How to Interpret Test Scores

1. What are standardized tests?

 A standardized test is one that is administered

under standardized or controlled conditions
that specify where, when, how, and for how
long children may respond to the questions or
"prompts." They include specified procedures
for administration and scoring. They have an
established format and set of materials.
 2. Which tests are administered
to our children?
• We administer the Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy
Skills (DIBELS) to grades K-3 in August, January, and May.
• Students in every grade take quarterly Mobile County
Criterion Referenced Tests (CRT’s)
• In February, our fifth grade takes the Alabama Direct
Assessment of Writing.
• In April, grades 2-5 are administered the Alabama
Reading and Math Test (ARMT), the Stanford
Achievement Test (SAT 10), and the Otis Lennon School
Ability Test (OLSAT).
3. What does each test measure?
DIBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy
Skills (DIBELS) are a set of procedures and measures for
assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from
kindergarten through sixth grade, although we only
assess kindergarten through third grade. They are
designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures
used to regularly monitor the development of early
literacy and early reading skills. It allows teachers to see
which of her students are on grade level, below grade
level, or above grade level. It can also indicate the areas
of reading a child needs to develop.
 CRT’s:
CRTs are criterion-referenced tests that are developed
using Mobile County curriculum objectives. The CRTs are
administered at the end of each quarter. The CRTs
contain questions relating to the objectives that have
been taught during that quarter for a specific course.
Students in kindergarten through grade 5 will be tested
in the areas of reading and mathematics at the end of
each quarter. The science CRT will be administered at the
end of the year. In grades K-3, the CRT will count 10% of
the quarter average. In grades 4-5, the CRT will count
20% of the quarter average.
 SAT 10
• SAT10-The SAT 10 is designed to spread scores out over a range. We can
then look at the score of any student who takes the test and tell if their score falls
into a range that is below average, average, or above average compared to students
in the norm group, across the nation. We can generalize from this and say that the
student is below average, average, or above average compared to other students
about his/her age and in the same grade.
• The Primary Purposes of the SAT 10 are: To compare individual performance with
performance of the norm group; to report relative areas of strengths and weaknesses;
and to provide data to study changes of performance over time.
• Students receive a percentile rank, which indicates how well they performed in
comparison to peers in other states. If the number is 45, for example, students scored
as well or better than 45% of students who took the test across the country. The
state's goal is for students to score at or above the 40th percentile.
• Stanines are a simple way to look at test results. Stanine scores range from a low of
one to a high of nine.,
• 1, 2, 3 - Below Average
4, 5, 6 - Average
7, 8, 9 - Above Average
 ARMT:
• The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test (ARMT) is a criterion-
referenced test administered in grades 3 through 8 based on Alabama's
content standards. The ARMT uses a wide variety of text sources for the
reading assessment, as well as multiple-choice questions and open-ended
items. In the math section, students respond to multiple-choice questions,
open-ended items, and gridded items. Open-ended questions require
students to write a narrative explanation of their answer or to show their
work in math.

Individual students are scored into 4 levels:

• Level I Does not meet standards

• Level II Partially meets standards
• Level III Meets Standards
• Level IV Exceeds Standards
 ADAW

Students in grades 5, 7 and 10 took the Alabama

Direct Assessment of Writing Exam. The writing
test includes four parts: Grammar and Usage,
Holistic Composition, Writing Mechanics and
Sentence Formation. Alabama Direct Assessment
of Writing Exam results show the level of
proficiency a student demonstrates in meeting
state standards. Students are rated at one of four
levels: does not meet, partially meets, meets and
exceeds.