Criterion Referenced

Interpretation

Prepared by:

Nickole G. Ordiales

BSEd III-R, Phy. Sci. Ed.

1st Semester, Assessment of Student’s Learning

92

criterionThe criterion is not the cut score; the criterion is the domain of subject matter that the test is designed to assess.

It is a standard for judging things by: an accepted standard used in making a decision or judgment about something.

For example:

The criterion may be "Students should be able to correctly add two single-digit numbers"

The cut score may be that “Students should correctly answer a minimum of 80% of the questions to pass”

Criterion Referenced Interpretation

Describes student performance according to a specified domain or clearly defined learning tasks.

Concerned with national examination and other assessment bodies

Used in the assessment of vocational and academic qualifications

Results are given on a pass/fail, competent/not competent basis

Results are conclusive and usually open to review

CRITERIA

Norm-ReferencingFramework

Criterion-ReferencingFramework

Referencing Framework-is a structure you can use to compare a student’s performance to something external to the assessment itself.

Content centered Examinee centered

Dimension CRT NRT

Score

Interpreta-tion

Each individual is compared with a preset standard for acceptable achievement. The performance of other examinees is irrelevant.

A student’s score is usually expressed as percentage.

Student achievement is reported for individual skills.

Assessment against fixed standards or criterion

Example:Driving testLETCitizenship TestClassroom AssessmentCompetency Based Assessment

Each individual is compared with other examinees.

A score---usually expressed as percentile, a grade equivalent score, or a stanine.

Student achievement is reported for broad skill areas, although some norm referenced tests do report student achievement for individual skills.

Competitive, compares individuals with each other and ranks them.Example:Olympics

Criterion Referenced Test

Test what students can actually do. It is possible for all students to get

As if they are all able to meet the criteria.

Motivates student to perform “up-to-standard” rather than trying to be better than other students.

Allow users to interpret what an individual can do without considering the performance of others.

Design to measure the results of instruction.

Emphasizes description of performance

Relates one candidate’s performance to that of other candidates.

Places student in a percentage category.

Seeks a bell-shaped curve in student assessment.

Percentile Rank is obtained to determine the relative standing in a norm group.

Emphasize discrimination among individuals

Norm Referenced Test

SAMPLE SCORING FOR HISTORY QUESTION: What caused WW II?

STUDENTS ANSWERS CRA NRA

Stud. 1: It was caused by Hitler and Germany invading Poland.

This answer is correct.

The answer is worse than Student 2’s answer but better than Student 3’s

answer.

Stud. 2: WW II was caused by multiple factors, including the Great Depression

and general economic situation, the rise of nationalism, fascism, and imperialist

expansionism, and unresolved resentments related to WW I. The war in

Europe began with the German invasion of Poland.

This answer is correct.

This answer is better than Student 1’s and Student 3’s

answer.

Stud. 3: it was caused by assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.

This answer is

wrong.

This answer is worse than Student #1's and Student

#2's answers.

Criterion-referenced Interpretations can be Made in Various Ways

For example, we can;

(1)describe the specific learning tasks a student in able to perform (e.g., counts from 1 to 100)

(2)indicate the percentage of tasks a student performs correctly (e.g., spells 65 percent of the words in the word list)

(3)compare the test performance to a set performance standard and decide whether the student meets a given standard (e.g., performed at the proficient level).

What prevents teachers who use criterion referenced grading from setting the

performance criteria so low that everyone can pass with ease?

1. The criterion should not be based on only teachers opinion or standard.

2. Once the criterion is established, it must be made public and open to public scrutiny.

Multiple Ways to Score a Criterion-referenced Assessment

checklistsrating scalesgradesrubricspercent accurate

PERFORMANCE RATING SCALE

5 (Exceptional)

Performance significantly and consistently exceeds goals

Competency consistently demonstrates exceptional behaviors; serves as a role model and mentor

4 (Highly Effective)

Performance consistently achieves and often exceeds goals

Competency consistently demonstrates effective behaviors and often demonstrates exceptional behaviors

3 (Effective)Performance consistently achieves goals

Competency consistently demonstrates effective behaviors

2 (consistent)

Performance achieves some, but not all goals; needs improvement

Competency demonstrates some behaviors but not others, or uses behaviors inconsistently; may be appropriate for

1 (Unsatisfactory)

Performance rarely achieves established goals

Competency rarely demonstrates competency behaviors; requires significant development

Interpreting Test ScoresCriterion Referenced Framework

Test Interpretation-is the process of translating quantitative data of points into a set of numerical equivalent. It uses numerical equivalent that has no true zero point.

Criterion Referenced Grading System

It is based o a fixed criterion measure.

There is a fixed target and the students must achieve that target in order to obtain a passing grade in a course regardless of how the other students in the class perform.

There is no fixed percentage of students who are expected to get the various grades.

Students can help a fellow student in a group work without necessarily worrying about lowering his grade in that course.

USES OF CRT1. Classroom teachers use them to monitor student performance in their day-to-day activities

2. States find them useful for evaluating student performance and generating educational accountability information at the classroom, school, district, and state levels.

3.To provide a basis for determining how much is being learned by students and how well the educational system is producing desired results.

4. In training programs to assess learning.

5. In credentialing field to determine persons qualified to receive a license or certificate.

Advantages of Criterion Referenced Grading System

1. It is ideal system to use in collaborative group work.

2. Students are freed to collaborate with one another and with the instructor (predefined criteria).

3. A rich learning environment is to everyone’s advantage.

4. Students are rewarded for finding ways to help each other.

5. They are able to compete with their own previous performance rather than with their peers, the former being considered to be a more powerful performance incentive than the latter (Rowntree, 1987)

6. Students’ grades are based on their own performance, rather than that of the particular cohort of peers

7. Students have a clear and explicit understanding of the standards required for a given outcome

8. They are able to exercise greater judgement and choice in the level of outcome they target

9. Students’ outcomes are based on demonstrated competence rather than arbitrary and temporally inconsistent standards

Luz hammered a nail into the trunk of a young tree. Explain why the nail was still at the same height from the ground 22 years later even though the tree had grown?

ANSWER

CRITERRION

Fully Correct Answer

(5pts)

Partially correct Answer(3pts)

Incorrect/No Answer

(0 pt)

Accuracy of the Answer

Mentions that trees grow in height at

the tips of stems/branches

(may also mention trunk growth increasing in

diameter)

Mentions only that the trunk grows in width or diameter

but not height ( without mentioning

growth of the stems/branches)

Mentions only that trunk does not grow (is dead) or mentions that the

nail stops/prevents growth.

Blank or crossed out/erased, illegible

or stray marks