Testing 101: The Most Meaningless but Most Important Test Score
The most meaningless test score is perhaps the most important one. It depends on its use. Once the raw score (the number right out the number possible) is determined, it is then converted into this score. Apart from the raw score, this score is the most important one because all the other scores like percentile ranks and grade equivalents come from it. If this score is off, all the others will be too. So, what score am I writing about?
I’m writing about the Scale Score.
The scale score (SS) typically follows the Grade Equivalent (GE) as you look across the page of an achievement test report from left to right. It is the final column of scores on our sample test report.
Like I said, it’s the most important score apart from the raw score because all the other scores come from it. It’s always a three- digit score. It’s likely, though, the most meaningless score when it comes to interpreting test results. Most of us look at it and say, “OK, so what?”
Because it’s always a three-digit score, it’s able to reflect the smallest changes, up or down, in a student’s performance. Think of the way a race is judged when it appears that two or three runners cross the finish line at exactly the same time. A series of rapidly triggered photographs are often used to distinguish a “dead heat” from the true winner.
About four years ago in the Olympic 200 meter semi-final, one-hundredth of a second separated the top three finishers. Blake finished first at 20.01, Spearmon second at 20.02, and Lamaitre third at 20.03. Does running one-hundredth of a second really make a difference? Only in cases like this. Most of us are content to say all three runners are incredibly fast.
Just because something can be measured doesn’t mean the information is helpful or necessarily useful.
Do we need to know how many calories are in that dessert? If we’re studying health, maybe yes. But if we’re constantly measuring the calories in our food, the pleasure of eating likely disappears.
Do we want to know how many words per minute we read? If we have a deadline to turn in a book report, knowing this information will help us plan realistically. Constant measurement of our reading speed, though, will make reading a labor.
Do we really care what the precise Richter scale measurement of a strong earthquake we just felt was? Probably not. If your home was damaged, you’ll be more concerned with what your home owner’s insurance will cover.
In spite of the importance of scale scores, there’s no inherent meaning to them. But, because they’re on your report, you should be aware of them. However, there’s no reason to know any more than what I’ve just pointed out.
Thanks for reading,
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
Basic Skills is pleased to announce that Exodus’s east side store will open in the same building where Basic Skills is located. While both businesses will be distinct, there will be a unified and collaborative effort to bring you the best in assessments, academic support, instruction, and curricula. Exodus will plan on opening their doors here in June. Join us in welcoming them as together we partner with you in preparing your children for a successful future! To learn more about the Exodus Books re-launch, go to https://exodusbooks.com/status.
