Chapter 4: Scoring Terminology Used In Assessment
Brief Summary
Chapter 4 focuses on calculation of age and scoring terminology used in the assessment process. After
reading this chapter your students should understand the following:
▪ Calculation of age Stanines
▪ Raw scores Standard scores
▪ Standard scores Age equivalents
▪ Percentiles Grade equivalents
▪ z scores Standard error of measurement
▪ T scores Confidence intervals
Lecture and Discussion Outline
I. Calculation of Age
A. Overview
B. Calculation of Days
C. Calculation of Months
D. Calculation of Years
E. Model problems
F. Practice Problems
II. Raw Scores
A. Overview
B. Importance of Raw Scores
III. Percentile Ranks (Percentiles)
A. Overview
B. Quartiles
C. Deciles
D. Concerns about percentiles
IV. Standard Scores
A. Overview
B. Standard scores and IQ
C. Classifications and standard scores
D. Types of standard scores
V. z Scores
A. Overview
B. Mathematical formula for calculating z scores
VI. T Scores
A. Overview
B. Mathematical formula for calculating T scores
VII. Stanines
A. Overview
B. Mathematical formula for calculating stanines
VIII. Comparing z scores, T scores and Stanines
IX. Age Equivalent Scores
VIII. Grade Equivalent Scores
XI. Concluding Remarks
XII. Practice problems and answers
Essay Questions
▪ The calculation of a child’s age is of critical importance when doing an assessment in special
education. Why do we calculate a child’s age as opposed to simply asking the child how old he
or she is at the time of testing?
▪ What is a percentile rank? What does it mean when we say that a child falls into the 55th
percentile?