom, testing
procedures have been designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible. The information on
the assessor pages will tell you everything you need to know. However, we do recommend that you
read through the pages you will be using before administering the assessments.
Also, gather any extra materials you may need, such as coloured blocks or paper and crayons, before
you begin.
The skill being assessed is always listed first, followed by the page in the Developmental Record Book
on which you will be recording results.
The Class Record Book is a supplemental component of the IED-II. It allows you to keep track of
which assessments you have given to the children in your class and whether they have mastered the
skill. The Class Record Book is useful for instructional grouping within the classroom.
The Assessment Method will tell you how the assessment should be administered. Some
assessments must be done one-on-one with the child; others may be done through observation or
parent comments. For many, you will have a choice of assessment methods and you should choose
the one that works best for your needs and the child’s needs.
Materials required for the assessment will also be listed.
Timing considerations for the assessment are given. Use your discretion to determine how much time
is needed – it will vary slightly depending on the child you are assessing. Remember that you are
looking for mastery of a skill. If, in your opinion, it is taking a child too long to answer or you are waiting
longer than necessary for the child to perform the skill, move on to the next item.
Additional notes may follow the instructions.
When appropriate, the child page is reproduced at the bottom of the assessor page with the correct
answers indicated for easy reference.
The scripted Directions are clear and easy to follow. It is helpful to quickly read through them before
administering the assessment.
The second box will indicate which items in the assessment will yield normed scores. Not all items in a
skill sequence may be standardised, but the Standardised Assessments Record Book will list only
those skills which are standardised, making it unnecessary for you to have to skip around.
Finally, an objective is included for each assessment.
The IED-II Standardised Scoring Conversion Software automatically calculates a child’s chronological
age at the time of testing.
The software quickly and easily converts raw scores into quotients, percentiles, age equivalents and
instructional ranges for all applicable composites, subdomains and domains.
The software also creates a testing record for each child.
Normed scores are not derived for individual assessments, but rather for subdomains and domains,
such as the quantitative/general skills and prereading/reading subdomains, which combine to form a
total academic/cognitive domain. The scores you are able to obtain will be dependent upon a child’s
chronological age.
Deriving normed scores with the software can be done in a few simple steps. Enrol a child in the
software by entering their name and date of birth. You may also enter other optional indicators such as
gender, ethnicity and make note of any disabilities.
Then, record raw scores. Enter a date tested – the software will determine the child’s chronological
age in order to display the appropriate normed scores. Enter the child’s raw scores for each
assessment administered – raw scores will be found on the lower right-hand corner of each
assessment in the Standardised Assessments Record Book.
After entering raw scores, click the View Scoring Report link to see a report showing quotients,
percentiles, age equivalents and instructional ranges for subdomains and domains.
If you choose to convert normed scores without the Standardised Scoring Conversion Software, use
the Standardised Scoring Sheet, located at the back of the Standardised Assessments Record Book,
and the conversion tables in the IED-II Standardisation and Validation Manual. The conversion charts
in the Standardisation and Validation Manual also allow you to report scores in ranges, should you be
required to do so.
The Manual has detailed instructions for deriving normed scores.
Normed scores are not derived for individual assessments, but rather for subdomains and domains,
such as the quantitative/general skills and prereading/reading subdomains, which combine to form the
total academic/cognitive domain. The scores you are able to obtain will be dependent upon a child’s
chronological age.
For example, if the child you are assessing is below 3 years of age, you will not have administered any
of the prereading/reading assessments. Therefore, you will not have scores for that subdomain.
Located after the Standardised Scoring Sheet is the IED-II Developmental Profile. This graph allows
you to plot the quotients for each assessment area in order to create a graphical representation of a
child’s performance. This graph is an excellent way to share normed testing results with parents in
terms that can be easily understood.
Now take this short quiz to review the information presented. Follow the onscreen directions to
proceed.
Here are your quiz results.
Thank you for viewing this tutorial on the BRIGANCE Inventory of Early Development II. Hawker
Brownlow Education offers other early childhood assessment components, including the BRIGANCE
Screen for Infants and Toddlers, the BRIGANCE Early Preschool Screen, the BRIGANCE Preschool
Screen and the BRIGANCE P and 1 Screen.
The BRIGANCE Readiness Prescriptive provides teaching activities for skills assessed in the IED-II
and the Screens, and reproducible parent letters with activities to help parents reinforce skills at home.
To learn more about these programs, please visit us online at www.hbe.com.au.